Being on Social Media often has me thinking about Ebine from Princess Tutu. She is trying to fill the hole in her heart with cooking, but her dishes lack substance and soul and flavor. It looks beautiful but doesn't nourish or delight.
#PrincessTuTu #プリンセスチュチュ

This is because she's trying to cook to run away from the trauma of the death of her husband. For her, the act of cooking is a pain killer, not an act of genuine engagement. That's why her food LOOKS great but is ultimately empty.

"Ebine" means "shrimp root" and is the name of a wild orchid that was trendy in Japan in the 70s-80s. It was popular until people found out it was highly suceptible to myriad diseases which were not only fatal but highly infectious to other plants https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%A8%E3%83%93%E3%83%8D

The diseases were far more likely to develop when Ebine flowers were taken out of their natural environment. Attempts at cultivation made things worse. And experts often recommended just giving up on infected plants and burning the remains to stop further infections.

That's some nice HEAVY symbolism right? Ebine had a beautiful life that was completely uprooted by the death of her husband. She is then infected by a Heart Shard as well as mental illness which threaten her livelihood and life itself.

A great thing about Princess Tutu is that it's this super cute, beautifully animated show that's also very much about the importance of addressing traumas in a safe environment rather than letting them fester. It puts it all together so elegantly and naturally too!
#PrincessTuTu

Without being too on the nose or preachy, while being the most delightful magical girl show out there, Princess TuTu is also very directly about the healing power of art (in this case dance). Princess TuTu heals people by making them feel safe enough to truly express themselves

Princess TuTu inverts the classic fairy tail structure and tells the story of a duckling turned Magical Girl Princess who must learn to be brave in order to save the life of a beautiful, good hearted prince who is stuck in an emotionless waking slumber.

In order to stop a great evil the prince sealed it in his heart and then shattered it, leaving himself an unfeeling shadow. Yet even in this form he is still beautiful. And people chase him, wanting to own his beauty.

Princess TuTu is suitable for kids. And yet it teaches some HEAVY stuff. It warms about toxic possessive "love" and the danger of unchecked trauma. It shows that suffering silently is often harmful and attracts people who want to take advantage of your vulnerability.

It's important to note that throughout the series, as Princess TuTu slowly restores the Prince's heart, as he comes out of his torpor, it's PAINFUL. People withdraw for a reason. Emotions can be complex, frightening and downright torturous.

When you've been running away from old traumas it is so terrifying to have to confront them again. That's why being despondent, distracted or even downright numb is preferable. But Princess TuTu show's there's actually a healthy way to deal with this.

The best way to help someone deal with trauma is to make them feel safe. Let them actually feel things without judgement. Let them speak the words they're too afraid to say normally. Empower them to speak their truth. And really listen. This is what a "safe space" actually is.

Anyway that's enough self medication for today. I was feeling empty because I'd spent so much negative energy complaining about spiteful hot takes online. Feels much better to talk about something I love. I hope you all have a good day!