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The Secret of Mana
🕑 Added 2023-04-23 21:27:22 +0000 UTCThat's right, I went there. :P
Episode 324 was notable among other things because it explained the concept of Mana (真名 with マナ as Katakana), which refers to the "true name" of an ethereal being. By uttering her Mana, Isma transformed into a merrow, her true form. As Ivalera explains it to her, the Mana is a "secret name" for elves or spirits, and it shouldn't be carelessly revealed to other people.
I made a big deal of this at the time because it was clear to me that it was meant to play an important role down the line. The one case where it might be particularly critical is that of Griffith and the boy, who share their single corporeal body in a way we don't totally understand.
This line of thinking seems to have percolated through the wider fanbase over the years, but there's one more thing not many people seem to realize: the concept of "Mana" was actually introduced far earlier than episode 324.
It's first used during the Eclipse. As Femto is born, Void christens him, giving him his "Mana". However there is a subtlety here. While the Katakana is the same (マナ), the kanji he uses is 魔名, which translates not to "real name", but "evil name" (using our old friend MA). It's a pretty clever pun in my opinion.
In any case, I think it reinforces the notion I mentioned above. While Guts only ever calls him Griffith, he and Casca both know his real name. Maybe speaking it out loud would cause him to show his true colors.
By the way, if you're wondering why you've never noticed this, it's because Dark Horse completely mistranslated that line. For some reason in their version Void talks about "wearing the mantle of evil", which is nonsensical. And they never use the word "Mana" in episode 324 either!
Comments
Skullknight.NET
There's two aspects to this question. 1) Since apostles are their underlings, the risk is basically zero. Even Guts might not be able to do anything with it. The more likely case where it might cause them trouble is if a magic user learned it. 2) Given their status (former humans + extremely powerful) the exact way in which it can affect them is unknown. It might be less pronounced than for an elf. And yet it's clearly something special, their Mana. Its inclusion in the story is very deliberate. To cut to the chase, my thoughts about how it might have been used are simple. The obvious one is to force Griffith to show his true self, just like what happened to Isma. And beyond that, maybe as a key component to split Femto and the Boy apart, if both of their names were known.
TheItCrOw
Oh man, obviously, Femto. But given that each of the GH members announced his/her name loudly in front of every Apostle... does it really matter for them?
Skullknight.NET
Femto! This is the name he was given by Void after his rebirth. Although to be fair Casca probably didn't register it given her state during the Eclipse.
TheItCrOw
"While Guts only ever calls him Griffith, he and Casca both know his real name." Wait, sorry, I'm not getting this. How so and what would it be?
Rhombaad
Ugh, Dark Horse... Thank you for letting us know about this. Miura's use of the Japanese language never ceases to amaze me.
