Silver Mountain - Vol. 3 Ch. 28 - PART 3 - CHAPTER 16: Kotoyo ③
- Thread starter MangaDex
- Start date
Fed-Kun's army
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2025
- Messages
- 21
Holy fucking shit Fujita it's not even chapter 30
Okay, so, after a small bit of research it seems the "I am your captive." meaning of peach flowers comes from Victorian flower language, where it was meant as "I am completely infatuated with you."
However, as we saw last chapter, Kotoyo, Ginbei, and Hyoudou attribute the meaning of the flowers to Ginbei and Hyoudou, though Kotoyo asks if they can all be "unrivalled" together. Furthermore, Kotoyo talks of how she wants to take care of everything so Ginbei can focus on his own journey and was scared he might abandon his journey for her. With that in mind, and especially looking at how Hyoudou reacted, the real devastation was that Ginbei assumed he was holding Kotoyo captive in a sense (hence his constant apologies), but in reality she felt as though she was holding him captive from his own journey in a sense.
In this same chapter Kotoyo also says she and Ginbei are twin stars, which seems to say she saw how they both shared feelings and both saw each other as holding the other captive.
Side note, but I also just really love Hyoudou's reaction to the whole reveal. before he can even process everything and is still crying into the book, he's putting on his suit jacket to go see Ginbei. Plus he leaves as soon as he gives Ginbei the book, not letting himself even see Ginbei's reaction. I think it really goes to show the strength of their friendship beyond just the petty rivalry it may seem like on the surface, because if that was the case witnessing Ginbei's lowest moment would be an opportunity he wouldn't miss.
Okay, so, after a small bit of research it seems the "I am your captive." meaning of peach flowers comes from Victorian flower language, where it was meant as "I am completely infatuated with you."
However, as we saw last chapter, Kotoyo, Ginbei, and Hyoudou attribute the meaning of the flowers to Ginbei and Hyoudou, though Kotoyo asks if they can all be "unrivalled" together. Furthermore, Kotoyo talks of how she wants to take care of everything so Ginbei can focus on his own journey and was scared he might abandon his journey for her. With that in mind, and especially looking at how Hyoudou reacted, the real devastation was that Ginbei assumed he was holding Kotoyo captive in a sense (hence his constant apologies), but in reality she felt as though she was holding him captive from his own journey in a sense.
In this same chapter Kotoyo also says she and Ginbei are twin stars, which seems to say she saw how they both shared feelings and both saw each other as holding the other captive.
Side note, but I also just really love Hyoudou's reaction to the whole reveal. before he can even process everything and is still crying into the book, he's putting on his suit jacket to go see Ginbei. Plus he leaves as soon as he gives Ginbei the book, not letting himself even see Ginbei's reaction. I think it really goes to show the strength of their friendship beyond just the petty rivalry it may seem like on the surface, because if that was the case witnessing Ginbei's lowest moment would be an opportunity he wouldn't miss.
Last edited:
Group Leader
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2019
- Messages
- 127
There's a curious amount of superficial similarities between Kotoyo and Sa'ida. It was always sort of there with Kotoyo's line about not being able to lie, but this chapter solidifies it with the "captive" imagery, and Sa'ida's role in the world as a "captive" slave. On top of that, last chapter she also talked about the mountain he was metaphorically climbing, that's now real in the fairy world. To an extent I also think it can be an intentional parallel when she talked about the "weight" she carried for Gin, and Sa'ida's weight-based magic. Kotoyo used a different word than "weight" there (nimotsu which means baggage or emotional burden), I just used "weight" because it sounded natural and the parallel might be intended. Idk what Fujita is cooking with all this, like is the fairyland a mental dreamworld thing based on Gin's psyche??
Fed-Kun's army
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2025
- Messages
- 21
You could also make a line between Aty and Stekk's relationship with Sa'ida seeming to be abusive from the outside, but loving to all those involved, to Ginbei and Kotoyo's marriage I reckon. Especially with Ginbei "forcing the door open" on he and Kotoyo's marriage and Aty and Stekk breaking Sa'ida out of her cage, with both genuinely loving the people who did that for them and not wanting to hold them back.
It also goes to show Kotoyo wasn't too off base that Ginbei would sacrifice everything for her, because that is quite literally what Stekk did for Sa'ida. Which, Ginbei also listed Stekk's name first when telling Joffridd who he was representing when battling him, if that says anything about their proximity as characters.
Also if you go back to Chapter 1, Ginbei saying he wants to climb a mountain takes on a whole new meaning from last chapter, as now we know he isn't just yearning for the mountain in Helix, but is actually referring to what Kotoyo was talking about.
