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“It’s what the hero Himmel would’ve done” - Frieren fan stops train knife attacker in Taiwan

EviLore

Expansive Ellipses
Staff Member

B75zrKV.jpeg


"
A Taiwanese man who helped to stop a knife attack on a train in Taichung city has cited an anime hero as his inspiration, local media reported.

Mr Hsu Rui-hsian, dubbed Long-Haired Bro by local media, was one of 17 civilians who stopped a knife-wielding man on a train near Taichung City Hall station in May.

“Even if I had to do it again, I’d make the same choice,” said Mr Hsu, a fitness coach and powerlifter. “It’s what the hero Himmel would have done,” he added, quoting a line from popular anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.

According to Taipei Times, three passengers and the attacker were injured in the incident, which occurred at about 11.15am on May 21. It came on the 10th anniversary of another deadly subway knife rampage in Taipei that shocked the island.

Despite sustaining facial wounds while struggling with the attacker and attempting to disarm him, Mr Hsu continued to hold him tightly to restrain him, aided by his fellow passengers.

The attacker has since been taken into custody, and investigations are ongoing.

On June 4, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen referred to those who helped to stop the attack as “heroes” when she presented awards to them.

Besides being awarded up to NT$20,000.00 (S$835) each, the recipients were also given free rides on Taiwan’s subway for life, according to Taiwanese news website Tai Sounds.

“Protecting this city requires the attention of the police and the people. Thank you for being our strongest partners,” said Ms Lu in her Facebook post.

Mr Hsu showed up at the ceremony clad in a haori, or traditional Japanese jacket, from a line of licensed apparel from the popular video game franchise Monster Hunter. Mr Hsu said he wore it to openly represent otaku like himself, reported China Times.

Otaku is a Japanese word used to describe someone with very consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga and games.

“Otaku are not as bad as everyone thinks,” said Mr Hsu, who also donned at the ceremony the same bloodstained shoes from the day of the incident.

The recent knife attack happened on the 10th anniversary of a deadly stabbing spree which left four dead and 24 injured on a Taipei train on May 21, 2014. The assailant was described by local media as a person who loved violent video games. Since then, otaku have been stigmatised further in society, according to Mr Hsu.

Due to the injuries he sustained, Mr Hsu had to postpone his fitness training for a powerlifting competition in July that he was supposed to take part in, reported Yahoo News Taiwan. He regrets having to miss the competition, but is looking forward to another one at the end of 2024, which he will train for when his wounds heal.

r2Y2ETm.jpeg


Mr Hsu’s quote – “It’s what the hero Himmel would have done” – references a line from popular manga and anime series, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.

The phrase is often cited by the protagonist Frieren in reference to a heroic character as a moral guide. It has since become a meme among fans of the series and has reportedly also made it into mainstream usage, referring to the right or noble thing to do in a situation. Mr Hsu said the phrase reminds him to do the right thing, and has adopted it as his life’s philosophy.

According to gaming and entertainment website IGN, the anime Frieren follows a character of the same name as she embarks on a quest to make peace with the nature of life and death. Himmel is the former leader of her adventuring party who helped defeat the Demon King and usher in an era of peace.

An ongoing manga featuring the series had over 20 million copies in circulation as of March 2024. Its anime adaptation, which led to a surge in the series’ popularity since it began airing in September 2023, currently has 28 episodes.

On June 5, as Mr Hsu’s quote and tale of bravery made its rounds on the internet, the official X account of the series posted panels from the manga with the hero Himmel saying: “Even if it’s just a little, if it can change someone’s life, that’s enough.”
"

 

Days like these...

Have a Blessed Day

B75zrKV.jpeg


"
A Taiwanese man who helped to stop a knife attack on a train in Taichung city has cited an anime hero as his inspiration, local media reported.

Mr Hsu Rui-hsian, dubbed Long-Haired Bro by local media, was one of 17 civilians who stopped a knife-wielding man on a train near Taichung City Hall station in May.

“Even if I had to do it again, I’d make the same choice,” said Mr Hsu, a fitness coach and powerlifter. “It’s what the hero Himmel would have done,” he added, quoting a line from popular anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.

According to Taipei Times, three passengers and the attacker were injured in the incident, which occurred at about 11.15am on May 21. It came on the 10th anniversary of another deadly subway knife rampage in Taipei that shocked the island.

Despite sustaining facial wounds while struggling with the attacker and attempting to disarm him, Mr Hsu continued to hold him tightly to restrain him, aided by his fellow passengers.

The attacker has since been taken into custody, and investigations are ongoing.

On June 4, Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen referred to those who helped to stop the attack as “heroes” when she presented awards to them.

Besides being awarded up to NT$20,000.00 (S$835) each, the recipients were also given free rides on Taiwan’s subway for life, according to Taiwanese news website Tai Sounds.

“Protecting this city requires the attention of the police and the people. Thank you for being our strongest partners,” said Ms Lu in her Facebook post.

Mr Hsu showed up at the ceremony clad in a haori, or traditional Japanese jacket, from a line of licensed apparel from the popular video game franchise Monster Hunter. Mr Hsu said he wore it to openly represent otaku like himself, reported China Times.

Otaku is a Japanese word used to describe someone with very consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga and games.

“Otaku are not as bad as everyone thinks,” said Mr Hsu, who also donned at the ceremony the same bloodstained shoes from the day of the incident.

