"In a crazy world, you can live more happily without having any ‘hope’."
- Hiro Sachiya (b. 1936 – d. April 7, 2022) was a Japanese buddhist scholar and a popular contemporary writer of Buddhism.
"The big lie of “making the world a better place”
The world has never been a ‘good place' for its inhabitants. Regardless of the era, the world is always a‘bad place'.
'The three realms are not at ease, they are still like a house on fire', says the Lotus Sutra. The three realms (Ref) are the worlds of greed, colour and colourlessness in which human beings reincarnate through repeated births and deaths. You could think of it as the world we live in.
The Lotus Sutra says that there is no security in this world, that it is full of anxiety, like a house engulfed in flames and burning. What is required now is to learn from this Lotus Sutra and recognise that the world is a house on fire. Politicians are trying to plant the wrong perception in the minds of the people with their nonsense. Thus we must not fall for such tricks to deceive people and must first face up to the fact that the world is always a house on fire.
That is to clarify, therefore to give up.
And you have to take a hard look at the state of the burning house in our time. People who work and have a decent income are all in debt hell. That is the state of a house on fire today.
“Let's admit that the world is on fire. If we live in an age of debt, which is on fire, then don't we need to make more efforts to extinguish the flames?” There are probably people who think this way. However, Buddhism strictly warns against the short-sighted idea that if a fire is raging, it is natural to put it out.
“Get out of the burning house immediately.”
In other words, Buddhism teaches that one should not stay in a house on fire to extinguish it. It teaches that you should leave the fire immediately.
To think "let's make the world a better place" or "let's get rid of debt hell" is, on the contrary, to be attached to this rotten world. The modern way of reading this phrase is, “Don't do that, just leave the world as it is.”
Banks are surviving comfortably, while individuals are exhausted with debt. Look at this current situation. If you stay in the fire forever, the harder you try, the worse the situation gets.
When I say 'don't work hard, don't work hard', some people argue that they bought the flat for their family and cannot afford not to work hard to pay back the loan. The conversation ends there when I say, "Then why don't you just not buy a flat?"
If you remember the basics of living within your income, you don't have to work hard and you won't be taken in by the burning house called the world. The landscape of our times is that everyone has forgotten these basics and as a result is groaning.
“狂った世界では「希望」など持たない方が楽しく生きられる。”
― ひろさちや (1936年 7月27日 - 2022年 4月7日) は、日本の仏教思想家。多数の一般向けの解説書を執筆。
「世の中をよくする」という大ウソ
世の中が、そこに住む人たちにとって「良いもの」であったためしは無い。時代を問わず、世の中というのはいつも「悪いもの」なのだ。
「三界は安きことなし、なお火宅のごとし」と法華経の中には書かれている。三界(参照)というのは、人間が生死を繰り返しながら輪廻する三つの世界(欲界、色界、無色界)のことだが、まぁ、わたしたちが生きている世界と考えればいいだろう。
その世界には安心などなく、炎に包まれ燃え盛る家のように不安に満ちている、と法華経はいうわけである。
いま求められているのは、この法華経に学び、世の中が火宅だという認識を持つことだ。政治家は能天気な御託を並べ、間違った認識を植えつけようとしているが、そんな手練手管に乗ることなく、いつの時代も世の中は火宅だということを、まず正視しなければならない。
それは明らめることだ。
[註: 仏教の世界では「諦める」を「明らめる」と書く。つまり、あきらめるとは断念するということではなく、事実をはっきり見ることであり、現実を直視し、それをありのままに受け入れるという意味にほかならない。]
そして、この時代の火宅のありようをしっかり見極めることだ。きちんと働いて収入のある人がこぞって借金地獄にいる。それが現代の火宅である。
「世の中が火宅であることは認めましょう。いまが借金時代という火宅の時代ならば、その業火を消すべく努力を重ねる必要があるのでは?」そう考える人はいるだろう。しかし、火が燃え盛っているなら消火活動をするのが当然だ、という短絡思考は、仏教が厳に戒めるところである。
速やかに火宅を出よ。
すなわち仏教では、火宅にとどまって消火活動などするな。すぐさま火宅から出てしまえ、と教えているわけだ。
「世の中をよくしよう」「借金地獄を無くそう」などと考えることは、逆にこのロクでもない世の中に執着することになる。「そんなことはせず、世の中なんてものはうっちゃっておけばいい」というのが、この文言の現代流の読み取り方なのだ。
銀行はぬくぬくと生き残り、個人は借金でヘトヘトになっている。この現状を見てください。いつまでも火宅の中にいたら、頑張れば頑張るほど、状況はますます悪くなるばかりなのだ。頑張って収入が上がったとしても、もっと高い買い物をローンでしたら、高い金利を払うことになる。
わたしが「頑張るな、頑張るな」と言うと、自分は家族のためにマンションを買ったから、ローンを返すためには頑張らないわけにはいかない、と反論する人がいる。「だったら、マンションなんて買わなければいいじゃないの」というと、会話はそこで終わる。
収入の範囲で生活する、という基本を忘れずにいたら、頑張る必要などないし、火宅に取り込まれることもない。誰もがその基本を忘れた結果、あえいでいるというのが、この時代の風景なのだろう。
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カルタゴ滅亡をトレースする現代日本
◆カルタゴはなぜ滅んだのか?!
