REMEMBER WHAT I SAID EARLIER ABOUT THOUGHTS RACING
Okay, so let me try and chase down some of them down. Bear with me, I might go all over the place.
What’s sticking with me most is how Fakir believes the sword is his, or at least that he’s ... worthy? capable? of wielding it. That the antique keeper (I have no idea his relationship to Fakir at the moment) clarifies that it’s the sword “meant for the knight” also, I feel, lets us know what Fakir believes his role in this story to be. Though it’s possible he doesn’t know that aspect of the sword, I find that unlikely given that he not only knows OF the sword, but that he needs it to protect Mytho.
Moving on, we have the antiques guy pretty much saying he lied to Fakir as a child, and continued to lie to him (or at best allowed him to continue to believe the lie) up until this exact moment. Why, exactly? It sounds like something said to placate a child, which further makes me feel that Fakir has been VERY INVESTED in being the knight for pretty much his entire life. Is it because he felt drawn to it? If he and Mytho have been friends since childhood, was it something Fakir latched on to so he could protect Mytho? Was he looking to play an important part in Mytho’s story?
But he and Mytho haven’t been childhood friends, I don’t think. Didn’t Fakir say he found Mytho just wandering around? Though I suppose that could be true at any age, it didn’t have to be yesterday.
I feel like maybe I’m on to something with Fakir wanting a larger role in the story though, and ... well, I guess writing it for himself, is one way to look at it. I was rereading some posts from previous episodes earlier in the liveblog while I was looking for the stuff on Fakir’s scars/birthmarks, and was reminded of this:
But Hurdy-Gurdy Lady never finishes that list. We assume it’s Fakir, but is it? Does he maybe not HAVE a role in the fairytale?
If so, and if a lot of this is of Fakir’s own creation, then I think we can’t ignore that the part he’s chosen for himself isn’t the prince but the knight. Is this a larger commentary on Fakir, that he doesn’t want to be the star of the story but the supporting character? And if yes, what does that commentary say, exactly? You could take that in a lot of directions, some more flattering than others, and many depending on your viewpoint.
Interestingly, since the beginning I’ve gone a lot of places with Fakir, from thinking he’s the prince to a fucking sword. I assumed it was just me having trouble figuring things out, but what if that’s more the point? What if Fakir can easily slot into a lot of role because he’s not actually supposed to be any of them?
I DUNNO. I could be on to something, or I could be on to nothing. The only thing I think we can take from this with some measure of certainty is that Fakir’s spent his whole life believing he’d be able to wield this sword AND NOPE SORRY SUCKS TO BE YOU
(I’m completely unspoiled for Princess Tutu and watching it for the first time. Please don’t confirm or deny anything in this post, give me hints or cautions or suggestions about future episodes, or try to explain anything going on. That includes if I should’ve been able to figure it out from previous episodes, or if it’s cultural, or if there’s no answer at all. Spoiling the experience only ruins things for everyone!)
