The most underrated panel in Chapter 85
Besides the statement being incredibly hard, this panel yet again intensifies Chihiro's emotional connection to both his father and the Enten. Chihiro would sooner die than give up his life with his father, and the thought of their time together send strength exploding into Chihiro's grip on the Enten.
Chihiro holding onto Enten so fiercely reflects Chihiro holding onto the time he had spent with his father, as the Enten is the result of their time together. However, Enten isnt just the result of their time spent, it is the physical and symbolic embodiment of their relationship and life together.
Chihiro and Kunishige worked together every day for years to forge the Enten, all the while determining what kind of sword they were creating. The process of forging the Enten did not stop at swordsmithing, it was a daily reflection on life. By taking on the task of forging this blade, Kunishige and Chihiro had dedicated themselves to learning- questioning together what the world was in need of every day.
The fish share the same spirit for learning
Determining what the world needs requires strong conviction and perspective. In order to inform your understanding of what is important in the world, you must experience it. Without a strong connection to the world, how could you determine what's best for it? Chihiro and Kunishige lead a simple life together to have a grounded connection to what's important. In this spirit, Chihiro would explore town when he could with Shiba and Kunishige introduced low-maintenance pets to their house. Despite being simple, despite being ordinary, this is what's meant to be protected in this world.
Learning to forge the Enten was Chihiro and Kunishige's life together, which inhabits the blade they created, represented by their goldfish. In this chapter, Chihiro is again brought even closer to the memory of life with his father- the True Realm of Enten. PEAK
Posted Jul 6, 2025, 7:30 PM UTC