日本と同じような商人国家であったカルタゴが、完膚なきまでに滅ぼされた例を他山の石として日本人は国防を考え直す必要があると切に思うからです。
カルタゴは紀元前250年頃、地中海に覇を唱えていた大国でした。
第2次ポエニ戦争に負けて、戦勝国から武装を解除させられ、戦争を放棄することになったカルタゴは、戦後の復興を貿易一筋で見事に成し遂げ、戦後賠償も全てきれいに払い終えました。しかし、その経済を脅威だと捉えたローマ帝国によって、結局は滅ぼされてしまいました。
滅ぼされる直前、カルタゴの愛国者であるハンニバル将軍は、ローマの考えを悟り、祖国の危機をカルタゴ市民に訴えましたが、平和ぼけした市民は耳を貸そうとしませんでした。
それどころか「ハンニバルは戦争をしようとしている!」と中傷する者さえいました。しかも、最終的にハンニバルはローマに洗脳された者達によってローマに売られ、自殺にまで追い込まれてしまったのです。
平和ぼけした市民は、ローマから無理難題を次々に要求されてからはじめてハンニバルの警告が正しかったことに気が付きましたが、時すでに遅く、徹底抗戦に踏み切るもカルタゴの陥落を防ぐことはできませんでした。この間、たった3年の出来事でした。
ちなみに、生き残ったカルタゴ市民は約5万人でしたが、その全てが奴隷にされてしまいました。城塞は更地になるまで徹底的に破壊され、再びこの地に人が住み、作物が実らぬように大量の塩が撒かれたと言われています。
これはただの負け方ではありません。まさに地上からの抹殺です。
この悲惨なカルタゴ滅亡の理由は2つあると言われています。
1つは、カルタゴ市民が軍事についてほとんど無関心だったことが挙げられます。もともと自国の防衛はおおむね傭兵に頼っていた上に、国内世論も「平和主義的」な論調が強く、有事に備えて軍事力を蓄えておくといったことはままなりませんでした。
2つめは、国内の思想が分裂状態であったことが挙げられます。そもそも挙国一致して事に当たらなければ有事を乗り切ることはなかなか難しいものですが、カルタゴにはそれがなく、戦時中にハンニバルが外地を転戦している間も市民は素知らぬ顔をしていました。そして、ハンニバルを売り渡したのは、ローマに洗脳されたカルタゴの売国奴達でした。
自らの手で愛国者を切り捨てる・・・かくしてカルタゴは「滅ぶべくして」滅んだわけですが、私は今の日本がこのカルタゴに酷似している様に見えて仕方がありません。
今こそ日本の国防を真剣に考えないと本当に危ないと思います。
【対比】日本と似すぎているカルタゴの運命
カルタゴは、フェニキア人が建国した海洋国家で、現在のアフリカ大陸チュニジアに位置しています。
カルタゴは、世界一の造船技術を持ち、スペイン、シチリア島などの海外領土を支配していました。
紀元前3世紀、地中海貿易により富を蓄え、ローマ帝国と並ぶ強国となります。
BC264年、両者の中間にあるシシリー島で紛争がおこります。そして、これを契機にカルタゴとローマは、世界の覇権を賭けて激突します。この戦いは、23年間の中断をはさんで63年間続きます。(第一次ポエニ戦争、第二次ポエニ戦争)
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
1867年、島国日本は、長い眠りから覚め、明治維新により近代国家への道を目指します。西洋文明を積極的に取り入れ、富国強兵に邁進します。日清・日露の戦争に勝ち、朝鮮、台湾、南樺太と領土を拡張します。
強国となった日本は、戦艦大和を建造して、世界有数の海軍を持ち、
太平洋をはさみ、超大国アメリカと対峙します。
1941年12月、日本連合艦隊は、ハワイの真珠湾の奇襲に成功します。太平洋戦争が始まります。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
カルタゴの英雄ハンニバルは、象36頭と兵士5万人を率いて、スペインを出発します。象を連れて、アルプス山脈越えに成功、ローマの本拠地イタリア半島を奇襲します。ハンニバルは、イタリアに、なんと15年も踏みとどまり、ローマを一時追い詰めます。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
「マレーの虎」山下奉文中将は、マレー半島を南下、シンガポールに侵攻します。インド兵への離反策が成功し、1942年2月15日シンガポールは陥落、イギリス軍は降伏します。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
カルタゴは、地力に勝るローマに対して次第に劣勢になります。ついに、名将スキピオ率いるローマ軍が、カルタゴの本拠地に進軍します。カルタゴは、イタリアで善戦していたハンニバルを帰国させ、本土決戦に賭けます。BC202年、天下分け目の戦い(ザマの戦い)が行われます。カルタゴの完膚なき負け戦でした。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
アメリカは、生産力、技術力で日本に勝っていました。ミッドウェー海戦を境に、戦局は逆転します。ガダルカナル、硫黄島、沖縄。日本は、敗退を続けます。本土空襲が激しくなり、広島と長崎に原爆が投下されます。日本の完膚なき負け戦でした。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
カルタゴは、ローマに無条件降伏します。
全ての海外領土は、放棄され、軍船、象もローマに引き渡されます。軍隊は、自衛のためのものだけが許されました。そして、自衛のためでも戦争する場合、ローマの許可が要ることになったのです。(この許可の項目が、後に大問題となります)
そして、50年賦で1万タラントの賠償金をローマに支払うことが決まります。
ともかく、カルタゴの町は、無事に残りました。100人会は、貴族の世襲制でしたが、戦後まもなく代議員が選挙で選ばれるようになります。
カルタゴは、民主主義の国家に生まれ変わります。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
「忍び難きを忍び、耐え難きを耐え・・・」玉音放送が流れ、日本は無条件降伏します。
日本列島以外の領土は、返還されます。アメリカが決めた平和憲法で戦争が放棄されます。(後に自衛隊が誕生します。)国土は焼け野原、アジア諸国には賠償金の支払いが必要でした。ともかく、本土決戦だけは避けられました。
