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basicallyjaywalker · 4 months

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Wanna ramble about a moment/character in ninjago you think people need to talk about more?

I don't know who you are anon, but I'm glad you asked!

I am desperate for people to character-analyze Wu. I'm desperate for a lot of character analysis including Nya but since I got a lot of my Nya feelings out with some lovely folks the other night (edit: the other night was a month ago dw about it. this took a minute) I'm going with Wu this time

Master Wu to me is such an interesting case of a character who it is so easy to ignore the bits of the show that hint at his wider issues and traumas. He is a man defined heavily by his family and by his past. A lot of criticism he gets, I think, is due in part to that.

I've mentioned before that I've been rewatching S1 with a friend of mine and intermittently pausing to infodump on them about interesting character things I notice from that season. A lot of that has been Wu-focused because despite having seen RotS dozens of times throughout my life (watching it on CN, watching it on Netflix when only it and Legacy were around, rewatching it with friends) I have only just started noticing the seeds of character written in.

I might also just be reading too much into things, but hear me out

In S1 (and by extension, the pilots), Wu is characterized as your typical old wise teacher. In the first few minutes of EP1: Rise of the Snakes, he is chewing out the Ninja for playing video games instead of training. The line he uses? "Never put off until tomorrow what can be done today."

It's a line that gets repeated throughout the series. In fact, it gets repeated that very episode when the ninja go (pun not intended) to fight the Hypnobrai and a literal pre-teen. At first, it seems to just be a piece of wisdom. Some old proverb Wu's picked up over the years, possibly one he even coined himself. However, in EP7: Tick Tock, Wu tells the story of who, possibly, first told him this.

(Source: Tick Tock/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added.)

It was Garmadon. Now, I'm not gonna dwell too long on Garmadon, if you spend five minutes talking to me you'll learn he was the first character whose story I obsessed over and I want this essay to be about Wu, but I think he plays a role in Wu's overall story, as does Wu's family as a whole.

Prior to this, Wu and Garmadon's relationship has been more of a sibling rivalry taken to a good vs. evil extreme. We didn't know why Garmadon was evil and we didn't know about Wu and his relationship as kids. However, this scene establishes the backstory. They were, as Wu puts it, "the best of friends." That is, until Garmadon gets bit by the Devourer going to get the katana Wu lost.

Now, I know the Devourer bite was destined to happen because of the Overlord or some shit, but Wu doesn't. As far as he's concerned, Garmadon getting bit was a direct consequence of both his mistake and his cowardice. He lost the katana. He was too scared to get it. Garmadon went over instead. Garmadon got bit.

The scene goes on to show the FSM tending to Garmadon in the aftermath. Wu is watching from behind the door, likely told to stay back, but concerned. And in his POV, we get this intense moment, where Garmadon turns, looks directly at him (his eyes turning bright red for the first time), and says "It's all Wu's fault!"

(This clip should begin at the start of Wu eavesdropping. If it doesn't, skip to 0:58. I highly recommend also paying attention to Wu's body language during this scene.)

The camerawork does a great job of showing how this probably felt for Wu. It zooms in, Garmadon's voice echoes, and the background blurs. We see in the flashback that this is a moment Wu has etched into his memory. Not to mention, he was likely a very young child when this happened. LEGO characters' ages are weird, but Wu in this scene has the Big Eyes, which always seem to be used for characters under 12. We don't know exactly how much older Garmadon is to my knowledge, but he doesn't have the Big Eyes, so he's probably closer to 12 and a few years older than Wu for sure.

Imagine that. Being in elementary school and your older siblings gets hurt. They're acting strange. They're lashing out at your father. Then, they blame it all on you. They're hurt because of you. Wouldn't you internalize that?

I could go on about Wu's relationship with Garmadon, but again, I think I've spent enough time on it and I don't want to only focus on that. It's an important part, but there are others.

Let's talk about Wu's relationship with his dad.

Now, I have not yet read the Spinjitzu Brothers series. I cannot speak to any development of Wu and the FSM's relationship in there. I have, however, read The Book of Spinjitzu and blogged some of my thoughts on it here, including some of what it says about Wu.

For those who haven't read it, first, there is a Google Drive folder floating around with all of the canon spinoff books/graphic novels in it. Here's the link if you wanna read them!

The FSM is an... intriguing figure. I mean, in the series he's basically god? He made the entire world. That's already a very high bar to live up to. Then, in Book of Spinjitzu, there's a few specific parts that, when I read them, signaled that Wu internalized a specific message when he was young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 3).

Wu does not want to disappoint his father. It is up to him (and Garmadon until he turns evil) to "uphold the legacy of Spinjitzu" and, by extension, his family. He says he was "very young" when this was explained to him. Considering he seems to already be training at an elementary age, "very young" means VERY young.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 16).

