Opptimism

No philosopher through out time would have thought that one could gain so much from a giant robot. Much of the wisdom I gained in my youth was from anime and manga. Love, friendship, optimism, respect for life, and dedication to your dreams are all things I have picked up on from Japanese animation and comics. It is certainly an unusual way of learning. I realize that much. I try not to let issues such as what is "normal" and what is "weird" affect my judgment.
Optimism is one of the greatest virtues. The previous statement is not widely accepted but I follow it. My up-beat look on life is in thanks to an anime by the name of "Please Teacher!" From start to end the main character is constantly being told, "to accelerate, don't stop, don't come to a standstill." The protagonist, Kei Kusanagi, has a rare disease where his body literally shuts down when he comes depressed. In the show he learns through himself and his loved ones that he must always be moving forward in his life. I learned the lesson as he did. I guess you could say "Please Teacher!" taught me considerably about optimism. Now, I always accelerate.
"Rurouni Kenshin" first came on Cartoon Network when I was in eighth grade. It is the story of a man who was once known as a great man slayer. His sword claimed many lives of Shogunate dogs during the Meiji Restoration. The plot begins a decade later in the eleventh year of the Meiji in Tokyo. Our man slayer has now become a rurouni, wanderer. He travels across Japan using his reverse-blade sword, which cannot kill, to protect good people and repent for his sins. Many adversaries come to our hero for a chance at a fight with the legendary killer. He never gives though, each opponent is defeated using the reverse blade-sword and their lives are spared. No one has the right to take another's life.
Friendship is a pretty general theme in many animes and mangas but I find it best portrayed in a particular series. I really love the way "Yu-Gi-Oh!" tests the strength, devotion, and loyalty, of its characters' friendships. The main character, Yugi Mutoh and his best friend Joey Wheeler are constantly being thrust into situations where their friendship is the only thing they can rely on to get free them. During the Battle City tournament Yugi was forced into a duel with Joey who was under mind control of the antagonist, Marik. The catch of the duel was that both Yugi and Joey were chained to an anchor that is timed to drop through the pier on which they duel. The only way to survive the duel was to knock your opponents life points to zero which will break your own chain just before the anchor is dropped and the opposing duelist is sent down to Davy Jone's Locker. The situation seems impossible and surely that this is the end of the greatest duo since Jonny Quest and Hadji. Even in the darkest of dark times, though, the power of Joey and Yugi's friendship prevails. Yugi discovers the way to free his best friend of Marik's millennium rod and save both of them from a watery death. Friendship that empowers pure will to break mind-control has got to be something great.
Dreams; we all have them. They are the motivation of man, or of ninja. Anyone familiar with "Naruto" knows that Uzumaki Naruto's enthusiasm for his dream can't be beat. He is going to become the Hokage of his village, the top ninja. All his life people have shunned and ridiculed him for reasons unknown to himself. Naruto grew up with no friends and only with the support of his instructor from the ninja academy, Iruka. No matter how many times he is shown up by his rival, Uchiha Sasuke, Naruto continues to give it his all and never gives up. His will is unmatched. Except, perhaps, by his class mate Rock Lee who is ninja born of no talent. Lee is incapable of performing any type of ninja arts. What progress he makes in his way of the ninja he does so by back breaking work. "Naruto" is a series full of inspirational characters who do nothing but chase their dreams.
John Lennon wrote,"All you need is love." This is true and no one believes it more than my own personal hero whom happens to be the protagonist of "Love Hina." The story is about this guy named Keitaro Urashima. He's your typical loser type: horrible student, bad with the ladies, not many friends. Keitaro is studying for the entrance examines to Tokyo University, a Japanese Harvard. Having failed the test twice already it is often difficult for Keitaro to keep his spirits up. The incredible thing about him though is his drive. Why is he going through such a hassle to be accepted to the nation's top school?