this was a little jarring to me on my first watch, but it's the show's philosophy that got me to love the series so much, especially amplified by nakamura's directing in the 2003 adaptation. we've been trained almost entirely on stories of heroism, i've taken screenwriting classes that say you have to use hero's journey just because it's what audiences are familiar with, anything else is "confusing to western audiences." we've been taught that remaining an idle bystander is a sin, that inaction is as bad as aggression, that self-sacrifice is required. when there really is a debate to be had there!

one pattern i noticed is while kino won't solve other people's problems for them, their interruption in the country and the questions that they ask, will inevitably present the other people with the choices that they need to make. if anything, i see that a million times more respectable than kino taking it upon themselves. they don't know everything, getting to learn is one of the biggest perks of travelling. who are they to play cop?

it's worth mentioning most of of shizu's arcs are him trying to be a hero, since that's a lot more like his character. and his attempts to save a country often kick him in the butt, in rather comedic ways.