Everybody’s been sad, but not everybody has dealt with depression. I have, when I lost my mother, and I was in a really dark place.
Gradually, I’ve come to heal, and I now smile more than I tear up when I think about her. That said, do you know what helped get me through my dark period? Watching movies about depression. In a sense, it helped me to feel my way through my own grief.
Well, one series that snuck up on me is the anime, This Monster Wants to Eat Me. It’s currently available with a Crunchyroll subscription, and it’s definitely one of the most unique representations of depression I’ve ever seen. Here’s why.
An All-Consuming Monster Is A Fascinating Metaphor For Overwhelming Depression
One thing I love about anime is that it can often tackle heavy subject matter in the form of the supernatural. My favorite anime, Attack on Titan, tackled fascism, racism, and discrimination, and had them all on display while people zipped around on wires and cut giants on their napes. Sure, American cartoons have delved into adult territories, too (Avatar: The Last Airbender tackled genocide. The new show, Avatar: Seven Havens addresses P.T.S.D.) But, I think there’s something to anime specifically as a lot of it is not meant for children.
This Monster Wants to Eat Me is no exception. The main character, Hinako, lost her entire family in a car crash, and she’s the sole survivor. Oftentimes, it’s a struggle for her to even get out of bed, and her sole ambition is to see her family again. In other words, she contemplates joining them. However, a yokai, which is a Japanese spirit, in the form of a mermaid, wants to eat Hinako, because her blood is apparently delicious.
And this, of course, can be interpreted as a metaphor for depression itself being an all-consuming monster. Hinako eventually befriends the Yokai because it promises to eventually eat her one day. Make of that what you will.
The Story Does A Good Job Of Showcasing What A Support System Looks Like For Those Who Need It
I’ve been thinking a lot about RJ Miite ever since he died by suicide. Like many fans of his work, it hit me hard. But, what hit me even harder was when I heard stories about his former coworkers hanging out with him just days before he died. Some of them could tell that something was wrong, but they never imagined that he would take his own life. It was a shock to many.
This Monster Wants to Eat Me reveals what a support system looks like for somebody with suicidal thoughts, but that as much as they try, the grief, i.e., the monster, might be too much to contend with. Hinako’s best friend is a spunky redhead named Miko. Now, Miko can be a bit much when it comes to her exuberance, but we later learn that it’s all an act. Being there for her friend takes a lot out of her.
Miko just wants Hinako to be happy, though, and she goes through any length to protect her…even if she’s not exactly what she seems. I’ll just leave it at that. Aside from being a great show about depression, it has lots of twists and turns.
I've Seen Stories About Depressed Characters, But This Is The First Show I've Ever Seen That Perfectly Captures The Actual Feeling Of Depression
I love this anime’s story, but what I love the most is that it truly captures the FEELING of depression.
There is a lot of cheeriness and fake smiles going on here, but underneath it all are the quiet moments. Most of the characters are both literally and figuratively hiding their true selves, and that’s very much what depression feels like. The world keeps moving, even if you don’t want to keep moving with it.
I highly recommend that you watch This Monster Wants to Eat Me, but only if you’re in an emotionally safe place currently. It goes to some pretty dark places.
