Knowledge, research, zoologists, and beyond in fictional libraries of yore

Riko’s large library shown in the beginning of the sixth episode of Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror

When I originally wrote about Yohane the Parhelion: Sunshine in the Mirror on this blog, I believed there was only episode focusing on libraries in this idolish anime fantasy series, a Love Live! Sunshine!! spinoff. I could not be more wrong, as I learned in the sixth episode. I’ll talk about the role of libraries in this series and connect it to other posts on this blog. This may also require some plot summary.

At the end of the second episode, “My Job”, there is a short library scene. During that scene, a scholar realizes that the animals are in danger, after looking at a book showing the effects of an evil virus, with the protagonist in danger. This is followed up in the sixth episode, “The Harmony of the Shy”. In that episode, the scholar is revealed to be a zoologist named Riko. She has a huge library and is researching the strange behavior of animals in Numazu. As such, she is drawn to unique/rare animals and life forms. She even travels to the Administrative Bureau, which has all the information on the town, and talks to Dia about the strange incidents affecting the animals (and the town by extension). After this, Riko declares she is leaving the town the next day, surprising them all. Late at night, Riko reads more books about the calamity which is affecting the town and the animals.

It is later revealed that she moved around a lot when she was little, and stopped trying to make friends. As such, after a bog she bonded with was returned to its owner, she didn’t want to deal with the sadness caused by separation, causing her to begin loving to read books about animals, then researching animals. All the while, she didn’t want to get involved with anyone or make any memories. Yohane (the anime’s protagonist and namesake) and Mari comfort her. Ultimately, Riko tells them she is going to stay in town for a “little longer”, saying she will help out, if her skills as a researcher can benefit those in the town.

I liked this aspect of the episode as is showed that the books and research she is doing is being put to a good use. More than that, considering that Riko likely organized the books herself, she is a bit of a defacto librarian. However, considering that librarianship itself involves those who work professional within a librarian, providing either instruction on information literacy or access to information, Riko is not that at all. Furthermore, not everyone who works in a library is a librarian, as there are pages, library associates, library assistances, branch managers, cataloging staff, and so on, all while librarians receive low wages, are not quiet places, and have an organizational system for the books. While you can argue that Riko is helping Yohane, Lailaps (Yohane’s wolf companion), and Mari find information, she is the researcher. She is not facilitating them to conduct “research for personal and professional use.” [1]

This series is not unique in showing characters research in the library. Characters in the series Adventure Time, Cleopatra in Space, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Stretch Armstrong, Let’s Make a Mug Too, Bravest Warriors, LoliRock, Trollhunters, and Hilda, and films like Solaris, to name a few, do the same, conducting research within libraries. In a few cases, like Adventure Time, the new She-Ra, Trollhunters, and Hilda, there are librarians, specifically Turtle Princess, George and Lance, Blinky, and Kaisa. This differs from Yohane the Parhelion, as that series has a librarian. There isn’t much more to say at this point, unless libraries have more of a role in episodes beyond the aforementioned ones.

The library reappears throughout the series, including in the episode “What’s a Girls’ Night?” when Riko is shown briefly in her library and isn’t sure about going to a girls’ night. It is even a place or refuge as made clear in the 12th episode, “Farewell, Lailaps”. In that episode, Yohane shelters in the library while her wolf gets better, with Riko, and a little girl comes in worrying about Sakura (a pig) who ran way. It finally appears in the series finale, “Once Again Today.” In that episode, the library becomes a shelter of sorts for people and their animals, with Riko worried about Yohane. Mari is there too and is trying to listen for Yohane. The associated game may have scenes in the library as well, but I can’t say for certain.

That’s all for now. Next week’s post will be on a witch, a vampire (cat), and a magical library in Morgana and Oz!

© 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] Hargreaves, Abby. “Being a Librarian: Expectations vs. Reality,” Book Riot, Nov. 3, 2021; “What Librarians and Library Media Specialists Do,” Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, accessed Jul. 31, 2023. Yohane, Riko, and Mari are known as “Guilty Kiss” when singing in Love Live! Sunshine!!, and sing an insert song in the sixth episode.

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