How To Your Eternity Masterfully Switched From Drama to Shonen
Originally created by Yoshitoki Oima, To your eternity is a hard-hitting shonen series that billed itself as a bittersweet drama about the perils of mortality. However, the story eventually switched genres entirely, morphing into a more traditional action-adventure shonen.
Switching genres in the middle of a story is no easy feat, however To your eternity was able to achieve this without sacrificing the masterful writing that made the anime’s first season such a hit with fans.
What is your eternity about?
To your eternity follows the adventures of an immortal, sentient orb named Fushi who meets and befriends humans in order to preserve the world—and become more human himself in the process. But there is a tragic twist: if Fushi forges friendships with other humans, he can take their form after they die. In a way, their memories and life through him continue even after death – but that doesn’t make it any easier for Fushi to part with them.
Fushi’s encounters and experiences further stimulate him, causing him to display more human-like emotions along the way. Throughout his journey, he learns to express himself more openly, to enjoy life and to take care of himself. But the fushi that fans are now familiar with is a very different being than the one introduced at the beginning of the story. In fact, most of what makes him who he is today is all thanks to the very first person he met.
Fushi’s first friend in To Your Eternity
Fushi’s first friend is an excited little boy with snow-white hair and a dazzling smile. His current situation, on the other hand, is rather bleak. After all other able-bodied villagers left in search of new land, the boy stayed behind to look after the elderly who were unable to make the journey. They all eventually died out and the other villagers have yet to return and leave the boy all alone. Despite all this, he continues to smile until his last moments.
The boy’s positive influence left a lasting impression on Fushi decades after his death. This is notable in that of the many friends he makes, he seems to morph into the boy’s form the most often, and at one point even admits it’s the form he’s most comfortable in. Spurred on by the boy’s wanderlust, Fushi wanders in his place on a journey, slowly learning to become more human in the process.
The shift of your eternity from drama to shonen action
To your eternity has a rather slow pacing at first to realistically show how and why Fushi is trying to become more human. It starts with him meeting people who influence him just as positively as the nameless boy did. They forge bonds and connections that are as deep as one would expect family members to be, which makes their eventual goodbyes all the more painful. But Fushi’s immortality is finally questioned and challenged when an unknown adversary finally reveals himself.
The introduction of this foe raises the stakes for Fushi and his companions as it becomes increasingly clear that staying in one place is not safe for him. That’s shifting To your eternity‘s tone a little, since the need to defend himself drives fushi to start training and develop appropriate ways to fight back. Despite the sudden change in tone to something more action-oriented, the show’s initial dramatic moments remain. Perhaps that’s why the genre shift is so masterfully executed.
The genre change doesn’t happen too suddenly either. The build-up is gradual, and even though action scenes are more frequent, the core messages and themes remain. The fights and training are interspersed with moments of budding friendships and ongoing lessons in becoming human. In fact, it’s this constant threat of danger that drives Fushi further into trying to behave more humanely.
To your eternity falls under many categories. It’s drama, it’s action, it’s philosophical and it’s heartwarming. Oima has done a wonderful job of switching genres without changing the essence of the series, and that is where its real success lies. This makes the anime a unique blend that perfectly balances action, drama and tears galore and is sure to continue to resonate with fans as the Season 2 premiere draws near.