Anime is filled with strong bonds. In all of the anime I have watched over the years, there is only one relationship that I feel sets an unrealistic expectation for real life.
TANJIRO + NEZUKO
Demon Slayer
This brother and sister duo sets some pretty high standards for familial relationships.
She’s a demon. Despite Nezuko becoming a demon, Tanjiro’s love for his younger sister outweighs any danger. He does whatever he can to protect Nezuko. He carries Nezuko on his back in a specially-fabricated box during the day to keep her alive.
Nezuko is his only remaining relative. Tanjiro’s complete dedication to his younger sister probably stems from the fact that his entire family was slaughtered leaving only a demon Nezuko behind.
Bonds that bind. Nezuko learns to protect humans instead of eating them. Whatever ounce of humanity she has left, she uses to support her older brother. Tanjiro holds on to that remaining ounce of humanity in his little sister and works hard to find a cure for her. They love each other with every fiber of their being.
Why do I feel like their relationship is unobtainable. Set aside the fact that this is an anime. Their relationship is perfection. They will march to their deaths to save one another. While there might be people out there in real life with the type of relationship Tanjiro has with his sister, I feel it is really rare. I think to achieve the type of relationship that Tanjiro and Nezuko share, you probably have to go through some heavy-duty trauma to get there. For most people, that type of experience isn’t common to create such a strong bond.
While I love the relationship between Tanjiro and Nezuko, I also recognize that relationship is unhealthy. I think to live for each other the way Nezuko and Tanjiro does leaves very little room for growth.
What about you? Do you know of a duo that demonstrates the impossible? Let me know in the comments.
Leave a Reply