Line #6 Main/PillarsOfMoralCharacter


1	->''"Duty is heavier than a mountain; death is lighter than a feather."''
2	-->-- '''Proverb from the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors (1882) quoted to death by [[Literature/TheWheelOfTime Rand al'Thor]]'''
3
4	The neo-traditional Japanese [[TheFettered moral character]] (at both the individual and societal level) is built upon four key elements, which can best be compared to the European {{Virtue\|ViceCodification}}s: ''On, Gimu, Giri'' and ''Ninjō''. All four of these touch upon the Japanese concept of 'honor', which combines elements of reputation, self-respect, and personal moral/ethical code.
5
6	'''The Pillars:'''
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8	:''On'' (恩):The best translation for this term would be "Reciprocity". ''On'' is a virtue that requires the individual to acknowledge and repay debts he owes, including debts of honor. A source of IOweYouMyLife situations.
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10	:''Gimu'' (義務):Can be interpreted as "Piety". If one owes a debt (including a debt of honor) but cannot repay it, ''Gimu'' encourages the debtor to show allegiance to the debt-holder in lieu of true payment.
11
12	:''Giri'' (義理):"Duty". Much more complicated than the European concept of duty, ''Giri'' requires the individual to execute and balance his obligations as the highest function of an honorable life.
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14	:''Ninjō'' (人情):Usually translated as "Compassion". ''Ninjō'' requires empathy with others, and recognizes that all people are one, beneath the surface differences that karma imposes.
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16	While the Pillars do have roots in earlier Japanese culture, the specific codification and formulation explained here was created during the 19th-century Meiji Restoration in reaction to a perceived moral decay and loss of national identity in the wake of the [[GunboatDiplomacy opening of Japan to western influences]]. It is similar to the late medieval concept of chivalry, in that the system of feudal obligations it references had already been superseded in many areas...and in that it ignores many aspects of historical feudalism that contradict its vision of what YeGoodeOldeDays were really about. Despite some re-thinking of [[UsefulNotes/ImperialJapan what]] [[UsefulNotes/KatanasOfTheRisingSun a military-centric]] 'honor' code had [[UsefulNotes/SecondSinoJapaneseWar contributed]] [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo to]] in her post-war years, Japan still prizes obligation-based virtues more highly than Western [[note]]Here used in the post-World War II connotation of "Europe east of the Caucasus, the Anglosphere, and the Americas".[[/note]] cultures do.
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18	Understanding the Pillars can often help clarify the motivations and drives of {{anime}} characters, and can sometimes explain significant differences in audience reaction in Japan vs. in 'The West'. In particular, Western audiences may find the emphasis on carefully tracking debts and obligations and putting societal obligations above personal fulfillment a jarring contrast to the Western love of spontaneity and focus on individual worth. Dissonance can also come from the other direction: some Japanese authors, including Creator/RumikoTakahashi, are surprised by their [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff series' international popularity]] as they assumed the underlying values to be uniquely Japanese with no parallel in other societies.
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20	It's important to remember, however, that cultural differences are rarely absolute. While the West has often decried monarchism and 'honor' since the Enlightenment, it had its own long feudal history that still impacts its ethical systems. "Debts of conscience" and difficulties in balancing competing obligations and desires certainly still exist. Were it otherwise, the trope pages for ItsPersonal, TheAtoner, and UndyingLoyalty would be much shorter.
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22	For those that reject or live without these pillars, see TheUnfettered. See also JapaneseSpirit, which is the method one uses to pursue these values, and IGaveMyWord, a common verbal expression of adherence to the Pillars. The (pre-modern) European equivalents are the SevenHeavenlyVirtues.
