Bōnen no Xamdou – Episode 24

Xam’d: Lost Memories 24

“The sky looked like it was on fire, like it was going to swallow me up. A beautiful, deep sunset, on the day mama died.”

Midori is presenting with typical symptoms of trauma.

“If I hadn’t been so selfish that day, if I hadn’t asked mama to pick me up… I wish I had been the one who died.” This reminded me of The Tunnel from Kurosawa’s film Dreams.

“I knew it, mama didn’t really love me. I am sure that more than anyone else, she wanted me to die in her place!”

Time alone will not heal you. You have to face your grief, accept it, deal with it. Nakiami is a good psychologist.

“If you don’t, you will consume the world, and in your sadness, become locked in stone!”

“As long as you can see the darkness inside yourself, you have a chance to return to normal!”

“I know I can’t go back now, and no one really hid my shoe, but I was so surprised that I was chosen to be in the school play as “Village Girl C”. I only had a few lines, just a small pert really, but look, I… I know it’s kind of pathetic, but it made me so happy, I wanted her to see me. If we had to part on that day, then I just wish I could have told her.”

“That’s why my mother never…”

Generally, the treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder involves two elements: detailed exposure to traumatic information and modification of maladaptive beliefs. In this case, Nakiami is initiating the prolonged exposure therapy developed by Edna Foa.

Is this really her mother’s Hiruko?

Nakiami can deal with two clients at a time! She is trying to modify his negative schema.

“There is an old saying in Tessik, when that life which returns to the earth, rises in stagnation one thousand fold, the darkness will rise. The soul who stands against it, battles a destiny set in stone. He bears with him a single thought, bearing fire, yet frozen. For his sake, for everyone’s sake.”

Nakiami: “Accept that your life will be painful, bite back your grief, and find the power to stand again.”

Session changes both the client and the therapist.

Ebisu, a Japanese god of fishermen, good luck, and workingmen, as well as the guardian of the health of small children, was originally called Hiruko (蛭子, “leech child”). He was born without bones (or, in some stories, without arms and legs). This figure might have served as an inspiration to this anime. Hiruko in Xam’d is a seed without rigid structure whose course of development depends on personality of the host. The first thing we see transforming is often an arm, just like the original Hiruko who eventually grew legs and arms.

They decided to spread the seeds in hope that one of them would bloom in a form capable of confronting the emperor. This goes back to the dilemma of killing few to save many.

Other Xam’d Episodes