I mentioned above that the most recent season of The Seven Deadly Sins had far less Ban in it, which I think contributed majorly to the relatively underwhelming response it received from critics and fans alike. All of this, coupled with the unique context of his background, makes him a perfect character for meaningful narrative progression - he’s a storytelling shape-shifter that fits a variety of different molds, and the main reason The Seven Deadly Sins has merit despite its more brazenly disingenuous elements. This honesty is cleanly transferable to his immense loyalty, too - if Ban messes up, you’d better believe he’s going to make up for it, no matter how innocuous his transgression may have been. He’s got a cruel wit but a warm heart, and despite his status as the usually shady Sin of Greed, he’s brutally honest about his allegiances. Scenes without him usually make you long for the next scene he plays a part of, to the extent that seeing or hearing him instantly causes you to focus your attention more emphatically on the show.īan also has more fascinating relationships with the other characters. I think Meliodas’ trajectory was altered in an intriguing way over the last season or two, and dynamics like King and Diane are definitely becoming more interesting to watch, but every facet of this show pales in comparison to Ban. What’s more, Ban’s growth throughout the series is much more resonant than that of the other sins. What I will say is that Ban is a phenomenally well-realized example of optimistic nihilism - basically, nothing means anything, so what’s there to be upset about? It’s a victory derived from the recognition of life’s inherent meaninglessness, championed by literary titans like Samuel Beckett and Friedrich Nietzsche, and it’s a far more fascinating iteration of Greed - specifically as a “sin” - than anything else I’ve seen to date. I won’t spoil too much about Ban’s storyline in case you’re reading this with the intention of figuring out whether The Seven Deadly Sins is or isn’t for you. Everything he ever wanted, won in an instant before disappearing for eternity - or so he thought. While he successfully obtained immortality and fell in love at the same time, he went on to lose said love and realize the curse of forever living lovelessly that he had inadvertently inflicted upon himself. His greed was for life itself, which is why he spent years tracking down the fountain of youth. Related: How Does Persona 5 Strikers Actually Play?Īnyway! Ban doesn’t give a shit about fame or riches. I can’t believe Persona managed to do boring Sloth so well but missed the ball completely with Greed - at least Okumura is contextually decent, despite the terrible mechanical design of everything surrounding him. Wow is Okumura’s Palace shit, especially with the revamped boss fight in Royal. I reckon Greed tends to allow for the best writing in most depictions of the seven deadly sins - well, except for in Persona 5. It introduces a whole new perspective to the way in which we consider what these eon-old structures actually represent. Envy isn’t some kind of tiny little snake like he is in Fullmetal Alchemist, either - in The Seven Deadly Sins, the Serpent’s Sin of Envy, Diane, is a giantess who wishes she was normal-sized. It’s good because Gluttony isn’t the heaviest member of the group, but instead has an insatiable hunger for knowledge and power. The Seven Deadly Sins is both excellent and ridiculous in terms of how it approaches its own representations of biblical sin. Let me guess - Lust is really good looking, yeah? We’ve seen enough depictions of Gluttony being a gravy-guzzler, thanks, and Envy being a Wizard of Oz-esque wimp is pretty boring at this point. I think it’s probably the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood fan in me speaking here, but I’m very intrigued by the idea of personifying Greed, Wrath, Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Envy, and Pride - particularly when said personifications subvert the more immediate connotations of each and every one of them. The Seven Deadly Sins is a fascinating show for the most part.
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