Anime Pilgrimage RTT

The Snow Queen – episode 4

October 19, 2005 on 11:59 pm | In The Snow Queen | Comments Off

“Departure”

I never thought I’d say this, but some of the matte utilised in this episode was not strictly necessary. Still, a good episode that focused on the emotional underpinnings of the story. Good news: this is likely the final appearance of the poorly designed Matilde.

After a month of searching, Carl decides that the town should give a funeral for Kay. Carl believes that his son may one day come home, but that the town should get on with their lives in the meantime. Gerda refuses to give up, and earns money so that she may go off in search of Kay – in that nebulous destination known as “north”.

A couple of months pass in this episode, and the curative power of time is showcased. Nina and Johanne are full of happiness again, and Carl marches on with a glint of hope in his eye. I suppose this is why they had the funeral: so that they could move on.

The representation of Carl is strong, and what I respected was that Dezaki wasn’t afraid to make the man cry. The desperation in Carl’s wildly stupid frozen lake swim and the bubbling of emotions when he realises that there is nothing he can do to find Kay were spot on.

Conversely, Gerda is strong in her determination to find Kay. The scene that she shared with the town drunkard was powerful, but moreso was her reaction: to stay true to herself; that it did not matter if no one believed as long as she believed herself.

The Snow Queen herself receives only a small part in this episode, but I really like the direction that her character is taking. Her reason for taking Kay is purely selfless, demonstrative of both her generosity and her lack of understanding. Her proposal – “that you will be free of pain, but will have to forget everyone you know” – shows that she can only understand the human condition on a purely biological level.
Kay’s response only makes sense if you consider that he hasn’t been himself and answers when he is far from his grounding. Given the story this is based on, I’ve no idea how Kay and the Snow Queen will be portrayed; then, that’s one of the reasons I’m watching.

The other reason is the presentation of Christianity in the story. This episode has many references to God’s will and to Kay ascending to Heaven. The original story was a Christian fable, despite the children seeming delightfully pagan and that, along with the ending, is what I’m looking forward to seeing most in this adaptation.

And so, Gerda’s adventure begins at last.