Blood on the Tracks - Vol. 9 Ch. 73 - Questioning (1)

[checkmy4]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6AoK6-zeTQ theme of this chapter

 

[Sonaldo]

First thing first, Shigeru and his mother deserved what happened. I really hope Seichi and his mom get away scot free. Overprotective? Like hell she is. I really think the whole family have been mentally abusing Seichi and his mom while his no good dad just laughed it all away and taking his family side. 😤Shigeru should've died from the fall. It was his fault anyway. For all we know, there was never a push or anything. Seichi just imagined everything due to his mother overprotectivenes, caused by a certain incident in the past.

 

[A-tan]

It always seemed to me that Shigeru (as well as Seichi), didnt particularly like the idea of being forced to hang out together in a restrictive environment (Seichi's house instead of them being being able to go out and socialize like normal kids), which would lead him to tease Seichi a lot in an attempt to ease things out. However Seichi wasnt really fond of that, yet like his mom, didnt do shit about it.

Because nothing was done to address these tensions properly on both ends, things went to shit.

I think the mom has some serious issues, and because nothing was done to deal with those feelings she apparently always had, she ended up basically dumping her crap on her own kid. Even If Shigeru was a bit of a dipshit, It doesn't really justify pushing him off a fucking cliff ffs. There are better ways to handle those things, and above all else, SHE IS THE ADULT.

So far im glad Seichi is voicing all these things he thinks were going on. While is true his mom seems to have always been miserable with her life in general, he shouldnt feel responsable because he is a literal child. Hopefully the cops pick on the weird undertones and justice is served.

 

[1kken]

It's crazy how people are okay with murder as a justifiable retaliation(not even defense) for bullying. Where do anyone get off saying "they hurt my feelings, so I'll get my revenge with blood". If the mother truly felt shit was that terrible then she should've just cut ties with them. That's what you do as an adult. You don't just sit there and take abuse with a smile on your face, you confront it or leave it behind. She did neither and forced her son into the same situation. Instead of having him become something better than her, she just dragged him down with her.

While no one should perform to anyone's "standards" she was clearly an overprotective mother. Not just the cliff incident. But, Seichi seemed to have been completely smothered by her never allowing him to develop and experience anything outside his mother's acceptance. So, yeah I can't blame the rest of the family for calling her out on that weird shit. The family, that's tried to confront this kinds of stuff in the past decided to go the shame route to "fix" Seichi. Obviously that just made it worse, since Seichi could only interpret this as bullying him and the only person who "truly cares" about him.

I empathize with her and I can't wait for her to go to jail. Unfortunately, she has already burned so many bridges for Seichi that I hope he can find his own way somewhere else. The father can also fuck himself for never supporting his family beyond his paycheck.

 

[Tacticisacting]

People in the comments really justifying the actions of the mother, crazy shit...

On the other hand, i totally get how taxing being a relationship you don't want to be in is, especially with a partner who lacks empathy and understands nothing. Japan's houswife culture just adds on to that. I'd really like some backstory about the marriage to smooth out the story.

 

[A-tan]

@Tacticisacting Me too but so far I think she agreed to marry him in hopes she wouldnt feel so much like crap? When she takes Seichi to this place she used to frequent when she was younger, is implied she always felt unsatisfied with life and hated everything and everyone who wasn't as unhappy as she was, yet she ends up becoming the thing she hated. Hopefully we get some backstory but I'm willing to think she got to a point where she just went along with social expectations, married some guy and then had Seichi who was the first person she could pour affection to.

Oh and wtf happened with that white cat Seichi dreamt so much about.

And yeah is kinda funny how people take Seichi's misguided perception as an absolute truth lol Kid's damaged by all he is been through, at this point I think he is seeing what he wants to see. He wasn't happy either but was even more affected by knowing his mommy dearest wasnt either. Even now he is trying to protect her by making pretty bold claims.

 

[walczyk]

@Sonaldo you are trolling dude. This manga didn't start start last week, everyone knows how abusive the mother is.

 

[A-tan]

I got curious and re-read the chapter where they all go hiking together: My suspicions were true. Seichi is letting his personal grudges cloud his judgement (or the manipulation of his mother, for that matter). He claims they always favored Shigeru, but all Shigeru did was go and compliment their grandfather, humoring him and as a result getting one of the hiking sticks he had for the ocassion. Most likely, If Seichi had asked or done the same thing, his grandpa would have gave him one just as easily. Additionally, he seems to completely forget that his grandmother asked him if he was faring well during the hiking. If nobody gave a shit about him, this wouldnt have been the case. Seichi is biased.

Also, he says that while Shigeru got the "super duper hiking pole", "they" (as in his family in this context), gave him a shitty stick. And the truth is, Shigeru gives him one, clearly out of consideration. He asks Seichi to come along with him, helps him out and gives him the stick to help him during the hike. Is interesting to note that before that, Shigeru seemly is aware of what his mother thinks of Seichi's situation and his relationship with his mother, which leads to him bringing this up to Seichi but backing right up when he sees he is not getting the response he was expecting (Seichi gets defensive instead of thinking about it for a minute).

