Arc Words / Anime & Manga

Arc Words in Anime & Manga.

---

Examples:

• People in After War Gundam X tend to make a lot of cryptic references to the Moon: "The Moon will always be there" or "you will die without seeing the Moon", etcetera. It's known early on that something on the Moon is powering the titular Gundam's Wave-Motion Gun, but what it is, why it's there, and its connection to the previous war are not revealed until very near the end. The Satellite Cannon's power source is also the installation where the "first Newtype" lives as an incorporeal being.
• Another:
  • "Misaki's not dead" is repeated in a few different contexts. It's the words that caused the class of 1972 to treat their deceased classmate Misaki as though he were still alive, is said by Mei Misaki when telling Sakakibara the story, and Sakakibara says it when Izumi tries to kill Mei.
  • "Send the dead back to death," the battle cry of those hoping to end the calamity by killing the "extra" in the class, whom they erroneously believe to be Mei Misaki.
• Ao Ashi: "A man is but a thinking reed." Said by Hana to Ashito during his tryouts for Esperion FC, it is based on a quote from Blaise Pascal's Pensées, which argues that although man is of a meek existence, it's ability to think for itself makes it more valuable than those that cannot, which reflects Ashito's ability to make up for his average build and poor football skills with his immense spatial awareness and game sense.
• Assassination Classroom:
  • "We are assassins and our target is our sensei" shows up a lot, though the meaning changes a little as the students of the titular classroom and Koro-sensei, their teacher, grow closer. It's used to heartbreaking effect when it comes time for Class E to finally kill Koro-sensei.
  • "The tentacles asked, 'What would you like to be?'" This comes up with every person who was infused with tentacles and the answer speaks volumes about the person answering.
• The Big O:
  • "Cast in the name of God, ye not guilty," a phrase that used to be inscribed on executioners' axes during the Inquisition (at least in the mythology, not in Real Life, the series creator made the phrase up himself), absolving them of the sin of murder since they were doing God's work.
  • There are two variations of the second part. The first is "ye not" when Rosewater tries to pilot Big Fau and it just shuts down. The second is "ye guilty" when Alan Gabriel is piloting Big Duo and it kills him.
  • Also, there are the "tomatoes", introduced as a metaphor^note As Gordon Rosewater puts it, "These tomatoes are reproduced synthetically, with only the memories of the sweet flavor from the original. If we keep repeating the process, this fruit will eventually become the real thing." at the end of the first season and revisited through the second season as part of an Ontological Mystery.
• Lots of CLAMP works, especially ×××HOLiC, Cardcaptor Sakura, and Tsubasa -RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE-, involve the idea of "hitsuzen" — an event, meeting, or other twist of fate that was determined by previous actions or decisions, and is thus unavoidable. Usually, a phrase along the lines of "There are no such things as accidents. There is only hitsuzen." is used, with "hitsuzen" sometimes translated as fate or destiny. The idea is that people determine their fates with their decisions and actions. To make sure it was absolutely clear, the English dub uses the term inevitability.
• Cardcaptor Sakura makes frequent reference to the phrase "daijoubu", meaning "alright", referring to the importance in Sakura's belief that everything will turn out okay in the end.
• "Deliver the Oxygen" for AE 3803 and AA 2153 of Cells at Work! and Cells at Work! CODE BLACK respectively. Aside from the fact that, as anthropomorphic red blood cells, that IS one of their only functions and reasons for existence, they dedicate their all to their jobs, and will do absolutely everything in their power to see their deliveries done.
• Kotomi Ichinose's route in CLANNAD has "Day before yesterday, I saw a rabbit; yesterday, a deer, and today, you." Quoted word-for-word from a short story called The Dandelion Girl.
• Code Geass:
  • "The only who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed". Said first by Lelouch when using his Geass for the first time to kill a corrupt military officer, he repeats it several times over both series of the show. It all ties together at the end when after spilling oceans of blood on both sides of the war, Lelouch's grand plan culminates in him sacrificing his life to bring peace to the entire world.
  • Three times Nunnally tells Lelouch "I would be happy anywhere as long as I am with you, brother". In her first appearance, second as part of a What the Hell, Hero? during their confrontation at the Damocles, and finally as Lelouch lay dying in her arms. She also references it multiple times when talking to other people both in the anime canon and in extra materials like Picture Dramas and Audio Dramas. This serves to subtly paint the fact Nunnally isn't as selfless as Lelouch thinks she is; she doesn't truly want a gentle world but a world where she and Lelouch stay together.
