Springdation

Sotsu Tatariakashi is such a deeply relatable and resonant arc. It’s really interesting to me. Teppei tries to become a better person for Satoko’s sake even though his motive for doing so is a fundamentally selfish one (not wanting to die a pathetic death alone without anyone by his side), which is why he takes it upon himself to try to atone for his wrongdoings and become someone she can genuinely consider family. But the reality is that none of this is enough to erase the severe consequences his abuse had on her so the climax of the arc being Satoko coming to the painful realization that no matter how lonely she feels deep down and how much guilt she feels for going this far to obtain her “perfect world” (which isn’t helped by the fact that she’s presented with this extremely cruel and seemingly perfect what if situation that she cannot bring herself to let go of her goals for and embrace because of her trauma) she really can’t move past his abuse and the resentment therein, which is why she shoots him in the head and bashes his corpse in one of the most emotionally cathartic moments in the series. Like taking everything literally, it’s Satoko committing murder by shooting Teppei in the head, which is of course damaging. But looking at it more allegorically, it’s like if Satoko imagined a world where she shoots her abuser in the head because even if he’s changed she still hates him and can’t forgive him for everything he’s done. This is very understandable and she’s very valid for feeling this way, but this still traumatizes her and she has to kill her emotions to be able to handle it. I don’t really consider Teppei much of a character even in the context of Gou/Sotsu even though I get the angle of everyone being capable of becoming better - I see him as more of a symbol of what Eua is putting Satoko through, and as a symbol of the conflicting wants and needs of children like Satoko are going through when trying to cope with the reality of abuse.