The villagers are also part of the village, and a big part at that. The village as an order is maintained by the people there, and admittedly the people there are the ones who created the order in the first place. Even if probably the authorities are the ones who directly created the order, people with more inferior positions also contribute to that same order. So I understand that line of thinking. The village can only be called alive if the people there are still alive and continue to contribute to the order after all. Speaking about system/order, I think his resentment towards it is mainly caused by his feeling helplessness at not being able to be accepted as he is, even if he honestly wants to contribute to it as other people do. What he wants is to contribute his own way, according to his own conscience (latest Seishin chapter). Not only is he not accepted, he's also not understood. He feels isolated, and, seeing those people who can fit in more will probably make him envious. Those are people who have what he wishes to have. Those same people also cannot understand him and judge him for being what he is.
If I were in his position I'd also likely be confused about the whole killing Shiki. Like, I think Seishin, Natsuno and others too will have easier time dealing with it if Shiki are just like mindless zombies. Staking them wouldn't feel like killing a human being. But instead, Shiki have conscience exactly like a human being, and a person they know at that. To a lot of people, doing something to them will exactly feel like doing something to a living human being. Seishin also acknowledges them being a Shiki (something different, sinful perhaps) is not because they choose to. He'll probably see them as just living up to their identity, and why should they be punished for doing something they can't not do? He probably relates to the Shiki somehow.
(Not that I agree with this line of thinking if that's what he actually thinks, since I believe Shiki doesn't have to actually kill people and they can leave their victims alive if they actually make effort to -- but Shiki are ordered to kill the villagers by the Kirishikis and they probably don't have choices and yeah, it's confusing. It's good that the villagers have Toshio here, really)
In my opinion it's mainly the matter of emotional attachment. I don't want to hold a competition of 'who loves the other more' between those two (since people have their own idea about how love should be expressed), but from the way I see it it's like: -Seishin: Toshio is my friend and I like him a lot and I desire his presence a lot and I want to help him whenever I can but mostly I'm on my own and unattached to anyone specifically -Toshio: me and Seishin are partners. Seishin, we are in this together. Seishin, we have to do this. (To everyone) when Seishin and me get together, you don't know what we might be plotting! (Excuse me, those are YOUR plots, not his) Now I'm wondering if to Seishin, Toshio is just like the villagers in general (just a person from Sotoba) whom, even if he loves dearly, he wants to be relieved from for many reasons. While for Toshio, I think it's just because Toshio loves him dearly and actually wants to be together with him (as partners. Well, platonic partners).
I think Toshio does notice about Seishin being 'off', but I sometimes wonder about him doing nothing about it. I dunno, but I think it kinda seems like Toshio doesn't really care? I'm not even talking about possible romantic attraction, but just about Toshio caring about Seishin as true individual. Meaning, an individual that doesn't always yield to him, that has his own conscience and doesn't always want to meet his expectation. Seishin being 'off' isn't only about his suicide attempt too. It extends to anything there is about him. Toshio is his closest friend for decades, who's observed him a lot but... when he notices him being off or anything, why does he stay quiet? Why doesn't he try to, dunno, talk to him or anything? As long as you're not being judgmental first, Seishin is actually quite open. If he's truly only noticed it after finding out about his suicide attempt, when he's spent 18 years at least (without 2 years of uni, Seishin's attempt was when he was around 20) with Seishin, I'm kinda afraid it's because he's being purposefully ignorant. Then he continues to be kinda is years down the road. Not saying that he does it out of malice, but what's on my mind is to Toshio, to someone as demanding as Toshio, he'd probably think that the Seishin he wants to have on his side is the one who yields to him. Just like what the whole Sotoba wants from him -- the one that meets their expectation, not the real him! So, what I'm thinking is, he purposefully keeps quiet about it not only because he doesn't get Seishin, but he doesn't try to, probably he doesn't really want to try to, because then it'd mean acknowledging the real Seishin that follows his own self and not Toshio. The real Seishin who likely wants to just get out.
But I wonder if I'm being too harsh. Then again, even Seishin doesn't really get Toshio. They have personalities so different it's just hard for them to actually get one another. However, Toshio has never been 'weird' the way Seishin is. Toshio probably just leaves Seishin to his own devices because he knows Seishin isn't really the type to open up. As someone who's equally that closed up, it admittedly annoys me when people pressure me too much for information. People closest to me (my family) also leave me alone most of the time, probably because they know they don't exactly have any right to force me or anything. They do however, wish that I would open up more, and they love me more than anyone ever does. They only chide me at most when my being closed up poses as actual problem (like if it could harm my academic progress or health). So I wonder if Toshio is just being like my family. He probably knows how important it is for Seishin to internalize stuffs first. Usually, people who tend to leave others to internalize are the ones who also internalize their problems. My parents are the same (my sister not really, which is probably why she's more vocal about my being closed up). Toshio, while being extroverted and all, actually does internalize some important stuffs.
However, my fear still stands remembering the metaphor Toshio = Sotoba. So I'd like to discuss it more, especially since I know Toshio has the potential to be controlling. He's actually went to some lengths to keep Seishin by his side to support him too.
