I disagree with the mother's conclusion. She is observing actions without context. Bullying requires power, so a bully always has other options. Someone starving to death has no power and should be forgiven. I think moralizing without understand power leads to shallow conclusions.
Ooh there are more things in this!
They flirt so much more in this, and I thought that the anime had a lot. Like, it's platonic flirting, but I'd get embarrassed if even my closest friends told me I was beautiful to my face in all those ways