Radiant’s Answer to Modern Cynicism is…. Mario Kart?!
Within the present-day culture of modernization through cultural shifts, reinterpretations and the passage of time, shonen has undergone various changes, updating itself to fit the changing tides and reach for broader appeal by placing a heavier emphasis on realism through darker elements. Amid this broad modernization, however, some concepts remain universal. A fundamental desire to help others, a goal or a task that must be reached to achieve enlightenment, and a belief in the human potential for good. In other words, heroism.
That’s part of the reason why despite being primarily rooted in real world situations through fantastical settings, one of Radiant’s crowning achievements is its uncompromising view regarding heroism. Up until the end of the 10th volume, the story has dealt with various political, racial, environmental and societal issues, all told through the lens of shonen storytelling, familiar concepts and a few modern twists evoking the spirit of the genre.
Rather than downplay, diminish their inherit quirks or give in to skepticism, Radiant wholeheartedly embraces it by saying “people are complicated, inherit kindness isn’t.” Whether it was rebuking the extremism during the Rumble Town arc or seeing the cast broaden their horizons in the Sorcerer Knight arc, there’s a genuine sincerity to the main characters’ motivations as they navigate their hostile environments. Even as the world continues to diminish their existence and delegate the magically adept Infected as something less than human, it helps to take a step back and reexamine where we’ve been before charting a course to our next destination.
In preparation for the next arc, I’d like to discuss one such story I revisited. Not of anything particularly epic or earth-shattering. In fact, it has nothing to do with the main narrative! Aside from the chapters mentioned in the next paragraph and some minor details in the first four volumes or season 1 of the anime, this will be relatively spoiler-free. So, grab your broomsticks as I recount the tale of (checks notes) …. Mario Kart?!
Radiant Memories is a collection of stories looking back at the Radiant universe and its 10 year anniversary. For more details, see below.
Radiant’s Broom Broom Survival Cup is a short self-contained story set between the Sorcerer Knight and Bome arcs (chapters 76–79 or directly after the conclusion of season 2). The story begins just as Seth’s group returns to the Artemis Institute, when an unexpected collision leads to a reunion with Taj. Sometime after the Rumble Town incident, Taj joined the Artemis to become a Sorcerer and now leads a small racing team. With his defender Koulo Koulo unable to compete on account of his broken arm from their earlier “misunderstanding,” their strategist Muwina suggests Seth take his place. After some persuasion, he agrees to enter, already regretting his decision as the 258th Broom Broom Survival Cup gets underway.
If you’re familiar with Mario Kart, specifically Double Dash, Artemis’s races have a similar setup. Races are three lap events played in teams of two with the track and hazards changing depending on the organizers. The only written two rules are magic tools are prohibited (excluding brooms and item chests) and victory is achieved as long as one person on the team crosses the goal on a broom, which leads us to our main attraction — mayhem. Before the race starts, it’s revealed all the competitors are working with Nicholas (“Mr. Nick”), the current champion and the guy you might remember from this:
On the surface, Broom Broom Survival Cup is a story about nostalgia. As noted in the back pages of volume 11, author Tony Valente wanted to devote a few chapters to geek out about Mario Kart before continuing the main narrative. It’s a harmless, low stakes side story, all of which is informed with the story’s casual approach to rule enforcement. Or more accurately, a lack of enforcement. That’s because, for all intents and purposes, it’s a performative act. The story is aware of the nonsensical nature of the game its emulating and by deliberately making the rules simple but making everything else unpredictable, it invites several flexible interpretations of what’s legal or not.
Because at the end of the day, Mario Kart, the Survival Cup — and by extension, the Artemis as an institution — are non-sensical by definition. From unspoken allegiances and questionable transactions to deliberate sabotage on and off the course, this gets played to extremes as all parties work to undermine their competition and propel their team to victory. Applying any real-world logic here would be the equivalent of acknowledging the player behind the controller, or in the case of our story here, undermine why Seth doesn’t just blast these fools now that his magic has grown since the previous arc.
The first reason is practical — he’s completely out of his element. Playing the role of the audience stand-in in this strange game, our protagonist is completely thrown into the deep end and forced to sink or swim — pun intended — with the rules and technical details coming into view alongside the reader. The second is developing Seth’s character arc and following up on his progress from Cyfandir, more on that later. Finally, and most importantly in the context of this essay, is the philosophical response Radiant provides in a world filled with complications, even as the genre it reconstructs enters the greater cultural zeitgeist through modern day interpretations.
Trailing behind their competition and hindered by his partner’s inexperience, Taj grows frustrated with Seth and accuses him of not taking it seriously. Sensing his partner’s lack of motivation, it’s here where Taj lets him in on his dream and the overall message of the story:
On a metatextual level, Radiant’s Survival Cup is a continuation of Seth’s narrative through the scope of competition. Throughout the series, Seth rejects many of the longstanding conventions that have come to define most shonen protagonists. Pushing away from the pursuit of power, adventure and titles solely for self-improvement or personal gain, he seeks the Radiant with the goal of ending the cycle of discrimination between the Sorcerers and the non-infected. Perhaps a combination of not being comfortable in the spotlight or simply not wanting to be distracted from his destination, he repeatedly distances himself from these three genre staples when presented with opportunities.
