During this Covid19 Corona Virus Outbreak, with all the face masks and gloves, a sudden thought came to me. It was this anime that I watched years ago: hotarubi no mori e. The story of a young girl named Hotaru and her friendship with Gin, a strange young man wearing a mask, who she meets at the age of six in a mountain forest near her grandfather's country home. The two's affections grow as Hotaru returns to visit Gin whenever she has a summer break, and Gin watches Hotaru grow into a fine young lady while he seems to remain the same
However, Gin has warned Hotaru since the beginning that he is a supernatural being (it is assumed that he is a yamagami or mountain spirit) and a touch from a human will cause him to disappear forever. It was such a bittersweet anime, and the ending left me broken-hearted, to the point that til this day, I would still think of that anime every now and then. It was just too sad an ending...
So back to my thought today, what if both Hotaru and Gin simply wore long gloves and face masks. They could hold hands and even... ;) In conclusion, it was a great anime to show that love has no boundaries (even across realms). It was one of the first few shows that made me feel that way, followed by the more recent Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits and The Ancient Magus' Bride
