#kedama

now if i’m not mistaken, emotional support animals aren’t officially recognized in Japan. but that doesn’t change that Kedama does for Mafuyu was an esa is meant to do, in multiple ways.

- Kedama provides Mafuyu with a reason to continue going. i don’t mean in a sense of life way, but in the way of Mafuyu needing a reason to get out of bed in the morning. a dog takes work, meaning their owner will have to take care of them. a person should neglect an animal, and Mafuyu does rise to Kedama’s needs, meaning he doesn’t keep in bed because of his depression

- Kedama provides a sense of routine - something important with emotional support animals is that they help a person with whatever they struggle with. for Mafuyu, that is depression and ptsd. as viewers, we see him struggle to get up and interact with the outside world. we see that he has extremely rough days. but Kedama can help provide a reason to at least get up to do one or two things. maybe Mafuyu only feeds Kedama some days because of his depression overwhelming him, but that is still something. i think it’s likely that Mafuyu does have a routine thanks to Kedama.

- Kedama, as much as he seems to love attention, also seems calm enough. an esa isn’t typically a super high energy dog. with Kedama, Mafuyu would have a little companion who wants attention and love, but not one who is all over the place. it would be very counterproductive for Mafuyu to have a high energy dog as that could possibly overwhelm him, while Kedama doesn’t do so. energy level is big with esa’s and i feel Kedama would fit what works, especially with Mafuyu

- also, Kedama is there with Mafuyu most of the time, not asking for attention, just happy to be there. this isn’t just the good times when Mafuyu is working on songs, but also the days where Mafuyu is struggling. now yeah, most animals are happy to be with their people, but not always as consistently or as peacefully as Kedama is. the calm energy that Kedama brings, just quiet support to Mafuyu, is just as important as how he creates a routine

- Mafuyu’s mom gave Kedama to Mafuyu on his birthday. she knew her son was struggling, as an attempt to cheer him up - Kedama! this means the whole point of Kedama was to cheer Mafuyu up - which is similar to the goal of an emotional support animal, though they’re typically mostly meant provide comfort and support more than just cheer. still, this intent and timing definitely makes it seem like Kedama is at least meant to be a support for livelihood for Mafuyu

so yeah, i definitely think that Kedama is meant to be an unofficial emotional support animal for Mafuyu. the boy struggles with depression and ptsd, it would make sense for him to have an esa, even if Kedama may not be officially recognized or trained.