It’s often an association for anime with the word “entertainment”. It does not attempt to propagate any values, but instead provides themes and stories that will be forgotten after a while because it has nothing to do with real life. One anime that often break this mold is Aria, a beautiful and slice of life series that often captures life’s simplest lessons. In the current episode, there is an event that leaves me with a lot of after thoughts due to how it relates to my personal experience. It’s very wonderful how anime can sometimes reflect life. Minor spoilers lie after the “read more” if you hate to be even spoiled a little.
In this episode, Akira talks to Aika about her past experience, as well as being surrounded by two geniuses in Alicia and Athena. It is definitely suffocating to say the very least to be surrounded by close friends or neighbors who are much better than you. You always start to define your own self-worth and wonders if you are never going to make it. We can always say that we do not care about what others do, but we always compare because we are humans. That is exactly how Akira feels, but she eventually finds out that it is not only life that dictates your worth, but what you do in order to control your own destiny.
I always remember from young how hard it is to break against people who pick things up faster than me. I was extremely slow in learning, and I often curse in my head how people are better than me. To many of us, we might not really care that much but I was a child who never has much confidence in the first place. It does not help when everyone around you tells you that you are not good enough compared to others. Aika represents the normal population, people who are not blessed with any talents against people with true talent.
However, Aika has not noted her own talent of hard work and energy. Many people are unable to notice the talent that they possess. As Nick Naylor in the movie Thank you for smoking once said, “Michael Jordan plays ball, Charles Manson kills people, I talk. Everyone has a talent.” Many of us possess talent that you never notice until some major experience. I never knew that I have this vindicative behavior that just cannot say no when I am challenged on my incompetency. I generally work insanely hard to prove people wrong.
I am not sure if my audience comprises of many people in the student population or working force, but I have one word to say. Do not let your early development in life dictate your future. Akira is just a single then, but she blooms into a beautiful prima right now that everyone respects. I was considered to be below average in academic ability during my younger days but I am currently on a scholarship to study my Masters. So, just like Aika realizes at the end, compensate your lack of “genius talents” with the talent of working harder than everyone else. Cheers.
20 Comments
This is actually pretty uplifting because I’m from a Korean family, and the stereotype is that Korean kids HAVE to go to a good university. A major screwup last year left me with a whole crapload of trouble. I’m finally back on track, but the annoying fact that this will heavily affect my college chances really irritates me.
I am planning on alternatives, such as community college just in case that I am unable to be accepted by a good university in my senior year. My parents don’t want that though, so I’m left trying for something that probably will not happen (UC Berkeley? not happening).
But maybe I just have to work harder and really prove myself. I dunno, as stupid as it may sound, this post really spoke to me. Thanks, Impz.
@IcyStorm
You shouldn’t worry about not making it to a top-tier Uni from the get-go. It is wholly possible to go to a community college for a year or two, transfer to a good state Uni to finish up your Undergraduate work, and then go wherever you want for Post-graduate.
I can understand your parents wanting you to just pwn n00bz and take names from the get-go, but the truth of the matter is, that doesn’t end up meaning anything in the long run. I went to Ohio State University as an undergraduate, then attend the University of Cambridge (UK) for my postgraduate work. And there are two things I can tell you for sure: 1) the Cambridge education eclipses the OSU one on paper, meaning that even if you don’t go to your #1 choice now there’s nothing yet stopping you from getting there 4-5 years down the road, and 2) I look around at my co-workers (I’m in I.T.) and I have *no idea* what university they attended, what their major was, or how well they performed.
Set realistic goals for yourself, don’t get discouraged, always look at things from a broad perspective, and you’ll get to where you want, I guarantee it. It might take a bit more time than you initially wanted, or it might not. You never know. But if you want an opportunity bad enough, it will come. All you have to do is know when to look for it.
I’ll second IcyStorm – Thanks Impz! Hit home for me as well. I joked when I was at my high school graduation that I was the first of the normal folk – first person without tassels. I’m doing fine now, though – life is not like school, and it’s amazing how much better my work is when I have weeks/months to do it instead of minutes/hours.
