Shy

Episode 4

Anime David Bowie has one hell of a right hook. There are other arguably more important takeaways from this week's episode of Shy, and I will get to them in due time, but I love that our heroine's first training arc boils down to Ziggy Stardust beating the crap out of her. I would imagine that situation to be a dream shared by a not-insignificant number of people. Moreover, that spark of authorial playfulness helps offset the severity of the fight, which eventually gives way to significant character development for both combatants. This tightly written conflict reemphasizes Shy's focus on the battlefields within our heroes' psyches.

It's easy to see through Stardust's tough love act before Teru explains it. The value there, however, is that she explains it to him, not the audience. Stardust, as Davie, grew up finding it difficult to express his emotions and connect to people, which earned him a reputation for heartlessness that has followed him into adulthood. This makes his choice of career paradoxical. On one hand, he heeded his friend's advice and became a celebrity who uses music to say what he could not with words. You could draw parallels between him and Tomori from last season's MyGO. On the other hand, he has also curled deeper within the walls of his heart, taking refuge in the distance afforded by having a public persona. The same could be said for his career as a hero—helping people while keeping them at arm's length. Even his costume has a pointed and ostentatious star where his heart should be.

I might be reading into Stardust more than is warranted at this point in the narrative, but that speaks to how well the show sketches out his character within such a short timeframe. Shinichirō Miki is perfect casting for this archetype, too. He nails that air of aloofness some men project when trying to hide their pain. Also aiding my interpretation is the revelation that the Heart-Shift Bracelets work by manifesting a power that reflects the state of their owner's soul—in other words, they run on metaphor. In the Thin White Duke's case (although I suppose Stardust is more of a Taut White Duke), he projects an AT Field that prevents his opponents from touching him. You don't need a degree in psychology to figure out what that symbolizes. Sure, this particular example is clunky and obvious, but this is a foundation I'm eager to see Shy build on.

Teru's power, for instance, has a little more substance. Fire can symbolize many things, and on the emotional spectrum, it's typically associated with feelings of passion or fury. This seems like an odd fit for the timid Teru, especially so because Stardust points out the lack of hatred in her heart. She is, however, a perfect counter to Davie's iciness. Teru's skittishness isn't caused by a lack of caring; it's caused by an excess of it. She runs into that burning building in the premiere because she feels the flames of obligation, imagining the pain of the people inside. That blazing empathy sears through Stardust's defenses, letting her graze his cheek despite him outclassing her in every other heroic regard. Those flames are her conviction. Fire is also destructive. It consumes its fuel until there's nothing left, and I anticipate Shy exploring the ashes left behind by Teru's drive to push herself for others' sakes.

Mercifully, she escapes this scrape with minimal repercussions. The second half of the episode adopts a lighter tone and introduces a few more heroes, including a kindly old German doctor and Hatsune Miku if she were goth, Swiss, and tsundere. I suppose this is as good a time as any to reflect on how silly the "one hero per country" rule is, both within the context of the series and as an exercise by the author. Was this Unilord's decision? What's her angle? Does Palau have its own hero? Do territories like Puerto Rico get a representative, or do they have to settle for America's (I can't wait to see who they are, by the way)? From a metatextual standpoint, superheroes and national identity have been entwined throughout the history of comics, so it's clear that's what Shy is drawing on. It's tricky territory to thread without bumping into stereotypes (I wonder how Russia feels about Spirit's public persona being "vodka"). I hope the narrative explores this setup more thoughtfully as it progresses. Right now, it just feels like a gimmick. That's not necessarily a detraction—I will not begrudge a superhero story for being goofy—but we've already seen other avenues where Shy can turn powerful and poignant.

Overall, Teru's battle with Stardust falls short of the catharsis we got from her conflict with Iko. It's a good step towards pushing her further outside her comfort zone, and it fits within the structure of the training arc you'd expect at this point in a shonen series. However, I really liked how Iko's monstrous transformation suddenly pushed Shy into weirder and rawer territory, and it would be a shame if that ended up as the only surprise in the series' arsenal. But I doubt that we've seen the last of Stardust's trauma.

Rating:

Shy is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Steve is on Twitter while it lasts. He is a recovering shy kid. You can also catch him chatting about trash and treasure alike on This Week in Anime.