It also goes to show Kotoyo wasn't too off base that Ginbei would sacrifice everything for her, because that is quite literally what Stekk did for Sa'ida. Which, Ginbei also listed Stekk's name first when telling Joffridd who he was representing when battling him, if that says anything about their proximity as characters.
Also if you go back to Chapter 1, Ginbei saying he wants to climb a mountain takes on a whole new meaning from last chapter, as now we know he isn't just yearning for the mountain in Helix, but is actually referring to what Kotoyo was talking about.
Last edited:
Group Leader
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2019
- Messages
- 127
It's definitely directly quoted from Japanese sources, both definitions. Idk if there's a most-official translation but you'll find sites talking about it if you search "i am your captive"
Edit: here is one authoritative-looking source with both Japanese and some English on it. https://hananokotoba.com/peach/
Last edited:
I think its "captivation" and which when read literally in the Japanese it would become that. Which 99% of the time with fucking flowers it would be obviously to be interpreted romantically like "I'm crazy about you", as that's what one uses flowers for and Kiyoko was saying that she was crazy for him enough to be fine about him being shitty husband. But two martial artists can't be faulted for be romance-language tarded I suppose
Fed-Kun's army
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2025
- Messages
- 21
Judging from Gin and Sa'ida's reaction I don't think either of them interpreted the flower as Kotoyo saying "I am being held captive against my will by you Gin, I hate you" or anything like that. Especially with Gin apologizing their entire marriage for feeling he forced Kotoyo into things.
Obviously the original meaning is meant to mean captivation, yes, but "I am your captive" is an actual phrase used to mean that in the Victorian language of flowers the meaning comes from. But I don't think Fujita's use of the meaning to refer to captivity is a mistake or mistranslation on his part. Because as we see at the end of the arc (since this is a thread for Chapter 28 I'll spoiler it),
But the immediate assumption is Kotoyo sending some final "fuck you" to Gin with the language of the flower's definition, but context in every other thing regarding Kotoyo and Gin we see shows that isn't the case, which I think makes this all work quite well.
Obviously the original meaning is meant to mean captivation, yes, but "I am your captive" is an actual phrase used to mean that in the Victorian language of flowers the meaning comes from. But I don't think Fujita's use of the meaning to refer to captivity is a mistake or mistranslation on his part. Because as we see at the end of the arc (since this is a thread for Chapter 28 I'll spoiler it),
Sa'ida repeats Kotoyo's own behavior, where she gives her entire life up to Gin without him knowing. And Gin accepts the terms not knowing what they really mean.
In short, Gin is the captive in this situation. The flower's meaning of "unrivalled" was first attributed to Gin, meaning the other meaning naturally would be what Kotoyo really meant to attribute to Gin. Especially with Kotoyo's talk about how she fears Gin will throw away everything for her and she doesn't want that. She loves Gin, and his journey, yet considers herself a liability to that. As such, she thinks she is holding him back, and thus holding him captive. So every time Gin apologized to her now becomes reframed as him exhibiting the exact behavior Kotoyo worried about rather than him trying to make up, all because he didn't understand her true feelings. But now that he does, and has gotten over the immediate grief of understanding how mistaken he was, can see how beuatiful her feelings towards him were. Hence why he and Sa'ida talk about Kotoyo's feeling the way they do before Gin is about to sacrifice himself for Sa'ida (exactly like Kotoyo worried he would, notably).
In short, Gin is the captive in this situation. The flower's meaning of "unrivalled" was first attributed to Gin, meaning the other meaning naturally would be what Kotoyo really meant to attribute to Gin. Especially with Kotoyo's talk about how she fears Gin will throw away everything for her and she doesn't want that. She loves Gin, and his journey, yet considers herself a liability to that. As such, she thinks she is holding him back, and thus holding him captive. So every time Gin apologized to her now becomes reframed as him exhibiting the exact behavior Kotoyo worried about rather than him trying to make up, all because he didn't understand her true feelings. But now that he does, and has gotten over the immediate grief of understanding how mistaken he was, can see how beuatiful her feelings towards him were. Hence why he and Sa'ida talk about Kotoyo's feeling the way they do before Gin is about to sacrifice himself for Sa'ida (exactly like Kotoyo worried he would, notably).
But the immediate assumption is Kotoyo sending some final "fuck you" to Gin with the language of the flower's definition, but context in every other thing regarding Kotoyo and Gin we see shows that isn't the case, which I think makes this all work quite well.
Similar threads
