Snufkin and Maki Shijou: An Imaginary Conversation on Loneliness and Freedom

I’ve always found it fascinating how two characters from completely different worlds can speak to the same ache — the longing to belong without losing oneself. Snufkin, the wanderer from the Moominvalley, and Maki Shijou, the intense and emotionally guarded member of The Lost in Tokyo Revengers, seem like an unlikely pair. But if they ever met, I imagine their conversation would be less of a clash and more of a quiet recognition. Here’s how I picture it going down.

“Is it better to be alone than to risk being hurt?”

Snufkin would probably say yes — but not in a bitter way. He leaves every winter because he believes solitude keeps him free. “I’ve never needed anyone,” he might say, adjusting his pack. Maki, though, would look at him with that sharp, tired stare she wears so often. “That’s not freedom,” she’d reply. “That’s just fear in a nicer coat.” She knows what it’s like to push people away to avoid disappointment. But unlike Snufkin, she eventually lets her walls crack — just enough to let someone in.

“Do you ever miss the people you leave behind?”

Snufkin would pause here. He’d admit it — yes, he does. He misses Moomintroll’s laughter, Snork’s steady presence, even Little My’s stubbornness. But for him, missing people is part of the rhythm of life. Maki would nod slowly. She knows that kind of absence too — not by choice, but by time and fate. She might say something like, “I don’t get to go back. Not really. But I carry them with me, every day.” And Snufkin, for once, might not know what to say.

“Can you truly be free if you’re always running?”

This is where the conversation might get heavier. Snufkin’s freedom is tied to movement — to the road, the changing seasons, the ability to vanish without a word. Maki, who has spent most of her life fighting for control in a world that gives none, would challenge that idea. “You’re not free if you’re afraid to stay,” she’d say. Snufkin wouldn’t argue right away. Maybe, for the first time, he’d think about what it means to be free in a different way — not through absence, but through presence.

“Do you believe in second chances?”

Maki would answer without hesitation — yes. She fights for them, lives for them, even when the world tries to tell her they don’t exist. She’s seen people change. She’s changed herself. Snufkin, though, would be quieter. He believes in returns, in revisiting places and people when the time is right. But he’s not sure if people truly change. Maki might smile then — not a big one, but a real one — and say, “They do. You just have to give them a reason to.”

“What would you say to your younger self?”

Snufkin would probably tell his younger self to slow down, to stay a little longer. To not be so sure that the road is the only answer. Maki would tell hers to breathe, to trust, and maybe — just maybe — to forgive a little sooner. They’d both raise their teacups, silently, to the versions of themselves who didn’t know how much they’d grow.

If you could step into that quiet, thoughtful moment between Snufkin and Maki, what would you ask them? What would you want to know? You might not get to sit with them in person, but you can talk to them — ask your questions, hear their voices, and feel their presence.

Chat with Snufkin or Maki Shijou on HoloDream.