Food for Thought

So, how's the state of the world look to you? Yeah, that's about what I thought. I don't like to look either.

In the manga Full Moon o Sagashite, volume four, if I'm not mistaken, the main character, Mitsuki, says, "I'm not afraid of dying, but living is such a scary thing to do." I've been thinking about that line lately.

The plot of Full Moon o Sagashite surrounds Mitsuki and her dream to become a singer so she can get closer to her friend, Eichi, who lives in another country. However, Mitsuki has Sarcoma, a type pf throat cancer, which makes it hard for her to sing or even talk loudly. Thanks to some help from a pair of magical creatures, Mitsuki is able to become a singer.

But Mitsuki still has problems, not the least of which is the fact that Eichi died in a plane crash on his way out of the country. After her magical helpers learn about this, Mitsuki attempts to drown herself, so she can join Eichi in the sea.

Takuto, one of the magical creatures, stops her from killing herself, and somewhere in the conversations that follow, Mitsuki says that line. "I'm not afraid of dying, but living is such a scary thing to do."

The first time I read that volume of the manga, I never paid much attention to it. But the last time I read it, I saw that line and it registered.

Most people fear dying. After all, dying is unknown. But still, how much scarier is living? Living is full of unknowns. Every day is something different, and our past experiences teach us how to deal with the present. But it still doesn't change the fact that every day is unknown. When you and I get up in the morning, we have know what will happen that day.

To be sure, I'm not saying suicide is something we should all start considering. I'm not. I'm simply offering this as food for thought, because I find myself thinking about it a lot lately.

Mitsuki doesn't drown herself. Thanks to her magical friends, Mitsuki makes it through her trials. And despite it's dark moments and the fact that all the characters having to deal with death at one time or another, Full Moon o Sagashite is a surprisingly lighthearted manga, and it does have a happy ending.

Every day is unknown, but not all those unknowns have to be bad. What do you think?