Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple and Avatar: The Last Airbender
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple and Avatar: The Last Airbender
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - Yin and Yang: The Battle of Opposites
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple - Yin and Yang: The Battle of Opposites
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKHOTHRtACA - 1:30 - 22:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TwBMJ6VxFo - 15:00 - 22:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1C5KEk64w&t=916s - 15:05 - 18:34
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TwBMJ6VxFo - 15:00 - 22:40
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1C5KEk64w&t=916s - 15:05 - 18:34
Note about videos: The entire series is on youtube now, so you can see all of it there (all of the episodes
are on the channel I use for the episodes here)
As I mentioned in an earlier reflection, I help teach a martial arts class where I work by showing examples
of anime in this class that focus on martial arts (or have martial arts/fighting in them). The main teacher of
this class is a black belt who is also an anime fan (he lets me do this now - he did it himself before I started
helping him). In this class, we teach the importance of martial arts, as well as what it really is, by going
over the history of it. One of the ways we do this is by showing martial arts movies. In these movies, a
common idea is the idea of martial arts being used for good vs. martial arts being used for evil. Kenichi:
The Mightiest Disciple is essentially the anime version of the typical martial arts movie conflict (it’s also
my favorite example of how martial arts is seen in anime) and this conflict is represented by a badge that
Kenichi wears on his collar.
of anime in this class that focus on martial arts (or have martial arts/fighting in them). The main teacher of
this class is a black belt who is also an anime fan (he lets me do this now - he did it himself before I started
helping him). In this class, we teach the importance of martial arts, as well as what it really is, by going
over the history of it. One of the ways we do this is by showing martial arts movies. In these movies, a
common idea is the idea of martial arts being used for good vs. martial arts being used for evil. Kenichi:
The Mightiest Disciple is essentially the anime version of the typical martial arts movie conflict (it’s also
my favorite example of how martial arts is seen in anime) and this conflict is represented by a badge that
Kenichi wears on his collar.
This badge is the yin yang symbol, and its importance comes up in the final fight of this series, which I
show parts of with the third and fourth video. After the beginning of his training, of which examples are
seen in the first and second videos, Kenichi’s final challenge is a fight with his childhood friend Ryuto.
This yin yang badge represents the ways of thinking of Kenichi and Ryuto of what martial arts is, as well
as what the badge means to them. While Ryuto remembers the fight he has with Kenichi when they were
children over this badge, and what it meant to them (mainly him), Kenichi only gradually remembers this
fight as they fight again. Ryuto is obsessed about getting stronger just to have more power for himself for
the sake of hurting, even killing, others due to losing his initial fight with Kenichi, while Kenichi wants to
get stronger to protect others, and defend himself, from people like Ryuto. They also have a different way of
viewing their training, which is seen in the third video.
show parts of with the third and fourth video. After the beginning of his training, of which examples are
seen in the first and second videos, Kenichi’s final challenge is a fight with his childhood friend Ryuto.
This yin yang badge represents the ways of thinking of Kenichi and Ryuto of what martial arts is, as well
as what the badge means to them. While Ryuto remembers the fight he has with Kenichi when they were
children over this badge, and what it meant to them (mainly him), Kenichi only gradually remembers this
fight as they fight again. Ryuto is obsessed about getting stronger just to have more power for himself for
the sake of hurting, even killing, others due to losing his initial fight with Kenichi, while Kenichi wants to
get stronger to protect others, and defend himself, from people like Ryuto. They also have a different way of
viewing their training, which is seen in the third video.
In the third video, Kenichi continues his fight with Ryuto by imitating his mastersHe doesn’t just copy the different fighting styles of his masters, but also who they are in order to throw
Ryuto off guard. Kenichi demonstrates that he has learned from the brutal training of his masters, which
is the point of martial arts (doing what the teacher does is a great way to learn). Ryuto and his master,
who trained a little with the Ryozanpaku masters, but was eventually turned away for his improper
belief of martial arts as hurting, even killing, others, do not understand how Kenichi can do this.
They also don’t understand what happens in the other video that I show of this fight. In the beginning of
this video, Ryuto thinks he’s about to defeat Kenichi with his power boost, but that’s why Kenichi continues
this fight. Kenichi gets his power boost from the need to stop his friend Ryuto from using his power
improperly to hurt, even kill, others, like his other friends. Ryuto follows what Kenichi mentions as the
Path of Asura, which is an idea of using power for your own sake (also seen in other anime, like Naruto
Shippuden and Yu Yu Hakusho). What gives Kenichi his strength is to use his power for good. What gives
Ryuto his strength is to use his power for evil, even at the price of his body (“absolute power corrupts
absolutely” is something that I have heard before that reminds me of this - don’t remember where I heard
this from).
this video, Ryuto thinks he’s about to defeat Kenichi with his power boost, but that’s why Kenichi continues
this fight. Kenichi gets his power boost from the need to stop his friend Ryuto from using his power
improperly to hurt, even kill, others, like his other friends. Ryuto follows what Kenichi mentions as the
Path of Asura, which is an idea of using power for your own sake (also seen in other anime, like Naruto
Shippuden and Yu Yu Hakusho). What gives Kenichi his strength is to use his power for good. What gives
Ryuto his strength is to use his power for evil, even at the price of his body (“absolute power corrupts
absolutely” is something that I have heard before that reminds me of this - don’t remember where I heard
this from).