Here, we again see Wu being very aware that he has some large burden to carry. Something else interesting here is that the thought of the Green Ninja Prophecy is already weighing on him too. His considering if he might be the Green Ninja is of extra interest because of how the Green Ninja Prophecy and the--I wouldn't call it obsession, possibly fixation?--with who it is factors into his later actions, but we'll get to that later.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, Page 19).

This one in particular gets me because it comes after Wu mentions Garmadon becoming more evil. It is a statement of power. Wu knows that the legacy of Spinjitzu now rests in his hands alone. He cannot let himself fall the way Garmadon did. He cannot disappoint his father. Whether or not the FSM intended it, Wu always knew the fate of the world rested, at least in part, upon his shoulder. He knew this from the time he was a young boy and it remains in his mind to this day.

Now, these quotes are indirect, but they all point to one clear idea: As a child, Wu internalized the idea that he alone is responsible for keeping Ninjago safe. He will play a pivotal role in its history.

There's not evidence in this book that the FSM's was a bad father, per se. However, just because one doesn't set out to harm their children, doesn't mean they won't. I often say Wu has an "Atlas complex," which I have no idea if it is an actual concept but use it to refer to this idea. Wu feels as though he is responsible for holding up the world, much like Atlas. He must keep the balance, he must solve the Green Ninja prophecy, he must make his father proud.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 61).

I'm going to get further into what this means for Wu as a teacher to the current Ninja Team, but for now let's look at Wu's first foray into teaching.

Morro. Wu's Biggest Mistake.

That might seem like an overstatement, but it's not.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

Okay he says regret, not mistake, but I was paraphrasing.

Let's turn back to his quote about his destiny. Wu writes, "Is my life's mission to be the Green Ninja? Or maybe it will be to find the Green Ninja and protect him (or her)??"

From a very young age, Wu was not only aware of the Green Ninja but prophecy but also thinking about his place in it. We see this again when he takes Morro in and trains him.

(Source: Ghost Story/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom, highlight added)

A big thing Wu is criticized for here is making Morro believe he is meant to be more. That he is the Chosen One. And Morro, being a young homeless orphan just now given some semblance of power and protection, latches onto that. And I can see it, but when you take into account the above that he was trained from (likely) a younger age than Morro and given a similar level of responsibility, it becomes more understandable. Wu is just doing what he was taught. He doesn't believe that he is harming Morro until it is too late.

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This is the entire story, but I'm specifically going to be discussing 1:36 onwards here. I also wanted to add that rewatching this scene made me lay down on the floor! What the fuck! But I digress.

There's a lot going on in this scene. For one, Wu washing his hands of Morro in some ways, but not others. He turns his back on Morro when he tells him that destiny has decided, but looks at him again when Morro storms out. He goes to save Morro from the Grundal, but decides that he cannot "teach those who would not listen." Most importantly, when Morro leaves to go find the Tomb of the FSM, Wu leaves the door open. He waits for Morro to return, but never goes after him. And Morro never comes back.

Wu gives Morro's fate a dismissive response at the end of his ghost story ("I am saddened he was banished to the Cursed Realm") but it's clear he still cares deeply about him in the finale of the season.

youtube

Wu's VA in this is phenomenal btw. That "Please Morro!" and "MORRO!" make my heart ache.

Morro believed Wu stopped caring, but he didn't. Even after all he's done, even after trying to destroy all of Ninjago--destroying what Wu had spent his life trying to protect--Wu tries to save him. He begs for Morro to come with him. Morro refuses, Wu watches him perish.

Someone else Wu is close to is gone. Wu again considers himself responsible. Everything is his fault.

And finally, we reach Wu today. A cautious, secretive man. He loves his students, this much is clear. Even as early as the pilots, he drops his wise teacher persona to joke around with them.

youtube

As with Morro, he trains them like his father did him. He even uses the same methods his father used when he trains them.

(Source: The Book of Spinjitzu, page 32)

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While he is hard on the Ninja, wanting them to succeed and training them to help defend the Realm, he lets his guard down more than it seems he did with Morro. He also learned a valuable message from his experience with Morro when he hides the Green Ninja Prophecy from the Ninja, getting angry when they start to push themselves in the same way Morro did upon learning about it. It's clear he doesn't want a repeat.

Now, I can't speak for later seasons (I will eventually) but this fear of repeats, his students going down a dark path because they're tempted by power or greatness, losing someone else, likely drives Wu not telling them other important information. That is just a passing thought though.

