“To Your Eternity” is an anime that came out in 2016 by Yoshitoki Ōima, also known for creating “A Silent Voice.” The anime has a great way of exploring the humanity of people. Profound character development is prevalent throughout this film’s emotional story. The animation is not only visually pleasing, but it is ageless and doesn’t feel repetitive.
It’s a film that is based on a manga about a boy with no name (the Nameless Boy) who goes on a journey to try and find out who he is and what his purpose is in the world. In the beginning of the film, we see that the boy is an orb that turns into a rock. The way this orb evolves is by going through a number of life-altering experiences. For instance, if this life form is stabbed, it can recreate the thing that stabbed it.
In the first episode, the Nameless Boy starts his journey as a rock. As the snow is falling heavily, a white dog dies on top of the rock. This makes him go through his first living change: Turning into the wolf. He then wanders for a bit before running into a boy whose name is unknown. This boy’s village moved, looking for new land to prosper in and leaving all of the elderly and the boy behind because he was sick. When its supposed dog makes it back to him, he is overjoyed.
At this time, all the elderly are dead, and he is the last one left of the people that stayed. Nonetheless, he has hopes and dreams and desires of going beyond the mountains and finding fruit which he has never eaten before.
So, he and his dog set out on an adventure to go over the mountain. We see him fishing and walking through a harshly cold area. The second time we see him and his supposed dog, he runs into a camp that is practically destroyed.
His optimism, the boy says, is the reason that they made it (even though he saw an arrow with an “X” on it because he was following where the arrows were pointing).
Out of nowhere, he falls into a frozen lake in freezing temperatures. When he gets out of the lake, we find out that he has lots of alarming cuts on his leg. So, he bandages up and heads back to his home.
This boy, who we watched with all the motivation in his heart trying to find civilization, ends up finding nothing because we watch his breath slowly fade from his body. The dog, who is with him the whole time, feels a weird sensation throughout his whole body, transforming him into something different.
The remainder of the series is worth watching. It is not only visually appealing, but it tells a story of how emotions shape people. The Nameless Boy’s transformations throughout the series are a metaphor for how emotions change people and how people change because of their emotions. Overall, “To Your Eternity” is an impactful and worthwhile series.