日本は、天皇主権の国家から、主権在民の民主主義国家に生まれ変わります。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
カルタゴ人(フェニキア人)は、ユダヤ人やアラビア商人と同じセム語族で、最も商才があるといわれている種族です。
軍事国家への野心を棄てたカルタゴ人は、ますます貿易や商売に熱中するようになります。ローマ人は、楽しむために働きましたが、カルタゴ人は働くこと自体が人生の目的でした。奇跡の経済復興が実現します。
戦勝国ローマは、休む間もなく、マケドニアやシリアと戦わなければなりません。軍備費の要らないカルタゴは、次第にローマに匹敵する経済大国に、のしあがります。
BC191年ローマは、シリアを打ち破ります。
無敵の軍事大国ローマにとっての脅威は、経済大国カルタゴに移っていくのです。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
日本人には、勤勉さと物作りの才能がありました。
焼け原から立ち上がった日本人は、ひたすら一生懸命働くことで豊かになろうとしました。エコノミックアニマルと日本人は、陰口を叩かれます。奇跡の経済復興が実現します。
アメリカの核の傘に入り、軍事費もいりません。戦勝国アメリカは、ソ連との冷戦を戦わなくてはなりませんでした。
10%を超す高度経済成長が続きます。日本は、世界第二位の経済大国になります。
ソ連が崩壊し、日米の経済摩擦が激化します。
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
BC187年、カルタゴは、50年賦と決められた賠償金を一括払いしたいと申し出ます。いくら叩いても不死鳥のように蘇る、カルタゴ人の経済力に、ローマ人は、羨望と恐怖心を抱きます。ポエニ戦争の悪夢がふと蘇ります。
経済大国カルタゴの最大の悩みは、隣国のヌミディアでした。ヌミディアは、騎馬兵団で有名な、戦争に強い国です。自衛力しか持たないカルタゴを侮り、その領土を侵犯します。
カルタゴは、ローマに調停を頼みますが、黒幕のローマはもちろん取り合いません。ついに、カルタゴとヌミディアの間で戦争が起こり、平和の国カルタゴは、敗北します。
ローマの事前許可のない戦争開始は、条約違反でした。
ローマは、カルタゴに対して、突然宣戦布告をします。
驚いたのは、カルタゴです。ローマの許しを得ようと、300人の貴族の子供を人質に差し出します。しかし、8万人の世界最強のローマ兵が、上陸し、カルタゴに進軍します。
カルタゴの使者が、「どうすれば、許していただけるのですか?」とローマの司令官に聞きます。
「全ての武器を差し出せ。」司令官は、答えます。
カルタゴは、20万人分の鎧、投げやり、投げ矢、2000の石弓を司令官に差し出します。
すると、司令官は、最後の要求を使者に言い渡します。
我々は、カルタゴの街を根こそぎ破壊することを決めた。
カルタゴ人には、今の街より10マイル内陸部に
新しい居住地帯を造ることを許可しよう。
使者からローマの意向を聞いた20万人のカルタゴ人は、驚愕して、嘆き悲しみ、最後に激怒します。
「こんなひどい仕打ちがあろうか。街を破壊するだと。
内陸部に引っ込めだと。どうせ死ぬなら戦って死のう!」
カルタゴ人は、丸腰で戦う覚悟を決めます。返事の猶予期間の30日間、密かに戦争準備がすすめられます。
武器職人は、連日徹夜で武器を作ります。
若い女性は、長い髪を元から切って石弓の弦が作られます。
こうして、始まったのが、第三次ポエニ戦争でした。
(戦争というより、ローマによるカルタゴの民族浄化です。)
カルタゴは、ここで奇跡的な粘りを見せます。なんと丸腰で三年間ローマの猛攻を食い止めたのです。
しかし、戦闘と飢えと疫病で、20万人のカルタゴ市民は、10万人に減ります。
そして、ついに、ローマ兵は城壁を破り、街へ進入します。
女、子供までがレンガを投げて抵抗しますが、5万人が虐殺されます。
ビュルサの砦に逃げ込んだ5万人のカルタゴ人は、オリーブの枝を掲げて投降します。
彼らは、一部が処刑され、残りは奴隷として売られます。
カルタゴの街は、十数日燃えつづけ、灰は1メートル積もります。カルタゴの復活を恐れたローマ人は、この地に塩を撒き不毛の土地にします。
700年続いた経済大国カルタゴと世界の富を独占したカルタゴ人は、BC146年こうして滅んだのです。
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MPW Ep 6 Subtitle Corrections
Masterlist: EP 1 || EP 2 || EP 3 || EP 4 || EP 5 ||
Y: 正直言って 怖い
近づく度に 心臓が跳ねるから
何なら近寄らないで欲しい
住む世界が違うから
好かれたいとかは思わない
ただ。。。
嫌われてしまったら死んでしまうかもしれない
想像するだけで 胃液がせり上がった
Y: To be honest, I was scared.
Because whenever he came close to me, my heart leapt and skipped a beat.
I wished that, if possible, he wouldn't come near me
because we lived in different worlds.
'I want him to like me' - I never had a thought like that.
It was just...
If he ended up hating me then I felt like I might die.
Just thinking about it made my stomach turn.
We've seen for awhile that Yoh's fear that Segasaki will one day come to disdain him is what keeps him from voicing his thoughts out loud - but it is in Ep 6 that we truly learn the intensity with which Yoh feels, and come to understand why that fear overwhelms him to the point that he is incapable of hearing Segasaki's love for him.
