ONS spoilers, chapter 112, an analysis from a reader tired of Yuu's BS
Dude, WTF? WTF did I just read? I hope people that are reading this manga can realize Yuu's words and actions are NOT ok. Look, I'm the first one to raise the forgiveness flag, because I believe in the power of forgiveness. I've been taught to forgive since a very young age. However, what Yuu is doing by "forgiving Guren" is not in the slightest my conception of forgiveness. The power of forgiveness comes from realizing what the person did is terrible, horrible, but you decide to leave the hate outside and move forward. You decide not to dwell in the negative feelings and evolve. And that's also why just saying for a victim to "forgive" when the victim is not ready is so toxic. Very well. What I get is that Yuu is forgiving Guren because "Guren is family". This is BULLSHIT. I'm sorry, but it simply is.
Guren KILLED his family and then RAISED HIM, replacing the family figure in his life. This is SO FUCKED UP. I wish I had better words to describe it! Yeah, Yuu is the victim, but he CAN'T SEE IT. He NEEDS Guren so badly, he is willing to overlook the most absurd of things he's done. He NEEDS TO SAVE Guren so badly, he is willing to accept the most horrid things that man has done! This sounds like a severe case of codependency (+ emotional dependency). Actually, it screams stockholm syndrome ("Stockholm syndrome describes the psychological condition of a victim who identifies with and empathizes with their captor or abuser and their goals").
Yuu has a distorted conception of the term "family" and he's been using this to move forward. I get it. I can sympathize with this boy's long suffering. But it's SO tiring to see him stuck inside this abusive relationship, where he is willing to let people do with him what they please, as long as he is being useful. He is so empty inside, is so damn sad. I want to see him outgrow this, I want him to see that he has value no matter what the closest people to him think about him. And I definitely don't want to see him forgiving people just "because they are family". This is so triggering to me. It's suffocating seeing Yuu choosing this BS over and over again, that degrades him.
Yuu forgiving is not the problem, the problem are the circumstances and his motives. I still can't believe he forgave Guren after Guren sliced Mika in two and sent him (Yuu) into a spiral of despair to the point he didn't want to live anymore. Guren didn't save Yuu. He is the ultimate reason this boy suffered so much, and I don't care for Guren's reasons and explanations. I really don't. From my POV, he is NOTHING but an abuser. Guren may have developed feelings for Yuu, but that doesn't make this guy any good. You shouldn't stay with your abuser. You shouldn't forgive your abuser and stay by his side.
Yuu's character deserves better than this.
