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Shirobako, Episode 16: Put on Your Armor

Twwk

Gothic lolita wear as armor?  Sure, why not?

Episode 16 of Shirobako uses the metaphor of battle in terms of dealing with a difficult situation, and more significantly, with fighting against the things which weigh you down when facing challenges.  Iguchi doesn’t completely fall apart when all her hard work is rejected, time and time again, but she does begin to wear down, until she receives encouragement from Ogasawara in the form of advice. Gothic lolita-kun explains to Iguchi, Aoi, and Ema that they must put on their armor.

There’s a lot of truth in Ogasawara’s words.  When we’re faced with obstacles that are overwhelming, there comes a point where we either sink or swim.  And to swim, we have to reset our minds.  Adversity requires conscious effort if it is to be pushed through.

In Shirobako, Iguchi finds her armor and weaponry in various places.  She renews her strong mindset, which was already a strength, but one that had been tested since she accepted the role as character designer.  She uses her creativity – her talents and skills – to do that which she already knows she can.  Iguchi puts on the armor of support from her colleagues, who provide advice and encouragement after Ogasawara gives them a talking to.  And finally, she uses relaxation to help in the form of Ema’s “angel exercises” and batting practice.*

Those tools are very specific, which begs the question, is there “armor” that can be used in any adverse conditions?  The Bible says yes (Ephesians 6:10-18):

Unlike Iguchi’s armor and weaponry, the Bible’s demonstrates this to us – there are always forces at work against us, both worldly and spiritual in nature.  For the Christian, we know this well, as even when things seem to be going fine, the unexpected happens and we’re challenged.  And when we respond with faith, the word of God, truth, and so forth, we find that we are able to beat back adversity, and even grow through it.

The real challenge, then, is the same as Iguchi’s – it’s knowing that we have armor and actually taking the step toward putting in on.

* I loved the batting practice scene.  This was the way I blew off steam during my college years.  And coincidentally, I’ve been teaching my son how to bat a ball lately – just yesterday, in fact!

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