• Cowboy Bebop: "He lived his life as though it were a dream" and "It's all a dream". When somebody mentions dreams, either something big is going to happen, or it already did.
• Final Fantasy: Unlimited: The word "Unlimited" is used a few times in the series, often in reference to either Kaze or Kumo. It turns out "Unlimited" is a noun, not an adjective — the Unlimited are beings of extraordinary power who have the ability to destroy Chaos, the Big Bad of the series.
• "Fooly cooly" from FLCL. Despite being the basis for the show's title and appearing at least once in each episode, "fooly cooly" is never explained. In the final episode, Naota's father tries to goad him into revealing the answer to this: "C'mon, you have to know. The main character always knows stuff like this!"
• Fullmetal Alchemist:
  • Alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange ("Mankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return") is a central piece of the story in all incarnations, being both the foundation of the story's magic system and a philosophical maxim that informs many characters' outlook on the world.
  • "One is All, All is One" is a recurring phrase that pops up in multiple contexts, from philosophical framework to Assimilation Plot.
• GaoGaiGar has its villains occasionally mention two mysterious concepts: "the legacy of Cain" and "the curse left by Abel." Eventually we learn that these refer to two children, Mamorou and Kaidou, who are refugees from planets ruled by leaders named Cain and Abel.
• GaoGaiGar FINAL has the oft mentioned, never quoted Oath Sworn Through Courage, which serves as a source of strength for the cast as they encounter the enemy.
• Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex has one of these for each season so far, both integrated into an iconic Arc Symbol. For the first season, the Laughing Man logo contains the phrase "I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes" (a quote from J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye), which eventually leads Togusa and the Major to the truth behind the convoluted Laughing Man case. Similarly, 2nd Gig features a symbol containing kanji that are read idiosyncratically as "Individual Eleven", a phrase that has ties to almost every part of the season's Story Arc.
• Goodbye, My Rose Garden: "Black spot." It's first mentioned in a flashback, when a young Alice's governess Eliza tells her about the black spot, and how it must be excised lest it consume the rose garden. Later on, after Alice's fiancé Edward learns about her being in love with Hanako, he tells Hanako that she is the black spot in Alice's rose garden that must be removed. Later on, Alice considers herself the black spot on her family's rose garden.
• Hell Girl: "When one soul is damned, two graves are dug." This is the price paid by those who make use of the Hell Correspondence, damning themselves to Hell in exchange for vengeance on whoever has wronged them.
• In Hellsing the phrase: "The bird of the Hermes is my name, eating my wings to make me tame." appears together with the series' title as well as on Alucard's coffin. It's taken from the Ripley Scrowle, an alchemical text that supposedly details the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. It's likely an allusion to Alucard's nature as an immortal vampire and plays into the series' examination of immortality. Also, it looks pretty cool.
• Hoshin Engi: "The Signpost of History". It's revealed that those words refer to an ancient being who's been manipulating the course of history for millenia.
• JoJo's Bizarre Adventure:
  • Golden Wind has "Resolve". The phrase is often associated with and symbolic of Giorno, but is shared with his comrades and enemies alike as the story goes. Can be used in both noun and verb form, but generally translates to something with the effect of readiness to do something dangerous and/or costly without a second thought.
  • Stone Ocean draws on the series' theme of fate and rephrases it as "Gravity". The primary idea at play is that the relationships humans form are predestined, and as such are drawn together by a form of "gravity". Fittingly, in the penultimate arc of the Part, the Big Bad obtains the power to manipulate gravity.
• The phrase "Ultra Romantic" comes up at several points in Kaguya-sama: Love Is War in reference to the concept of a Grand Romantic Gesture. It also serves as the subtitle for the third season of the anime adaptation.
• Kill la Kill: Throughout Satsuki's arc, she fondly remembers the words her father told her when he showed her Junketsu: "This will be your wedding dress." It's later revealed that his words were actually a warning: "...But when you put it on, you will become a slave to clothing."
• Little Witch Academia (2017): "A believing heart is your magic." Shiny Chariot's creed, which fuels Akko's ceaseless drive and determination to fulfill her dreams of becoming a witch. It also serves the crucial narrative purpose of setting up Diana to re-inspire her after she hits a bad spell of Heroic BSoD, and additionally, the fact that the phrase originated from Chariot's Evil Former Friend and the current Big Bad establishes the importance and sincerity of their past bond, suggesting that Croix is not completely beyond redemption.
