Why Does Hinmel Keep Putting Up Statues of Himself in 'The Flowers of Remembrance'? Initially Seen as Narcissistic, It's Actually for Florence

In 'The Flowers of Remembrance,' the hero Hinmel has a habit that seems quite 'mockable.' Whenever the hero and his party help a city or solve a crisis, the locals prepare to leave a memorial for the hero, and Hinmel is always happy to accept. He even studies the pose of the statue for a long time. This actually fits Hinmel's character. The official character introduction directly describes him as a 'self-proclaimed handsome narcissist,' and he himself does not hide his confidence in his appearance. Therefore, when first watching 'The Flowers of Remembrance,' it is easy to take those statues of Hinmel scattered around the world as a punchline: this hero really wants people a few hundred years later to know how handsome he is. But as the story progresses, it is discovered that what Hinmel really wanted to leave behind was not his face. It was so that one day, when he, Hyta, and Arian were no longer there, Florence, who would still be alone in the long years, could look up and see a familiar face. Why does Hinmel put up statues everywhere? At first, it really seems like just narcissism. 'The Flowers of Remembrance' is clever in that it does not deny that Hinmel is indeed narcissistic. He really likes how he looks. The official character introduction directly sets Hinmel as a 'self-proclaimed handsome narcissist,' so his concern for his own statue's posture and appearance, hoping that future generations would see a handsome hero, is not entirely pretentious. In the second episode of the anime, Florence comes to a village with a statue of Hinmel and once again recalls the events of that year. This statue later becomes an important core of the 'Blue Moon Grass' plot: Hinmel once told Florence that his hometown was full of blue moon grass and hoped that one day he could show it to her; many years later, Florence spent a long time searching for the almost extinct blue moon grass, just to let this flower bloom again around his statue. The official introduction of the second episode of the anime also specially points out that Florence was in a village with a bronze statue of Hinmel, recalling the flowers he liked when he was alive. At this point, the statue has already quietly begun to change its meaning. To the villagers, it is a 'hero memorial.' To Florence, however, it is a place where she can reopen memories from decades ago. However, Florence at that time had not yet fully understood this. But Hinmel had already thought of it. The real reason for Hinmel leaving the statues: fearing that Florence would one day be alone. The real answer is revealed in the original 13th episode 'Liberation Festival,' which is adapted in the 7th episode of the anime. Florence and her party come to a town holding a Liberation Festival. This is the place that was saved from the demons by the heroes decades ago, and the town still remembers the deeds of Hinmel and others. The official platform 'Sunday Webry' can confirm that this story is the 13th episode 'Liberation Festival,' and the official anime includes the relevant plot in the 7th episode 'A Story Like a Fairy Tale.' In the memory, Florence once asked Hinmel: why is he so eager to leave statues everywhere? Hinmel initially still uses his trademark narcissistic answer, as if he just wants future generations to remember his handsome appearance. But then, he says the truly important reason. Because one day, he hopes Florence will not be alone. This plot in the 7th episode of the anime also sparked a lot of discussion, and ABEMA TIMES summarized the episode, pointing out that the most important reason Hinmel wants his image to be left in the future is to think of Florence, whose lifespan is much longer than humans, hoping that she can still find proof of their existence in the distant future. This sentence also makes all the seemingly funny statues suddenly feel a bit cruel. Because Hinmel knew a long time ago something that Florence had not yet truly understood: they would definitely die before her. He did not ask Florence 'do not forget me,' but rather tried to let her remember again. The most gentle part of Hinmel is not leaving statues for Florence. It is that he never asked Florence to always remember him. Because he understands Florence. In a life of several decades, several hundred years, or even thousands of years, memories will inevitably fade away. Therefore, the method Hinmel took is not to demand: 'You must remember me.' But to leave enough things in various places around the world, so that one day she can suddenly remember. Walk into a city and see a statue. Pass through a village and hear stories of the hero. See a certain flower and remember that someone once said they wanted to take her to see it. Eat a dish and suddenly remember the nights when the four of them sat at the same table. In the official novel, Hinmel even once talked about a similar idea: a food unique to a place will become a shared memory among companions; even if forgotten, as long as you return to that place and eat that taste, the memory may reappear. In other words, Hinmel knew early on: human memory is not an unchanging warehouse, but a door that needs something to reopen. The statue is the key. After Hinmel's death, he actually appears more frequently in Florence's life. This also explains a very special narrative method in 'The Flowers of Remembrance.' Hinmel died at the beginning of the story. But the further the story progresses, the more frequently he appears. When Florence helps others, she will remember what Hinmel did before. When she meets demons, she will remember what Hinmel said. When she enters a town she once visited, she will find that the residents still remember the heroes. When she sees a statue, a seemingly unimportant event from decades ago suddenly comes back. Hinmel's body has died, but the actions he left behind are still affecting the living. Therefore, 'The Flowers of Remembrance' is not actually about 'how to forget a dead person.' But another more realistic question: after a person dies, in what form can they still remain in another person's life? The answer may not be a gravestone or daily painful remembrance. Sometimes it is just a habit, a word, a place, a flower, or even a small thing you didn't care about at the time. Many years later, you suddenly realize: you have been remembering it all along. Looking back at Hinmel's statue, you understand that what he really left behind is not his name. So why did Hinmel leave so many statues? The most superficial answer is of course still funny: because he thinks he is handsome. This is indeed Hinmel. But deeper down, what he left is not 'how great the hero Hinmel is.' It is: we four really walked here together. This may not be very important for ordinary people. Because the people around us and ourselves live in a similar time scale. But Florence is different. A hundred years later, the villagers of that time will die. The city may be rebuilt. The road may disappear. Familiar people will all leave. Even the story that happened at that time may gradually become a legend. Hinmel cannot accompany Florence for a thousand years. So he did the only thing humans can do: leave as many traces of his existence as possible in the places she might pass through in the future. So that one day, when she walks far and lives long, long enough that there is no one left from that time, she can still see that familiar and somewhat narcissistic face in a square of a strange city. And remember: a long, long time ago, she once traveled with a person named Hinmel. She was not always alone. And this may be what Hinmel really wanted to leave for Florence. Not his statue. Not his heroic legend. Not even 'please always remember me.' But a message that can still be told to Florence long after his death: you were once accompanied, and you were once cared about.