...seriously though. I love the game's message, I know some people were griping about the title change from "It's a Wonderful World," but that was the catch phrase of evil. "The World Ends With You" is such a perfect phrase that captures both the isolation of each person and their ability to expand their own horizons if they choose to do so.
And I agree with you about the Biblical analogies; they're played with, but in the end Joshua has messianic potential that he fails to follow through on. Joshua is a savior who doesn't really believe in or care about people and eventually probably came to this apex of disillusionment where he was completely detached from them and capable of endorsing genocide.
Personally, I read what happened as Joshua destroying Shibuya indirectly, and then directly. We're explicitly told that the city responds to the Composer's will, and I think his cynicism and disaffectedness is in large part what corrupted the city to the point where he thought "Man, we should wipe this thing out." And when Kitaniji goes "sdklfjskg NO, CAN WE NOT?" Joshua chooses someone who has enough potential, enough Soul, to actually show him the errors of his ways. By making Joshua even slightly a better person, Neku showed him that the city could be redeemed.
If anyone is really messianic it's Neku, who endures these trials and by them comes out as a sort of paragon of belief and faith and hope.
It's a wonderful game. ;_; And it's a beautiful game.
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winterfish
no subject
Date: 2010-11-30 09:01 pm (UTC)...seriously though. I love the game's message, I know some people were griping about the title change from "It's a Wonderful World," but that was the catch phrase of evil. "The World Ends With You" is such a perfect phrase that captures both the isolation of each person and their ability to expand their own horizons if they choose to do so.
And I agree with you about the Biblical analogies; they're played with, but in the end Joshua has messianic potential that he fails to follow through on. Joshua is a savior who doesn't really believe in or care about people and eventually probably came to this apex of disillusionment where he was completely detached from them and capable of endorsing genocide.
Personally, I read what happened as Joshua destroying Shibuya indirectly, and then directly. We're explicitly told that the city responds to the Composer's will, and I think his cynicism and disaffectedness is in large part what corrupted the city to the point where he thought "Man, we should wipe this thing out." And when Kitaniji goes "sdklfjskg NO, CAN WE NOT?" Joshua chooses someone who has enough potential, enough Soul, to actually show him the errors of his ways. By making Joshua even slightly a better person, Neku showed him that the city could be redeemed.
If anyone is really messianic it's Neku, who endures these trials and by them comes out as a sort of paragon of belief and faith and hope.
It's a wonderful game. ;_; And it's a beautiful game.