Amane and Fuuta’s dynamic is very interesting to me because I believe it’s just as wholesome as it is fucked up. There is genuine care in their relationship just as well as there is the codependency and self-gratification through the means of each other. It’s intriguing to see a complicated dynamic between an adult and child (an adult man and a girl, no less) that is neither a heartwarming found-family or predatory.
One of the most blatant facts is that Fuuta’s victim is a young girl and so the reassurance and forgiveness of Amane, a girl the same age as whom he killed, is immediately his “saving grace.” Fuuta has been desperate for reassurance to quell his guilt ridden thoughts for a while, refusing to speak the truth of the situation even to himself because it was too much to bear. It’s no wonder that his desperation latched onto Amane and chose to get indoctrinated so quickly; because the forgiveness and help of a little girl was the only thing to, in his words, “save” him.
Fuuta continues to place Amane in his mind as some divine authority, which stems his codependency on her. An adult man taking this solace in a little girl for the emotional benefit of his own is inherently an unhealthy dynamic with an automatic power imbalance.
Fuuta running to the torn flags in his T3 music video show that it is a form of escapism to him whilst not fully subscribing to Amane’s beliefs. Despite not actually fully indoctrinated, he still follows her every word even though he’s fully aware it’s harmful. It’s important to note that he puts so much of this dependency or belief in her that he was technically complicit in the murder of shidou. He is aware of this and admits he knew of it. It just goes to say how far of this *need* to believe in her can go.
Amane talks very maturely and while her world is still within the cult’s grip she understands her own emotions and other’s emotions very well. She takes on this role of almost an adult comforting someone. Her want to “save” Fuuta is not manipulative or in any way, it’s her only way of knowing how to help someone. Fuuta accepting this help that stems from the cult’s beliefs is morally gray to me. I think it can be beneficial to have Amane see that she can truly help someone through her slowly growing new ways of thinking, but on the other end full acceptance of things that lead to the demise of others is damaging.
With all of this said, I also don’t see this as entirely a harmful dynamic. I do think they can help each other. I do believe Fuuta can help Amane in some way, and I do think he *wants* to as well. I don’t see his intentions, despite them spawning from selfish reason, as entirely impure. In the environment they are in that is MILGRAM, no dynamic can be ideal or healthy. But they can offer moments of hope and care which is exactly what they offer each other, even if it’s not under the best circumstances.
Fuuta does not latch onto Amane’s gratitude as a way to further refuse responsibility for his actions. This is the most important part to me about this, that he isn’t using her or the cult to forgive himself. His beliefs in the cult itself is shallow because he is really standing by Amane’s side, not the cult’s. It is still a grave mistake of his to escalate and support Amane’s harmful beliefs no matter the cost, but at the same time, Amane needs someone that believes in her. Not the same beliefs in the cult, but belief that she can be someone that helps people, that can bring joy, and that can change. To have someone standing by her side and that genuinely cares. It says a lot that Fuuta wants to see Amane start over while he thinks it’s too late for him. It’s no longer just self benefit. He gained a new perspective through her.
TLDR that i think Fuuta and Amane’s dynamic is inherently a little fucked up and unhealthy due to circumstance and environment but that they still do and can provide each other with beneficial hope in a desperate situation and genuine love and care and that’s what makes them interesting
