Theres this specific thing Qifrey mentions when he shows Coco the atelier that is such a good encapsulation of what this story is about that. He shows where everything is and then deliberately specifies that the bedroom doors can be locked.
Because these girls deserve to have privacy and space to feel completely safe for themselves. Its such a small detail but qifrey pointing out "this is space is yours and only yours" is so important as a guardian. (It also is an amazing way to show what qifrey is actually like early on. Even though he's clearly not perfect, he geniunely cares for his apprentices)
And thats the best part of the manga & anime, this consistent theme of respecting children and their autonomy (as well as what it means to be a mentor figure). Yes their twelve and a little ridiculous, but he always allows them to evolve by themselves. He let's them make mistakes and guides them while always letting them retain their own autonomy, personality and beliefs.
Shirahama gives these girls the dignity they deserve in a world where everything kids but especially young girls do gets infantalized, ridiculed and demeaned. Their problems are real and given depth.
They question the knights moralis and work to fix it (or find loop holes...) because they have qifrey and olruggio who back them up and encourage them to have these big ideas and to go against the grain, because even if their twelve, they are people to be heard and respected. Their ideas are not automatically stupid and niave just because their kids.
More often then not, kids get patronised non stop so for qifrey to geniunely hear them out, no matter what happens or to take their emotional outbursts or stupid decisions seriously and not consider them "tantrums" but rather an outburst of emotions that anyone would have being put under that much stress is just so so lovely. Its just one part of the story but the manga does so much with it.
prguitarman
pixelskylines
turnnoffyourmind
gummygunk
yousharknotpass