23	----
24	!!Examples:
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26	[[foldercontrol]]
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28	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
29	* The applicability of this trope to ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'' is a matter of heavy, ''[[AlternativeCharacterInterpretation heavy]]'' personal opinion, as none of the characters are portrayed as anything more than remotely honorable and both messes are played for all the comedy they can. It mainly pops up in regards the LoveDodecahedron, as this isn't merely a matter of multiple girls being attracted to the same guy. Akane Tendo and Ukyo Kuonji both have an ArrangedMarriage to Ranma Saotome, and in Ukyo Kuonji's case she also has a ChildhoodMarriagePromise from Ranma ''and'' Genma stole her dowry after agreeing to the arrangement. Shampoo's bond to Ranma may only be an AccidentalMarriage, but her people take it seriously enough that she was cursed just for coming back without him the first time. A few fans also think Ranma's reluctance to reveal the fact Ryoga is P-chan to Akane stems from an honor conflict (typically considered to be Ninjo versus Giri), as he did originally make a promise in his head when he believed Ryoga to be a stray dog he had found that he would keep Ryoga's curse a secret, noting it was the "warrior's code" to do so, only to then find out that Akane intended to take her new pet to bed and make an attempt to remove him from her bedroom.
30	** The series is also partially a satire not only of this, but also a light {{deconstruction}} what could be considered character archetypes in Japanese media.
31	* Much of the main plot of ''Manga/{{Monster}}'' happens the way it does because Tenma tends to view his act of saving Johan in terms of ''giri'' -- he is chasing Johan to put right that which he did wrong, and is not interested in taking time off to prove his innocence until his obligation is fulfilled. The longer Johan remains alive, the more innocent people will die on account of it. On the same side, Tenma also holds the virtue of ''Ninjo'' as a core of his philosophy and will take a detour if it means saving innocents. On the counter-side one might say that Johan is acting out of a twisted sense of ''On''.
32	** However, it is emphasized that Tenma acts out of his innate goodness and not cultural compulsions. He is also thought to be rather strange for a Japanese man.
33	* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}'':
34	** ''Giri'' is a driving force behind Byakuya Kuchiki's character. As a ''very'' high class nobleman, he's required to follow a very strict duty code, which he has broken twice by marrying a commoner woman for love and by adopting his dead wife's little sister, as he promised to his dying wife. So, by breaking the code yet again in the Soul Society arc by stopping Rukia's execution, Byakuya would disgrace himself and the Kuchiki clan horribly... but if he ''didn't'' break the rules, his sister-in-law and pretty much the only living person he truly cares for would be executed...in which case he'd break the promise made to his late wife and be left completely alone. He's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. There's a theory that he threw his fight against Ichigo [[TakeAThirdOption to resolve the situation]] by allowing someone to rescue Rukia without personally breaking the law, and it gets more credence when the BigBad reveals he set the (unlawful) execution up and orders one of his subordinates to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness finish off Rukia]], prompting the already-injured Byakuya into TakingTheBullet. It's also worth remembering that, when he got married and later adopted Rukia into the family, he was ''not'' yet the head of the family, so he wasn't in a position to say ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem.
35	*** While it's not directly mentioned during Byakuya's fight with Tsukishima, this is presumably why Tsukishima didn't bother with his usual psychological ploys of "inserting" himself into people's past to make them think he's their best friend, instead only using his power to learn Byakuya's fighting style inside and out by retconning himself into being Byakuya's mentor. The knowledge he gained via his power made him realize immediately that Byakuya ''would'' kill his best friend if honor demanded it.
36	** The Pillars can also make one early scene [[ValuesDissonance seem odd to western viewers]]. Rukia tries to convince Ichigo that receiving her Shinigami powers means he must also take up all her duties by showing him the ghost of a young boy being attacked by a [[TheHeartless Hollow]] and telling him he must either agree to protect ALL spirits or let this little boy be devoured. Ichigo rejects the choice presented and [[TakeAThirdOption rescues the ghost-boy anyway]]. To a Japanese audience Rukia demands Ichigo's cooperation on the basis of ''Gimu'' [[note]]Ichigo cannot return her powers so he must offer her his service to repay the debt[[/note]] but Ichigo claims that ''Ninjo'' is what compels him to act instead. To a Western audience, this may seem like a very poorly-timed argument about abstract vs. concrete moral obligations. To Japanese audience, it's clearly about which Pillar applies.