Or, Yoh sees Segasaki for the first time and literally starts spouting poetry in the way only a visual artist can. Get ready for a lot of interaction breakdowns - this episode tells us quite a lot about these two! Same translation disclaimer applies, Ep 6, let's go!
S: 相変わらず 歩くの遅ぇな
S: As usual, he walks so slowly
Y: あのさ 実は
Y: 出てくるときにケンカしちゃって
M: え?どうしたの
Y: お前の仕事なんてどうでもいいって言われた
M: 瀬ケ崎さんが?そんなこと言ったの?
Y: どうでもいいって なんだよ
Y: 人が一所懸命やってることに対して*
Y: 最低だよ あいつ*
Y: You know... actually
Y: When I was leaving we got into an argument
M: Huh? What happened?
Y: I was told "I don't care at all about something like your work"
M: By Segasaki-san? He said something like that?
Y: "I don't care at all"... what's with that!
Y: To say that about something that someone is giving their all for...*
Y: He's the worst, that guy**
**Yoh uses あいつ (aitsu) to refer to Segasaki as "that guy". This is again considered rude, though is often used amongst male friends as well (like calling someone an asshole/bastard). He tends to use this word to refer to Segasaki in his head, especially when he's annoyed with him.
*Just like at the end of Ep 5, where Yoh emphasizes that he will become someone who can earn more as opposed to just earning more, here Yoh specifies that he is upset with Segasaki's response to his work, rather than being upset with the response being directed at himself, as the original subs imply. It's a small difference but I think it's important because it fits with his entire character. He has consistently only been triggered by comments about his work, not about him as a person. Yoh is self-conscious and sensitive about his work, because he sees competence as a measure of worth. It's precisely because he ties his self-worth to his work that he falls into such a deep depression in Ep 5, and it is the same reason why Yoh does not understand what good Segasaki could possibly see in him - after all, there is no merit in just being who he is, only in the work that he can do.
Y: いや それは都合よく受け取り過ぎだよ
Atsuya: ダヨ君 言葉って受け取り方が9割だからさ
A: 同じ言葉でも その時の気持ちやコンディションによって
A: 違った意味に捻じ曲げちゃうものなんだよ
A: ダヨ君が元気な時だったら もっと甘~く聞こえたんじゃない?
Y: No, that's just over-interpreting it in my favor
Atsuya (Man-san's husband): Dayo-kun, they say that about 90% of the meaning words convey comes down to the way we interpret them, so
A: Depending on the way we feel, or our condition in that moment, that meaning can end up distorted and warped, even if the same words are used, you know?
A: If Dayo-kun you, had been in a happier mood, might it not have sounded a lot sweeter to you?
Y: ん。。。いや、違うんです
Y: 俺とあの人って そういう感じじゃないんで
Y: Mm... No, it's not like that
Y: That person and I, well... that's not what it's like (between us), you see
Y: あの人を初めて見たとき
この星の生き物じゃないかもしれないって思った
少なくとも地球上で見たものの造形の中で
一番きれいだとおもった
耳の形 鼻筋
下顎角のライン 唇の膨らみ
きっと見えない眼球の形状まで
きれいなんだろうなって
Y: When I first saw that person
I thought that he might not be a living thing from this planet
At the very least, out of all the forms that I had ever seen on this Earth
I thought he had the most beautiful one.
The shape of his ears, the ridge of his nose,
The line of the angle of his jaw, the full contour of his lips
Even the structure of what could not be seen - the globe of his eyes -
I thought for sure that too must be beautiful.
Y: 趣味で漫画は描いてたけど
現実の人間を描くのは初めてだった
それに
男を描きたいと思ったのも初めてだった
今 目に焼き付けて 描きつけておきたい衝動に駆られた
たぶん あの美貌と同じ空間にいた
そのせいで 俺は おかしくなっていた
Y: I had drawn manga as a hobby but
It was my first time drawing a real live person.
And,
It was also the first time that I thought "I want to draw a man"
In that moment, driven by impulse, I wanted to burn his image into my eyes, to capture his likeness down on paper.
Probably, it was because I was in the same space as that beauty.
It was because of that, that I began to go crazy.
At 06:44, when Segasaki's green shirt classmate comes in calling his name, you can see that Yoh mouth’s "Mizuki" after he hears it.
(Btw Green Shirt later wears a Red Jacket, and is played by Nishimoto Maiki, the leader of the group Acchan is in - GENIC. Cute shot of the 3 of them here)
S: 直接何かしてくるわけではないし 別にいいと思うけど
S: Well it's not like he's doing anything to us directly... I think it's fine actually
Y: 女の子が相手なら
一目惚れだとはっきり思ったかもしれない
でも ただただきれいな男だったんで
自分の脳が そこまで処理しきれなかった
Y: If it was a girl
Then maybe I would have clearly understood that this was love at first sight
But it was just very simply, a beautiful man so
My brain couldn't handle processing more than that
Most of this is not subtitled, and it’s a little muffled, but as the group walks over you can hear that Segasaki is the center of their conversation here, though he's not actually participating in it much. It speaks to the group dynamics, so I'm including it here (Segasaki is bolded):
Girl: ええ?
S: ちがうよ
Red Jacket: 瑞貴じゃん、ね、今ね?
Girl どうせモテるじゃん
S: いやモテない
Red:モテるよ瑞貴が
Girl: 告白されてるよ どうせ
Red: されてる されてる
Girl: あれ!ぼっちくん*じゃん
Red: うわっ マジだ ぼっちくんじゃん
Boy: いつも俺たちのことチラチラ見てる
Girl: ちょっと来なよ おしゃべりしたげるからさ**
Girl: Whaat?