The recent knife attack happened on the 10th anniversary of a deadly stabbing spree which left four dead and 24 injured on a Taipei train on May 21, 2014. The assailant was described by local media as a person who loved violent video games. Since then, otaku have been stigmatised further in society, according to Mr Hsu.

Due to the injuries he sustained, Mr Hsu had to postpone his fitness training for a powerlifting competition in July that he was supposed to take part in, reported Yahoo News Taiwan. He regrets having to miss the competition, but is looking forward to another one at the end of 2024, which he will train for when his wounds heal.

r2Y2ETm.jpeg


Mr Hsu’s quote – “It’s what the hero Himmel would have done” – references a line from popular manga and anime series, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.

The phrase is often cited by the protagonist Frieren in reference to a heroic character as a moral guide. It has since become a meme among fans of the series and has reportedly also made it into mainstream usage, referring to the right or noble thing to do in a situation. Mr Hsu said the phrase reminds him to do the right thing, and has adopted it as his life’s philosophy.

According to gaming and entertainment website IGN, the anime Frieren follows a character of the same name as she embarks on a quest to make peace with the nature of life and death. Himmel is the former leader of her adventuring party who helped defeat the Demon King and usher in an era of peace.

An ongoing manga featuring the series had over 20 million copies in circulation as of March 2024. Its anime adaptation, which led to a surge in the series’ popularity since it began airing in September 2023, currently has 28 episodes.

On June 5, as Mr Hsu’s quote and tale of bravery made its rounds on the internet, the official X account of the series posted panels from the manga with the hero Himmel saying: “Even if it’s just a little, if it can change someone’s life, that’s enough.”
"


Tl;dr Not hero we deserve but the hero we need
 

Rat Rage

Member
Excerpt from Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant. Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good, without qualification, except a good will.
 

*Nightwing

Banned
I misread this as 'It's what the hero Himmler would have done'

...which would have made it a very different thread.

Same here, I had to do a double take 😄

That's actually what I thought at first, too! So I had to read the OP in case what I read was wrong :messenger_tears_of_joy:

Anyone else read "Himmler" first and was like:

86Ta9DX.jpeg


Brave lad jokes aside!

Edit: I now read the previous comments.


I realized it wasn’t Himmler after making the meme and returning to post 🤦
WUikrxW.jpeg
 

E-Cat

Member
Excerpt from Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals by Immanuel Kant. Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good, without qualification, except a good will.
What if someone is so warped that what their subjectively good will manifests is objectively bad, as viewed by most humans?
 

Rat Rage

Member
What if someone is so warped that what their subjectively good will manifests is objectively bad, as viewed by most humans?

There is no subjectively good will. Good or bad are not subjective terms. The concept of marality is tied to human evolution and the human ability of ultra cooperation (which is humankinds evolutionary "superpower" if you will alongside intelligence, which made us what we are and the most powerfull beings on earth). Marality is a spectrum and the term good or bad are the very ends of the this spectrum. All actions that "both" equaly aid an individual humans natural fitness AND - at the same time - the fitness of their species as a whole are what's called "good" and all other actions that don't meet this requirement are called "bad".
Why is this important? Because every action that's good will secure the human species survival and prosperity, while everything that's bad will ultimately - in the long run - destroy it. Since humans are biological entities, and biological entities purpose (don't as me why, it's just a fact in biology as a whole) is to live, reproduce and prosper as long as possible, it is actually most vital for the human species to be good - and in fact, the vast majority of human life is naturally good (some more, some less, but on the morality sprectrum they are definitely somewhere on the good side, not neutral, not on the bad side).

There is no subjetively good will. Since good or bad are "actions" - outside of the human species consicousness or any other ultra social biological life form - there exists no good or bad on its own. If a lightning hits a tree, it's an event in time an space that's neither good or bad. Good and bad are concepts that only excists within sociality, manifesting itself through actions. Only humans actions can be good or bad. Since the the precursor to actions is a will (you can't have an action without a sentient beings will - since actions are basically just intentional events, and intention is only something that sentient beings have), but an action, even if intented well - even if it was born out of an objectively good intention, or bette a "good will", could theoretically come out as bad, it's necessary to factor in this possibility, so at the end of the methaphysical equation there is only one result left:

Nothing can possibly be conceived in the world, or even out of it, which can be called good, without qualification, except a good will. (note: since a good will the a precursor to an action, it itself is the only thing that can be purely good. If the action that follows, if it comes out as good (most action are like that) it will be a good action as well).

So what the Taiwanese otaku did when he made the decision in this head about stepping in to help, was to exercise a good will. ASSUMING the people he helped were regular, decent people (not psychopatic murderers or the like), this BOTH helped to strenthen human sociality by preserving other human life and thus, strenghtend his own natural fitness as an individual (to a certain degree, even if miniscule in the grad sheme of things, but still measurable), BECAUSE he also helped to strengthen the society he himself as an indivual relys on surviving. He therefore - in turn - strengthend his own natural fitness (and the one of his offspring if he ever chooses to reproduce). In other words: what the guy did was remarable, an heroic act, an a highly respectable display of the only thing that is truly good in this world, a good will.
 
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Zathalus

Member
Bro America is a big place

He would be celebrated in Texas and Florida for sure, most of the Midwest, all of the South, etc.

He would definitely be prosecuted in California and New York though

 
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