Kami no Ue no Mahoutsukai: To be your own Person

What does the concept of “Freedom” truly mean and what does attaining “Freedom” really entail? Even if one thinks they are in full reign of their own actions, does the existence of a puppeteer covertly controlling from the shadows invalidate that feeling? To be bound and yet still have freedom to move about, that indeed is a mysterious paradox. So at the heart of it all, does that make those actions one born from the free will of the marionette or of the dubious lurkings of the mastermind above? That is the core theme KamiMaho attempts to explore with its characters as centerpieces of it all. Now, come on the stage, for a story of reaching that elusive freedom will finally begin.

Each character in KamiMaho has shackles bound onto them, preventing them from reaching their full potential, until they face the demons holding them captive. Whether it is Nagisa coming to terms with his unrequited love for Kisaki, Kanata finally being to admit she the the heroine of the Sapphire, Ruri’s own struggle of accepting Kisaki’s death or Yoruko’s storm of problems, it is only by confronting their demons head on that the characters of KamiMaho are able to break from the chains holding them back. KamiMaho, through the journey each character takes along the way, emphasizes the idea that knowing and accepting the truth is the only path to freedom and subsequently becoming your own person.

Through the magic books, not only are the characters dragged through the mud, their integrity is all but lost thanks to the cruel gods toying with them. But it is through this utter humiliation that sparks their minds into finally being able to grasp that freedom. And even though these magic books treat the character like mere puppets, tossing them aside once its tale is complete, it is ironically from being these puppets that the characters are able to drive away the marionettist holding them captive. Nagisa, through the magic book of Black Pearl, is forced to confront his unrequited love for Kisaki. From that crushing experience of facing the truth before him, Nagisa uses that to sever his lingering emotions and purge the desires weighing him down. Using the booktop Kisaki as his vessel, he confesses to her fully knowing the end result. From that, Nagisa is freed from his shackles of fate, as he is able to push forward with his own ideals. Rio, through the powers of the book of Ruby, is able to come to terms with her lack of humanity and find a way to move on from her love of Ruri. And while Rio does her best to hide the truth behind the facade of being a vampire, the truth eventually comes to light as she reforms in front of her beloved Ruri. Her truth finally out to the world, she finally comes to terms with her role in society as she lets go of her the love that had ensnared her mind. Each of the lessons the characters learn along the way serve as a template for other characters, guiding them through those same twists and turns while also trying to avoid the mistakes that trapped the ones who came before.

While each character goes through their own personal journey, it is the trichotomy of Kisaki, Ruri and Yoruko that makes up the main crux of KamiMaho thematic exposition. Kisaki’s own decision to commit suicide was her choosing her own path, regardless of the subsequent consequences that followed. She is the ultimate testament to what it means to have control of one’s own path, with Kisaki being the first one of the main cast to come to this realization. She broke the chains trying to shackle her down the path of cuckoldry and chose her own path. She became her own person, not letting the cruel gods of fate choose her path for her. Her re-appearance as a booktop reincarnation only serves to push her success but also her failure. Her freedom came at the cost of still being subjected to the cruel fates from the gods above. In the end, what Kisaki did with the truth she had learned only led her to further down the spiral of her doomed fate, not one of actual freedom and that ultimately ensnares her even further into the webs of those cruel gods. Her death opens Ruri’s eyes to how to reach his true goal and also serves as a reminder that sometimes fate can be cruel even on those who seemingly find a way to escape its harsh grasp.

With Kisaki’s death taking place early on in the story’s events, it is up to Ruri to somehow scrape by, finding the pieces that will lead him to a happier outcome. However, the real Ruri’s suicude upon finding out the true nature of Kisaki’s death sets up a counter-example for Yoruko not to follow. In the face of the fates, Ruri’s suicide was one of cowardice, hidng away from the pain instead of trying to find a way to accept the reality before him and live past it. Instead, Ruri is forced to live as a subservient being to the same magic books that stripped him of his sister, as Ruri slips into an existence that is not truly human. It is only by having that final meeting with Kisaki and subsequent realization of his true action does the booktop Ruri finally resolve himself to break free of his own inaction. Through that, he vows to save Yoruko from falling into the same fate as everyone else, as he is determined to give her a future where she can live unburdened from the harsh truths that surround her. Using the lessons that everyone before them has experienced, Ruri prepares himself to save Yoruko for good.

Yoruko is the story’s central character. By seeing her friends put through hell and back, she comes to the conclusion that she is the problem, that if she lives an isolated life deluded in the fantastical shackles of the magic books, everyone else will be better for it. However, her decision is not one that is wholly hers, the elusive witch, Chrysoberyl, influencing her thinking. That elusive witch coerces Yoruko into isolating herself and trapping her inside delusions, hiding away from the truth, as she believes that staying an ignorant believer will bring Yoruko that ultimate happiness. However, it is only through Ruri, who is persistent in his attempts to save Yoruko from cutting herself from reality, that Yoruko is brought back from her trance. She realizes she has to choose her own fate and being free means becoming a strong person in spite of the truth. And so, Yoruko can not hide any longer, because being free means to choose your path even when in full face of the truth. She confesses to Ruri and subsequently is rejected. She takes her rejection with pride and is left with only Chrysoberyl in her midst, the final barrier between Yoruko and her freedom. It is only through her various epiphanies from Ruri that Yoruko is able to finally come to the final destination of her journey.

There are two paths Yoruko can take, one of finally freeing herself from her burdens and being able to face the truth with stride or still holding onto those flawed attachments and being a beacon of light for Chrysoberyl, letting that witch find a piece of personal happiness. The true nature of Chrysoberyl’s existence is shown and she too is able to make inner peace with her tragic upbringing and find happiness with the rest of the cast of KamiMaho. Chrysoberyl goes through her own catharsis as she realizes while she was manipulating Yoruko in order for her to attain happiness, that ideal in and of itself shackled Chrysoberyl herself as well. Her past chained her to pursue this lonely path, the road to her own happiness all but lost. Once confronted with the truth, Chrysoberyl turns away from that subservient ideal in search for greater pastures that will lead her own a better path. In the end, she was a marionette as well, the cruel gods toying with her just the same. Instead of working solely as an agent for Yoruko’s happiness, she makes peace with herself, being able to smile and live as a free person, unbound from the desires of others. As a final ironic twist of fate, it was Yoruko who brought Chrosberyl the happiness they both so desperately longed for.

Ultimately, KamiMaho is a story of truths and how the characters use those truths to find a way to live freely. The characters are all flawed, each of them starting off with some sort of shackle tying them down from moving onto a true freedom. Sometimes those flaws are nigh impossible to correct, but that is what makes all of us human. We can all wish for the best, but the cruel gods of fate will drag us every which way no matter how much we resist and even if we think we have found a way out. Actors on a stage are subject to the whims of the writer and director and no matter how hard they push, they will always remain subjugated to those greater forces. However, by being able to gain a new perspective, that allows for change to occur, even if the outcome is one that is off-kilter from the initial course. And despite those shackles chaining us down, arming ourselves with the truths and facing it head on will lead to that bright road of happiness, one that the characters of KamiMaho walked down as their stories came to an end.