By Andrew Nickerson
Throughout history, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War has been used to explain numerous different outcome types. Battlefields, sports competitions, politics, and even business dealings have been analyzed/dissected via this legendary master of tactics and strategy. However, there’s one realm of reality that hasn’t been broached with this type of analysis until now: entertainment plotlines. If one can use this legendary genius’ wisdom to explain all manner of things, then it should also be applicable to movies, TV, books, theater, and even (dare one say) video games. To prove this, let’s analyze a legendary plot arc from the anime series Strawberry Panic1: the Etoile competition. More specifically, we’ll look at it from the most prominent Sun Tzu elements found in the arc: delicacy of honor, immorality, cowardice, impulsivity, and not obeying commands.
Here’s the background: 3 private girls’ academies share a campus: Miator, Spica, and Lulim. Each is run differently, including having different uniform styles, but all are unified in their academic excellence and prestige. At the heart of it all is the role of Etoile, a pair of partnered girls picked to be role models/pinnacles for all others across the campuses. Meant to function as a single unit, they’re epitomes of grace and elegance and brilliance, serving until graduation. However, the current Etoile, Miator’s Shizuma, has been in a downward spiral for ages. She was originally partnered with a girl named Kaori, but the latter was very ill and died shortly after their election. The shock nearly killed Shizuma, and she’s been self-destructing ever since, neglecting her duties, and briefly flirting with other girls but never sticking with one. Things change when new student/protagonist Nagisa comes to Miator, so full of vibrance and life that Shizuma goes after her immediately, but soon begins feeling her heart heal as the pair fall in love. However, a crisis between them erupts when the latter tries to tell the former about Kaori, and her long-buried feelings cause a backlash that nearly splits the two apart. Thankfully, their friends help them recover and a newly found letter from Kaori helps heal much of the damage, but the two are on eggshells for a while. Then, since Shizuma is entering her senior year of high school, she returns the Etoile title, and now it’s back up for grabs.
As the arc opens, the only campus with viable Etoile candidates is Spica, with star athlete/student Amane and her lover Hikari, a pair that hit a snag when the former accidentally falls off her horse and suffers temporary amnesia. Not having viable candidates doesn’t sit well with Miator Student Council President/Shizuma’s best friend Rokujyo, who doesn’t plan on conceding the title to another campus due to the school’s long-standing principle of always having candidates for the office. It’s her decision who’s nominated, so she decides to nominate Nagisa and her roommate/friend Tamao, the latter openly in love with Nagisa. Sadly, she’s already violating Sun Tzu, namely two of his 5 Fatal weaknesses of leadership: delicacy of honor (AKA arrogance), and recklessness, namely its most dangerous variant—impulsivity.2
Things only get worse when she tells Tamao about her idea, justifying it by saying Shizuma will soon graduate and leave, so she wants Nagisa to break up with her now to avoid long-term agony and she thinks this is the best way to do it. Sadly, she’s violating Sun Tzu again, this time one of the 5 principles that must be mastered for victory: morality.3 Naturally, being close to Nagisa, Tamao protests, begging Rokujyo not to hurt her anymore, but the latter won’t listen, instead insisting they’d do great as Etoile partners and it’s for the best. Sadly, it’s Tamao’s turn to violate that rule of morality, as well as the second fatal failing of leadership, cowardice4, courtesy of her agreeing to the plan despite knowing its basis. Rokujyo then goes to Shizuma and gets her to sign off on it, although it’s obvious the latter doesn’t want to, which is both immorality and cowardice striking again. However, when Rokujyo goes to break the news to Nagisa, she’s appalled and doesn’t want to do it, at which point the former violates the rule of immorality again, this time by saying she must forget about Shizuma, then lying and telling her Shizuma is okay with it. Nagisa runs off, prompting Tamao to beg Rokujyo to stop because of her cruel words, but the latter is unmoved, another immorality violation which registers deep within Tamao…and unknowingly begins the plot’s downfall.
Unfortunately, when Nagisa meets Shizuma, the latter backs up Rokujyo’s words, shattering Nagisa and sending her away in tears. When the former returns to her room, Tamao has decided to tell the Rokujyo she’s not doing the competition. This would’ve followed the rule of morality, as well as another critical principle: some commands must not be obeyed5. Unfortunately, the lies have already taken root in Nagisa, and she wants to do the competition. Tamao violates the rules of immorality and cowardice again by not telling Nagisa the reason for the nomination, making her guilty conscience ache…and bringing the plot closer to failure. Rokujyo is overjoyed to hear the girls are doing the competition, but when she breaks the news to Shizuma, the heartbroken latter tears apart her room. Guilt-ridden, all the lies begin eating at Shizuma, and the plot is undermined even further.