It’s a recurring theme backed up by Seth’s refusal to engage in competition for the sake of appearances. He doesn’t abuse his powers or instigate conflict to prove himself to others, he just tends to not take things seriously in mundane situations. Out of context, it’d be easy to read this as a rejection of the nature of putting too much emphasis extrinsic rewards or the dynamics of the shonen trinity I described earlier. But Radiant’s answer to such skepticism isn’t to deny or invalidate these concepts — it’s to affirm one’s humanity, even when we disagree.
In Seth’s case, his answer has always been to understand people better. Though not everyone he helps directly contributes to his search for the Radiant, it doesn’t stop him from taking the time to listen and, in the case of the preceding arc, learn from his own mistakes by getting involved because it is the right thing to do.
Hearing the earnestness in his friend’s words, Seth comes up with a new plan to close the distance. After pushing Taj in front to redirect the cannonballs to fly straight at the racers ahead of them, he stays behind to gather as many item boxes as possible from the course’s whirlpool while using his Fantasia manipulation to quickly cover ground. Using the booster rings to launch into the air and the fresh cache of items at their disposal, the pair rockets towards the goal, taking their competitors with them! It’s a mad dash to the finish line as the race concludes with an unexpected outcome.
After careful examination of the footage, the results are announced. In a bizarre freak accident, at least one racer from each team crossed the finish line simultaneously. Therefore, the winner of the 258th Broom Broom Survival Cup is… everyone! As the closing ceremony wraps up, it doesn’t take long before the issue of splitting the prize money comes up, to which Master Lord Majesty leaves the winners to decide amongst themselves how to divide. A brawl ensues, leaving Taj and Seth with an empty trophy and dust for their efforts.
Having lost his entry fee and left with nothing to show for it, Taj finally vents his frustration. But before he can wash his hands of the entire ordeal, Seth intervenes with one final push to end the arc:
Just as the world’s gears start to change, the smaller cogs begin to turn in ways outside the scope of the main plot. Within the greater narrative, Seth would also come to be influenced by the world he seeks to change, seeing it anew through the people who inhabit it. Despite having a minor role in the larger storytelling, Taj’s reintroduction in this story serves two purposes.
The obvious one is catching the reader up on the consequences of Rumble Town, as Seth’s actions had a ripple effect both large and small. I won’t detail the large as its outside the scope of this piece and it somewhat foreshadows the events of the next arc, but I’ll summarize the relevant parts. When Seth’s party is contracted to investigate the Nemesis lurking in Rumble Town, The Zhed family’s oldest son Taj at first denied encountering it, covering up his infection by excusing it as a severe cold. But after seeing Seth’s courage and determination, he takes a stand to help the bystanders by opening the gates as the districts are prepared to become a warzone.
The subtextual reason is on a local level, highlighting not only what changed on the islet in the aftermath, but how that change came to influence individuals. When Seth became despondent at the conclusion of Rumble Town, it took a letter from the Zhed family to remind him of what he was fighting for. As a result of Seth’s involvement, the letter confirms Taj’s decision to pursue Sorcery, highlighted by the fact that he is no longer self-conscious about his infection with his face more prominently shown in these chapters. Though he has no intention of becoming a Nemesis hunter, through showcasing the potential of magic through racing, he wishes to show the world that the Infected are not the monsters that the public perceives them to be or the tools of destruction that society demands they fulfill.
Radiant as a series is one that engages with ideas far more than physical adversaries. Fights are fewer in number, relationships are more prominent, and characterizations are given higher priority, whether it’s in the big picture storytelling or something as simple as a round of Mario Kart. In an age where contemporaries often feel pressured to go bigger, appeal to mature audiences through complexity or push spectacle over substance, Broom Broom Survival Cup is a nod to the universal appeal of heroism at its most fundamental level.
The same heroism that Seth has been learning throughout his journey as he works towards his goals, not by imposing his will or acquiring power, but by elevating, encouraging and creating opportunities through acts of selflessness and kindness. It’s why in the end Seth can bring Taj a little closer to his dream and brighten his world the same way his family’s letter did when he needed it most.
Though I read through it once before without a strong opinion at the time, upon rereading it for this piece, it goes to show that change is an inherited virtue inspired by even the smallest of actions. After all, no matter what kind of story is presented or how much time rejects the notion of heroes as a concept, at the heart of the genre is, well, heart.
The heart to care, empathize and connect with people through helping others — and that’s a victory worth celebrating.
Special thanks to Implicitly Pretentious for serving as the main inspiration for this article, as well as being a personal inspiration as a writer. If you haven’t already checked out his video “JLU’s Answer to Modern Cynicism” which is the reason this post exists, I highly recommend it along with the rest of his content on his channel.
Also, a quick thank you to everyone for your patience. This article was meant to come out June, but I had a tumultuous month juggling my full-time job along with the one week I lost due to illness. Pretty much ended up writing the bulk of it last week! I’ve got something in mind for the 10th anniversary article, which ended up landing on the 4th of July anyways, so it works out for me scheduling wise.
All screenshots and media captured from my computer and phone using the original source, unless otherwise noted.
Credits:
Dark Aether is a writer/contributor for TAY and AniTAY. You can check his main writings on Medium, archives at TAY2, or follow him on Twitter @TheGrimAether. Not Dead Yet.
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