Kari-chan’s Blog

The Abyssalis Sisters are naturally the first who come to mind. The relationship between each one of them and Geryon is starkly reminiscent of patriarchal dynamics. They are young girls who are explicitly being exploited: even Atropos, who does not believe she is being exploited, was created by Geryon as a vehicle to achieve closeness to Fuga's life, and when she didn't fulfill that role, she became a tool in his plans for world domination (read: world inertia). The fact that he seemingly treats her differently from her younger sisters is, of course, a call back to the "and then they came for me" proverb, and it's not the first (or last) time Geryon uses special treatment to confuse someone and ensure their loyalty (see Minato, but this isn't about him right now. I will write a Minato-centric rant if anyone would like to read it). Atropos, no matter how mature she is or how chronologically older she is, was based on a real little girl, and her vulnerability and naivety is something Geryon takes advantage of. He, as a man, convinces Atropos, a little girl, that he is the only person she can trust, and as a result Atropos turns a blind eye to the mistreatment of her sisters. How many women and girls have you met who wholeheartedly believe that they are somehow immune to misogyny, or that the patriarchy is the preferable way of life? That they are special? Gotchard teaches the audience that just because someone is older doesn't mean they are right, but there is a special poignancy in acknowledging the dynamic between Geryon and Atropos as one between a father and daughter. In contrast, Lachesis sits on the opposite end of the spectrum from Atropos - fitting, since she's also the youngest (young vs old, anyone?). There is a lot to be said about Geryon stealing the dead body of an abused girl and then using it to serve his goals, but what sets Lachesis apart from her sisters is that she explicitly acknowledges that their situation is wrong and dangerous, and she is punished for it. Oppressive systems always seek to punish those who speak against them, this is nothing new. What's interesting is that Atropos and Clotho are the ones who punish her - suffering under the same conditions, they believe that the solution for a comfortable life is to eliminate those who speak against the oppressor. ...And that comes back to bite them. Clotho sits square in the middle between Atropos, who believes that the system benefits her, and Lachesis, who knows that she and her sisters are in active danger. Clotho is aware of the danger, but she believes that if she keeps her head down and fends for herself if push comes to shove, the disaster will somehow avoid her and her loved ones. This is an interesting position for her to take considering her outward boisterousness and aggression. Still, she seeks communities and bonds even when she targets humans to make Malgams out of, so it's rather expected that she prefers conforming to being ostracized. I think it's good to consider how each sister views herself in relation to Geryon and to each other in the context of women under the patriarchy.

Note: god knows how short I'm making this to avoid repeating the same thing over and over. I'm fighting for my life

Now, another important character to look at, who I think is severely overlooked, is Mami. She is a case in point when it comes to Geryon treating the people and especially the women around him as disposable. Mami's lines that so allude to motherhood and childbirth ("That child is still inside", EiGo TL) create a very convincing metaphor for a failed pregnancy. This reading ties back into the theory that Geryon and Mami were once in a relationship prior to the Incident and the creation of Atropos (which is fairly clearly hinted at, IMO, but some may disagree) that failed due to an inability to have children. Note that this would have been due to Geryon not being human, but the patriarchy traditionally blames women for fruitless marriages. Men are never at fault, in any situation, ever. In the Kamedoon arc, the consequences of whatever happened between her and Geryon weigh heavily on Mami. Geryon uses that to his advantage to sow discord and confusion in the Kongo Laboratory. Once again, he uses the bodies, emotions, and resources of women for the sake of achieving an ultimately extremely selfish goal. Geryon is a selfish man at his core, his wishes are selfish and he has a disturbing lack of interest in other people: this is clearly established from his very first appearance (ep16, he uses Lachesis's body for the Orochi Malgam. It hurts her, but he finds it rather amusing). If you think back to the Valvarad arc, the process of becoming a Malgam is extremely vulnerable: it's a breach of control over their bodies and selfhood. The patriarchy consistently exploits vulnerable people, overwhelmingly women, for the sake of diverting resistance and promoting infighting and confusion. This is true of many other oppressive establishments as well, if not all of them...