S: It wasn't
Red Jacket: It was (said to) Mizuki wasn't it, right? Just now?
Girl: I mean you're popular anyway!
S: No, I'm not
Red: Mizuki's popular
Girl: Whatever it is, that was a confession (you received)
Red: It was, it was
Girl: Oh hey! Why, isn't it Little Loner*?
Red: Oh snap, you're right! It is Little Loner!
Boy: The one who always sneaks looks at us
Girl: Come here a bit, we'll talk to you, ok?**
*ぼっちくん (Bocchi-kun) - Bocchi is slang for loner, and by adding the suffix "-kun" to it, they've turned this into a diminutive, like a nickname. It sounds cute and friendly, but is clearly meant as a casual sort of insult, so I've translated it as "Little" here.
**This is an interesting line to discuss. She tells Yoh to come over, using the phrase 来なよ (kina yo) - this is the same "na" that Segasaki uses in Ep 4 actually, when he tells a drunk Yoh to go sleep in the room. It's the exact same word form, but where it was tender when Segasaki said it, it's highly insulting here - and the reason is because of the context and their (non-existant) relationship. She may be Yoh's senior, but this is the first time they're meeting, and they are nowhere near close enough that this phrasing would ever be seen as appropriate. She then tells him "we'll talk to you", using the colloquial form of "~したあげる (shita ageru)" aka "to do for you" - in other words, she's framing the action of them talking to him as if it were a gift from them to him (this word form also implies they are above him in the hierarchy). She also adds the polite prefix "O" to the word for "talk", which in this context is meant to make her appear sweet and ladylike.
In other words, with just one line, she has insulted Yoh not only by talking down to him as if he were a small child or a pet, but also by insinuating that she's a sweet, lovely person who has been so kind as to deign to speak to him.
Y: あの。。。俺* 買ってきます
Y: 絡まれてるより100億倍マシだわ
Y: Um... I*... will go and buy it.
Y: That's definitely 100 million times better than getting harassed by them
*Yoh still uses the masculine pronoun 俺 (ore) for "I" here (the same one he's used in every episode) which is remarkable for the fact that he doesn't switch to the more polite form 僕 (boku). Nowadays, it isn't really expected per se that a junior make this switch - especially since "ore" is usually the go-to pronoun for most male university students - but the switch wouldn't be surprising either, given that they are his seniors. Yoh does acknowledge their seniority when he uses the formal -masu form of the word "to buy" - but in the context of them bullying him, the choice to stick with the more masculine pronoun "ore" suggests that he isn't intimidated by them.
Red: セルフパシリって すごくね?
Girl: やばいよ
Red: He automatically offered to be an errand boy! Isn’t that crazy?
Girl: It’s nuts!
パシリ(pashiri) - to be made to run errands - is slang, and it is used specifically to refer to cases where someone with more social power orders another around. It’s almost always linked to bullying or misuse of social power – so by using this word, these guys - they know exactly what they are doing.
Y: クソだよ あいつら*
Y: Those bastards*… they’re trash
*Yoh uses the same word あいつ (aitsu) to refer to the gang that he did at the beginning of this episode to refer to Segasaki - once again it is the context that changes the meaning of this word. With Segasaki, it is proof that they share a close relationship. With these upper classmen that he's just met - it's definitely rude.
This is a very common form of bullying in school, and evidently, Yoh recognizes it immediately. The fact that he jumps so quickly to cooperating with it tells us sadly that this is something he's familiar with - he's likely been bullied before. This is unfortunately, unsurprising, because Yoh doesn't adhere to social norms very much. He eats alone, he stares at people, he doesn't greet his seniors properly (that slight bow is not enough, there should at least be a verbal greeting of some sort).
In my post on amae, I talked about how the interdependent self-construal means that one's ability to assimilate is seen as a value. In the same vein, people who do not fit in with the group, or who do not conform, are not looked upon favorably in Japan, because it is often assumed that they simply do not want to. It is not that they are unable to assimilate, it is that they are refusing to make an effort to be part of the group, and thus the fault and blame lies with them. Ostracization of those different therefore, is the expected consequence and punishment that the group metes out. All of us have to do our part to adhere to the rules of the group - what makes you so special that you can do your own thing? If you just did your job of fitting in like the rest of us have, well, then you wouldn't be in this position in the first place, now would you? - This sort of justification is the reason why bullying in Japan can become very, very extreme, and why despite efforts, has been so difficult to eradicate.
S: そんなに 一人で持てないだろうと思って
S: 貸して
Y: ありがとうございます*
S: 行こう
S: I thought all of that was probably going to be too much for one person to carry
S: Pass it over
Y: Thank you very much*
S: Let's go
*Yoh uses the full, polite version of "thank you" here, and he will, for the most part, continue to use desu/masu forms with Segasaki, and answer him politely, in recognition of their senior/junior relationship. Similarly, Segasaki uses informal forms with Yoh, though he maintains a friendly demeanor and does not drop to rude forms at all, because they aren't that close yet. Note how he says 行こう (ikou) for "let's go" here - different from his present day "we're going", which leaves no room for argument.
(Also, he took the heavier bag of drinks (´ ▽`).。o♡)
S: 結構歩くのゆっくりなんだね
Y: よく 言われます
S: 君 名前は?
Y: あ 葉って言います あの。。。葉っぱの
S: ふーん 葉くんか
Y: はい
S: 俺は
Y: 瑞貴...さん
S: なんで知ってんの?