37	** Komamura owes a form of ''Gimu'' to Yamamoto for accepting him when no one else would, and declares that he will stand by the Captain-General no matter what Komamura might privately think of Rukia's death sentence.
38	** In the "Everything But The Rain" flashback arc, Ryuuken Ishida deals with a ''Giri'' conflict that in some ways parallels Byakuya's. As a [[BlueBlood high-ranking pure-blood]] Quincy, he's expected to uphold all TheClan's rules and set an example for others, but his duty to his ArrangedMarriage fiancee [[spoiler:Masaki]] requires him to try and make her situation more bearable. Ultimately, ''Ninjo'' seems to be more important to him as he errs on the side of protecting people rather than ideas. While he lectures [[spoiler:Masaki]] about the importance of following the rules, when she goes ahead and breaks them anyway, he tries to mitigate the risk and covers for her when she gets caught.
39	* ''Manga/{{Vagabond}}'' has UsefulNotes/MiyamotoMusashi effectively owing his life to Yoshioka Denshichirou who told him to stay alive and train until they can duel again the next year, since their first fight is interrupted by a fire in the dojo. Musashi does just this and ends up cutting him down. Nevertheless, even when the remaining heir to the Yoshioka plots his death by having all of their seventy remaining members attack him, before the fight he thanks them silently for his being "raised in the bosom of the Yoshioka" (as in that year given to him by Denshichirou he greatly improved), then [[spoiler:he kills them all]].
40	* Pillars of moral character are a surprisingly relevant story element in ''Manga/BlackLagoon'', especially showcased in the {{Yakuza}} arc where the Yakuza act on these pillars while [[TheUnfettered Balalaika very clearly has none]].
41	** Another running plot point is how much of Rock's Ninjo pillar will remain as he spends more time in [[WretchedHive Roanaopor]], and how much will he rebuild [[BrokenBird Revy]]'s Ninjo pillar.
42	** On the other hand, the Russians clearly have [[UndyingLoyalty extreme loyalty]] towards Balalaika and in a flashback we see her as a young girl talking to an older man about redeeming her family name, presumably by becoming a Spetsnaz.
43	* While in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', everything Ed and Al do is out of brotherly love, in the subtitled track for ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'', Edward comes off as unusually cold and Alphonse whiny and inept; this is because the primary motivating factors for Edward to restore his brother (and incidentally himself as well) are ''Giri'' (obligation due to duty to his family) and ''On'' (obligation due to the results of his screw-up). Making Edward seem distant emphasizes the weight of honor-debt he carries, while making Alphonse sound less sympathetic makes Edward's character all the more tragic. The dub goes above and beyond the call of {{Woolseyism}} to subtly change not just lines but also emotional tone to transform Edward's motivations from Duty into Brotherly Love.
44	* In ''Webcomic/TowerOfGod'' Gimu is the reason Hatz wanted to help Rachel continue to climb the tower.
45	* ''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' features multiple variations on the same theme: Shuu blinding himself to save a young Kenshiro, Falco severing his own leg to convince Raoh to leave his village alone, Shachi [[EyeScream plucking out his own eye]] to save Kenshiro, and Ohka throwing herself off a cliff to convince the Hokuto priests to spare her sister's son. In all of these, the party in question has essentially burdened their aggressor with a debt that can ''never'' be repaid.
46	* Of all places, ''Manga/HighSchoolOfTheDead'' has several scenes where - while not explicitly stated - ''giri'' plays a heavy role in the sense of following the rules and obligations of civilized society. Numerous characters are shown struggling with doing what is necessary for survival during the ZombieApocalypse simply because it's the wrong thing to do; this extends even to things such as taking something that doesn't belong to them like a moped or food, despite the fact that the previous owners are visibly dead just a few feet away. The breakdown of ''ninjō'' also shows in the selfishness and decadence of several groups. Then there's the unsavory types who willingly throw away any sense of morals and use force or charisma to simply take what they want from the chaos.
