Probably the most central relationship in the story, Waka and Shion's love for eachother drives the story forward. The two are so wonderfully devoted to each other in such a beautiful way and they make me sick. From the very first chapter, it's clear how much Waka loves Shion. She, grieving her best friend, enters a place so incredibly dangerous that the only people literally can't leave or have special permission from the government are in for the slightest chance that she can find the god that killed her. In her flashback, she says to Shion that they'll 'go live someplace.. far away' all she can be happy. Since her eyes changed in middle school, she's kept her eyes covered and hidden from other people but for Shion, she'll take off her sunglasses and lay herself bare– even if it's just to make sure she doesn't kill herself. Waka's so intensely impacted by her death that afterwards she becomes as an avenger, living only to kill the gods for her sake. When Vollof asks her what she wants him to do for her (and she realises that the gods have a really skewed outlook on life/death) she asks to go to a salon– because her and Shion used to dream about that. Her face is impassive when she tries on the clothes until she thinks about how Shion would react. That's when she laughs, then she cries. Shion's just as in love with her as the gods, said to be the most beautiful thing a person can see, for Shion take the form of Waka. The only thing that gives her comfort from her shitty home life is Waka, her eyes and her presence. She blushes sooo furiously when Alula (appearing as Waka) tells her that she sees her 'ephemeral beauty' and Shion dies to protect her. For all Shion knew, the only way for Waka to turn into Alula was her blood and the mere threat that Waka might die was enough for her to seek out a god. Of course, she was somewhat suicidal before that as she said in chapter 51 'My home life was literally the worst', but she would also tells Waka that she would unflinchingly 'die to protect you'. The climax of the whole chapter (for me at least) was her confession– Shion was in love and 'wanted to see the girl [she] liked smile one last time.' To me, Sumi Eno shows with Shion that love– that seeing the person you love happy– is worth it, even for a person going through horriffic abuse in a post-apocolyptic world. Her final wish was to make Waka smile, even after death she wants Waka to smile for her. When Waka does smile for Shion, Sumi Eno shows that even when someone suffering though immense grief like Waka is, wants whoever she's in love with to be happy, just like Shion did. Their world sucks. Their situations suck too. But these two still want happiness, for themselves and each other regardless of how you define their relationship and love for each other. Waka’s guilt won’t go away, neither will her grief but in that moment– for Shion– she can smile.
pixelskylines
jacobvanloon
turnnoffyourmind
blakekathryn
theartofmadeline
kianamaiart