Final notes:

I'm currently in the process of rewatching S7: Hands of Time. I actually got this ask right after finishing EP68: Scavengers, which opens with Wu having a nightmare. In it, he and Misako are walking outside of Yang's temple. While walking, Misako delivers this line in response to Wu reminiscing about the time they've spent together:

(Source: Scavengers/Transcript | Ninjago Wiki | Fandom)

This line, to me, is Wu's subconscious trying to tell him something he needs to hear. It's hinting at what might be his greatest flaw. Wu is haunted by his past, by his mistakes. He finds it difficult to tell others because of both his guilt and his desire to not put that worry upon them. In this very season, he makes the mistake of trying to face his past on his own, and he nearly dies for it.

In the same episode, you see Wu trying to make sure Lloyd doesn't make the same mistakes.

(Source: Prev)

Wu stresses the important of the team. It's as if he sees Lloyd blaming himself for what happened to Wu, sees him doing the same thing Wu has, and is trying to prevent him from doing the same thing. This is further emphasized when, after Wu falls asleep (well, fakes falling asleep), Lloyd says "Wu's mistake was going in alone. So was mine."

Master Wu is, like many characters in this show, someone who is more complex than meets the eye. He is not just a wise, old teacher. He is a man who, throughout his life, has made mistakes and carries the weight of each of them on his shoulders. He is a man who tasks himself with making up for those every day. He is a man who wants better for his students, his family.

Until the day he dies, he will guide and protect his students. And possibly? Even after death too.

#ninjago #lego ninjago #master wu #long post #anon tag #this made my day i looooooooooooooove character analysis #i know a lot of what i post about it may not encompass the full series but i just think that makes it more fun tbh #i'm working with what i have and later i may come back to this and add even more things #i'm also very passionate about wu analysis as a former wu hater because i think the fact that his character stuff is so buried #leads to a lot of the hate #Why didn't he tell the ninja things? well he told morro things and look how that turned out #he grew up believing the weight of the world was on his shoulders #in one way or another #i won't lie and say the man does not make mistakes #but like i mention in s7 when he does he is fucking haunted by them #he is not breaking the generational trauma but he is damn well making an attempt for someone who probably doesn't realize he has it #p.s i tried to add image desc to each ss to make it more accessible but if i messed it up please let me know!#i spent way too much time on this #somebody do a word count i'm curious but too tired to copy this all into docs #falls over #part 2 of this is just the dark island trilogy but i think i'm gonna wait to do that #this took so long and the words are now refusing to words #thank you for reading #i need to take a nap after writing this I feel physically spent #please enjoy another rook branded ramble disguised as a comprehensive essay #other essayists bring you professionalism and academic vibes #i scream into the void and put way too many links o7 #happy birthday ninjago!!!! i finished this in honor of you hopefully it is worthy

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just-sp-in-inginthevoid · 11 months

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Kisaki and the pursuit of love to fill the lack of it

Manga spoilers

When Takemichi finally gets to confront Kisaki ; he gets his answer as to why Kisaki did all of what he did. And like Takemichi, we get angry and confused. Is this selfish childish reason really why he did all of that ? And the answer is yes, obviously. But it’s not that shallow, nor is it Wakui being lazy.

He wanted Hinata’s love.

Did he ? From what we learn from his and Hinata’s flashbacks, Kisaki was considered ‘creepy’ and ‘heartless’ by other children. Hinata was the only one to talk to him (and willingly!) and saw him as a good kid – even after they stopped seeing each others. She wholeheartedly believes Kisaki is a good person and that he and Takemichi would get along and is shocked when Takemichi tells her Kisaki’s part of a gang, saying “No way ! It doesn’t suit him !”. Which is the direct opposite of how Takemichi, and we the readers, react. “Kisaki, a good guy… ? There’s no way. He’s the inhuman bastard that killed Hina. “

Kisaki’s “Hinata would definitely liked a prodigy like me” isn’t that much an implausible way of thinking (for a child lacking love). Why would Hinata interact with him if she didn’t love him ? It couldn’t be just because she was a nice person, nobody else interacted with him. It didn’t seem like it was out of pity either. They even walked home together and were neighbourgs. It’s a very simple-minded thought – but Kisaki didn’t know better, and never got to. After all, he’s antagonized since the start by most characters, including the protagonist whom we readers follow, and the narrative. For good reasons, yes. But instead of trying to stop everything he planned, it would’ve been a lot more effective to learn about him, to get close to him, and not as to gain informations to use later to win, but in a way to actually form a deep, meaningful, true friendship with him. Because Kisaki doesn’t have friends. Mikey’s a pawn. Hanma’s a pawn. Izana’s a pawn. And they all know it – they accepted Kisaki’s scheems because they had something to gain for it. They’re all relationship built on a deal : I gain something I want and you gain something you wish in return. Mikey wants darkness to consume him, and wants Kisaki to be that part of him (his moon – which btw, good nod to the Pierrot/Kisaki comparaison) whereas Kisaki wants to be Japan #1 delinquent and he needs Mikey’s charisma to do so; Hanma wants his world to stop being so dull and Kisaki gives him that, he makes Hanma’s life as colorful as a circus (once again, the Pierrot/Kisaki comparaison never stops, Wakui really wants you to know his vilain is a clown) and Kisaki needs a pawn who would do everything he asks – and a pawn he can put the blame on ; Izana needs Kisaki to ‘satisfy his heart with his malice’ and to gift him a depressed/grieving Mikey he can ‘tame’ whereas Kisaki needs Izana to get to Mikey even after the Christmas incident and Emma’s murder. So yeah, not friends. Acquaintances ; business partners at best. Hinata then remains the only person who willingly went to talk to him out of kindness and nothing else, she didn’t have any motives.

