As I've blogged here, Archer is one of my top favorite characters. But Shirou - his teenaged self - is not really on my list of favorites. The question is why.
First of all, let me say that Shirou has many great qualities, such as: kindness, empathy, honesty, frankness, gentleness and a wish that no one would have to go through hell like he did. He learns to be independent since a very young age (since Kiritsugu traveled a lot and left him at home) and works to support himself since Kiritsugu died. He chose a part-time job that is physically demanding so that it would help him build his strength. He lets other people (Rin, Sakura, Illya...) to stay in his house for free. Some people might say he is too incompetent to be the main character, but I understand the pain he feels when he does not have the power or ability to help those dearest to him. His Last Stardust song moves me with these lyrics:
"Kizutsuku no ga sadame da to shite mo, kokoro wa mada iro wo hanatsu
... Kizudarake no garasu no kokoro ga wasurekaketa netsu wo tomosu"
[ "Even if getting wounded is my fate, my heart will still release colors
... My wounded heart of glass relights the passion that I had started to forget" ].
On the other hands, Shirou has some attributes that I find not likable: First is his lack of self-preservation. He wishes to save everyone but does not value his own life, which would make it a waste of a life that Kiritsugu had saved. He needs to learn how to like himself. His soft-heartedness can be taken advantaged of by just anyone, which in turn can cause troubles for his loved ones. He does everything that anyone asks of him, and that makes them dependent on him, or be lazy and feel superior. I don't think that's a desirable way to help someone. He needs to stand up for himself more.
Even assuming that Shirou's life is meaningless to himself, is it right to save someone against their will? For example, Saber wanted to fight. Even from Shirou's selfless perspective, dying for Saber would be a stupid thing to do because she's an immortal Heroic Spirit, and Shirou would lose lots of opportunities to help people in the future. And what for? What irks me is that he cares about people's feelings and wishes but when it comes to being selfless, he ends up behaving in a selfish way. He cares more about his ideal than about what other people want. Luckily, he does change that during the series.
Shirou has a good sense of justice; however, he also needs a healthy dose of realism. The way he stubbornly clings to his ideal even at the point when he did not understand what a "superhero" was supposed to mean shows that he blindly followed Kiritsugu's image as a kid who admired his father. He acts selflessly because he has survivor's guilt, feeling that he should dedicate himself to help people. After Archer points out to him the flaws in translating his ideal into reality, I think it would be wise for Shirou to edit his ideal a little to make it practical. But he refuses to do that, keeps clinging onto an ideal that he himself knows is unachievable. Here is my analysis of his ideal and how it is impossible in reality.
Some people say that "Archer and Shirou are the same person". I disagree.
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