I’m Working at It’!!

I try to live the light of day
Why would I do what I hate?

“Free” by Switchfoot

As with season one, the folks who made Working’!!, the second season of the wonderful anime series, have released the premiere episode weeks ahead of schedule.  I thoroughly enjoyed season one and can’t wait see what happens next with the show’s fun cast of characters – chief among them the cute-obsessed Takanashi and his budding love interest, man-hating Inami.

Inami was a character I disliked at first – violent and annoying, she seemed to have no redeeming qualities.  But by end of season one, I had grown to like her very much.  Perhaps that’s because she’s just like us – albeit to an exaggerated extent.

Mahiru Inami Working!!
Don't worry Inami, it's a process (Art by 桜葉)

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

~ Romans 7:15

Inami can’t help but punch Takanashi – violently and repeatedly.  She doesn’t want to, for she knows it’s wrong, but Inami can’t help herself.  It’s no different from you and me.  We do things all the time that we hate – things that bring us guilt and things that we know are wrong.  Personally, I’m often tempted to lie, steal, and cheat with small things in my life – and it’s a character flaw when I give in to these temptations.

Takanashi plays Jesus to Inami – he is both stern and loving, honest and patient.  He tries to help Inami and as he sees her trying to get better, Takanashi patiently takes beating after beating, continuing to support her.  Even when it seems Inami falls back to square one, Takanashi doesn’t tire of being the support for his co-worker.

The Christian life is very much like this – I think this is a point that many miss, non-Christians and believers alike.  Salvation does not equal perfection – it was never meant to be like this.  As we grow deeper in our relationship with God, we should try to become more Christlike.  But we’ll never achieve that goal wholly.  Inami, too, will never likely be 100% free of her androphobia (I imagine she and Takanashi being an old married couple and him occasionally waking up in the morning to a punch in the face).

A Christian life isn’t about putting up a facade of perfection – I think this is a large reason (and a just one) that nonbelievers often see us in a negative light.  It’s a process whereby we’re learning and growing – like a child that falls over and over again as he learns to ride a bike, knowing that end goal is worth the pain.

So, go for it, Inami!  Keep trying to work through your difficulties – no matter how hard it seems.  I’ll be eagerly looking forward to your continued growth in season two…and I hope I’ll grow this fall as well.

Twwk
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8 thoughts on “I’m Working at It’!!”

  1. Come on, Inami was seriously screwed over by her father, the one who was supposed to teach her right from wrong. If we consider God as our father figure, you’re just asking for a “God = psycho?” tsukkomi.

    🙂

    1. Interesting analogy, but that wasn’t the one I was making. Using my model, Inami’s father is…Inami’s father, and it fits well. We all have our earthly fathers (present in our lives or not), and oftentimes they “screw us over.” They’re human. And because of that, a lot of people (a lot of girls I’ve known, in particular) have difficulties relating to God as father. They’re more easily able to relate to the Son, Jesus.

  2. I hated Inami at first but as I went through the series it sort of died down a little. Didn’t see much, though, so going to check out the second season.

    1. The first season was lovely – first episode of the second season doesn’t quite carry the same tone, but it still looks as if the show will continue to be funny and cute.

  3. The downside of being a catholic/christian is that “the harder you try, the harder you fail”…and if not handled properly, our longings of perfection

    “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ” – Romans 7:24

    can easily lead to depression, since we all are sinners by nature (and that makes our goal impossible to reach). Depression can lead to rejection of this task and consequently deny (or “soften” ) of the faith…

    But, as you said, it’s worth the pain because we seek for an “EPIC WIN”…XD

    1. Thanks for the comments!

      You bring up some really great points. I think one thing that’s really important is understanding and living under God’s grace. If we forget about it and try to do things too much on our own, we can get depressed, being burdened under an undue weight and, yes, lose faith. There’s also the idea of cheapening grace, which Paul emphasizes in scripture.

  4. I always liked Inami. ^^ At first, though I liked her, I found her to be the stereotypical “that-one-tough-violent-girl-in-the-anime-that-beats-up-the-guys”. But as I found out about her past, I was amazed at how loving she still was. The punching is just a natural reaction, a reflex, taught to her by her father. A lot of girls who get abused or hurt are overly wary of ALL men, not even going near them. Inami, on the other hand, understands that not all men are bad and tries hard to get along.

    1. You bring up a great point – Inami’s past affects who she is now. And hurts, particularly relating to men, can linger and create major problems for women. I think that we as individuals (especially me) often think of people’s flaws from our own perspective – “How could that person act that way?” But all people have different pains and hurts that affect how they act, and to be graceful and kind, we should try to put ourselves in those people’s shoes and try to empathize.

      Thanks for the comments!

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