Though I May Depart, You Shall Remain
- This article is about the anime episode. For the manga chapter of the same name, see Hetalia: Axis Powers Volume 5.
| Though I May Depart, You Shall Remain 私が去ろうとも貴方は残る | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hetalia: The Beautiful World episode | ||||
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| Episode Information | ||||
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 5 | |||
| Original air date | February 22, 2013 | |||
| Production Credits | ||||
| Screenplay | Kazuyuki Fudeyasu | |||
| Storyboards | Hiroshi Watanabe | |||
| Director | Hiroshi Watanabe | |||
| Key Animation | Ayano Ōwada | |||
| Ending theme | "Mawaru Chikyuu Rondo" by Daisuke Namikawa | |||
| Hetalia Episode Chronology | ||||
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Though I May Depart, You Shall Remain (私が去ろうとも貴方は残る Watashi ga saroutomo anata wa nokoru) is the fifth episode of Hetalia: The Beautiful World, and the one hundred and fifth overall in the anime series Hetalia. It was broadcast on February 22nd, 2013. It adapts the entirety of the Though I May Depart, You Shall Remain chapter from Hetalia: Axis Powers Volume 5.
Plot Summary
The episode opens with a grandfather and his young grandson sitting in front of a fire. The grandfather explains to the boy that he met France when he used to work in Paris. The boy is confused, thinking that France is a country. The grandfather explains that France is a country and shows him a picture of himself when he was eighteen standing next to France. The boy says that France looks like a normal guy. The grandfather agrees, "but only at first glance," he tells the boy.
An older man yells at the boy, who is now an adult. He hits his face to wake him up. The man says that says sleepily that he must have fallen asleep and then jumps up and apologizes. The older man tells him that his work ethic might have been fine in Gordes, but it isn't acceptable in Paris. The man tells the older man that he was having a dream about when he was a young boy and his grandfather was showing him his photo album, and that he told him a dream-like story about when he met France a long time ago. The older man says that he must be new to Paris, and tells him to look. He points at a group of people and tells him that France is over there. The man is surprised, and exclaims that he is the man from the album. The older man says that it's a normal sight to him. The man is confused, since his grandfather met him a long time ago and starts running toward him. The older man tells him to wait, and starts to explain, but the man just ignores him. The man jumps in front of France and asks him what he is as France looks at him, not saying anything. The man explains that he saw a picture of him with his grandfather, who was young at the time, but France hasn't aged at all. He starts to question if that was maybe Frances grandfather or something else, but France cuts him off by placing his hand on the man's shoulder. He smiles as he tells the man that he understands, and to tell his grandfather that he sends his best wishes. The man starts to say that he didn't mean it like that. France starts to explains that, to put it into words, he's like a ship; the government is the mast, the citizens are the wind and they are swimming on the sea of time - or so it was said. If the mast is standing straight and a good wind is blowing, the ship goes forward. He explains that there is always the possibility of the ship suddenly getting stranded, though. The man says that that isn't a proper answer and begins to ask more questions but France says that as long as there is someone who can fix the ship, you can keep using it forever. The man looks at France as he walks away as the older man from before asks him if he's satisfied yet. The man explains that France has been like that since he was little and tells him to get back to work.
Back at the man's house, he is explaining what happened to his wife. He tells his wife how harsh the shortness human life is. He says that looking young like that, France will probably live forever. He expressed how wonderful it would be to be young forever, and asks her if she agrees. She reaches across the table, putting her hands on his cheeks, and asks him if he is certain. She tells him that he would be living in a different tempo than everyone else, with time flowing. That they would go to Paris for work, they'd live together, they would have children, and those children would grow up, her hands would get wrinkled and she wouldn't be able to hear his voice anymore, and then she would die. And even after her he would have to attend many other people's funerals. She asks him if a normal human could bare so much. And no matter how many people he would fall in love with, they would always leave him behind. She tells him that a fate like that would be harsh to bare and that she wouldn't be able to stand it as she sits back in her chair and looks away. He reaches across the table and tells her that he agrees. And that if he didn't have a mortal body he wouldn't be able to pursue his dream: To be together, even once their hands are full of wrinkles. He pulls her into him and kisses the top of her head.
The scene changes back to the city where France is sitting on a bench. He puts his head on his hand as he smiles and closes his eyes.
Character Appearances
- Protagonist
- Protagonist's Grandfather
- Soldier
- France
- Protagonist's Wife
Voice Cast
- France: Masaya Onosaka
- Protagonist: Takashi Kondo
- Wife: Rina Satou
- Grandfather: Keiichiro Asai (uncredited)
English Dub Cast
- France: J. Michael Tatum
- Main Character: Jean-Luc Hester
- Wife: Anastasia Muñoz
- Boss: Jason Douglas
- Grandfather: Bill Flynn
Trivia
- Anime and Web-comic/Manga differences:
- The soldier use the wake up clap that rouse the Protagonist in the manga/web-comic.
- The older soldier points at France that he is over there, a group of few or more people surrounds France and notice him in awe, when France was waving at them was alternatively changed instead the bright warm light background that appears within France.
- France walked away and waves at the Protagonist for depart was cut off, it only then adds the exposure flash after he explain the "Living forever" metaphor to the Protagonist.
- The older soldier pats the Protagonist's right shoulder after France left in the manga/web-comic.
- At the Protagonist's home, the food at the table was not seen.
- The Protagonist's wife just stand there in front of the table in the anime version while in manga/web-comic she sat there at the table listening to her husband telling what happened after he met France.
- In the web-comic/manga, when the Protagonist expressed about staying young forever and questions her that was suppose to be right, the protagonist wife stand up from the chair and slams down the table on her right hand was cut out.
- This is the first episode in Hetalia: The Beautiful World not to feature Mochi characters as transitions.
- The shot of France contently listening to the music at the end of the episode adapts material from the original web comic that was not reprinted in Volume 5.
- This is the first episode in the entire series to feature only one country.
