Sometime last year, I caught onto this anime called ReLife. The premise seemed interesting, so I gave it a shot.
I’m glad I did. While it didn’t blow me away or anything, it certainly sucked me in, and got me thinking. Those are great stories. The ones which make you think.
So the anime follows the protagonist, Arata Kaizaki, a part-timer at a convenience store, as he relives a year of high school. This is part of a program by a company. If he performs well, he’ll be fully employed by them.
The gap between being an adult and re-adjusting to school makes for some funny moments, and watching high school students as they go through their relations and lives, especially if you’re watching as an adult (I’d consider myself to sort of be there) just makes you think.
But one point that kept coming to mind was that this was only for a year. After that, Arata would be gone, his presence wiped from the students’ memories. Sure, he could do anything as long as it was legal, but it makes me wonder about the lasting impact.
If I were in his place, I’d have to keep myself detached. If I were to develop strong feelings for someone, or develop close bonds… they’d be gone once that year was over. Sure, the others would forget, but I’d remember.
Some will say that because it’s fleeting, that one should make the most of it, but the trade off…
” ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.”
Is that really applicable here, considering you know that you will lose them? What of meeting them later, once you’re back to normal? They won’t remember you, but you’ll remember them.
Or is that a burden you’re willing to take?