So Kisaki clings on her. The idea of her. Somebody being nice to him. When nobody else does, nobody else ever did. Does he do anything to deserve kindness ? Why would he need to deserve kindness ? Since when is kindness deserved ? He plans a lot of messed up things, but until Baji’s death, none of them succeeds. Then again, would’ve being kind to him prevented all of what he plotted ? And again, he started being a delinquent solely because Takemichi was one.

Stalking Takemichi already wasn’t a good sign, but that didn’t necessarily mean Kisaki would one day become a merciless murderer. But then Takemichi said he’d be the top delinquent in Japan which prompted Kisaki to research about them and what it meant to be one. Because if Hinata loves Takemichi and Takemichi plans on becoming Japan #1 delinquent, then Kisaki becoming Japan #1 delinquent will make Hinata loves him. She has to. He believes in it so hard, he doesn’t even try to reconnect with her even as a childhood acquaintance during the years it takes him to reach to the top. No, he reaches the top and straight away go ask Hinata in marriage. And the moment she rejects him – even though he’s Japan #1, even though he did everything to undoubtedly gain her love, even though Takemichi isn’t there anymore – he has her killed. Because the only person in his life who has been kind to him, wasn’t anymore and he, after a decade of doing everything he thoughts he has to do to gain her love, couldn’t deal with it. That’s how Takemichi ‘betrayed’ him – Takemichi became his model, a hero, and yet he took the only thing good in his life away (without even being aware of it).

Kisaki doesn’t see himself as a victim – he’s very aware of everything he does. He manipulates, he kills, he doesn’t have an ounce of remorse about it… Yet, he still calls himself a Pierrot. And Pierrot is defined by his unrequited love for Columbine who herself loves Harlequin (who loves Columbine back) which makes him a sad clown. Pierrot is also naive, light-hearted and trustworthy. Which is definitely not Kisaki as a delinquent, but may have been Kisaki in his childhood.

Takemichi only starts to think of him as a human being and not an ‘inhuman bastard’ after his death. Takemichi wants to face him again, because he actually wants to get to know Kisaki. Even if he hates him with everything he has. The talk they had was too short.

At the end of the day, does that change the fact it was incredibly selfish and childish ? No. But Tokyo Revengers is based upon relationships and the impact people have in other people’s life so for it to have its main antagonist have no meaningful relationship at all, and it being the reason why he turned out that way, makes perfect sense. (it’s also the same with Izana who didn’t think he had anyone until the end where he realizes he did, he does, Taiju who thought he only had his siblings to realize he actually technically didn’t have anyone, Hanma whom we don’t see close to anyone but Kisaki (and that means something), Kazutora who found himself with only Baji at some point, and even Sanzu who obsesses over Mikey because in his mind he can’t rely on anyone else anymore – but all of them at least had someone in some way)

Edit: In the Final Timeline, this lack of meaningful relationship that Kisaki has ceases to exist. He becomes friend with Takemichi, Mikey, Toman.. And so he has no reason to obsess over Hinata

His vision of Hinata and their relationship most likely came from his idea of how reality works - a very stereotypical one. They're both childhood friends and then they'll fall in love and he'll go to work and she'll be a housewife and he'll be like everyone else, he'll achieve what everybody else has and/or he will copy his parents/what japanese society (and not only it) deemed a 'normal family'. They'll have one or two kids and it'll be the way it has always been.

Kisaki doesn't know much about the interpersonal relationships, so he has a very stereotypical vision of them

#the fact that in the final timeline - takemichi and mikey dont have much to do but be his friends to save him is-#well if you dont like kisaki its fun if you do tho its sad #man never needed bitches. he just needed friends.#tr kisaki #kisaki tetta #tokrev kisaki #tr takemichi #takemichi hanagaki #tokrev takemichi #tr hinata #tokrev hinata #hinata tachibana #i wrote something about taiju and takeomi. was only a matter of time until i wrote on kisaki wasnt it #watch me write solely (?) about characters the majority of the fandom hate #watch out. next thing you know im writing on South

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