@IcyStorm – Don’t worry too much about the “good” college. Most colleges, even community colleges, teach the same stuff from the same books (often with really good profs, too – too many PHds chasing too few professorship spots at the big universities means good people end up teaching at community colleges these days). You just want to find a place that is challenging without crushing you. The better colleges are better, but the real difference is in the quality of the student, not in the school. Also, companies really don’t care about your education after the first job. They want to know what you did at your last job that was important, not where you went to school. Best of luck!
This episode resonates with me as well. I had my share of problems, but if Purdue accepts me back, I plan to pursue Doctoral Degree in Theoretical Astrophysics. I am not a genius, but I am going to do things right if given this chance. One interesting thing is that if you consider the overall attributes, Akari may be closer to Athena, while Alice and Aika is somewhat equal mixture of Akira and Alicia.
@IcyStorm
I am working in a college prep institute and if you wish it, I might be able to give you free assessment of your situation and some advice that may be of some help. You can reach me at wontaek.yoo@tlcprep.com.
What a beautiful post, I liked it a lot actually.
Interestingly, my situation has always been the exact opposite. I am from an asian family too indeed, but what my parents have always tried to say is that I have to live up to my potential. Becoming a housewife? No way with such good education and these grades.
I was even planning on working on some post in the same structure, just that it illuminates the problem of somebody who has always been performing better than your friends. Basically you have to live with their envy even though they try to suppress it (“Don’t worry about it, you have a boyfriend and are much prettier than me!”) and comfort them when they don’t do well in school (and get answers such as “You don’t understand me anyways, you have no idea how it is to do bad and be miserable.”)
Well, I don’t concur with the “everybody has a talent” statement. Some, or rather most people, don’t have a necessarily helpful, outstanding talent. But I think that you can make up a lot with hard work if you don’t really have a talent. Actually I think this is one of the reasons why THAT is popular is because Impz is an outstandingly hard worker and I think quite highly of that.
@maglor: Btw, I guess you are the same guy who used the name “wontaek” before?
Whoa whoa, didn’t expect these replies directed at me. Thanks for the support and advice, guys.
I’m not all that worried about college because if I do go to a community college, I will transfer to a UC, without a doubt. It’s just that my parents bug me and even though I don’t care about what their opinions are on this matter, I don’t want to damage my relationship with them.
@maglor: Hmm, I’ll email you sometime later today
First, something serious.
As someone who pretty much wasted all his high school years and still managed to get into law school (albeit not at my original, desired university), the importance of hard work didn’t become apparent to me until I hit university. My abysmal first semester grades was a wake up call, but I can never rouse myself from my lazyness. I just can’t care enough for long enough. I hate myself for that, the lack of passion in anything and everything I do.
That’s one of the reasons why I like you Impz. That ability to become enraged at other people’s disdain, and working hard to prove them wrong. The best I can do is fume a little, then think “Meh, it’s just words, it doesn’t mean anything.”
Now that the overly serious and semi-emo stuff is out of the way -
WOOT, 2 cleavage shots on the front page!
For some people, it may be the other way round. Early bloomers, but later they get overtaken by others who were previously deemed as ‘below average’. That’s how it is.If one goes up, another must fall down.
But I do personally know people who are like what Impz said. From the ‘most scolded student in primary school’ to the ‘full scholarship holder to US/UK university etc’. Kinda depressing really, when all these people whom you regularly beat in school are now stepping over your head with their recent successes.
Aria taught me that blue haired tsundere are actually really awesome.
@Sasa: I totally know how it feels as I’m in the same boat. Throughout my highschool years I felt a bit isolated. Only in first year University now, so not so long ago hah.
@Faye: I find it’s not that the talented fall behind the people they beat in the past. It’s probably more along the lines that they’re not use to working hard when education calls for it. Of course if the talented work hard then they won’t fall behind.
Although I’m in Lupus’ shoes, I bummed through highschool and graduated top of the school. Currently doing mediocre in University, I never had drive through highschool hoping that some sort of epiphany would hit me in University.. but even now I have no drive, no epiphany, hence the mediocre grades. Probably bombed my math midterm today due to that.
I don’t remember where this quote is from but I found it beautiful: “I always feel like a certain colour is missing from the world I see.”
Nihilistic thoughts FTW.
I’m in the same shoes as Faye, but the sadder thing in my case is how we were pressured to excel early on (by my father in particular). I worked hard, excelled, slacked off a little during college years but still managed to be part of the top graduates. Nevertheless, with the constant pressure of being compared with other people (particularly other relatives who have very supportive parents, great family background), I still suffer from inferiority complex.
