Songs (Sung by Kawakami Tomako) PS: Ai'tte Eien
Desu Ka?
Ito Chiisaki Negai
(This one, I think, is actually sung by Orikasa Ai. Which, if
true, is why I want it, because Orikasa Ai was Seiyuu for another
anime character I'm very devoted to - Tenchi Muyo's Ryoko!) Akai Iitsutae (Also written
Akai Denshou, but Iitsutae is correct) (Death image song)
Notes/Observations:
Chiriko is blatantly the youngest Seishi, but not as
young as he looks! In fact he's only two years younger than Miaka, just
very small for his age!
Chiriko's name is pronounced "Chi-ri-ko".
It's probably the most accurately pronounced Seishi name in the English
dub, although really that's not saying a lot...
Chiriko is the second of the male Seishi to be voiced by a female voice
artist, though in his case it's because of his youth and not his
slightly unique gender leanings! (The other of course being Nuriko -
nuff said...)
Chiriko's real family name (Wang,
or Ou) means "King" :)
::If anyone has access to the song Ito Chiisaki Negai, I'm dying to
know where you found it and how to get a hold of it, so please drop me
an email if you can help!!:: Profile
Background: A young boy
with ambitions of being in government, Chiriko is a study bug with an
older brother and a mother who he wants to make proud of him. Although
he does not realise it, his family look on him and his Seishi destiny
with pride and honour, and his baby nephew is named after Chiriko's
real name in memory of the warrior who gave his life for his cause.
Chiriko lives not far from the capital of Kounan, but his own fears
prevented him from getting involved earlier!
Character: Chiriko's character
waxes and wanes between the episodes - Watase Yuu mentions him as being
something of a dual personality, since he changes between the smart,
together Seishi when his character appears on his foot, and an average,
slightly weepy young boy when it doesn't. This differentiation is
really not made that clearly in the television series, where Chiriko's
character is severely diluted (at least by my estimation) in the
original series. (I'm guessing this is for constraint of time and
episode space, but it's a shame because you don't get to see him as
he's really meant to be!)
There is never any mention directly made about Chiriko's dual
personality in the TV show, although when he is fighting Miboshi, two
things are highlighted - firstly Miboshi says how little defence
Chiriko's body has against attack, and so that is why it is easy for
him to possess the boy. The other thing is that Tasuki observes with
some alarm that he doesn't have his character at the time of Miboshi's
attack, which further highlights his weakness. Unless you know,
however, that there is a difference between his character showing and
not, it really wouldn't make much of an impression why that's important
:S
In the manga, Chiriko feels insecure about his weakness and admits to
Tasuki at one juncture that he feels to blame for the failure to raise
Suzaku and subsequent events because he had known who he was all along,
he had just been too afraid to come forward when he knew Miaka had
arrived in Kounan. (This is also missing from the TV series). While
they are stuck on the matriarchical colony after the shipwrecking of
their boat (the basis for the Omake of OVA 1, since it was written out
of the anime script, boo hiss), the diversity between Chiriko's
personality with and without his character is especially made clear
(from knowing exactly what he's talking about to not having a clue
where he is, what's going on or anything at all - much to Tasuki's
chagrin!) In the TV
show, we see him coming to Kounan after having seen a vision of chaos
in the stars, and he comes over as a composed, well-ordered young man
of great intelligence. He uses his presence of mind to save the Seishi
from Amiboshi's chi music by using an improvised leaf flute (he never
again uses this in the series, although it is a nice connection between
Amiboshi pretending to be Chiriko and the real Chiriko). Although in
the TV series, he has very little to do, the principle scenes involving
Chiriko are emphatic life or death ones.
The first one is, of course, the aforementioned scene where he prevents
the death of all of the Seishi. (As I already said, though, in the
manga he feels to blame for that situation because he allowed things to
just lie and he didn't attempt to intervene or prove he was the true
Chiriko until it was almost too late.). The other moment is his own
sacrifice, which (again) holds real resonance when you're aware of the
fact when his character isn't appearing, he's not the strong, composed
young man he seems to be at most times on the screen. This fight
against Miboshi is all built of his own will and his desire to be a
Seishi like the others - and in a sense, that's the essence of
Chiriko's character. He wants to prove that, despite his youth, his
wavering courage and intelligence and his inadequacies, he can still be
a true one of them. He apologises to Miaka and the others as he dies,
saying that he was pretty useless to them in the end, as if he doesn't
completely understand the magnitude of what he has done (he has to be
told that he's saved them all by taking Miboshi down with him).