This is how the battle of martial arts as good vs. evil is seen in the anime Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple.
This is represented by the idea of yin yang. This idea of yin yang also represents the conflict of the
characters Kenichi and Ryuto, and the example of their battle over what martial arts is about, as well as a
badge that represents that.
This is represented by the idea of yin yang. This idea of yin yang also represents the conflict of the
characters Kenichi and Ryuto, and the example of their battle over what martial arts is about, as well as a
badge that represents that.
Questions for Discussion and Reflection
- What is your understanding of yin yang?
- What is your view of martial arts? Are you more like Kenichi or Ryuto? Explain.
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Element of Redemption
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPlpT7kIyHo - 7:27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPlpT7kIyHo - 7:27
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYkuuu9u3EI - 1:21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SezGJNNZmtI - 17:44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SezGJNNZmtI - 17:44
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXShLPXfWZA - 13:50
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uze9ARzAaSo - 9:07
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uze9ARzAaSo - 9:07
Like I said in the introduction to this writing (General Anime Thoughts Part 1 post), I consider Avatar: The Last
Airbender to be an example of something I call westernized anime, meaning it is not really like the
average cartoon, but not really like the average anime either (whatever that means). There are several
other examples of westernized anime, like ones that my students present, but here, I would like to focus on
the series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
other examples of westernized anime, like ones that my students present, but here, I would like to focus on
the series Avatar: The Last Airbender.
I think that one of the most important ideas of the series Avatar: The Last Airbender is the idea of
redemption. Redemption involves change, and change is something that is certainly seen in this series.
This is even demonstrated by the first video I show of this series, which is a summary of how this change
happens as the series progresses with the important characters in it, and their relation to the elements
themselves, as well as awareness of who they are (like the video says, self - awareness is important for
everyone - I even have assignments about this in graduate school).
themselves, as well as awareness of who they are (like the video says, self - awareness is important for
everyone - I even have assignments about this in graduate school).
Of the characters in this series, the redemption that is probably the most popular one is seen with the
character Zuko. After showing a video of his redemption that I think sums up his redemption really well,
I also show videos of another important character in this redemption. This character is Iroh. These videos
are just examples of his helpful nature, as well as extraordinary wisdom. As we see in these videos, Iroh
is willing to help anybody, even a guy who tries to mug him (I could see a desert father, or ancient spiritual
elder, doing that), due to a tragic event that happened in Iroh’s life that we see at the end of the last video
example. When Iroh was a different man, he didn’t help his son in a battle that Iroh was actually
responsible for starting. This led to the death of his son, which changed Iroh for the better. Unfortunately,
it usually takes a tragic event like this to change people for the better, and to help people no matter what,
which Iroh does with Zuko, with a little help from Aang.
character Zuko. After showing a video of his redemption that I think sums up his redemption really well,
I also show videos of another important character in this redemption. This character is Iroh. These videos
are just examples of his helpful nature, as well as extraordinary wisdom. As we see in these videos, Iroh
is willing to help anybody, even a guy who tries to mug him (I could see a desert father, or ancient spiritual
elder, doing that), due to a tragic event that happened in Iroh’s life that we see at the end of the last video
example. When Iroh was a different man, he didn’t help his son in a battle that Iroh was actually
responsible for starting. This led to the death of his son, which changed Iroh for the better. Unfortunately,
it usually takes a tragic event like this to change people for the better, and to help people no matter what,
which Iroh does with Zuko, with a little help from Aang.
Aang’s redemption is also important, and his is seen in the first video, the video of Zuko’s redemption,
as well as the last video that I show. The first video also talks about Aang’s struggle in taking life, even the life of someone who clearly needs to be stopped,
due to his beliefs. Aang’s redemption, which is explained a little in the video of Zuko’s redemption,
involves saving the world, which is something that only he can do (how he can do it is seen in the video
of his training with a guru after this video). Everyone but Aang figures killing the Fire Lord is the only way
he can do this. Aang does face the Fire Lord, but Aang uses a technique that only someone like him can
learn to take away the Fire Lord’s power, which I believe is a better solution, not just because I do not
support the death penalty, but because taking away someone's power and imprisoning them for life, or not
as long, can be a fate worse than death (also a more useful one).
as well as the last video that I show. The first video also talks about Aang’s struggle in taking life, even the life of someone who clearly needs to be stopped,
due to his beliefs. Aang’s redemption, which is explained a little in the video of Zuko’s redemption,
involves saving the world, which is something that only he can do (how he can do it is seen in the video
of his training with a guru after this video). Everyone but Aang figures killing the Fire Lord is the only way
he can do this. Aang does face the Fire Lord, but Aang uses a technique that only someone like him can
learn to take away the Fire Lord’s power, which I believe is a better solution, not just because I do not
support the death penalty, but because taking away someone's power and imprisoning them for life, or not
as long, can be a fate worse than death (also a more useful one).
As the first video said, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a spiritual journey. The other videos are
examples of such a journey. Zuko’s redemption, for example, is basically the anime version of the
Parable of the Prodigal Son found in the Bible. There are many other important elements that make
Avatar: The Last Airbender a spiritual journey, but the element of redemption is definitely one of them.
Questions for Reflection and Discussion
- What are your thoughts of/about redemption?
- What is your reason, or reasons, for helping others?
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