What Existential Philosophies In Manga Tell Us

I believe that existentialism is the most profound philosophical concept to ponder. Being a genius 16-year-old, I’m ashamed to admit that I still haven’t found a conclusive answer to the meaning of life. You know things are deep when even I don’t have any staunch claims regarding the topic. “But hold on a minute Ultra Genius Adit,” that doesn’t seem like a very complicated question when you really dissect it,” I hear you already commenting. As you’ll come to see later in this article, there are facets to existentialism we can barely fathom. When I first seriously dissected existentialism at the tender age of 14, I invented an existential philosophy called Utopian Altruism, which I defend to this day, albeit less confidently. There’s a Dunning Kruger effect with such newfound beliefs and I dearly hope I’m traversing the “slope of enlightenment” instead of “mount stupid.” My uncertainty of my own metacognition thus precludes me from asserting Utopian Altruism unequivocally. 

But fret not. I devised another approach to examining existentialism: analyzing existentialism in manga and applying those insights to real life. And with that, I now have an excuse to write about some of my favorite manga and anime, which have all given me visceral existential crises. I highly recommend these by the way.

Berserk

Berserk’s characters have unique existential philosophies, but the most significant philosophy that resonates throughout the series is one of stoic nihilism. In Berserk, the protagonist, Guts, perseveres through one of the most traumatic backstories in fiction. In his early childhood, he bears a macabre hell where he is alone in a cruel world, with no reason to keep fighting. After joining a mercenary group called the Band of the Hawk later in the series, he finds solace in camaraderie, but still fights without motive. He finally finds a purpose in life–to save his former lover Casca–in the third arc of the series and doesn’t embrace that purpose until the fourth arc. To top all of the suffering Guts endured, he will never leave a major impact on the world. He is a man in a world with cruel humans and omnipotent monsters beyond saving, yet he fights through a ceaseless nightmare of trauma and brutality. If that’s not stoic and nihilistic, I don’t know what is. Rip Miura. Your legacy lives on.

Vagabond

Vagabond’s existential philosophy is self-discovery. The series poetically tells the story of samurai legend Miyamoto Musashi on his path to invincibility. Musashi grows magnificently in each story arc and eventually realizes that the invincibility he sought by killing other swordsmen is nonexistent. Musashi learns that “true strength” comes from firmly establishing one's beliefs by learning to see the world as a whole. 

One Piece

From Luffy’s dream of being Pirate King to Zoro’s quest to become the world’s strongest swordsman, One Piece is chalked with character-specific existential philosophies. Nevertheless, its two most salient existential philosophies are the battle of oppression and inherited will. 

One Piece’s world is fundamentally oppressed, whether it be by pirates who abuse their freedom or the despotic World Government. On his journey to find the world’s greatest treasure, the titular One Piece, protagonist Luffy and his crew defeat these villains, gradually liberating the world. This is what it means to battle oppression in One Piece. To bring hope to people at any cost. Inherited will is the idea that people can entrust their will–everything they stood for–imbuing others with a goal to fulfill. For example, whenever a major character in One Piece dies, their ideologies are inherited by other characters like Luffy, who endeavor to carry on those legacies. 

Hyouka

Hyouka’s existential philosophy is so unique that I can’t pigeonhole it into some category. Therefore, I will call its existential philosophy “roseism.” Hyouka’s high school protagonist Houtaro Oreki lives what he calls a “colorless life”; he strives to live by expending as little energy as possible, indifferent to romance, clubs, and the romanticized zest of youth. That is until he reluctantly joins his school’s classic literature club and meets a girl named Eru Chitanda who teaches him to view life differently. 

The main theme of Hyouka is the concept of what it entails to live a rose-colored life. The episodes in the anime explore existential beliefs, including the duality of life, the thirst for knowledge stemming from curiosity, and self-confidence. This explanation should suffice the intent of this article, but Hyouka deserves an article of its own, which I plan to write upon rewatch of the anime.

Why These Manga Have Unique Existential Themes

I promise those overviews of Berserk, Vagabond, One Piece, and Hyouka were not merely an excuse to gush about phenomenal writing. The fact that these four manga can present such distinct existential philosophies suggests that the differences are valuable, because the differences that account for this distinction may evince a new existential philosophy. I posit that this existential distinction originates from the distinctions present in the settings of these works. For instance, Berserk’s world is one where omnipotent entities perpetuate human suffering and it is all someone can do just to survive. In contrast, Hyouka’s realistic world strikes a more pleasant balance of pain and happiness, obviating the dichotomy between the two pieces of fiction. 

The notion that our purpose in life derives from our environment is monumental because we live in one of the most emotionally fascinating periods of history. Our hectically evolving world overwhelms us. Our increased connection via the internet can harm us. Our seeming insignificance among billions of fellow human beings with idiosyncratic lives is daunting–let alone the unfathomable scope of the universe. Sure, we could try to live happy lives, but wouldn’t it be great to have the impact Elon Musk has on the world? 

The Happiness Principle

I wish I could conclude that there is a definite choice between a relaxed life and an ambitious one, but I genuinely don’t know. I’m sorry that I can’t impart much wisdom, but I have come away with one insight–one revision to Utopian Altruism. I call it the happiness principle. It’s the idea that throughout your idiosyncratic life, in all its unheard triumphs and misfortunes, you can be happy if you don’t impose upon other people’s free will. And if you do choose to pursue ambition, never lose sight of the fact that it must prioritize the happiness of others, a happiness that is the chief value in life. Essentially, focus on your own happiness and live to value your small, ephemeral story in the vast universe. Then, if you want to be Elon Musk, go for it, and make the world a happier place.