Mushishi Zoku Shou S2 – 08
Follow her advice and you too can fail parenting 101
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What’s up with all these depressing family stories lately? Is there no such thing as a happy family in this show? Seriously, this is the second time in a row my jaw dropped because of the ending. |
“The little boy’s mother kept not giving a shit about her kid so she shipped him off to a relative…and they lived happily ever after.” Except not really, because that’s an incredibly depressing outcome. Most anime would end with the mother learning to love her son in her own way and raising him happily with the father. But this is Mushishi where life is laid out raw in a way that truly reflects reality. Reality isn’t always full of happy endings. Sometimes people just can’t figure out how to change, or they simply weren’t meant to. Ginko says that Reki leaving is the best decision for everyone in this situation, and I think it really is. She will never learn to love her son, and no amount of coaxing or guilt trips will ever change her mind. It’s better for Reki to grow up in a loving family filled with parents who will accept him and actually look him in the eye (assuming his new family is so kind). But the brutal honesty behind such a message – that not all mothers love their children or ever will – is extremely harsh.
“SHUT UP, REKI. MAMA’S TRYING TO WATCH HER SOAPS.”
Last week, we saw a mother who gratefully raised her child on her own even though he was very different from other boys in the village. Despite so many odds being against her, she loved her son and managed to find happiness. Even after he dies, she is able to comfort herself in the rain. Shino is the opposite, as she is unable to love her own son. She tries to kill herself and her son numerous times, which is far more disturbing than anything to do with the mushi. Tying your son to a tree? I would say it’s extreme post-partum blues, but she was against this even before she was pregnant. Truly, she is surrounded by sadness on all sides as she is stuck with a family she doesn’t care about. Because she can’t bring herself to love her son, she abandons him. Now she’s childless and still stuck with her husband, forever to be reminded of their one child whenever she sees storm clouds rolling in. Instead of feeling hope from the rain as seen in “Azure Waters”, Shino feels sorrow.
I probably shouldn’t be surprised by now considering that Mushishi is only predictable in how unpredictable it is. This is a dark show that showcases not only the destructive (yet beautiful) nature of mushi…but the destructive (yet beautiful) nature of humans. This lightning rod mushi was, if anything, a side player to the main story. It was a catalyst to spark the confrontation between a son craving affection and a mother unable to do so. It allowed two people who were too afraid to communicate to have a chance to finally speak to each other. It’s hard to say whether they successfully convey their feelings to one another in the end though.
Some kids have tree houses. Others have CHARRED LIGHTNING THRONES.
Ginko is the middle man, trying his best to get the two to talk. But that’s easier said than done considering how stubborn the two of them are. Ginko tries to find out why Reki just lets himself be drawn to lightning without fighting it or showing any interest in having Ginko intervene. He’s happy to have things remain as they are. But while his family is content to let Reki rebel and just assume he hates them, Ginko isn’t. He slowly pieces it all together by watching Reki and listening to the few things he does say to him. Reki’s actions more than his words show us that although he’s obviously upset at being ignored, he isn’t upset enough to want to hurt his mother. Or anyone else. Perhaps this was a more extreme way of acting out to try and get attention. Except instead of pulling a prank like drawing on the walls, he’s letting himself get struck by lightning in plain sight. I think he secretly hopes his mother will start to care about his health more if he’s in mortal danger…but she never does. While Reki can be accused of pushing his mother away, I still feel a lot more of the blame should be placed on the mother who should understand that Reki is only a child and children can’t express themselves well with words.
It’s disconcerting that despite all this, Shino is unable to become attached to her son. Ginko tries so hard to push her to connect with him, but it has no effect. Even when Ginko lays out all the facts and tries to tell her that Reki has been trying not to hurt them all this time, she still doesn’t make the effort to understand him. It was painful to see that when Reki was in real danger that she didn’t even want to leave her house to run after him. Ginko had to drag her there so she could give her son the worst pep talk ever. I want to think that Shino finally finding the umbilical cord is a sign she did have some slight feelings for her son, but she was so dreadfully honest during the rainstorm when she confessed that she couldn’t care about her son. That’s not something any mother would want to say out loud – in front of their near-suicidal child – if it weren’t true. And then she tried to die with Reki, but he pushed her away because he cares about her wellbeing. Shino would have let them died, but Reki chose to live.
What a beautiful little motherfucker.