Y: あ そう呼ばれていたので
S: よく 聞いてんな
Y: はあ まあ。。。
Let's break this down to look at some social cues and nuances:
S: You walk quite leisurely, don't you?
Y: I've... been told that a lot
This is more than just a callback to the beginning of the episode (or a chance to contrast how much more polite and sweet Segasaki sounds here 😂) - This is another way in which we see Yoh does not fit in. Segasaki is his senior, who has gone out of his way to come help him (never mind that Yoh's being bullied), and he should at the very least, be trying to match Segasaki's pace, not making him wait like Yoh does here. Segasaki's comment should be taken as much as an expression of surprise, as it should a cue to catch up - Yoh glances briefly at Segasaki after this line (which seems to amuse the latter) but he doesn't actually apologize outright or walk any faster. He does admit that he's been told this often - which sometimes can work as a concession, because you sort of validate what the other person is saying, but at the same time you aren't quite agreeing either. That said, it can backfire, because it means you've been made aware of your habit and yet have done nothing to change it. Segasaki doesn't seem to mind though, and actually matches Yoh's pace here.
Speaking of "pace" - "マイペース" or "my pace" is a loan word from English, and is a term used to describe someone who tends to do things, well, at their own pace, or in their own way, and who isn't bother by the people or goings-on around them. Usually meant as a benign, sometimes affectionate comment on someone's personality, it often brings to mind the image of someone who appears to drift during conversations, who might be a little "slow" in social interactions, or who physically lags behind the group. It can have negative connotations, because it means the group needs to make concessions for this person (like looking for them when they've wondered off). Yoh is the epitome of someone who is "my pace", and I'm very sure that the emphasis on his slow walking is not just a peculiar quirk of his character, it's an intentional part of the character design to show how Yoh is different.
S: *You... what's your name?
Y: Ah, I'm called Yoh. Um... written with the character for "leaf"
S: Hmm~ Yoh-kun huh..
Y: Yes
*Segasaki uses the polite pronoun 君 (kimi) to refer to Yoh here, as opposed to the rougher お前 (omae) that he now uses in the present day.
That little action Yoh does whilst saying "leaf" is him drawing out the kanji character for his name. It's quite common to tell someone which character is used to write your name, because the characters usually mean something, and it helps others to remember. Strictly speaking, Yoh really should be introducing his full name here, but judging by how he's been fiddling with the plastic bag, he's probably just too nervous to realize.
S: I'm
Y: Mizuki...san
S: Why do you know that?
Y: Ah... that's what.. you were called (by them) so...
S: You listen closely don't you
Y: Ahh.. yea...
Nice save 😂First of all, it's extremely unusual to jump straight to using someone's first name instead of their family name (unless you're still a kid), let alone doing it to an upper classman, though Yoh does manage to tack on the polite suffix "-san" at the back. It's the verbal equivalent of stepping right into someone's personal space and touching their bag or something and then being all "er there was something there...". It's just weird and borderline inappropriate 😂 The fact that Segasaki doesn't scold him for taking such a liberty, or show any sign that he appears weirded out by it (in fact, he actually goes along with it!) tells us that Segasaki is a very kind (yasashii would be the right term here, the same term that appears at the end of this episode) or at least a very tolerant individual though I'd also like to think he just finds Yoh's strange ways a little cute too.
S: いま 楽しい?
Y: え?あ いえ
S: 絡まれて パシらされてさ
Y: ああ。。
S: どう?
Y: いや たのしくないです
Y: 瑞貴さんは?
S: 俺?
Y: はい
S: 全然楽しくない
S: 内緒ね
Y: はい
Continuing with the breakdown:
S: Is it fun?
Y: Huh? Ah no-
Segasaki's tone changes here to a more serious one - all he does is stress the final syllables of the word "fun" to indicate he's asking a question, instead of adding any end particles that might give more context, or that might soften the tone. The topic switch is a little sudden, which is why Yoh seems a bit confused. It doesn't help that the words are a little ambiguous - it literally translates to "now, fun?" - except the Japanese word for "now" is often used to mean "just now" as well, because the Japanese concept of time is not quite as linear as it is in West. "Now" doesn't just refer to "this current exact second we are in", it extends from whenever the "current activity" began right up to "this current exact second" - the key is figuring out what the current activity is 😅. Because Segasaki jumps into this topic so suddenly, and without much contextual cues, Yoh can't quite tell whether he means now, as in them walking together, or now, as in, the whole being sent on an errand thing, which is why Segasaki clarifies in the next sentence:
S: Being hassled, and sent on errands?
Y: Oh...
S: So?
Y: No, it... isn't fun.
Segasaki watches Yoh closely whilst he waits for the answer to his question. This is Segasaki checking that Yoh knows he's being bullied, and it's also permission to talk about the topic. Once he confirms that Yoh does know what's happening, he looks away again.
The exchange tells us a lot about Segasaki's character, because often, the reason why bullying goes on for so long is that no one is willing to talk about it. Everyone knows what's going on, but no one acknowledges it. The fact that Segasaki jumps straight into it hints to Yoh that he doesn't agree with what his "friends" are doing (whether Yoh catches that hint or not is a different story). It also tells us, the audience, that he isn't afraid to speak up about things he disagrees with (similar to how he spoke up for Yoh when Yoh was sketching in the cafeteria) - but not to the extent that he'll do something which threatens the harmony of the group outright. This is tatemae/honne, which I talked about briefly in the amae post as well, and linked to this street interview video for real life examples. In short, tatemae is your ability to avoid conflict and smooth over group interactions, and is seen as an essential and positive trait. Segasaki is very good at this, even at this stage in his life, which is part of why he is so well-liked.