• In Madlax, there's one phrase that's used over and over again: Elda Taluta. There are two others that accompany this (Sarks Sark and Arks Ark) but rarely get used. The Big Bad uses these words to drive the "true nature" of humans out, which normally results in brutal murders or mind rape.
• Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's: "It was only a small wish." This turns out to refer to the Wolkenritter's desire to live out a peaceful ordinary life with their master Hayate. Unfortunately for them, their very nature prevents them from obtaining their wish and their efforts to maintain the illusion of ordinary life destroys it more and more. Their wish turns out to be not so small, after all. It takes an intervention by the multiverse's most powerful mages, a space battleship, and a miracle to make it reality — if only partly.
• In Mobile Suit Gundam 00, the Innovators often mention or allude to what they call "the dialogues to come", which according to Revive is a concept beyond human comprehension. However, after Setsuna becomes an Innovator, it's hinted that these "dialogues" may be referring to what he believes is Aeolia Schenberg's plan for human evolution. It's suggested that it means humanity's first contact with aliens, and that humanity would have to suppress its warlike nature and internal conflicts to prevent an interstellar war.
• In Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, there was Mu La Flaga's famous line to Kira; "You have the power to make a difference, Dont you? Why not put it to use?" Throughout Kira's journey there have been several key moments in which Kira could of simply walked away from piloting Gundams and fighting. If he had done so, then his friends would of been killed, the human race would be on the brink of extinction due to a mad man's plans of double genocide, and in the sequel the world would be under a rule of predetermined control.
• In Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, there is an idiom that Suletta Mercury learned from her mother, Lady Prospera: "If you run, you gain one. If you move forward, you gain two." As Suletta explains it, she can gain one by running away and thus not losing, but if she moves forward, she can gain experience and trust. In essence, she has more to gain from facing her fears than simply running away. In Episode 12, Lady Prospera exploits this by using this mentality to justify killing some Dawn of Fold terrorists in front of Suletta: she could gain one by staying hidden and prioritizing her own survival, but gained two by killing the would-be assassins and protecting her daughter. Under the pretense of protecting Lady Prospera and Miorine in turn, Suletta comes to use this mentality to accept that Murder Is the Best Solution.
• My Hero Academia:
  • "Plus Ultra" (Latin for Go Beyond). It's U.A.'s motto, and exemplifies how heroes must learn how to go beyond their limits in order to save people and stop villains.
  • "Origin". Some chapters/episodes show backstories on select heroes and villains, with this in the title. Occasionally, someone tells them, or they tell themselves, to "remember where they started from" (their "origin", if you will). Virtually everyone out there, hero or villain, has a reason to fight and some sort of end goal in mind.
• My-HiME has "princess" in the prequel story, "Natsuki's Prelude". Natsuki, whose name is "Summer Princess" written in hiragana, frequently hears herself being referred to as such, but it takes her a while to realize the significance of it- she's a HiME, a girl with the ability to summon an Element and a Child, the acronym of which is derived from the Japanese word for princess.
• My-Otome has Arc Words in the form of a song ("Hoshi ga Kanaderu Monogatari"). Each of the three main characters — Arika, Nina and Mashiro — knows and sings one stanza each, and its real significance is only revealed in the final arc.
• My Monster Secret: The Japanese title of the series ("The truth is, I am..."). It's not only about the characters revealing that they are not human, but also about them coming to terms with their feelings.
• Negima! Magister Negi Magi: Variations on "Always keep moving forward" tend to crop up in plot-important moments.
• Nijigahara Holograph: "The butterflies that had been pulled apart by fate shall become one." Either said or written by multiple characters, it might refer to the classmates who mistreated Arié, or the butterfly pendant formerly worn by Amahiko and Arié's mother, whose halves are eventually worn by the two siblings when they seem to encounter each other after Arié wakes from her coma.
• PandoraHearts has, "A darkness that swallows everything," which is used to describe several plot related things.
• "The Destination of Fate", "Survival Strategy", and "Never amount to anything" in Penguindrum.
  • "Survival Strategy": Revealed to be some sort of terrorism plot by the Kiga group/Penguinforce.
  • "Never amount to anything": Initially, it was only used by the Princess of the Crystal in mocking those that she summons, but it's later revealed that this particular phrase has ties to the self-worth of several characters.
