An Otaku who helped suppress a knife attack on the Taichung Metro in Taiwan said he helped because “Himmel (Frieren) would do the same”.
The random stabbing incident on the Taichung MRT on May 21 was followed by the Taichung City Government today (4th) honoring 17 city heroes who demonstrated bravery at the time. Nine of them attended the ceremony to receive commendations and awards. Xu Ruixian, known as the “long-haired guy,” who fought with the assailant, appeared wearing a jacket from the video game “Monster Hunter.” He described himself as part of the otaku community, hoping to clear up misconceptions about otakus. “Otakus aren’t as bad as everyone thinks. Please don’t stereotype us,” he said.
Xu Ruixian appeared today to receive his award, specifically wearing a jacket from the Japanese video game “Monster Hunter.” Xu stated that he is also an otaku, but otakus are different from the stereotypes people have. “Otakus aren’t as bad as everyone thinks,” he said. After the Cheng Chieh incident 10 years ago, many people stigmatized the otaku community. Today, he intentionally wore something recognizable to fellow otakus to counteract these misconceptions.
During the commendation, Xu quoted a classic line from the popular Japanese anime “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End”: “If it were Hero Himmel, he would definitely do it.” This quote serves as his motto, encouraging him to believe that he was on the right path by taking such actions. “If I could go back in time, I would make the same choice,” he added.
Additionally, Xu wore the same canvas shoes he had on during the incident, which still bore the bloodstains from that day. He explained that the stains couldn’t be removed, but the shoes were still comfortable to wear, so he didn’t bother to clean them thoroughly. Plus, this way, he wouldn’t have to worry about them getting any dirtier.