kiera

that one wbk chapter basically...

SUO. SON. IF YOU DON'T START COMMUNICATING I FEAR SUGISAKUNIREI HAVE PLANS FOR YOU

sakura: we'll capture suo

nirei: even if we have to tie suo san up, we'll make him talk

"I do not condone violence" from Rakta is the line I'm so hung up on, even though it makes perfect sense, especially with what we've seen of Suo's own fighting style since they seemingly were taught in the same environment.

But at the same time... not everything is adding up. Well, with Rakta it might: it may very well be true that he fights out of necessity, we still don't know much about him.

But Suo? He can be violent. If we take "I do not condone violence" as the Red Chanpuru's general policy- keeping incidents from occurring and protecting people, like Bofurin- then that's great, but maybe Suo doesn't fit that mold so perfectly.

Remember the Keel fight? Sakura had to stop Suo from losing it on that guy in the fight after Nirei got hurt.

How about when Endo first appeared and said Sakura didn't belong at Furin? Suo flew at him. It wasn't as crazy as his look in Keel, but he still seemed to react out of some kind of emotion.

And then Suo was clearly emotional in his fight with Nirei (though clearly that situation is also complex and it was likely a number of things- anger, trying to keep Nirei away because he still cares, sadness, etc.), and I wonder if Rakta knows about or would approve of how Suo handled that situation. It was very violent.

The point is: Suo may be good at masking how he feels most of the time, but we know he sometimes snaps, and when he does it's dangerous. And if he's truly angry and bitter about something, I wonder if the Red Chanpuru has made him suppress that part of him too, because they "do not condone violence."

And that leads to the next point: we've all said Suo is unhappy, and a lot of it has been surrounding the situation of the city- he's unhappy because the situation is bad and he misses his friends, but some other things people have said today surrounding the RC tattoo reveal had my mind going in another direction. I read this post from @suolingo that said he may have not wanted to get a tattoo (heartbreaking but great post by the way), and others point out that compared to the rest of the RC making sure their tattoo is visible in chapter 225, Suo covers up even in the city where people know him. He may very well not be proud of his tattoo. He might dislike that he's tied to this organization, even if they helped him at one point.

[Alright I'm putting a 'Keep reading' in here this is getting long- oops.]

Furin was different, but even then Suo himself assumed responsibilities unconsciously, made himself a pillar without realising how much of an actual impact it had, because he's just so used to being needed and useful.

For me he is one of those perfect examples of "if I can't be wanted then let me be needed, let me be useful", a mentality that often ties to children who get parentified, who have more responsibilities than they ever should have, the kids who know their achievements won't be praised but any small mistake will be scrutinised.

Suo seems to walk through life under the idea that he's fundamentally different for his peers, that everything the others deserve and are allowed doesn't apply to him. And the most interesting part is there seems to be no jealousy over this because he's so convinced he's fundamentally different, what there is is longing, someone who wishes he could have that but denies themselves constantly.

I know an initial reaction to the fight against Kanuma and Suo's speech on adulthood is to think that Suo thinks he's better than others because he's more mature, and that the behaviour he exhibited was that of a bully, which often leads people to headcanon that Suo was bratty and arrogant and had to be "humbled" at some point; but I think what this whole fight shows is rather a usual feeling kids who are forced to be more mature display, it's common to be angry that everyone else seems to be more immature and acts their age when you're not allowed to act your age, and plus, Kanuma's attitude clashes so hard with the values RC seems to uphold that it is pretty coherent that Suo would react this way. If you pay attention to Suo's future interactions with Kanuma, he actually trusts him and tells him he won't need to fight him again because he finally climbed that step to adulthood. Suo acknowledged that Kanuma too had changed, had learnt from their encounter.

I don't think Suo thinks he's better for being more mature, I think Suo might wish he could be allowed to stay a child a bit longer just like his friends, but because he knows he's more mature he assumes the "oldest" role in the class, giving life advice and guidance, while he's the second youngest.

Suo has resigned himself to always having to be the adult no matter what, Furin allowed him to be a tease, to act a bit like a kid with his friends, but in the end he couldn't stay for some reason... And next time we see him he seems to have so much on his shoulders, he's a kid taking care of other kids and hiding issues from them for their benefit, apologising to an adult about economic issues in their city...

panels, something tells me that suo’s involvement in bofurin wasn’t appreciated. they want to keep suo from seeing them at all costs

- They’re both deemed as the mature/calm one in their relationship with other characters

- They both went through some sort of martial art training (Suo and his master, Kiryu due to his family)

- They both take care of their appearance but it seems like it’s for different reasons

- They have à similar relationship with strength: its something that has to be handled w responsability

- They both have conflictual relationships with immature people and has a rough meeting w Tsugeura (but it got better on Kiryu’s side)

- It looks like Kiryu is naturally taking the role of the mature one in Suo’s absence (like when he calms Sakura down in the Park scene)

- Suo leaves right after Kiryu’s character arc

an organisation that seems to be in charge of the protection and wellbeing of a multicultural town, consisting almost entirely of 1st and 2nd generation immigrants, being cagey and protective abt one of its core members and keeping outsiders away from its residential area is not even unreasonable.

and if red chanpuru is fucked up for having a 15 year old as one of its chief officers, the Entire Town of Makochi had to be singlehandedly rehabilitated by a 15 year old Umemiya so let's not lose sight of that 😭

i have no doubt i'll still want suo to leave RC. i have no doubt he'll probably be better off without all this resting on his shoulders! but by god, i simply will not have this group be villainised so vehemently when we haven't even seen them do anything so far. other than be wary of outsiders, mediate arguments, and be nice to the fucking kids in town.

i'm sure there are structural problems to address with the RC but that doesn't automatically translate to them being violently abusive and criminal. nor do they have to be for Suo to want/have a different life for himself, one that actually belongs to him.

is the idea of feeling eternally indebted and therefore chained to an organisation that gave you shelter, food, and protection, not compelling enough? for any form of self-oriented thought or action to feel like a betrayal to the people that provided for you all your life—is that not stifling enough?

now, is there a Possibility that the RC is actually a horrible, morally bankrupt organisation that Does abuse its members? of course there is. but my goodness, ever since they've been introduced, i feel like people have almost been thirsting for reasons to think the worst of them and i just don't get it.