47	* Seems to be the main driving force for [[FutureBadass Future Trunks]] from ''Anime/DragonBallZ''. Although he's a CombatPragmatist most of the time, he's deliberately held back several times in deference to his father to fulfill his filial duty. But as soon as that came in conflict with his duty to the world (Vegeta allowing Cell to achieve his perfect form), Trunks attacked his father and attempted to destroy Cell on his own.
48	* Mikasa, from ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'', is driven by ''On'' and ''Gimu''. Having been saved as a child by Eren, and then [[HappilyAdopted adopted]] into his family, she feels a strong sense of duty to him. As such, she has used her strength to become his [[TheChampion champion]] and stand with him on all things. She also considers him to be her last surviving family, and as such shows extreme devotion to him above all others -- stating that she only has so much room in her heart, and making it clear even her allies are not safe if they get between her and protecting Eren. This has touches of FridgeBrilliance, as she is the lone character of Asian heritage in a Western society and her devotion is sometimes viewed by others as unreasonable.
49	* In ''Manga/FairyTail'', Mest, one of the candidates for Fairy Tail's annual S-Class Exam, [[ManipulativeBastard takes advantage of]] ''On'' when he asks Wendy to be his partner, saying that he was a disciple of Mystogan, the person who took Wendy in when she was young and brought her to Cait Shelter. Wendy accepts, in spite of the fact that there's no benefit for her (only the candidate can be promoted) and her best friend Carla's opposition to it (since Carla's suspicious of Mest and thinks the exam is dangerous for Wendy). Carla argues that because Wendy helped Mystogan in Edolas, she should consider the debt repaid, but Wendy doesn't agree, though, and [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness becomes stubborn enough that she doesn't talk to Carla for a week]]. Unfortunately for Wendy, it turns out that Mest is lying (Mystogan only showed up to take jobs and put everyone else to sleep while he did) and manipulated her into getting him on the island so that he can investigate it for the Council.
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52	[[folder: Comic Books]]
53	* ''ComicBook/IronMan'': Under Matt Fraction, it has been attempted to portray [[Characters/MarvelComicsTonyStark Tony Stark]] as the true form of a hero as applied to the real world, i.e. rather than as a simplified, idyllic vigilante directed at an unrealistic StrawmanPolitical or OmnicidalManiac. He is a true philanthropist--someone more dedicated to rescue work than warfare, towards building and helping rather than destroying, and towards more constructive, useful, and applicable definitions of true idealism and heroism than Marvel usually tends to use. Previous acclaimed writer David Michelinie once called Iron Man "the world's greatest force for good," and he may actually have a good point.
54	* ''ComicBook/XMen''
55	** [[Characters/MarvelComicsKittyPryde Kitty Pryde's]] regularly demonstrated to have exceptional moral character among her peers. She's gotten away with [[NWordPrivileges using the N-word]] twice to make a point when her black human friends demonstrate racism against mutants. During the Black Vortex crossover event she's the only person who submits to the eponymous artifact out of necessity and thus retains her sense of self and not go mad with the power it gives her.
56	** [[Characters/MarvelComicsNightcrawler Nightcrawler]] is without doubt one of the most level-headed and compassionate X-Men, and beloved by everyone for it. And of course (all later [[ArtisticLicenseReligion religious weirdness aside]]) he became a priest.
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59	[[folder:Film]]
60	* In ''Film/TheYakuza'' (1975), the character of Tanaka Ken owes a debt of honor to Harry Kilmer for saving the lives of his family after the war:
61	-->'''Kilmer:''' ''Giri''? What is that, like, ''honor''?\
62	'''Ken:''' ''Burden''. The burden that's hardest to bear.
63	** This same phrasing would be used as the title of a ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' (original series) episode built around the notion of leadership as an obligation ''to'' one's followers as well as one received from them, which Kup describes in terms of ''giri''.
