The Tale of Princess Kaguya (Kaguya-hime no Monogatari) and Rain World, though of course very different pieces of media, are some of the only works that I've come across that resonate so clearly with me on matters of buddhism, life, loss, and attachment.

It is perhaps even more interesting to compare and contrast the two.  When Kaguya returns to the land of the eternal it is almost impossible to deny the feeling of loss and separation in that moment.  A base reading of Princess Kaguya would see it as a story with a moral cautioning against forming attachments, as they lead to suffering.  But this is completely missing the point.  It's obvious that from Kaguya's brief time on earth there was "true happiness" there, or at least what we would think of as happiness -- what I would refer to as "deep happiness" (as contrasted with happiness that is more shallow).

So when Kaguya-hime returns to the moon it is impossible, as one suffering from the human condition, to see it as anything other than something which evokes a deep sense of sorrow.  That is not to say, however, that it is wrong for Kaguya-hime to return to the moon.  Loss is inevitable, regardless of other-worldly filial obligations, and that is really the crux of it all, and what this film reminds us of -- the fact that we are destined to lose happiness, by its very nature.

But when Slugcat goes from a cycle of suffering and reincarnation to achieving a "nirvana" of sorts, it is a bit harder to say whether this outcome is "happy" or "sad".  Part of this is that Rain World's ending is up to much more interpretation.  I think it's undeniable that Rain World's ending is not "the happy ending" that Slugcat wished for in the beginning of the game.  And of course, many gamers felt unhappy at seeing the ending, because it is not that happy ending.

But of course, that "happy ending" doesn't exist.  Just as Kaguya cannot magically return to her childhood and simply lead a carefree life forever, Slugcat cannot be with its family again, at least not in the physical world.  Because that's not really the point of it.  I should probably explain better, but it's 7:30AM and I didn't really mean to get into a full analysis.

Anyways, when Slugcat sees the vision of the "home tree" in the very end, it's very hard to say whether it's "happy" or "sad".  I guess in one sense, it's much happier of an end than what could have been.  The fact that there IS a "home tree" waiting at the end I think provides something that really touches my heart and makes me feel really emotional at the journey.  But at the same time, it is not the "real" home tree.  And I think there is a certain sadness there, too.

I think there are many views of the ending of Rain World, which is part of why I think it is so beautiful.  I think there is an optimist view that says that Slugcat finally was able to truly meet the rest of its family in nirvana -- that they had also ascended, and that they would be together forever, happily ever after.  And there is a less optimistic view that what Slugcat sees is simply an illusion, something that is not real at all.  But anybody who argues that their own interpretation of the ending is "right" is missing the point.  Because it is all of these things and more.

It really makes you think and it sticks with you.  Or at least, it has stuck with me.  I guess you could say that while Kaguya-hime makes us think about life, Rain World on the flipside makes us think about death.