Day 5: Kiraboshi -- the Mystical Power of Greenery in Mitsuboshi Colors [DRAFT]

A camera trained on Yui (red) running introduces us to the town, a lush place with trees at every corner. With urgency, she runs into a lightly forested area outside of town, bursting into the wooden shack clubhouse tucked away in a grove. She declares that trouble is afoot, mobilizing her fellow Colors Sacchan (yellow) and Kotoha (blue). They have to protect the town, in this case a lost cat that looks like a panda, from danger. And this public space they want to cherish is filled with greenery. Often vegetation invites more opportunities to interact with the environment, whether it is a physical or a metaphorical interaction. It is a place for people to meet, children to play strange acts of sheer imagination, and musing to occur. Beyond being a nice thing, such as parks for example, this provides a template for an environment that fosters a greater sense of inclusion, as buildings and public spaces are often subtly designed to keep out those unwanted. Stairs to block strollers and wheelchairs. Spikes and other hostile implements to ward off the homeless and various passerby. Green spaces are often constructed as a haven for the rich but in their true form they are public, open to all. Such areas also serve to improve mental health (according to Citylab). Vegetation can also filter the air. From the Colors we can learn how important it is to to the construction of safer public spaces. But i want to note that this analysis unfortunately is not equipped to foster discussion around sensitivity or allergies to plants. However, I am receptive to suggestions on how to include such discussions in future analyses.

In one of the most comical scenes of the series, the Colors declare death to trees but then realize that they play a vital world in the town. In another episode, they visit the zoo. Most convincingly, in the finale the colors mark their place in the town, setting up a picnic and watching the flow of time. In the process of wandering across town, harassing satou the police officer, finding cats, interacting with the young and old, the Colors are able to demonstrate that this public space thrives from the atmosphere afforded by the greenery.