The pressure is less now, since me and my brothers managed to become strong individuals with a firm faith, principles and values in the process, but I still hear the “not good enough” voices at the back of my mind from time to time, especially when my grandma scolds us and continues to compare us with other people.
argh… bad Impz, you made me emo! x__x
I’ve actually been wondering if I should post about something like this, true-to-life experiences in terms of excelling and all… I was just wondering if it’s gonna turn out to be all emo, private or personal… >_<
Lol, fuck! I’m having shitty grades in a shitty school! AHHHHHH. WHRRRYY! If I had the talent of Aika (of working hard), perhaps I wouldn’t be having an anime blog lol.
@Icystorm: My parents used to have a very tight rein on me since I am doing terribly during my younger days in primary and secondary school (middle school there about for those in the US system). In a way, the tight control over me made me do even worse because I got stressed pretty badly.
The thing is that we are always too worried in terms of comparing, despite the fact that it’s inevitable. This might sound completely distant, but you have to make it a goal. Do not try to make crazy goals like “i wanna get an A” when you are doing Ds. Aim slowly and firmly and NEVER BLOODY GIVE UP. Humans give up too easily. If you do badly, just work harder and harder. Working hard is a talent that not many people can do.
@Sciros: Honestly, I never believe that opportunities will come to normal people. Call me pessimistic but I believe that the only way to get something is to reach for it. Let me use a very simple analogy using this blog. If I let this blog start assuming that someone will link me and traffic will come when I do good stuff, it’s silly. You have to force your way, work your way and if need to, shame your way to get the things you want. No one in the world will help you unless you help yourself. ^^
@Kdp:
cool, I am glad it helped. I always wanted to write an entry infused with my personal experiences at life since it will let people understand a bit more about myself.
@Maglor: Well, Aika is actually a hardworking genius. She does not have inborn talents like Alice’s feel of balance or Akari’s warm personality. These are things that can be trained, but they are not natural to her. For many, analytic skills come natural for the geniuses. For us, we have to learn. So, even though we cannot be the best, we can always try to overcome it by working hard, and harder. It’s 10% genius, 90% hard work.
@Sasa: Everyone does have a talent. We often equate talent to anything that contributes to monetary offers. Does that mean that being able to tidy the house faster than anyone has no value? does that mean being able to love a person faithfully has no value? I can agree that these things does not seem to have direct values toward pursuing your lifetime goals.
However, every single unapparent goal has its merit. Being able to love a person faithfully means that you are loyal and is useful in some jobs, and people will think of you as a sincere person. There is really no limit and I tend to be somewhat annoyed when people say that they have no talent. It’s not that you have no talent, but you do not know how to use your talent in a practical way. It’s just letting yourself down if you keep saying you are not good enough.
@Lupus: I think it’s more of the fact that you feel that whatever you do will be useless anyway. I actually feel that way because no matter how much I work hard during my middle school to high school years, I never seem to perform as well as I expect myself to be. I just don’t seem to meet expectations.
However, the benefits of hard work does not appear immediately. I will say this to everyone that hard work does not pay off fast. It takes a while, for your whole mental and physical being to build up to it before it reaps anything at all. I cannot stand being taken advantaged or looked down. I have to because I have way too much pride.
@Faye: Aw. Well, being an early bloomer means nothing to me to be honest. It’s perceptions and it’s generally perceptions that dictate how you decide on things. That is the key actually. If you think you can do well, you will work toward an effort that will lead you close to doing well. Vice versa, and you won’t.
@Totali: they are all awesome \o/
@Rooked: probably it’s a drain out. You probably want to reflect what you want in life. Just living life everyday without a proper progressive goal will not do anything. If you have something in life you want, work toward it. That is the only way to find back the drive.
@USajigen: OH NOES, EMO BUNNIES \O/. Well, it’s going to sound strange since most people know me as extremely confident and smart to the extent of being arrogant. However, I do have an inferior complex since young as I am always looked down upon. It’s painful sometimes but I just have to live with it.
I would love to hear from your entry. ^_^
@TJ: Being hardworking does not mean you have to abandon your hobby. Hardworking isn’t blind, you have to optimize the things you do in the shortest amount of time. That’s why i say hardworkingness, if there’s such a word, is a talent that is not easily obtainable. It’s from training for a long time.