This was another great episode that did an excellent job highlighting complicated family relationships within a short period of time. It’s still kind of ambiguous if she does love her son because she finds the umbilical cord and says “I don’t know” when Ginko asks if she feels anything for her son. But for me, the louder message was that she never learns to love her son or express whatever emotion vaguely resembling love in her heart towards him. That tense mother-son relationship isn’t like anything I’ve seen in an anime before in how brutally honest the mother’s ambivalence towards her own flesh and blood. But she’s not a bad person! Most times you see the evil stepmother treating their son/daughter like trash because they’re just a bad person all around. Shino is just a victim of terrible circumstances. Or maybe she just has depression and can’t find joy in anything she does anymore, leaving her an empty shell of nothingness. Whatever the case, I feel terrible for Reki. I wonder what sort of horrible experiences we’ll have to watch a child go through next week.
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I agree, what a depressing outcome. But, hey, this is Mushishi, after all. In all honesty, watching the episode overall, in my opinion, it wouldn’t be a bad thing if the mother really got struck by lightning. It’s one thing to not want to go through with an arranged marriage but that doesn’t excuse being cold, callous and neglectful to your child. The fact she practically didn’t try to hide the fact she was venting her frustration on him made it even more despicable. At least Reki is now at a distance from her.
Given how this was the last show to start playing this season and with the remaining time, I’d say we’re looking at about two more episodes.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I bet the mother wishes she did get struck by lightning…I doubt she was much happier even after giving her child away.
I don’t want this show to end ;_;
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I doubt she’d get any kind of joy at this point. She looks more the type who will live with her unhappiness for the rest of her life. Reki getting an out is a silver lining in such a depressing environment.
I understand how you feel but unfortunately, it’s inevitable.
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 43 comments
I think this episode may also be a comment against arranged marriages. Not only is Shino, as she herself say, incapable of feeling any motherly love, Reki is also for her the symbol of a hated marriage which she was forced into against her will. Of course, her husband has no idea of what is going on, as he makes it clear when he asks her “Why are you always like that?”. He knows she doesn’t care for Reki, but I don’t think he has an inkling that the reasons behind that is that she hates her life and her marriage. She seems to see Reki as something totally alien to her.
When she tries to commit suicide she says she hopes she will be reborn as a woman who can love her children, which shows that she understands her faults. However, she is way too indifferent and/or hostile to Reki. That can’t be mere lack of motherly affection. Most people (including children) feel an instinctive affection for children. That’s why small children just adore babies, for the most part (not when they are jealous of the little sister or brother, of course, and clip their hair away to show the parents she’s ugly and they should stop loving her – Lisa Simpson being a case in point :). But Shino doesen’t. That’s why I think she sees Reki as a symbol of her whole wretched life.
Very good episode, thought-provoking and beautifully moving (and visually beautiful too) as usual.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Who knows what’s coming? We might not even get a child next week. Mushishi has caused afflictions ranging from children to young adults to senior citizens. Anything is possible.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
No one is safe
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Got to hand it to the show. It doesn’t play favorites. Everyone is susceptible to getting a target on their backs.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I’m going to use this opportunity to share a little nostalgic news: “Yu-Gi-Oh! Film Scheduled For 2016, Focuses on Yūgi, Kaiba” The original Yu-Gi-Oh! is making a comeback, even if it’s just a movie!
IT’S TIME TO D-D-D-D-D-D-D-DUEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀
POWUH: Novice (36-50) with 43 comments
I also think this episode may be a comment against arranged marriages. Not only is Shino, as she herself say, incapable of feeling any motherly love, Reki is also for her the symbol of a hated marriage which she was forced into against her will. Of course, her husband has no idea of what is going on, as he makes it clear when he asks her “Why are you always like that?”. He knows she doesn’t care for Reki, but I don’t think he has an inkling that the reasons behind that is that she hates her life and her marriage. She seems to see Reki as something totally alien to her.
When she tries to commit suicide she says she hopes she will be reborn as a woman who can love her children, which shows that she understands her faults. However, she is way too indifferent and/or hostile to Reki. That can’t be mere lack of motherly affection. Most people (including children) feel an instinctive affection for children. That’s why small children just adore babies, for the most part (not when they are jealous of the little sister or brother, of course, and clip their hair away to show the parents she’s ugly and they should stop loving her – Lisa Simpson being a case in point :). But Shino doesen’t. That’s why I think she sees Reki as a symbol of her whole wretched life.
Very good episode, thought-provoking and beautifully moving (and visually beautiful too) as usual.