'20th Century Boys' trilogy complete

15.09.2009 by Patrick W. Galbraith

I finally got a chance to go see the final chapter of the film series in theaters last night, and it was great. Well, the movies themselves are perhaps not so great, but I couldn't help but enjoy the show. I can't help but feel that the author of the original manga, Urasawa Naoki, is really making a statement on the past century in Japan, specifically the downward slide and disenfranchisement among kids since Expo 70. This is the era when otaku,and also Aum Shinrikyo appeared, and kids committed acts of unspeakable violence. I couldn't help but shudder when Tomodachi said, "I am the 20th Century Boy." He describes the century as that best and worst chapter of human history - right before he talks about destroying all of humanity except for the reconstructed Expo 70 site. Chilling stuff. The ending with Kenji singing was forced, I think, as was his redemption in going back with a machine to apologize to Tomodachi as a kid for setting him up to be bullied and ignored his whole life. It doesn't change anything to apologize in your own memories, ass. But the movies makes it seem like it does - Tomodachi helps Kenji write the song that unites the world and ends the movie by saying he finally made a friend. Very uplifting, but totally nonsensical. How is it that in an alternative version of the past he helped write a song Kenji has already sung? I guess the movie's director wanted to redeem Kenji by allowing for the apology. I did not read the original manga, but someone who did, is this how it ended? I hope the epic tale was not reduced to this in that version, too.