The plot hits a fresh snag while practicing for the competition. Candidates for Etoile have to move/think/act etc. perfectly in sync. As proof, they must waltz together before the student body. But no matter how much they practice, Tamao and Nagisa can’t move in sync at all. Rokujyo constantly berates them for it, violating morality again, but nothing seems to work. Desperate, she goes to Shizuma and asks her to help, no doubt as an indication of her playing the match—another violation of impulsivity. Rokujyo also notices Shizuma isn’t herself, but the latter brushes it off, despite her obvious internal conflict, an indication her guilt is growing. Tamao then violates Sun Tzu as well when Nagisa asks about the real motive for Rokujyo’s pushiness, but chooses to keep silent, showcasing more immorality and cowardice despite her own guilt. Worse, when news that Amane and Hikari are still having trouble with the former’s amnesia, Rokujyo won’t postpone the announcement of the Miator candidacy, again citing school prestige, which doubles down on those violations of immorality and delicacy of honor (thankfully, Amane recovers in time). Soon, Shizuma agrees to teach the girls, but her coaching doesn’t work either, as even outside observers note Nagisa and Tamao just don’t fit. Finally, Shizuma boldly offers to show Nagisa how to do it, clarifying it by saying it’ll be their only dance…but then the pair move flawlessly and perfectly together. It’s an image that’s not lost on Rokujyo or Tamao, undermining the plot even more as their immorality continues to eat away at their consciences. However, this same act has another effect, this time in Shizuma, as her buried feelings for Nagisa resurface and gouge her own conscience, and the plot’s fate is sealed.
The day of the competition, Tamao takes a ribbon she’d given Nagisa earlier as a symbol of their bond and ties it in her hair, and the pair go before the assembly. Shizuma goes to offer her blessing to the candidates, but her reaction to Nagisa shows her feelings are resurfacing, another sign of the plot’s failure. The former leaves, heartbroken, leaving Rokujyo conflicted…and then the dance comes, where Nagisa and Tamao are flawless together. Rokujyo is amazed by this, but then the truth hits home: they’re only doing so because Nagisa is imagining herself with Shizuma. Instantly, she realizes what an awful mistake she’s made. In the name of school pride, she’s betrayed, lied to, and hurt her best friend, done the same and more to Nagisa (who’s never done anything wrong to her), and, worse, roped Tamao into something she wanted no part of. The entire display is all a sham to win a school office, but Rokujyo has an opportunity to do the right thing by exposing it all, which Sun Tzu would’ve recommended. However, her cowardice and immorality never cease as she remains silent.
Yet, the tide shifts with Shizuma, who’s been wandering the campus and remembering all the wonderful times she and Nagisa shared. Finally, her guilt overwhelming her cowardice, she decides enough is enough and, following the rule of not obeying some commands, she runs to the church as the competition is concluding. She manages to get there before the results are announced and screams, “Nagisa! I love you!” The entire plot now shatters before the student body, leaving Nagisa confused…and then Tamao’s own guilt overpowers her. Despite her feelings for Nagisa, she’s betrayed, lied to, and repeatedly hurt her, all in the name of her own immorality and cowardice. She’s also forced to swallow a hard truth: Nagisa isn’t meant for her. Thus, also following the principle of not obeying some commands, she tells Nagisa “Go to her”, and pulls her ribbon from Nagisa’s hair, signaling she’s letting her go. Overjoyed, Nagisa runs to Shizuma’s embrace and the pair run off, Rokujyo unable to stop them, especially since the pair’s love has finally healed her best friend’s heart, evidenced by her old smile being on her face.
Thus, as the series ends, we’ve seen how Sun Tzu’s wisdom can work in even unexpected ways. Through violations of immorality, cowardice, arrogance, and impulsivity, Rokujyo’s entire plot failed, leaving Tamao (who must bear equal guilt) as the one who’s truly hurt. It could’ve been prevented if they’d only followed The Art of War more effectively. In effect, because of their actions, the scenario Rokujyo feared most wasn’t prevented, but affirmed: for the 1st time, Miator couldn’t produce viable candidates for Etoile. On the other hand, Shizuma and Tamao’s following Sun Tzu was able to bring about the proper ending, which only goes to show that, if you follow The Art of War, you’ll win; ignore it, and you’ll lose.
Footnotes:
1: Strawberry Panic: The Complete Series, dir. Masayuki Sakoi (2012)
2: Lionel Giles, The Art of War (New York, NY; Fall River Press, 2011), 28
3: Giles, The Art of War, 5
4: Giles, The Art of War, 28
5: Giles, The Art of War, 27
Bibliography
Masayuki, Sakoi, director. Strawberry Panic: The Complete Series. 2012; Anime Works, 2012. 650 min. DVD.
Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Lionel Giles. New York: Fall River Press, 2011.
Andrew’s originally from Massachusetts, and is a lifelong reader. He has a BA in History (English minor) from UMASS Lowell and JD from Mass. School of Law. He’s self-published a novella on Amazon, and printed 1 article apiece on Polygon, Anime Herald, and Pipeline Artists, 4 more on Ariel Chart, 2 articles and 2 short stories on Academy of Heart and Mind, a short story in Evening Street Review’s 2022 Winter Edition, an article in the August 2023 edition of “Alice Says Go F*** Yourself” online magazine, an article in NewMyths’ September issue, a short story in Bindweed’s Winter 2023 issue, an article in Encephalon Literary Magazine’s Spring 2024 edition, and another article in Barbar on May 22nd. He can be found on Twitter (@AndrewNickers19) daily, analyzing characters via Sun Tzu.
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