Reminisce || Letter to Myself

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#LettertoMyself

In contribution to the ongoing AA event, I will be making a letter to myself. The letter is then followed by an explanation of how my current experiences have been influenced by the three animes I have chosen.

P.s. Most of my blogs aren't text heavy, and I try to include images for an easier read. If I may receive any , I'm open to constructive criticism.

                   To my younger self,

Who has done nothing but make

questionable decisions.

I know that you're going through self discovery. You can't settle in with one identity, gender, or sexuality. It's your constant struggle to behave like how everyone else does, or do your own. It's a dilemma for you to choose between one or the other. ² You have made many drastic decisions before you could learn the best from it. Some of your decisions sent you plummeting in misery, while some led to your happiest and proudest moments.

You have done your part. You can't bring back the days that have ed, but you can learn from it. You'll have new experiences, and you'll be able to learn the warmth of true friendship.³ You used to change your unique interests and hobbies just to fit in the crowd and find some friends. You don't have to change who you are. In the latter, you will find yourself wanting to discover who you truly are amidst of the crowd you're mingling with. And the right friends will be able to embrace you for who you truly are. There will be people like your family and your friends to remind you of who you are at heart.¹ Even if you're not sure who to be, who you want to be, what matters most is that there would still be people out there who would accept you however you present yourself. Have some faith in the future.

Yours truly,

Kyros

[15/04/2025]

i. Spirited Away

"Your real name is Kohaku."

The scene where I got this quote from was the time Chihiro reminds reminds Haku of his real name.

Synopsis:

Spirited Away is a 2001 Japanese animated fantasy film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli. The story follows Chihiro Ogino, a 10-year-old girl who, while moving to a new neighborhood with her parents, stumbles into a mysterious, magical world ruled by spirits and gods. Her parents are transformed into pigs by a witch named Yubaba, and Chihiro must work at Yubaba’s bathhouse to find a way to free her parents and return to the human world. Along the way, she encounters various strange and enchanting creatures, including a mysterious boy named Haku, who helps her on her journey. (Source)

The film explores themes of identity, growth, environmentalism, and the clash between modern and traditional values.

The lesson/s I got from it:

This scene shows that there will be people who will remind you of who you are so you won't get lost in the shackles of life. The lesson it shows is for us to be constantly reminded of our identity and sense of self. Hurldes in life, which we can compare to Yubaba— are the challenges we face throughout the different stages in life. They sometimes get in the way of truly knowing ourselves. And just like the scene implies, I have learned that by surrounding yourself with the right people who truly knows me— be it my values, my dreams and essence, are the ones who can help pull me back when I start to feel lost. It's important to stay close to those who remind you of who you are when life tries to mold you into something you're not. In addition to what I've stated, I could only wish I could tell my younger self to stick what feels most true to me. Be it the people around me, or how I'd like to take my next course of action. 'Cause only after I've applied the lesson I learned from Spirited Away into my life that I was able to allow friends to encourage me into staying true to myself. I wish you knew that you don't always have to change for others.

Theme:

Rediscovery, finding oneself, the importance of identity, being true to yourself amidst life's challenges

ii. Tokyo Ghoul

"Human relationships are chemical reactions. If you have a reaction then you can never return back to your previous state of being."

From this quote, Ken Kaneki has already

embraced the change that occured in him.

Synopsis:

Tokyo Ghoul follows Ken Kaneki, a college student who becomes a half-ghoul after a near-fatal encounter with one. In a world where ghouls feed on humans, Kaneki struggles to maintain his humanity while adapting to his new life. Torn between two worlds, he must survive deadly conflicts and discover who he truly is. (Source)

Tokyo Ghoul explores the conflict between human and monster, diving into themes of identity, isolation, and what it truly means to belong.

The lesson/s I got from it:

Change is inevitable. Change is constant, and uncalled for. We don't even notice that sometimes we have already left behind what we used to be. The constant struggling of wanting to fit in, changing for your environment and the people around you can be tiring. Ken Kaneki was a perfect depiction of my internal struggle of having a facade. I want to keep a part of myself that's most true to me, while wanting to have the personality that is able to adapt to the world that revolves around me now. As I grew older, I realized that I have to make sacrifices to be a better me. It was only a matter of acceptance. Just as how Kaneki was able to come to with himself despite the doubts that linger in his mind, he had already accepted the change instead of struggling against it. This might be a heavy annotation for self reflection, or is somewhat contradictory to my previous statements but the changes that occured in me are still a part of me. (Although Ken Kaneki having multiple personas is relatable lowk). But I just want to let my younger self know that it's okay to embrace change as long as it doesn't destroy you. Sometimes it's just a part of growing up.

Theme:

Inner conflict, self acceptance, belonging, journey towards self understanding

iii. One Piece

"The sea is vast so someday, definitely, you'll come across friends to protect you. No one is born into this world to be alone!"

These wise words were from Jaguar D. Saul

as he conversed with younger Robin.

Synopsis:

One Piece is a long-running adventure anime and manga created by Eiichiro Oda. It follows Monkey D. Luffy, a spirited young pirate with a rubber-like body after eating a mystical Devil Fruit. Luffy dreams of finding the legendary treasure known as the One Piece and becoming the King of the Pirates. He sets out on a journey across the vast and dangerous seas, forming the Straw Hat Pirates. (Source)

The anime highlights the power of friendship as the heart of adventure—showing that trust, loyalty, and shared dreams can overcome any challenge. Through the journey of the Straw Hat crew, the series celebrates how deep bonds between people can drive growth, and resilience.

The lesson/s I got from it:

There will come a time when the right people pop up into your life and bring you into the light. You won't always be alone. I learned from One Piece that friendships last because of loyalty despite being faced with difficult circumstances. of the Straw Hat crew have diverse backgrounds and different dreams, but they were all able to understand each other and form a strong bond. They accept the flaws and the pasts of each crew member without any judgement. Friends that will stick with you when you're in your lowest and celebrate with you when you're in your highest should be treasured and protected. I realized that you can only find those friends if you are that friend. For a long time, I've been shunning away people I know and isolating myself to avoid troubling others with my problems. You'll always feel alone if you do that. Instead, be the pillar people can rely on and you'll notice how they will start to treat you the same. Just as how Luffy drew out the strength from his crewmates and made himself reliable. I learned that company is better than pride in solitude. I hope younger me was able to find this out sooner. It would've made my high school days easier had I been much interactive.

Theme:

Loyalty through adversity, true companionship, trust, unity, strength in formed bonds