Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is a word of total destruction, and in the film it is a choice: two children give up the floating castle, and with it any chance of being used as weapons by grown men. In Japan it became a ritual. Whenever Castle in the Sky airs on television, viewers type the word online at the exact moment it is spoken, and the surge has set Twitter traffic records.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Castle in the SkyShow the scene
Near the end of Castle in the Sky (Hayao Miyazaki, 1986), Muska has cornered Sheeta in the throne room of the floating island of Laputa and means to use its weapons to rule the world. Pazu arrives and wins a brief truce, and Sheeta teaches him the spell of destruction her grandmother handed down, the one she was told never to use. They speak it together, the Aetherium crystal flares, and the lower part of Laputa breaks apart and falls into the sea, taking Muska with it. The giant tree at the island's heart survives and rises into the sky. Barusu is the Japanese word of the spell; the English dub renders it Balse.
Sources (2)
- Castle in the Sky, Wikipedia (plot and legacy sections)Plot; LegacyReference checked
- Ghibli Wiki, Castle in the SkyDestruction of LaputaReference checked
Context reviewed