Carnival Time: Anime Wish Fulfillment, Part I

Justin’s failed attempt to avoid a “wish fulfillment anime post” led me to Iso’s latest proposal for the Blog Carnival series.  Though I love my life in the here and now, it’s still fun to think about the little things I would have liked to add to my life, and certainly anime is the tops, man when it comes to having us put ourselves in place of a character who is thrust into something we might dream of doing.

Here are my “wish fulfillment” anime:

The Childhood – My Neighbor Totoro

Some of my best memories of childhood had to do with nature – walking through the woods, playing in old wagons, and somersaulting down green hills.  But those instances were few, as I spent most of my life living in an urban setting.  It would have been nice to get away and live a childhood of imagined adventure, chasing down totoros and finding trouble with a sibling (I’m an only child).

Art by Naru

The City – Kanon/Whisper of the Heart

I thought my hometown (El Paso, TX) was a delightful place growing up.  As soon as I moved away, however, I realized how much I’d been missing.  Nestled in the mountains, I enjoyed the scenery, and I treasured the times I spent wandering through the sprawling desert that was literally just a street away.  But I would have preferred a beautiful city of interconnected paths and pretty backdrops, like Seiseki Sakuragaoka.  Or a wintry wonderland that evokes sad, nostalgic, or mystical tones, as Osaka is portrayed in Kanon.

Screen capture from Wonders in the Dark

The Friends – Digimon

I was kind of a terrible friend as a kid, particularly from middle school onward.  Most of my friends, with the exception of a wonderful few, were the same.  I wish I could have surrounded myself by those precious few people who really cared about me, and likewise, that I would have been a more loving person myself.  Digimon isn’t really different from any series with a large group of friends, but the fandom I joined in when I first watched created connections between the animated group that were far deeper – through art, website shrines (remember those?), and most particular to me, fan fiction.  These imagined bonds were what I wanted those characters to share, and what I wanted in my own life.

Art by たかな

The Family – Summer Wars

My family was small – only the two parental units, myself, and a beloved dog.  I wasn’t particularly close to my dad’s side of the family, and I’ve never met my mom’s Korean relatives.  And though I didn’t particularly feel lonely growing up, I did wish for a brother or sister, and further, a big family.  The Jinnouchis certainly fit that mold – vibrant, loud, fun, obnoxious, and close.  They are the model of a family I’d like to develop.  We’re working on a larger clan right now – my two kids have an adoring uncle and aunt who live a few miles away and plan to have a number of children.

Art by MCH／３号館Ｍ34a

The Melancholy – Voices of a Distant Star

Maybe I’m just strange, but two of my very favorite feelings to have are nostalgia and melancholy.  I like that feeling of sadness that comes with remembering the past, even if it hurts a little.  Shinkai conveys melancholy as well as any director I know of (really, I could’ve put any of his works here, right?).  I think I would have liked to have some great loss (short of death) in my life to reflect upon, and perhaps learn from.

Art by ライラック40

I’ll conclude these tomorrow by moving on from childhood a bit and into some more fun stuff!  In the meantime, why don’t you tell us some of your wish fulfillment anime?