Y: What about Mizuki-san?
S: Me?
Y: Yes
S: I'm not having fun at all
S: It's a secret, yea?
Y: Yes
This is cute, and tells us about Yoh's character too. Firstly, he's still persisting in his use of "Mizuki-san", though he's being really tentative about it, like he's testing whether or not it's okay. Secondly, he's actually asking Segasaki directly to confirm his stand on what his "friends" are doing. Is this Yoh being daring, or just his slightly awkward, somewhat tactless self? I couldn't tell you 🤣 It's likely a bit of both.
In response, you can hear the surprise in Segasaki's voice, but he doesn't hesitate to detach himself from the actions of the group. The way he invites Yoh into his group here, by acting as if he's let Yoh in on a secret, is very charming obviously, and reminds me somewhat of how in Ep 4, he suddenly drops to "Kanami-san" when talking to Man-san too. This again fits with how his "public mode" has been consistently portrayed thus far - nice, charming, polite, good-looking, and obviously popular (Ep 3, the girls in the cafe at the back, Ep 4, the way he talks to Man-san, this Ep, where he's even been proposed to).
Guy: 俺の水がきたかな?
Red: あいつ覚えてるかな
Guy: 確かに 待たせたな
S: ごめん 葉くんお腹痛いんだって だから連れて帰るわ はい
Girl: 瑞貴まで帰らなくてもいいんじゃん
S: しんどいのに 一人すんのかわいそうでしょ*
S: じゃあ またね また
S: 行こう
Red: 優しいな** 瑞貴
Girl: でも 帰っちゃったよ
Guy: Is my water coming?
Red: Will that guy remember?
Guy: Good point, he's really made us wait
S: Sorry! Yoh says he's got a stomachache, so I'm gonna take him home. Here!
Girl: Huh? But it's not like Mizuki you have to go too right?
S: Leaving him all by himself right when he's having a hard time - wouldn't you feel bad for him?*
S: So, see you guys later, 'kay! Bye!
S: Let's go
Red: Mizuki's really kind** isn't he?
Girl: But, he's leaving you know!
*Segasaki does a very small switch up to the polite form here, as he takes the moral high ground by reminding the girl that as Yoh's senior, they have an obligation to take care of him when he's unwell. He's still friendly about it though.
**優しい (yasashii) - kind. This word pops up a lot to describe Segasaki, we'll talk about it at the end of this episode.
Y: あの いいんですか?
S: あそこ戻りたかった?
Y: いえ
Y: Um... is this okay?
S: You wanted to go back there?
Y: No
Y: いつも 友達に囲まれてるこの人が
なんでこうして 俺と一緒に歩いてるのかわからなくて
不思議だった
Y: This person, whose friends were always surrounding him...
I just couldn't understand why he'd walk together with me like this
It was a mystery to me.
Y: あの顔が 信じられないほど近くにあった
耳元に届いた声の響きまで 良いものであることに
気づいてしまった
Y: That face was... so close to me I could scarcely believe it
And it dawned on me then
How wonderfully pleasing
Even the notes of his voice drifting pass my ears sounded
The scene in the library I've included right at the top, but I'm going to add the conversation that happens during Yoh's monologue, since the subs have them sort of mixed in.
S: 葉
S: 何してんの?
Y: え?えと、あの、本を探せて...
S: この本面白いよ
Y: え?
Y: ありがとうございます
S: また感想教えて
Y: はい
S: Yoh
S: What're you doing?
Y: Eh! Um, ah.. I'm looking for a book... (inaudible)
S: This book is interesting
Y: Eh?
Y: Thank you very much
S: Tell me your thoughts on it next time
Y: Yes
Segasaki's already dropped the polite suffix "-kun" behind Yoh's name here, and doesn't actually bother to let Yoh finish saying thank you before he tells him to report back about the book. Yoh on the other hand, is still using the full, formal and polite version of thank you, and answers him properly. Segasaki's taken the initiative to get closer to Yoh - he's already speaking to him like how he does in the present day (just, not roughly), but Yoh hasn't gotten comfortable enough yet to drop the formalities - or, he simply may not be sure if he can.
Navigating formalities and when to drop them is tricky, and requires some degree of social intuition. Generally speaking, Segasaki dropping a speech level should be a sign that it might be okay for Yoh to drop as well (not to the same level of course, just a little less formal) - but given how Yoh sees them as living in different worlds, and how fearful he is of being hated, it's unlikely that he'd want to touch the status quo.
Y: あの人の気持ち?
Y: That person's feelings?
Yoh's pretty much stuck to the phrase "that person" when referring to Segasaki this whole episode, even during his flashback. He tends to do this when he's feeling some distance between them (like in Ep 2).
On screen messages:
Y: What is Kintsuba?
S: You don't even know what Kintsuba is?
Y: I'm sorry
[Yesterday]
S: I'll be back late today
Y: Understood
[Today]
(unread)
S: Just give the editor some kind of excuse, and come back right now
A: 随分 追い込まれてたねぇ
Y: 気持ちを言葉にするとか あんまりしたことなくて
Y: 他人の気持ちなんて なおさら
A: You've pretty much been cornered, huh?*
Y: Putting feelings into words and all... I've never really done that myself...
Y: Let alone (doing that for) another person's feelings.
*This is in reference to Man-san asking Yoh to write out Segasaki's feelings
A: めちゃくちゃにしてやる, めちゃくちゃにして..x10
A: Gonna mess you up, mess you up... x 10
Yes, this does sound like a line straight out of a bad Jp AV 🤣🤣. I mean, we're talking about scenes from Man-san's manga right? That they had to mosaic out? 🤣🤣
Now you know why Segasaki is pissed.
