Hero Complex · review
The way this short, one chapter story, manages to make it´s message be so clear and well developed is something to really take notice on. While handling themes which are very common yet important to realize, such as jelousy, self-esteem issues and fraternal feelings becoming tense over time, it succeedes in making this story feel quite realistic and relatable. Either having had siblings or not, this story easily depicts how a relationship based on expectations, either one sided or not, can crumble when faced against the passage of time. What we do with such feelings is what matters, and in this short story we have thebest message possible for these kinda situations. Not everyone is gonna fulfill their childhood/teenage dreams. Either they become hard to reach, or they end up changing into some other dream, or maybe your priorities change, whichever path life takes where it pushes you away from your dreams, should never push you away from those who love you and supported you to reach said goals either. Being a hero to someone, even if you couldnt reach the heights you wished for, is enough to feel proud of yourself for even generating those feelings and that outlook to an outsider. Especially to someone so important as someone you can have a lot of influence on, such as your younger sibling.
It´s nothing new. Nothing crazy. Nothing complicated. Just a short perspective on how important you can be to someone and how easily you can miss that because of your own high expectations on yourself. Attempting to reach them is enough to be proud of, even if in the end you can´t.