Hm... to follow the righteous path but still be in violent opposition to another who follows the righteous path with equal precision. I know enough about Taoist principles to identify the occurences of them in Ikaruga, but I don't understand the philosophy intricately enough to know if the presence of a conflict like that is consistent with Taoist beliefs. I know there are at least a couple guys living in Japan - anyone have any idea if that's possible? If it is, the implications of that are very interesting - that even though you have lived by the righteous path, it is still your destiny to be slain by another because that interaction lends to balancing the ultimate order of the universe. Still, I wonder if a versed Taoist would respond with, "No, if they are both truly righteous, then they would not be in opposition of any sort."Pulsar_t wrote:I haven't paid any attention to Ikaruga's story but your interpretation is most interesting. Maybe Horai and his minions aren't the classical definition of evil? "There are few wars between good and evil; most are between one good and another good." That's a quote from Yang Wen-li (hehe quoting an animated character)
Wait a minute, I think I just got it... the levels aren't life, the "enemies" themselves are. Only through striking a balance between the "enemies" can you succeed, therefore, the "enemies" are the life which must be responded to with balance. This makes all the more sense because the game throws black and white at you in equal distribution whether it comes in something starkly unbalanced or in something that is balanced in and of itself. Defeating an enemy in Ikaruga is symbolic of enduring an episode of life on the righteous path and your ability to identify how to respond to life accordingly is representative of knowledge. By this logic, the many Tenkaku who have been shot down by the Horai represent the vast majority of people who fail to live righteously because they did not have wisdom. So basically, Ikaruga communicates the Taoist philosophy that life's events and the physical realm are balanced, thus you must respond with balance in order to be righteous.
Perhaps that settles it... although I'd still like to explore the possibility of "following the righteous path, but still being in violent opposition to another who follows the righteous path with equal precision" being consistent with Taoist beliefs as well.
