MovieChat Forums > Air (2005) Discussion > My take on the ending

My take on the ending

posted 14 years ago by HellRaidertr
8 replies | jump to latest

Air was a very good anime in my opinion but it was not perfect. The version I have watched consisted of 15 episodes not 12. 13.th episode was practically a brief summary of the previous episodes so I skipped that one. What is interesting is episode 14. and 15.

It looks like the series is almost based on parallel universes. In the feudal era, there seems to be a curse that is inflicted upon winged ones. Eventually Kannas mother passes on the curse to her(we dont know the reason for that but I would say that was an evil act) Afterwards she dies and becomes stuck in dreamworld dreaming constantly about sir ryuya being dead yet he is not. We also learn that Ryuya has only one year remaining in his life and before his death, Uraha and Ryuya mate and they have a child(the child's sex is not important since the mission was also being given to females such as Yukito's mother) to carry on the mission the free Kanno from her curse. They continue to pass on the duty to their offsprings until Yukito succeedes. I also dont believe Yukito is a reincarnation of Ryuya otherwise the descendant theory abruptly fails.

Yukito devotes himself to remove the curse from Misuzu as her mother told him and turns into a crow, failing to cure Misuzu's illness but succeeding removing the everlasting curse from Kanno, from medieval era. The sad part is Misuzu is still condemned to suffer from the curse. Yukito only removes the curse of Kanno's spirit that his mother looked for. That being said, after Yukito becomes a crow, the same story rewinds and everything is told again from crows perspective. So it looks like the crow actually has nothing to do with the progress of the story except but subtly adds the presence of Yukito. The curse is said to advance if Yukito stays near Misuzu. Considering the crow has a piece of soul of Yukito, Misuzu is like never left yukito, she is with him all the time, taking the crow with her everywhere she goes. Lastly as implied in the description of curse, Misuzu dies after having her last dream.

The idea how Kanno got into Misuzu's mind stays mystery but I think it is clear that Yukito is a descendant of Ryuya and Uraha. The spell of making puppets move comes from the magical abilities of Uraha's blood.

So after the curse is lifted, episode 14 takes place on a different universe which exactly starts off like episode 8 but as it moves on, the laid back and positive atmosphere is noticed. And most probably, the curse is never inflicted due to these minor changes.

Anyway, thats my take on the story of Air which I think is based on the parallel universes theory. Comments, anything you want to add are really apprecited. And excuse my poor grammar :)

Hey, Soldier. Do you know who's in command here?

[–] klayman666 14 years ago

Interesting interpretation, however, I disagree that the curse was lifted. The curse has been around millions of years symbolized by Misuzu having a genetic memory – why she makes a dinosaur sound for baby chicks. Yukito tries to break the curse his bloodline is destined to remove but he fails; after Yukito leaves because he comes to the conclusion he cannot save Misuzu, he dies from either starvation or suicide and his spirit is reincarnated as a crow. He returns to Misuzu for atonement because he was unable to lift the curse in life, but in death, he will at least comfort Misuzu in her final days.

I watched “Air” about a year ago so I might be missing a few key points to support my interpretation. I found the ending powerful because it was so depressing; I’ve always had a predilection for Anime with sad endings.

[–] HellRaidertr 14 years ago

Actually, we see crow and Yukito -coexisting- in episode 10, but yukito is more lifeless and less intimate this time. So they start their relationship with a negative attitude. Also I can not make a connection with dinasaur methaphor with curse. Yukito clearly says farewell and leaves in a normal fashion in episode 10(18th minute) Episode 7 is very significant as well it is where Yukito creates an alternate universe by sacrificing himself. So, in my interpretation not everything is sad. Yukito lives, Kanno's spirit is saved, and the curse has been lifted. It can be interpreted in many different ways, and I like those subtle pieces that make me think :)

Hey, Soldier. Do you know who's in command here?

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] HellRaidertr 14 years ago

Yes, your interpretation is very close to mine. I think I was actually wrong about crow thing. It was her mother not Yukito or crow that she got close to and resulted in her death. So either way, she is condemned to die and our only consolation is that curse is lifted. I also think that the two kids playing under sunset are ryuya and kanna who will be able to find love and not be killed by it. So again, it is all about parallel universes in my opinion.

Hey, Soldier. Do you know who's in command here?

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] HellRaidertr 14 years ago

So how do you explain the two different versions of the depiction of feudal era and the meeting of yukito and misuzu for the first time at the sea shore? Only yukito as a crow is able to see his other life vaguely.

Hey, Soldier. Do you know who's in command here?

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Unicorn_Blade 14 years ago

I would agree with that one. I have been thinking about the ending for a while, but some things still leave me puzzled.

Is the person to save Kanna supposed to be blood descendant of Ryuya? If yes, then after Yukito's death there is no one left, since he definitely did not have a child. If no, that would explain the presence of the little, omniscient boy at the seaside in the last episode and his words. Still, I didnt really understand how come the boy knows more than Yukito, if he is supposed to be his reincarnation... And I think Yukito was connected to the samurai not by blood only, at one point he sees a vision of the samurai getting attacked and later on sees a mark on his body, so there is a strong spiritual connection after all...

I actually thought that the ending was a sad one... The curse is not lifted, it is merely understood With Yukito as a crow, here is no one to take over the puppet...