Chirin No Suzu

Chirin No Suzu (Japanese title: チリンの鈴, English title: Ringing Bell, Literal translation: Jingle's Bell or The Bell of Jingle/Chirin) is an anime film that is different from a lot of other films I've seen in my life. At first glance, you might think, "Ugh! Some cutesy nonsense film with sheep in it!" Oh, do not be fooled! If you watch this film, I can promise you that you will never look at sheep the same way again.

The film itself brutally deconstructs some tropes. It deconstructs Identification With The Aggressor, it deconstructs the Übermensch, and it deconstructs the plotline in which a young child ends up orphaned and alone and has to pick up the broken pieces of his life.

On an interesting side note, I have noticed that more than once, the original Japanese version of a story is superior to the English version of a story (just ask Saint Seiya AKA Knights Of The Zodiac). However, I have had the pleasure of watching the English and Japanese versions of Chirin No Suzu. I can say that neither version is necessarily superior to the other. Just goes to show, English versions of Japanese works do not automatically fail!

By the way, I have a question for you guys. If I was posting up Chirin No Suzu on the trope pages, where should I post them? Should I be posting it in the "Anime and Manga" section, or the "Film" section? I understand if it sounds like a stupid question, but I am asking this because Chirin No Suzu is an anime film, and I am not sure where it should be posted in.

There are many commentators who have compared Chirin with Bambi from the Felix Salten novel and Disney film of the same name, plus Simba from The Lion King and Littlefoot from The Land Before Time. But other than being cutesy quadruped animals who lost their mother/father to a vicious villain, there is little similarity to connect the four animals. For one thing, their stories did not end in tragedy nor did they seek revenge which resulted in them turning into monsters. Here are but a few of the many characters that serve as accurate comparisons to Chirin. Some of these comparisons are both in and outside anime.

1. Anakin Skywalker from Star Wars. Anakin Skywalker (later Darth Vader) is the first person I compared Chirin to; both turned to the dark side after losing their mothers and sought vengeance on their murderers. One key difference is that Anakin already kills the Tusken Raiders (like what Wor did to Chirin's family in the book) and this story is what if Anakin became a Tusken Raider to avenge Shmi. But since he is already a Jedi, that ship has sailed. It isn't until Episode III that he finally becomes Darth Vader and Chirin's wool is just as black as his armor. Another key difference is that Palpatine was manipulating Anakin into betraying the Jedi while Wor just simply gave him the harsh truth of the world. Unlike Vader however, Chirin is not redeemed by his son (even if he had one), but like Vader, he realizes that his quest to save Padme (in Chirin’s case, a quest for revenge) was all for nothing and he is stuck as a robotic monstrosity. Another Star Wars character is Darth Revan, who started as a Jedi, then a Sith and finally became somewhere in between, just like Chirin. Chirin could also be compared with Galen Marek from the video game The Force Unleashed, growing up and training under his father's killer, then turning to the light. Unlike Chirin, however, he dies. Obi-Wan Kenobi could not have put it better: "You've allowed this dark lord to twist your mind until you've become the very thing you swore to destroy" and this applies to both Chirin and Anakin.

2. Elphaba Thropp from the book and musical Wicked. Elphaba shares similar ambitions with Chirin in seeking power, becoming failure heroes and ending up becoming a horrible monster (Chirin became a wolf-like ram, Elphaba became the Wicked Witch of the West). Some of the songs from the musical version of Wicked seem to fit well with Chirin. "The Wizard and I" fits with Chirin's ambitions of being Woe's partner, while "Defying Gravity" resonates with his passion of becoming a greater force while "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" represents Chirin's feelings at what he has done. The song also could provide an alternate interpretation to the ending where Chirin decides to live up to his reputation as a monster, just as Elphaba did to the denizens of Oz. Glinda, the book/show's deuteragonist could also be a representation of Chirin's mother's spirit trying in vain to bring him back to the light. Like Elphaba, they express heartbreak over losing their loved ones (Fyero and Wor) in the climax, but unlike Elphaba, the only ending Chirin gets is worthy of the real Wicked Witch of the West.

3. Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan. Chirin's mom was eaten by Woe, Eren's mom was eaten by a Titan. For this, they became determined to become stronger, but while Eren joins the Survey Corps, Chirin joins Wor and they both end up becoming the very things they swore to kill. There are two key differences, though: Chirin's transformation is motivated by revenge and a desire to prove himself as a predator, while Eren's is motivated by a desire to protect his friends and his people from the Titans. Additionally, Eren's story takes place in a much larger and more complex world, with political intrigue and a wide range of characters with their own motivations and agendas.

4. Thorfinn Thorsson from The Vinland Saga. He is raised by the man who killed his father (Wor in this version is Askeladd) and is probably more accurate than Eren. However, as Thorfinn's story progresses, he undergoes a significant transformation. He starts to question his own motivations and realizes that his pursuit of revenge has consumed him and caused him to lose sight of what's truly important. This realization leads him to start seeking a different path, one that's focused on building a better future rather than avenging the past. While there are similarities between Thorfinn and Chirin in terms of their initial motivations and desire for revenge, Thorfinn's story is much more complex and nuanced, with a wider range of characters and themes. Additionally, while Chirin's transformation is largely physical, as he becomes a stronger predator, Thorfinn's transformation is more internal and psychological. Unlike Chirin however, Thorfinn is unsuccessful at killing Askeladd and when he does die, Thorfinn feels just like Chirin: empty.

5. Bruce Wayne/Batman from the DC Comics universe is also an accurate example. Like Chirin in the Lyrica and kamishibai adaptations, he loses both of his parents. But while Chirin was consumed by vengeance and trained under Woe, Batman did his best to keep his emotions in check and was trained by a great deal of masters. Chirin's adult form is just as terrifying as Batman's costume in the eyes of his enemies. Like Batman, Chirin does confront Joe Chill, the man who murdered his parents, but the gangster ends up getting killed by his own men. Chirin also has some similarities with Batman sidekick Jason Todd, who started as Robin, then he and his mother were murdered by the Joker and he came back as the Red Hood to avenge her death.

6. Inigo Montoya from *The Princess Bride*. Obvious reasons but with a more comical effect.

7. Ken Amada from *Persona 3* also lost his mom to a monster and sought revenge on her murderer. Both characters also undergo transformations as a result of their experiences. Chirin becomes a fierce predator, while Ken becomes a Persona user and gains the ability to fight against the Shadows. However, there are also some key differences between the two characters. Chirin's story is more about his personal journey and transformation, while Ken's story is more closely tied to the overarching plot of *Persona 3*. Additionally, Ken's transformation is not solely driven by revenge, but also by a desire to protect his friends and to make a positive difference in the world. Not to mention the fact that Ken understood that revenge will not bring his mother back while Chirin does not outright say this out-loud.

8. Jack Marston from *Red Dead Redemption* is also another similarity. Lost their dads and sought revenge on the persons who murdered him. At least Jack is more sociable then Chirin though.

9. Hope Estheim from *Final Fantasy XIII*. Same as Ken, but fails to exact his revenge and looks up to Snow as a father figure, just like Chirin and Wor.

10. Clay Lincoln from *Mafia III*. Like Chirin from the book and other literary adaptations, he loses his family to a criminal and spends the entirety of the game teaming up with other criminals to take over New Orleans. Like Chirin, he even questions his actions after killing the mob boss and the guy seems perfectly willing to let Clay kill him.

11. Ichigo Kurosaki from *Bleach* is a more heroic version of Chirin that aligns more accurately with the Bambi comparison. After losing his mother, he too gains power in the form of seeing the supernatural, whereas with Chirin, it's becoming stronger and that is what Ichigo does. Had Chirin protected his flock in the aftermath of the story from afar, then he would be more in tune with Ichigo's desire as a Soul Reaper to protect the people from evil spirits.

12. Dawn Bellwether from *Zootopia*. Nothing much other than the evil sheep angle.

Any other comparisons?

Edited by jak2130472 on Apr 17th 2023 at 10:37:40 AM