Fist of the North Star is truly the example of peak manga long before peak was a term. I’m almost done reading volume 9 (there are 18 volumes total) and while I did watch the anime series, reading it is truly a whole other experience — especially with the bloody details that even the anime had to somewhat censor. Kenshiro is the definition of great masculinity. He is heroic in the face of a Mad Max style post-nuclear-apocalyptic world. His compassion for children, trafficked women and the elderly is unparalleled. He is powerful to where he could take the world into his hands if he wanted to — and yet he uses his fatal power in the name of defending the poor, weak and defenseless. In the face of losing everyone around him that he’s loved, he didn’t go crazy. Instead, he pushes forward because the cause he fights for, the resolve anchored upon him is one that is beyond himself. I think that’s the kind of male role model that young boys and men need more of; manliness based on defending the good in this world no matter how ferocious evil becomes.
FireFrei’s chapter editing is complete. Now it comes down to writing my Special Thanks/Acknowledgement section. Some folks like to bloat it while others barely think about it. My main goal now is to thank who I want to thank while also add a small final thoughts section regarding the creation of this novel. I don’t like coming off as a try-hard or performative but conversely don’t want to be vague either. Maybe I’m overthinking it but then again, when you’re reading my blogs, this is my Behind-The-Scenes expansion outside of some of my reels or posts on Instagram/Facebook. Do I believe in separating art from the artist? Yes and no. There’s portraying a character as a means of presenting art and then there’s the artist ie the person. How much of the person are you seeing in the art they’re creating? That depends. If we look at some of our favorite artists, singers and authors, we see many that put out spectacular work and behind the curtain, they’re either concealing struggles they’re not letting you see, humbling hiding more beautiful parts of them or (the one we hate but see too often) they hide some very ugly hearts. That’s part of the human experience— you truly don’t know how little or how much of that soul is being given to us. I’ll even use Aizen Sosuke from Bleach as an example. His shikai ability made people see whatever they wanted to see — and he fooled many people into thinking he was this benevolent Captain when in reality, he had a whole agenda. He didn’t give away a single hint of who he really was and when he was found out, the sense of betrayal, rage and disappointment rattled many. As frustrating the term “separating the art from the artist” is, I do believe there is some truth to it. Its application is subjective but it can’t be ignored.