When an octopus-like alien creature known as a Happian from Happy Planet lands on Earth, there is only one thing it wishes to do: spread happiness. It’s an innocent enough premise for those unaware of what happens next in Takopi’s Original Sin. Upon meeting the despondent Shizuka Kuze, the newly named Takopi makes it his mission to make Shizuka happy. Although innocent, naïve Takopi has known nothing but happiness, for Shizuka, the opposite is true. With classmates who incessantly bully her, an absent father, and a mother who may as well be just as absent, Shizuka’s life seems to be filled with nothing but misery. That is, except for Shizuka’s sole source of solace: her dog, Chappy. Seeing the bond that Shizuka and Chappy share only drives Takopi to be ever more determined to achieve his goal. Unfortunately, though Takopi tries his best to make Shizuka smile, his efforts often lead to unintended consequences.
Though many anime tend to center on more uplifting, hopeful themes such as using the power of friendship to tackle challenges, gaining superpowers to fight villains, or being isekai’d into another world with more fantastical obstacles, the uniquely, deceptively dark central theme of Takopi’s Original Sin addresses certain grim philosophical topics and bleak subject matter. This brutally despondent series is one some may find all too real or even, unfortunately, relatable. Even so, there are some gems of quotes sprinkled throughout the 6-episode series that can be pretty heavy, but also relatable, foreshadowing, or even silly, given Takopi’s naïve, positive demeanor.
1) Being Happy is Easier Said Than Done
Takopi may have good, albeit misplaced, intentions, but as he eventually learns, humans are complex, complicated creatures. Although his endeavors to push others, namely Shizuka, to be happy and smile, may be well-meaning, such a vague aspiration actually comes with consequences, as the overly simplistic pursuit becomes a detriment. Deconstructing human connections to the point of labeling people as simply “good” or “bad” results in Takopi dehumanizing and scapegoating those he doesn’t understand.
“I’m on a quest to spread happiness throughout the universe-pi!”
– TV
Takopi’s overly positive outlook clouds his ability to actually be considerate of others and have forethought for the consequences of his actions; Being overly reliant on his Happy Gadgets to solve any and all issues leaves Takopi struggling to reconcile with unforeseen outcomes, permanent damage, and ultimately unable to deal with certain situations on his own without the crutch of such issues to be solved with mere items and optimism.
2) Heavy
While this quote may seem like just an innocuous, forgettable statement, there’s so much more to be gleaned from it. Taking it literally, the Happy Camera, being a heavier object than one would otherwise suspect from just looking at it, especially with its cute, unassuming appearance, foreshadows its more malevolent uses as a tool later on. With all the good intent in the world, the Happy Camera was meant to be one of the best tools in Takopi’s arsenal to bring a smile to Shizuka’s face. Instead, it is the instrument that brings about far more sinister developments.
“It’s heavier than it looks.”
– Shizuka
Metaphorically, both the anime as a whole can be described as “heavier than it looks” with its deceptively dark subject matter and Takopi himself as the adorably upbeat, oblivious mascot of the series learning how complicated and complex human emotions, interactions, and connections can be.
3) Takopi’s Strangest Gadget
While Takopi shows off an impressive array of Happy Gadgets, the Saturn Rabbit Ballpoint Pen is one of the strangest. This is probably why, even though it doesn’t ever have any practical purposes to help Shizuka or Marina or in general, it’s all the more memorable for those characters to carry such a ridiculous recollection to the very end.
“A ballpoint pen that sounds just like a rabbit from Saturn!”
– TV
Also, with rabbits from Earth making little to no noise besides maybe an occasional annoyed grunt or happy honk, the concept of an item’s purpose of making a literal unearthly rabbit noise is pretty confounding. Perhaps it’s even a question that’s better left unanswered…
4) Relinquishing Hope
Shizuka’s sentiment on how she’d become completely disillusioned to the world is one that cuts deep, a feeling that’s all too real and relatable to many. With life full of hardships, pain, and tribulation, it can be difficult to find the light in such a bleak blip of an existence, as though the world itself were made for the sole purpose of suffering. What results is one of the most heartbreaking quotes in Takopi’s Original Sin, where Shizuka’s childhood innocence vanishes in real-time:
“I wished upon [the stars] as hard as I could. I asked them to stop my mom and dad from divorcing.
But my wish didn’t come true. That’s when I knew there was no such thing as magic or gods.”
– Shizuka
Sometimes our circumstances in life can seem as though the only response one receives to any hope is only more agony and adversities, as though the world is truly devoid of magic and any higher power. Even so, sometimes the resolve to cling to hope is all we’ve got. As another very wise character (Uncle Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender) said, “In the darkest times, hope is something you give yourself.”
5) Takopi’s Revelation
Although Takopi ignorantly believes he can stealthily slip in and fill Marina’s shoes as if her existence were a mere theatrical role, there’s something to be said about a mother’s intuition in this quote. Even if Marina’s mother is blatantly abusive, like Marina, she herself is inexorably human. Up until this point, Takopi thoughtlessly toys with others’ lives as though they themselves were expendable Happy Gadgets.
“I know! The girl in front of me isn’t
Mari-chan!…Please. Give me back my Marina. I don’t know who you are, but Marina is my precious daughter. I carried her and gave birth to her.”
– Marina’s Mother
While life may be filled with sorrows and happiness can be fickle, in this moment of fallible vulnerability, Takopi learns what it means to actively participate in the experience of the human condition with the revelation of “sonder”. For those unfamiliar, sonder is defined as: “The profound feeling of realizing that each individual, even strangers, is living a life as vivid, full, complex, and real as one’s own”, as coined in 2012 by author and neologist John Koenig in his project, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.
6) The Crushing Weight of Expectations
Naoki Azuma suffers in silence as his (admittedly hardworking) mother holds the meager yet meaningful reward of pancakes over his head should he fulfill her unrealistic expectations of receiving absolutely perfect scores in school. Under this profound weight, Naoki strives to do his best, but his best never seems to be good enough, the promise of incentive and recognition always fleeting no matter what he does.
“It’s okay to admit when you can’t do something.”
– Junya
The inescapable feeling of being worthless, deficient, and unneeded is what eventually drives Naoki’s flawed motivation to try to help Shizuka in her endeavor to avoid the consequences of literal murder. But what he doesn’t realize is that there has been someone there all along to attempt to connect with and support him: his brother, Junya. Not in Naoki’s academic toils, but his emotional and existential well-being that desperately sought affirmation.
7) Mutual Understanding Through Communication
Not everything in life is cut and dry. Humans are not static archetypes of “good” or “bad”, only “happy” or “sad”, to be categorized, labeled, and, well, ofhumanized. Humans are dynamic creatures, beings who require affirmations, understanding, and nurturing, each with their own thoughts, feelings, and aspirations. Some, yes, do absolutely despicable acts that ultimately cannot be reconciled. Some try harder than others. Some are able to achieve the feats they set out to do, and others seem to unfairly struggle as though the world is stacked against them. It’s important to remember we don’t always have to do this alone.
“Happiness is born through talking-pi.”
– Shizuka and Marina, quoting Takopi
Ultimately, people are not inanimate things to be discarded, trampled on, or snuffed out like insignificant, inconsequential blips. People require the opportunity for rapport and mutual understanding, which can only be done through willingness and proper communication.
What’s your favorite quote or moment from Takopi’s Original Sin? Let us know in the comments below-pi!
