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Thinkin about Ichi’s jail time and how he didn’t make any friends for the 18 years he was in there, while even Saejima made pals !!
I thought about this and beyond just it being a choice to not get entangled with MORE ally characters later, but it’s also got a narrative purpose? Ichi chooses isolation and austerity to serve his idea of debt, and it informs how he acts after he gets out imo
It’s striking that such a friendly empathetic guy has his own cell mates respond in fear when he suddenly moves to get a letter - he’s made a really uncharacteristic choice and stuck with it, choosing isolation, power, and reliance on no one (very Kiryu, very hmm Waka)
When he gets out, it’s Adachi who first chips away at this wall he built over 18 years, & after he gets shot, he hits “rock bottom” bc he realizes this whole lone wolf thing is a sham
He realizes with clarity that he’s raised up by community, by friends
He realizes with clarity that he’s raised up by community, by friends
Bc Nanba extended him empathy he gives back the same, and ofc because of his own nature he starts relating to the guys at the camp, the townspeople, his party, the people who were originally antagonists but now are his allies bc they recognized his incorruptible goodness
Imo because he himself made choices to be alone, he understands why it doesn’t work and how it can turn into self-harm and stagnation and at worst, disaster
He’s been at the worst end of it so he will do everything to help people out of it too
He’s been at the worst end of it so he will do everything to help people out of it too
what’s great is that he recognizes someone else’s lowest point is different from his, and he accepts that and gives himself to them to be at their side and support them through it
It’s why he forgives Masato on top of loving him, why he’s so desperate to show him what’s possible
It’s why he forgives Masato on top of loving him, why he’s so desperate to show him what’s possible
It’s fun to just call him a Good Boy, but he’s really nuanced in his emotional intelligence? Lots of ppl can be supportive but still have strings attached, or harbour condescension/disgust, but he doesn’t and that’s terrifying to people like Masato
Idk i think people can genuinely take some tips off this dude about what empathy really is and what is or isn’t platitudes, how you can be imperfect and rude to your friends but then apologise without hesitation and mean it because ultimately you care about their feelings
