This is testament of my emotional instability; a comic based on a game I have never played before affecting me so strongly makes me feel really miserable about it. And yet, it conveys such a strong and inspirational message, using equally powerful words and drawings that I can’t help but going back to looking at it more. And ending up crying some more.
For those who do not understand, it is about a player who has played Animal Crossing: New Leaf on the Nintendo 3DS, who stops after the release of Pokémon X and Y. Isabelle, the secretary of New Leaf’s mayor (who is the player) laments that the mayor may extend her adventure with the release of Phoenix Wright: Dual Destinies and The Legend of Zelda: a Link Between Worlds shortly after, but sincerely hopes that the player will one day pick up Animal Crossing again.
Frankly, I love it. I love the fact that someone’s deeds are appreciated and remembered, even if the deeds are unreal and are appreciated and remembered by mere data. I love the fact that said someone’s presence makes the lives of others whole, their departure mourned and their return so eagerly anticipated. A part of me wants to experience this, because it feels like a priceless emotion to feel. I want to have the same feeling, in such a scale, because it is something I have never felt and something tells me I will never feel. And yet emotion of this magnitude is beyond what I can take, that every time I so much as think of it, I break down in tears.
I also love the message that old games should be picked up again every once in a while. Pleasant experiences deserve to be rekindled occasionally and the same goes to friendship. Especially friendship, even if said friendship is with fictional characters. That said, this may be the nostalgia addict within me speaking, as I myself do not have many of such powerful and pleasant experience to speak of.
And so ends my quest for achieving emotionlessness. Every time I manage to discard my heart and soul, new ones emerge in place of the old ones, only slightly harder, but infinitely more brittle, than the previous ones. My emotional instability grows with every attempt, and now I question myself if I have the right to ask others to not be affected by emotions if I myself break down this easily.
As I write this (and flood my keyboard in the process), I have decided that I will do all I can to not forget this comic. Despite the emotion being too much for me to handle, I cannot bear to let go of the inspiration that it provides. It is also a reminder to myself of how much I can be affected by the experience of another, and how strongly I feel for it even if I myself have had similar ones.
And on that bombshell, adieu to y’all.
