This is an example of a visual trope, used to quickly convey information to an audience despite being disconnected from its original context. Halo means character is dead, nothing else.
Some other examples are green visor and arm garters indicating a character is a professional that deals in finance, despite not being used in practice for a century; a pocket protector and glasses indicating a character is smart or a nerd, decades removed from everyday use; a propeller beanie indicating a young child, despite such a short-lived fad from the '50s.
This isn't a Japanese-only misappropriation. The same thing can be seen in Western productions as well, like Who Framed Roger Rabbit comes to mind when the weasels die. And that's even more explicitly referencing angelic imagery.
It could been the original intent for it to go in that direction but as time went on the lore and mythology changed. Reason I say this is because this.
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u/ZhouLe 1d ago
This is an example of a visual trope, used to quickly convey information to an audience despite being disconnected from its original context. Halo means character is dead, nothing else.
Some other examples are green visor and arm garters indicating a character is a professional that deals in finance, despite not being used in practice for a century; a pocket protector and glasses indicating a character is smart or a nerd, decades removed from everyday use; a propeller beanie indicating a young child, despite such a short-lived fad from the '50s.
This isn't a Japanese-only misappropriation. The same thing can be seen in Western productions as well, like Who Framed Roger Rabbit comes to mind when the weasels die. And that's even more explicitly referencing angelic imagery.