Finding the Middle Way: Hell's Paradise
I went to an anime con a few weeks ago as a celebration for my birthday. This was a vacation I had planned on for a while; I took almost a week off work & saved money for months so that I could blow it all at the con. It was a wonderful experience! I had a lovely time with my friends and came home with armfuls of beautiful art. (Including an amigirumi Mew, who is just the cutest thing in the world.)
As I neared the end of my time at the convention I found myself wandering the exhibitor hall. I hadn’t planned to buy anything there - the budget was for artist alley - but I had some left over and felt like browsing. I eventually came to a booth that was selling box sets of various manga, and I spotted Hell’s Paradise on the shelf. I had been enjoying the anime, which hasn't ended yet, and I was curious about how the story would play out. So I said "fuck it" and bought the box set. I went home and read the manga voraciously, which was a wonderful time. The art is top-notch, the action moves at a good clip, and the characters are compelling.
The story takes place in Japan the late Edo period. Hell's Paradise follows a group of convicts sent to a mysterious, mythical island, inhabited by strange monsters and killer insects. The island is rumored to be the home of the Elixir of Life, and the convicts compete to find it and earn a pardon from the shogun. Each convict is assigned an executioner whose job is to keep the criminals on task, a conceit that does not survive first contact with reality. In short order alliances are formed in the name of survival, and as the story goes on the characters become much closer to one another. All in all it was a very good experience, and it left me with some things to think about.
One thing I found myself fascinated by was the magical combat system, which is based on a spiritual force called Tao. This isn’t to be confused with the Tao that cannot be named, though one could argue it’s a manifestation thereof. It's more like what we would call chi or life force. The secret to powerful Tao is the union of opposites; by embracing both weakness and strength, the characters are able to perform superhuman feats, survive fatal blows, and heal their bodies. (There’s also a sweet jenken system based on the elemental alignment of each fighter’s Tao. Water beats Fire, Metal cleaves Wood, etc. And fighters with complimentary tao can buff each other! Pokemon and Mega Man fans, eat your heart out.)
I found this concept particularly compelling due to my own experience with opposite extremes. I have bipolar, a chronic mental illness that causes extreme swings in mood. On the one extreme is depression, a deep crushing melancholy that saps all the pleasure out of life and makes me long for death. On the other extreme is mania, categorized by rapid thought and speech, impulsivity, irritability, and sometimes euphoria. When you're up you're in the clouds, and when you're down, you're waaaaay down. And let me tell you, the whiplash between them is no joke. Bipolar is a disease requiring constant vigilence, medication, and therapy to survive. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. But with the right help, one can find a calm center.
Finding my "middle path" has been an exercise in balancing strength and weakness. Strength in determination, self discipline, and a robust support system. Weakness in accepting help, admitting my shortcomings, and relying on my tools. For about three months now my mood has been comparatively stable, and the difference has been monumental. Before, manic impulses would ruin my finances and leave me saddled with dozens of unfinished projects. Depressive spells would see me fighting for my very life in a cold, hateful universe that I wanted desperately to escape. I spun in circles, got very little done, and strained my relationsips over and over again.
But now, for the first time, things are different. I seem to have found the right combination of medications that work for my brain, and the coping skills I've learned in therapy have been a huge help. I’ve started thinking more long term, I’m spending more consistent time on my hobbies, and I'm showing up in meaningful ways for my friends and family. I've even gotten recognition at my day job. It’s been a truly eye-opening experience.
So, yeah. I found a lot of inspiration in Hell’s Paradise; I definitely recommend it. In case you're not sold yet, it also has scenes of immortal topless women beating the snot out of a twinky ninja who just wants to get home to his wife. Ah, be still, my gay little heart. (If you can, get the box set; it comes with a lovely exclusive epilogue. Definitely worth collecting.)
I am going to keep working on my sense of balance. Who knows what I might accomplish with a year or two of being stable under my belt? If nothing else, I bet I'll read more manga.
Until next time.