While Seiko stated she was never happy with the idea of living a family life (as in, having "strangers" come into her home all the time and her having to put on a good housewife act when she didnt want to), and how these tensions started to build up to the point she felt a grudge so big she pushed her nephew off a cliff (srly wtf), It also makes me wonder how much of Shigeru's actions were influenced by his own mom. Did he act the way he did towards Seichi, as a way to try and have him realize he needed to be more independent from his mom? Did he do it because in his own household that was deemed acceptable or his mom encouraged his behavior??? Questions, so many questions.

 

[1kken]

@A-tan you're absolutely right and it shows how perspective can really shift how ones actions can be interpreted. "Playing the Victim" is a real thing and when you've been made to believe that you(or your mother) is the victim then anything short of constant praise is seen has an attack. He's unable to see that maybe him and his mother's outlook might need some updating. It's "wrong" from him to have to live his life to everyone else's standards, but if everyone seems to be "normal", maybe his outlook needs some updating.

 

[A-tan]

@1kken Is honestly really interesting to analyse, or just to think about. I think Seichi is clearly insecure, specially of his cousin whom he thought everyone liked better. But I think he just envied how easily he could communicate his wants and needs, something his own mother never really allowed him to do since she is always been wiping his ass instead of letting her kid have some autonomy (I mean he is almost in high school and she still goes to wake up him every morning like he is 5? Lady please. It also doesn't seem she has him do chores around the house, not even something simple like cleaning his own dishes).

The thing is, because his mom has been basically smoothering him all his life as a way for herself to cope with how much she didnt like her current life, Seichi ended up only siding with her and her views. When anyone, even a member of his own family, questions his situation, Seichi flips out. And through all of this he is always noted his mom seemed off when dealing with their extended family. Like this, is very hard for him to have any sort of critical thinking. Even when that girl he likes brings these things to the table, is more like she drags him along. Seichi barely has a decisive bone in his body. And yes he goes back home despite his mother emotionally abusing him after he does, but then again they are both children so is not like they could have gone too far in life if they did run away together

Anyways, I think Shigeru did try to reach Seichi the best he could. But it all backfired horribly with the whole crazy aunt shit going on. Also the whole thing of him being a child too, so I don't exactly expect him to be an expert in how to handle the weird shit of having a controlling parent like that.

 

[Sonaldo]

@walczyk
Like I said in the comment, nothing is certain. How do we know the mother is abusing him when everything has been shown through his POV? Even the pushing incident was told only from his POV. Idk man. Maybe my comment was overboard but tell me again how certain are you that the mother abused Seichi? Hell, we dont even know what happened with the cat. Perhaps he's the one with issues and the mother tried her best to protect him because of it. It will be one heck of a twist right?

 

[A-tan]

@Sonaldo Actually, now that you bring that incident that is keeping all of us curious: back when he dreams of it and tells his mom about it, she is unusually happy. Not only because he remembered something when he was like 2 years old, but because to her it held some sort of hidden significance. Mind you this is all about a dead animal, not exactly a topic any normal parent would be happy their child remembers. And there's the weird implication she throws Seichi's way when she asks him why he thinks the cat died, to which he is like "idk maybe got hit by a car or smth", which in turn makes her lose her initial uhh weird happy, creepy face.

I don't think the whole story is messed up to the point you imply though. I think is only the case when It comes to Seichi trying to remember things that eventually get corrupted by the memory of his mother. The twist we have all been suspecting may turn out to be true, but we won't find out until the end I guess.

So far It is true that his mom has been emotionally abusive towards him. This is not up for debate, is a fact that we literally see when Seichi fails to live up to her expectations. Is also true there are things wrong with her. Also the whole "the ultimate toxic parent" that the author put in one of the chapters lmao.

So really, there is barely room for trying to say she is not an asshole when she clearly is. She emotionally abused and manipulated her child to fit into this weird idea she had of how everyone else but her and her son are outsiders, because she apparently felt unsatisfied with life in general.

At least for me? 100% certain she abused Seichi. You know, because she actually did. And we see it and all.

 

[Sonaldo]

@A-tan
Sure we see it but from whose POV? Even in your comment you stated how much Seichi exaggerated his experience while hiking with Shigeru was. What if he exaggerated his experience with his mother as well? Using that to shield his insecurity and low self esteem? Honestly I'm really expecting that twist now. The mother has been painted as the villain in the manga since the first chapter. The author also has a knack for making kids that look innocent into someone with twisted personality. I realized this when reading Aku no Hana. What if the real villain (going overboard here but you get my point) is Seichi? On another note, the whole manga was told from Seichi POV. And remember the incident involving his friends when they tried to 'mess up' his hair? How do you explain that?

 

[A-tan]

@Sonaldo We see ONE instance of Seichi being biased when recalling something because of his feelings and you inmediately assume the entire story is whack?? Umm I dont buy it.

Anyways, dude, im not going to explain the entire manga to you. Just go and read it again. The deal with his friends is pretty clear.

 

[Sonaldo]

@A-tan
"The deal with his friends is pretty clear."
Well tell me then cause nothing is clear about it.

 

[A-tan]

Obvious troll is obvious...

 

[Sawa-Sama]

I can´t wait to the next chapter this is getting more and more interesting!!!!!!

 

[hotjoemama]

finally kudos for our boy to be able to vent it all out :'D

 

[Wow_ie]

God i hope these police officers realise done shitty stuff has been happening to him!!

 

[Chair_6010]

Man I can’t stop reading this