64	* For a long time the central conflict in many Japanese movies was ''giri'', what a character was expected to do vs. what he wanted to do. Film makers and old people lament that modern Japanese audiences don't care as much about this as they become more modernized. ''Film/TheTwilightSamurai'' and ''Film/TheHiddenBlade'' by Creator/YojiYamada both aim to bring ''giri'' to the contemporary audience in a way that humanizes the struggles of one's obligation/duty. And on the subject of ''giri'', the aforementioned scene in ''The Yakuza'' (''giri'' as ''burden'') is the closest thing in English to the spirit of the meaning of the word.
65	* ''Film/PacificRim'' touches very lightly on the duty that Mako Mori has to her adopted father; he saved her life and cared for her as she grew up, and she owes him her allegiance and respect even when he goes against her wishes (something the American protagonist has trouble grasping, at first because he isn't aware of the debt).
66	* Kurosawa's film ''Film/{{High and Low\|1963}}'', based on the 87th Precinct novel ''King's Ransom'' revolves around theses concepts, and what a wealthy man owes to his employees/retainers in return for their service and loyalty.
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69	[[folder:Literature]]
70	* In Literature/TheWheelOfTime, there's a borderlander saying which is frequently quoted by Lan: "Death is lighter than a feather, duty heavier than a mountain."
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73	[[folder:Professional Wrestling]]
74	* In the 1990s, the top stars of Wrestling/AllJapanProWrestling, Toshiaki Kawada, Wrestling/MitsuharuMisawa, Wrestling/KentaKobashi and Akira Taue were nicknamed "The Four Pillars" due to them all being hardworking, self sacrificing, honorable baby {{face}}s standing against an ever constant tide of {{Foreign Wrestling Heel}}s.[[/folder]]
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76	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
77	* In ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'', the Draconis Combine emphasizes the ''Five Pillars''[[labelnote:note]]these do not explicitly overlap with the four pillars here, being named after precious materials (Gold, Steel, Jade, Teak and Ivory) and representing the 'supports' of the Draconis Combine (Gold is House Kurita and the rulers, Steel is the military, Jade is the economy and the merchants, Teak art and culture, and Ivory the state religion and guiding philosophy). The Ivory Pillar promotes the Pillars of Moral Character[[/labelnote]]especially ''giri'' and ''ninjo''. Fitting with the entire FeudalFuture and the Dracs pretending to be FeudalJapan [[RecycledINSPACE IN SPACE]]. Their CulturePolice are even called the Order of the Five Pillars.
78	* In the first and second editions of the anime-inspired game ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', characters regain Essence by acting on any or all of four cardinal virtues: temperance, compassion, conviction, and valor. The first two are clearly connected to ''Giri'' and ''Ninjo'', and encourage similar acts of heroism (doing one's duty despite fear or temptation, protecting the weak, acting in accordance with ''noblesse oblige'', uplifting mortals spiritually, etc).
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81	[[folder:Webcomics]]
82	* Gimu is directly referenced in ''Webcomic/{{Freefall}}'' as the debt an AI feels to humanity due to its creation.
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85	[[folder:Video Games]]
86	* Mitsuru Kirijo of ''Videogame/{{Persona 3}}'' is made of this. Her grandfather, once head of her family's wealthy corporation, once discovered the key to starting the end of the world and went off his nutter in trying to start it, causing not only the deaths of hundreds of people but the Dark Hour--which is essentially a RegularlyScheduledEvil which happens every night at midnight. Her father spent the rest of his life trying to undo the mistakes of ''his'' father, and Mitsuru gained Persona powers (thus dooming herself to being a target of Shadows during the Dark Hour) simply to protect her father and help him. She feels greatly responsible for everyone who suffers as a result of the Dark Hour, and also for those whose families were broken apart or ruined by her grandfather's actions, and vows not only to protect them, but to find a way to repay her debt by ending the Dark Hour once and for all. However, her devotion to honoring a debt ''really'' shines (for better or worse) in ''The Answer'' chapter; when her father died earlier, Yukari (who lost her own father a decade earlier because of the Kirijo Group) helped Mitsuru get through her HeroicBSOD. As a result, when Yukari goes through her own HeroicBSOD and turns against the party in ''The Answer'', Mitsuru stands by her side, even knowing that Yukari was in the wrong. Simply because she owed Yukari a debt, Mitsuru was willing to stand with her against every other one of her friends.