I always make it a point to read this blog at least once a day to get updates on animes. I’m glad I read today’s entry as this topic has always been close to my heart.
I’m not a genius but I’ve always been doing well in my studies due to dilligence. People think I was born with the brain but they didn’t realize that it takes much more than that to do well in anything you do. Having studied so hard all my life, I then realized that grades are not everything in life. I didn’t pass with flying colors from the university. However my employer saw the potential in me and with proper nurture and guidance I could excel in my work. And for sure, why my grades weren’t excellent wasn’t even mentioned once during the interview. I can never be grateful enough for the confidence people have in me and I work hard accordingly.
Moral of the story is, you can go to a great school (Ivy League) or you can go to a community college. At the end of the day, it’s the effort that counts and how you take reins of your own life. Nothing else matters.
Personally, I was always born to be a bit of a prodigy. I always was beyond the years in terms of learning, I was good at the three or four (lost count) musical instruments I picked up, I was a standout in terms of physical education and got A’s without almost any effort.
But I kept getting burned out by small traumatic events that kept piling on until I became incredibly jaded about school and work (still am). Now I basically am in purgatory known as NEET (lulz).
It’s a weird paradox for me since I always knew I have a ton of potential. I tend to be good at things I put even an ounce of effort in, I know I’m good looking enough to get notice from the opposite sex without trying, people somehow jump to the conclusion that I’m as pure as a saint (well, I typically avoided all types of vice you could think of as a child/teenager/collegian. Yes. ALL vices. Name them). But yet I really don’t know what to make myself right now. It’s not a matter of not having talent for me, but that I don’t know what to do. I heard of theories saying that the modern society tends to overwhelm some people with choice and I must definitely say that I’m bamboozled by it right now.
And of course, I see tons of sports superstars who are actually a few years younger than me (Eli Manning anyone? Most epic Superbowl win?) and just about everyone I know has started families, got degrees, jobs, etc. I’m basically nothing better than a 15 year old the way I live.
So kudos to those that at least find strength even if you don’t have some innate talent. Hell, I KNOW I have talent, but can’t apply it. Either I have no desire at all or something is mentally wrong with me, I don’t know.
@Sasa
Yes I used to use the name wontaek, and I still use it at Animesuki forum.
@Impz: I think you completely misunderstood me. I never said anything about “loving” is not a talent, that’s a talent too that most people miss, by the way.
@usagijen: Having parents like that must be tough indeed, but if it makes you feel better – actually most of my friends who had parents with high expectations have turned out rather well in my opinion; while those whose parents were slacking off ended up less highly achieving usually. Parental pressure can be helpful sometimes.
@maglor: Ah, ah, I have always thought you would be two different people!
Today I can now look at this through the opposite side of the lens. I used to teach nuclear physics for the navy. My favorite students were invariably the ones who struggled. These are the ones I spent most of my time with in and out of class. The geniuses really did not need that much attention to excel. So it was other students with whom I forged most of my working relationships with and got to know best. The ones who needed guts.
I had come from a disadvantaged background and I most admired people who strive to overcome their difficulties to the best of their abilities too. I have way more respect for a the hard C’s in life versus the easy A’s. To me, these are the people who have really earned our respect, through effort and sweat.
I have lived long enough to learn I never had anything to prove to anyone else anyways. It was always really myself I needed to convince. This where true self-confidence comes from, usually after repeated failure.
Impz, nice post on Aria. It’s cool how we can see ourselves and each a little more clearly through this medium we all adore so much.
I took away a different lesson, such as it is – you do what you can, and don’t worry about what can’t be done. That, and if you’re passionate about something… you get passionate about it, but don’t let it drag you down when you find that you’re not QUITE up to the level of others.
Personally, I rather am more inclined to follow Akari’s way of life than others’ – she can enjoy herself because she takes everything as it comes… and loves life as it is, rather than as she expects it to be (Alice), or as she insists it has to be (Aika).
greetings all anime fans out there..
feel free to visit my web to
tq
2 Trackbacks
[...] finally, read this post on T.H.A.T anime blog. I don’t know how to sum it up other than to say, it’s probably [...]
[...] turned out to be the “planned” post I mentioned about in my comment to Impz’s inspirational story last week, in a [...]