Although he doubts himself, in my opinion his strength is rooted more
in his own nature than he realises - he just relies on his character
too much to really understand how strong he truly is.
Chiriko's strongest bonds are with Tasuki and Mitsukake. It's ironic
because I've mentioned Tasuki as being like his brother and Mitsukake
like a father - and I just recently realised (it helps to read the
column text as well as the story, doh me) that this is exactly the
way Watase Yuu intended to depict them (I think it's volume 11, it
might be volume 12 where she discusses each of the Seishi in turn).
Sadly both bonds are not as
strongly made clear in the TV series, but as I already said, it's
Tasuki to whom Chiriko confesses his fears, and even on screen,
Tasuki's reaction to Chiriko's death is heart-breaking to watch (almost
as heartbreaking as watching a thirteen year old boy stab himself!).
When the Seishi are brought back as spirits, Tasuki is concerned for
Chiriko's well-being and before Chiriko dies, Tasuki admits that he
thinks
Chiriko is one of the strongest people he has ever met. Nuriko jokes
about Tasuki needing to give up being a bandit in order to follow
Chiriko's example more, but I think it's more a two way process.
Tasuki's never had a brother, although his bandits are like a
brotherhood, and Chiriko looks up to Tasuki's strength and unwavering
courage and determination as a fighter. In contrast, Tasuki appreciates
Chiriko's intelligent and rational views and they click together a lot
more than you might imagine two such different characters would.
(Tasuki has a habit of bonding with diametrically different people,
however, so I guess we shouldn't be too surprised by it...). If you
watch the TV series carefully, you can see the hints of the bond that
is more present in the manga. There are comedic moments like when Miaka
and Tamahome are kissing and Tasuki covers Chiriko's eyes just like a
protective big brother might. And aside from
Tasuki's wild outburst of grief at Chiriko's death, when they are
reunited in Episode 51, there is a fair bit of brother hugging going on
in the background, behind the main action. When Tasuki and Chichiri
face Nakago without their powers, it's Nuriko and Chiriko who Tasuki's
mind is immediately drawn to, telling them he's sorry he's let them
down and that he'll be joining them soon.
The bond with Mitsukake is, as I said, more paternal. It is no accident
that it's Mitsukake and Tasuki who are at Chiriko's side rather than
Miaka's as the young boy passes away. Mitsukake has tears in his eyes
at this moment (and he does not cry often, the only other significant
time he sheds tears is at the death of Shouka). He also assures the
kid, "You'll be lonely, if we go. We'll stay a little longer", even
though it must be killing him inside to know that he has healing powers
that he can't use for risk of reviving Miboshi with his friend.
Mitsukake's concern for Chiriko when he's been possessed brings out
strong reactions in the Seishi that aren't often seen, and he is
desperate to heal Chiriko even despite the risk of Miboshi. It is
Mitsukake who conveys Chiriko's body back to Kounan in his arms -
clearly he and Tasuki did not leave Chiriko's side even after his death
(while Chichiri, Tamahome and Miaka tackle Nakago and try and stop
Seiryuu's summoning).
In the OVA, there are some more distinctive Chiriko character moments
and maybe the first time we really get to see him in emotional, crying
form. Although he does cry a fair bit for the death of Nuriko
(comforted, again, I think, by Mitsukake), his reaction to Roukou's
refusal to help Tamahome is very close to a full blown kids temper
tantrum. Indignant for his friend's suffering, he tries to forcibly
possess Roukou to make him do what he wants and when that fails, he is
indignant and angry - "You're a disgrace! Why can't I change places
with you!". Also, when Taka chooses to leave the book world, not
believing he has a right to be there, Chiriko is indignant with him and
tells him he's sure he's the real Tamahome - more ghost Chiriko tears.
However, even here the characterisation is somewhat skimped from his
manga incarnation - where a lot of the Chiriko data has again been
overlooked in pursuit of better on screen action. It is Chiriko who
intervenes and protects the other Seishi from the false Tamahome using
his scroll, and his belief in Taka as the true Tamahome is unwavering.
He also manages to help steady Taka's doubts by explaining that he has
finally come to terms with the two parts of his own nature, merging
them into one and accepting himself for who he really is.
In Eikoden, Chiriko is reborn as a small baby, who has all his Seishi
memories. Eikoden makes more reference to the manga, as Tasuki observes
that he's "still a crybaby" when occasionally he lapses into baby speak
and tears. However, in this case, it's not so much that he's a crybaby
but more the influence of the enemy's magic - perhaps suppressing the
appearance of his character but also his memories.