87	* The cast of ''VideoGame/SenranKagura'' are ninjas (if modern ones), so a lot of them actively try to uphold the Pillars. The Gessen girls' issues, in particular, stem from ''On''; not only is [[spoiler:their adoptive grandfather]] dead, but he was also their mentor/savior, so they don't know how to 'repay' his memory other than by [[DisproportionateRetribution beating the crap out of]] anyone who disrespects it. But even ''that'' doesn't resolve their grief, so they quickly find that VengeanceFeelsEmpty.
88	* ''Giri'' is one of the core conflicts of [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Knuckles the Echidna]]'s character, embodied by his struggle to balance his duty as guardian of the Master Emerald with his desire to lead his own life like [[WalkingTheEarth Sonic]] does. [[InformedAttribute Not that you'd know it]], given that he's been the series' poster-boy for {{Flanderization}}, MotiveDecay, TookALevelInDumbass, and all around CharacterDerailment since the mid-2000's. It's still [[AllThereInTheManual mentioned in all his character bios]] though.
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91	[[folder:Visual Novels]]
92	* The pillars of moral character form the backbone of Soryu Oh's characterization in ''VisualNovel/KissedByTheBaddestBidder''. A member of {{The Triads\|AndTheTongs}} from birth, Soryu has little use for the law, which he says is made by the wealthy and powerful to serve their own interests. However, he has an extremely strong sense of ''giri'' which has caused him to spend most of his life convinced that he has no right to pursue or expect any kind of personal happiness, as his duty to his organization completely supersedes his own desires. He also has an equally strong sense of ''ninjo'' which gives him firm opinions about things like not involving innocent bystanders in his group's activities, which puts him in conflict with less scrupulous gangsters. ''On'' and ''gimu'' are of course important elements in all of his interactions within the Ice Dragons and with other organizations, and he invokes both in his initial approach to the protagonist - unlike Eisuke, who considers the protagonist his property if he's the one who purchased her from the auction, Soryu considers the $20,000,000 he paid a debt which the protagonist now owes him, and which he expects her to repay either in currency or, failing that, in service.
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95	[[folder:Western Animation]]
96	* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformers'' touched on this. The 3rd season episode "The Burden Hardest to Bear" sees Rodimus Prime grow increasingly sick of the mantle of leading the Autobots and all the responsibilities that come with it. This leads him to basically abandon his post and ditch the Matrix of Leadership so he can revert back to his youthful and carefree Hot Rod persona. Kup explained Rodimus' grief to one of the group's human allies using the concept of ''Giri'' (his translation of which becomes the episode's title) and discusses that Optimus and other prior leaders learned how to integrate the duty into their lives and their leadership. By the episode's end, Hot Rod learns a similar lesson while taking refuge at a Kendo dojo (the episode taking place in Japan) and respects the responsibility he has to the other Autobots while re-assuming his leadership position. Somewhat ironically, this episode about the perpetually anxious and self-doubting Rodimus finally embracing his position as the Autobot leader was the last episode to air before the writers resurrected Optimus Prime and thrust him back into the spotlight and Autobot Commander role, making the entire moral/character growth pretty much unnecessary.
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99	[[folder:Real Life]]
100	* ''Giri'' drives the story of UsefulNotes/The47Ronin.
101	* Japan also has the concept of ''giri-choco'' on Valentine's Day (and the related holiday White Day). Literally "duty chocolate", it's what people give to JustFriends out of obligation for the fact that giving people chocolate is just something you do on those days.
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Context Main / PillarsOfMoralCharacter