Ask John: Why do So Many Anime Use the “Reset the World” Button?

Question:
Why do anime make so much use of the “reset the world” button? In dozens of shows, from Sailor Moon to Mai-Hime, at the end of the series a method appears to magically restore everything to the way it was before. When so many of them show such excellent story and character development, why cheapen this?

Answer:
I agree with the observation that a number of anime titles do employ or even rely upon a climactic plot twist involving turning back the clock or restoring the world to an earlier pre-catastrophic state. I would mention a few examples that come to mind, but doing so, in effect, constitutes a spoiler for viewers that haven’t yet watched the named titles.

In some cases the use of a “reset” ending seems necessitated by external circumstances. For example, the 2006 anime series based on a certain “magical” manga by author Takeaki Momose may have been forced to resort to an unsatisfying “reset” ending because Momose’s poor health in 2006 forced him to temporarily stop working on the manga.

The use of “reset” endings in anime including Sailor Moon and My Hime may be blamed on the screenplays simply writing the story into a dead end that requires a deus ex machina resolution. After all, while we, as anime fans, do love and respect anime, sometimes it’s necessary to admit that certain anime series do suffer narrative construction lacking in foresight.

On the other hand, “reset” endings can also be interpreted as an ultimate illustration of character development. Heroes or heroines that wish for or instigate “reset” climaxes may do so because their devotion to their fallen friends is so faithful and powerful that it literally affects the world. Rather than choose personal power or gratification, the pure-hearted hero or heroine returns peace to the entire world.

Finally, we can’t overlook the possibility that the philosophical perception of a second chance or a new beginning is an integral concept to Japanese social consciousness. The idea of karmic reincarnation common to Asian religions is a type of “reset” in the regard that it involves living life over and over again until one “gets it right” and achieves spiritual perfection. The profoundly influential atomic bombings that ended WWII also represent an apocalyptic devastation from which Japan emerged as a country with new values, goals, and perspective – in effect, a sort of “reset.”