• Perfect Blue:
  • "Excuse me. Who are you?" What starts out as a perfectly innocent phrase, and Mima's first line in her first acting job, becomes extremely relevant as the horror begins.
  • "The real Mima" and variants thereof. Who is the real Mima? Everyone has an opinion, and soon, even she's not sure...
• Pluto: "500 Zeus a body." Eventually revealed as the price that protagonist Gesicht paid for the scrapyard robot he and his wife fixed up and adopted as their son, who had since been entirely erased from both of their memories by the government.
• The Promised Neverland: "Promise," including its derivatives as a verb and as a noun. In addition to it being in the title itself and how the main characters are spurred on by the promise of freedom, characters frequently give promises to other characters, leading to this word being used a lot. Not every promise is actually kept, however.
• Walpurgisnacht or Walpurgis Night in Puella Magi Madoka Magica. As revealed in Episode 10, Walpurgisnacht is a powerful witch that Madoka is supposedly fated to defeat as a Magical Girl, leading to her conversion into a witch.
• The Seven Deadly Sins:
  • "That is my/your sin" comes up often in reference to the series' theme of past sins, tragedies and repentance.
  • Gilthunder's catchphrase, "I am stronger than all of the Seven Deadly Sins", turns out to be a Survival Mantra taught to him by Meliodas in his childhood. It ties closely to his character arc.
• Shaman King:
  • The Golem arc has "You get what you give".
  • A recurring phrase in the second half is "Hurt someone, and they can hurt you back," which is a discouragement to avoid causing Revenge for making unnecessary violence or murder that won't solve anything but continue the Cycle of Revenge, which comes to bite the avenger hard.
• Slam Dunk: "The one who controls the rebound controls the game." Since The Hero is a newbie in the game of basketball with defensive potential, The Captain instills this mantra on the former's head thus allowing him to unlock and use said potential.
• Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie: "What do you see beyond your fist?" It's a question Ryu and Ken were asked by their late master, Gouken. During the final battle with Bison, Ken has a moment of clarity and realises the answer: "My fate."
• Tokyo Ghoul: Amon and Kaneki both note that, "The World is Wrong." The final chapter of the original series repeats this over and over again, foreshadowing the Downer Ending. The words are brought back in the sequel, :re. By the end, it has changed as Kaneki has his Heel Realization that "the world isn't wrong. It just is".
• Your Lie in April: "Do you think you'll be able to forget?". It have about three contexts as the show goes on: the piano in Kousei's life, Kaori's and Kousei's duet performance with cheering audience, and her short existence in Kousei's life.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters: The riddle "What can you show, but cannot see?" (or in some translations, "what can be seen yet not seen?"). The phrase pops up often as a means to establish a given character's traits, as each one of them offers a different answer that somehow befits their personality. Also, one of the accepted answers is "Friendship", which ties in with the series' central theme.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V has characters deliberately use Arc Words to show that they hold a certain ideal or belief to be true. It should be noted that not everyone interprets these phrases the same way, which is arguably the entire point.
  • "The fun has just begun." Usually said by characters who believe dueling should be used only to bring people joy, but it also gets used by characters who have... twisted interpretations of "fun." And by The Mole to mislead people about his motivations and alignment, although eventually it starts to sink in.
  • "Smiles with duels" and variations thereof. For Yuya it seems to represent idealism, but more often than not shows up to remind him of his failures, to reminisce about times when peaceful solutions worked out, or when Yuya is about to attempt something stupidly naive. On the other hand, Yuto uses it to remind himself (and Yuya) not to become He Who Fights Monsters.
  • "You're prey" and "hunting games". Used when Academia soldiers go into Let's Get Dangerous! mode, showing how they dehumanize their victims and justify their actions. The fact that the soldiers are trained/brainwashed to believe this puts these phrases in a whole new light, as characters like Sora and Serena are not pure evil so much as they're mislead. Of course, Kurosaki and Yuto (albeit to a lesser degree) associate the phrases with genocidal invaders, and become more violent after hearing them.
  • "Rebellion." The characters who use this word a lot are members of La Résistance.
• YuYu Hakusho: Sensui's vow that "The seven of us will dig mankind's grave" is actually about his seven personalities rather than his Quirky Miniboss Squad, which, including him, numbers seven people.
• The "kind king" of Zatch Bell! that everyone who encounters Gash hopes to become.

---