Movie
Description
Wataru Mitani is an eleven-year-old boy with short black hair, black eyes, and a youthful facial resemblance to his father. In his ordinary life, he wears standard school attire: a white undershirt with a blue shirt and medium-length pants. His initial personality is shy, logically minded due to his love of video games, and prone to being bullied. His life shatters when his father abandons the family for another woman, leading his mother to attempt suicide via gas poisoning in their home. This trauma drives him to enter the fantasy world of Vision through a portal in the abandoned Daimatsu building.
In Vision, Wataru adopts an adventurer's outfit: a helmet, leather vest, belt, green pants, and open-toed boots. His primary weapon is a sword with a green hilt and white guard, designed to hold collected gemstones. As a "Traveler," his quest involves gathering five gemstones representing charity, bravery, faith, grace, and the power of darkness and light. These stones are necessary to forge the "Demon's Bane" sword and reach the Tower of Destiny, where the Goddess of Fate can grant his wish to restore his family.
His journey includes forming key alliances: Kee Keema, a waterkin who sees him as a good-luck charm; Meena, a kitkin searching for her father; and a baby dragon named Jozo. These companions aid him in overcoming challenges, including being falsely accused of murder in Garsala, confronting societal racism against non-humans, and navigating conflicts between factions worshipping the Old God versus the Goddess. He grows in courage and moral complexity, especially while contending with his ruthless school rival, Mitsuru Ashikawa, another Traveler whose methods endanger Vision.
A critical development involves confronting his inner darkness. In the Swamp of Grief, his suppressed hatred manifests as a "hateful spirit" that attacks a Vision-resident resembling his father. Later, at the Tower of Destiny, he accepts this shadow self, recognizing courage requires acknowledging jealousy, anger, and destructive impulses. This maturity culminates in his final sacrifice: relinquishing his wish for family reunification to save Vision from a demonic invasion, understanding true change comes from personal growth, not divine intervention.
Returning to the real world, he prevents his mother's suicide and demonstrates newfound resilience. Though his family remains separated, he helps his mother recover emotionally. He encounters Kaori Daimatsu, the once-ill daughter of the Daimatsu building's owner, now healed and symbolizing hope. Observers note his appearance and demeanor reflect his journey, appearing "changed" or matured.
In spin-offs:
- *Brave Story: New Traveler* (PSP) depicts him aiding characters Yuno and Sogreth to clear false banditry accusations, collaborating with knights to capture actual thieves.
- *Brave Story: Wataru's Adventure* (PS2) aligns closely with the film adaptation, focusing on his entry into Vision after his family's collapse.
- The manga adaptation depicts him as older (14 years) with dyed hair streaks and a more masculine appearance, though his core quest remains consistent.
In Vision, Wataru adopts an adventurer's outfit: a helmet, leather vest, belt, green pants, and open-toed boots. His primary weapon is a sword with a green hilt and white guard, designed to hold collected gemstones. As a "Traveler," his quest involves gathering five gemstones representing charity, bravery, faith, grace, and the power of darkness and light. These stones are necessary to forge the "Demon's Bane" sword and reach the Tower of Destiny, where the Goddess of Fate can grant his wish to restore his family.
His journey includes forming key alliances: Kee Keema, a waterkin who sees him as a good-luck charm; Meena, a kitkin searching for her father; and a baby dragon named Jozo. These companions aid him in overcoming challenges, including being falsely accused of murder in Garsala, confronting societal racism against non-humans, and navigating conflicts between factions worshipping the Old God versus the Goddess. He grows in courage and moral complexity, especially while contending with his ruthless school rival, Mitsuru Ashikawa, another Traveler whose methods endanger Vision.
A critical development involves confronting his inner darkness. In the Swamp of Grief, his suppressed hatred manifests as a "hateful spirit" that attacks a Vision-resident resembling his father. Later, at the Tower of Destiny, he accepts this shadow self, recognizing courage requires acknowledging jealousy, anger, and destructive impulses. This maturity culminates in his final sacrifice: relinquishing his wish for family reunification to save Vision from a demonic invasion, understanding true change comes from personal growth, not divine intervention.
Returning to the real world, he prevents his mother's suicide and demonstrates newfound resilience. Though his family remains separated, he helps his mother recover emotionally. He encounters Kaori Daimatsu, the once-ill daughter of the Daimatsu building's owner, now healed and symbolizing hope. Observers note his appearance and demeanor reflect his journey, appearing "changed" or matured.
In spin-offs:
- *Brave Story: New Traveler* (PSP) depicts him aiding characters Yuno and Sogreth to clear false banditry accusations, collaborating with knights to capture actual thieves.
- *Brave Story: Wataru's Adventure* (PS2) aligns closely with the film adaptation, focusing on his entry into Vision after his family's collapse.
- The manga adaptation depicts him as older (14 years) with dyed hair streaks and a more masculine appearance, though his core quest remains consistent.