On May 21, 11:15 AM, Mr. Xu stopped a knife slasher at Taichung City Metro Station in Taiwan. 14 other passengers joined him to prevent the man from attacking his face multiple times.
Taichung City authorities soon arrived and arrested them. Mr. Xu later recovered and was awarded for his and the passengers’ bravery on June 4th at Taichung City Hall.
What was the inspiration behind Mr. Xu’s actions? He told the press, “It’s what the hero Himmel would have done.” He explained that Himmel is a warrior from the anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.
10th Anniversary Of Taipei Slasher
According to China Times, the Taichung City Knife incident occurred on the same day as the Taipei Subway Knife Rampage in 2014. Three of 17 passengers on the Taipei train were wounded by a man wielding a knife.
One of these passengers held the slasher in his arms despite receiving slash wounds on his cheeks and jaw. Soon, 14 other passengers joined in to rescue the brave passenger and used their efforts to take the knife from the slasher’s hands. His hands later became broken to prevent more damage.
The slasher was arrested by Taichung City Hall authorities right after. The wounded passengers were taken to Liu Shin Hospital for emergency care treatment.
The passenger who pursued the slasher wouldn’t reveal his identity till June 4th. The world would recognize him as Mr. Xu Ruixian, the otaku inspired by Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s, Himmel.
Frieren’s Himmel: The People’s Protector
Himmel is the Hero of The Hero Party. After defeating the Demon King alongside the elf mage, Frieren, the party separated to live out their lives until Himmel died in old age.
Frieren goes on a journey with the party’s mage assistant, Fern to acquire magic, or so she wants to believe. During their journey, the viewer learns about Himmel’s kind nature.
Himmel was described as a charismatic man with good intentions. No matter who the people are, the hero promised to protect and help them in need.
He became a moral guide during Frieren’s quest to understand humans. When Mr. Xu mentioned that Himmel was from her anime, the press grew nervous, learning the man is an otaku.
Not All Otakus Are Bad
From the same incident 10 years ago, the previous subway slasher was an otaku whose parents blamed him for his love of League of Legends and Tower of Saviors. It left Taiwan feeling wary and disgraceful when someone from the public encounters one.
When Mr. Xu arrived at the June 4th ceremony, he wore a haori from the Monster Hunter merch line to represent himself as an otaku. He later stated, “Otakus are not as bad as everyone thinks.”
Mr. Xu is a professional fitness coach and powerlifter who has taken Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s morality to his personal life. He was supposed to attend a powerlifting competition this upcoming July; however, his facial injuries prevented him from training.
Himmel And Mr. Xu’s Influence
Mr. Xu was asked if he would repeat his decision to stop the slasher. He responded with an iconic quote from Frieren, “If Himmel were here, he would have done the same thing. If time could be rewound, I’d make the same choice.”
Taichung City Mayor Lu Shiow-yen agreed with Mr. Xu’s thoughts on the philosophy he built for himself. She shared her response on Facebook for Mr. Xu and the other brave passengers, “Protecting this city requires the attention of the police and the people.”
After the ceremony, the Frieren official X (previously Twitter) posted a manga panel of Himmel saying one of his famous inspirational quotes. “Even if it’s just a little, if it changes someone’s life, that’s enough.”
If you love to watch and learn about the hero Himmel, you can watch Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End on Crunchyroll, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. As for Mr. Xu, he told the press once he recovers, he will train for another powerlifting competition scheduled for the end of 2024.
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