S: 可奈美さんも一緒に仕事してるんですか?
M: すみません!瀬ケ崎さんにご報告もせずに進めてしまって
S: いや、可奈美さんのせいじゃないですよ
S: Kanami-san, are you also doing your work together with him?
M: I apologize! We ended up moving forward without even alerting you about it!
S: No, it's not your fault, Kanami-san
You can tell Segasaki has misunderstood here - he thinks Man-san has also been called to work at this Editor's place, and is completely not listening to what she has said, hence her ?? reaction 🤣
S: あ、すみません
急用ができてしまったので葉を迎えに来ました
S: Ah, I apologize
An urgent matter arose, and so I've come to pick Yoh up.
Segasaki's being quite formal here, but this is not the way to be polite. The "proper" way to request leave to go home early on behalf of someone else would be to first, apologize specifically for the disruption, introduce yourself and your relation to that person, apologize that an urgent matter has come up, regrettably but firmly insist that said person must return home immediately on pain of death, apologize again for all the trouble caused, promise to make up for it, humbly ask for understanding, and then apologize your way out the door.
So yes, despite the polite word forms this is quite rude, and is so far removed from Segasaki's usual "public mode" that it cracks me up. Segasaki's composure is unravelling by the second in these next few scenes - he is pissed and absolutely does.not.give.a.shit. 🤣
From right to left:
S: So, this bastard is the famed Editor huh...
S: Don't you dare try to deceive and pull tricks on Yoh!
S: The hell you doing touching him like that so freely!!
A: Who (is this)?
The language gets progressively ruder the more the speech bubbles get pointy and the larger the font gets🤣🤣
M: 瀬ケ崎さん やっぱ強いわ~
M: Segasaki-san really has a strong presence after all~
Y: 黙っててごめんなさい*
S: あのさ
Y: はい
S: ああいうのがいいわけ?
Y: え?
S: 俺より あの男のどこがいいわけ?
Y: I'm sorry for keeping this from you!*
S: Tell me
Y: Yes
S: Is that what you like?
Y: Huh?
S: Compared to me, just how is that guy better?
*Yoh uses the full but informal version of "sorry" here - gomen nasai. Making a note of this here so I can come back to it in one of the analysis posts.
Y: え、いや
Y: 比べるものじゃないと思うけど。。
S: あるんだろうが 俺より いいところが
S: まあ、納得する理由がない限り俺は認めねえけどな
Y: 強いて言えば 優しいかな*
Y: 人の話を ちゃんとじっくり聞いてくれるし
Y: Um, no...
Y: I don't think it's something that can be compared...
S: There is something, isn't there? Some way in which he's better than me
S: Though, unless you give me something I think is reasonable I won't accept it
Y: Well if I had to say something then... maybe, he's kind?*
Y: I mean, he listens carefully and attentively to what someone has to say...
*優しい (yasashii) - often translated as "kind", it encompasses the ideas of "caring", "tenderness", "thoughtful/considerate", "warm/gentle". It's often a trait people say they look for in their significant other.
This word has come up often to describe Segasaki - in Ep 2, Segasaki uses it to describe himself, in Ep 3, Yoh uses it to describe Segasaki's voice, and of course here in Ep 6, red shirt uses it to describe Segasaki again. Even when the word isn't said out loud, a lot of Segasaki's actions would fit this word - In Ep 2, when he picks up after Yoh and comforts him during their not-argument. In Ep 3, when he passes Yoh his gift, and implies there's nothing to be sorry for. In Ep 4, the way he coaxes Yoh. In Ep 5, when he takes care of Yoh. In Ep 6, he speaks up for Yoh in the cafeteria when he doesn't have to, when he goes to help Yoh. The irony of this moment is that Segasaki puts in a lot of effort and probably does pride himself in being yasashii, and he listens to Yoh better than Yoh listens to himself, and yet he hears from Yoh that he isn't yasashii or attentive, which explains the pained expression on his face.
S: あ、そう
S: 俺先行くわ*
S: Oh, is that so?
S: I'm going ahead then*
*わ (wa) - this ending particle puts emphasizes one's statement, but is not one that Segasaki usually uses. It's less forceful that his usual speech, because he's quite hurt by Yoh's statements.
Y: かばんに入ってたやつ 戻しといてから
Y: The thing that was inside my bag, I put it back so...
The way Yoh ends this sentence leaves room for a follow up - it's an invitation to continue the conversation, which we actually have not seen him do with Segasaki, and that's why he looks so dejected when Segasaki rejects that invitation by walking away.
Though it's been hinted at throughout the show, Ep 6 is where we get confirmation that Yoh's just never quite fit in with the crowd, and that Segasaki has always been in the center of it. The stark difference explains why Yoh is so afraid that one day he will do something to make Segasaki hate him, and why he reflexively rejects the idea that Segasaki could possibly love him.
This episode is painful, for both of them. For Yoh, because from the intensity of his monologues, we finally get a sense of how big a presence Segasaki is to him, and therefore, how devastating it would be to lose him. For Segasaki, because for all that he can read Yoh, for all that he has done to try and reassure Yoh of his love, he still cannot make Yoh see, cannot make Yoh hear.
"If he ended up hating me then I felt like I might die."
It is precisely Yoh's love for Segasaki that makes Yoh fear the possibility of losing him, and it is that fear that blinds, deafens and mutes Yoh to the very thing he hopes for. And it is in trying to protect himself, that he inadvertently hurts the very person he loves so much.
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