Oh, I think Toshio is already quite needy about Seishin. About not wanting to share Seishin with other people; as I've mentioned in my last reply, I think Toshio isn't in a position where he'd feel 'threatened' by other people (and he remains in the dark about Seishin's growing attachment to Sunako, lol) that he'd make a fuss about it. He already got the biggest share of Seishin if you ask me. I think he'd also overlook casual friends because they're casual and Seishin has a job where he serves people. About asking for verbal confirmation if he is indeed in love with Seishin; their dynamic hasn't changed at all since they were kids when they obviously hadn't developed any hypothetical feelings. Seishin has always helped him and visited him at night since he was kid, and because he does the same as adult, Toshio would probably think that there's no reason for Seishin to develop romantic feelings. Not to mention he doesn't know if Seishin is into guys or not. He'd probably also feel that if he acts upon it, it could affect their cherished friendship in a bad way. I think he'll want to hear something like that, but unless he's sure their friendship will not be ruined and he already knows Seishin reciprocates, I think he'll be more subtle about it. Actually, even if Toshio doesn't like him that way, I still think he'd want to hear those words from Seishin.
Since Shiki novel is old (published in 1998, reprinted in the 2000s) I don't think people in Japan especially remember much about the novel, sooo I don't think there have been novel interviews these past few years. And to be honest I don't think she wants to deal with all the shipping hype, since she did say she couldn't handle it. I figure it'll be easier to avoid it rather than saying anything that would attract attention.
We definitely do! But I'm also wondering if prooooooobably I better contribute more. I'm much too cautious that I'd probably end up not doing anything tho. I still think I don't understand Seishin and Toshio enough to write about them.
8D
If I were in his position I'd also likely be confused about the whole killing Shiki. Like, I think Seishin, Natsuno and others too will have easier time dealing with it if Shiki are just like mindless zombies. Staking them wouldn't feel like killing a human being. But instead, Shiki have conscience exactly like a human being, and a person they know at that. To a lot of people, doing something to them will exactly feel like doing something to a living human being. Seishin also acknowledges them being a Shiki (something different, sinful perhaps) is not because they choose to. He'll probably see them as just living up to their identity, and why should they be punished for doing something they can't not do? He probably relates to the Shiki somehow.
(Not that I agree with this line of thinking if that's what he actually thinks, since I believe Shiki doesn't have to actually kill people and they can leave their victims alive if they actually make effort to -- but Shiki are ordered to kill the villagers by the Kirishikis and they probably don't have choices and yeah, it's confusing. It's good that the villagers have Toshio here, really)
In my opinion it's mainly the matter of emotional attachment. I don't want to hold a competition of 'who loves the other more' between those two (since people have their own idea about how love should be expressed), but from the way I see it it's like:
-Seishin: Toshio is my friend and I like him a lot and I desire his presence a lot and I want to help him whenever I can but mostly I'm on my own and unattached to anyone specifically
-Toshio: me and Seishin are partners. Seishin, we are in this together. Seishin, we have to do this. (To everyone) when Seishin and me get together, you don't know what we might be plotting! (Excuse me, those are YOUR plots, not his)
Now I'm wondering if to Seishin, Toshio is just like the villagers in general (just a person from Sotoba) whom, even if he loves dearly, he wants to be relieved from for many reasons. While for Toshio, I think it's just because Toshio loves him dearly and actually wants to be together with him (as partners. Well, platonic partners).
I think Toshio does notice about Seishin being 'off', but I sometimes wonder about him doing nothing about it. I dunno, but I think it kinda seems like Toshio doesn't really care? I'm not even talking about possible romantic attraction, but just about Toshio caring about Seishin as true individual. Meaning, an individual that doesn't always yield to him, that has his own conscience and doesn't always want to meet his expectation. Seishin being 'off' isn't only about his suicide attempt too. It extends to anything there is about him. Toshio is his closest friend for decades, who's observed him a lot but... when he notices him being off or anything, why does he stay quiet? Why doesn't he try to, dunno, talk to him or anything? As long as you're not being judgmental first, Seishin is actually quite open. If he's truly only noticed it after finding out about his suicide attempt, when he's spent 18 years at least (without 2 years of uni, Seishin's attempt was when he was around 20) with Seishin, I'm kinda afraid it's because he's being purposefully ignorant. Then he continues to be kinda is years down the road. Not saying that he does it out of malice, but what's on my mind is to Toshio, to someone as demanding as Toshio, he'd probably think that the Seishin he wants to have on his side is the one who yields to him. Just like what the whole Sotoba wants from him -- the one that meets their expectation, not the real him! So, what I'm thinking is, he purposefully keeps quiet about it not only because he doesn't get Seishin, but he doesn't try to, probably he doesn't really want to try to, because then it'd mean acknowledging the real Seishin that follows his own self and not Toshio. The real Seishin who likely wants to just get out.
But I wonder if I'm being too harsh. Then again, even Seishin doesn't really get Toshio. They have personalities so different it's just hard for them to actually get one another. However, Toshio has never been 'weird' the way Seishin is. Toshio probably just leaves Seishin to his own devices because he knows Seishin isn't really the type to open up. As someone who's equally that closed up, it admittedly annoys me when people pressure me too much for information. People closest to me (my family) also leave me alone most of the time, probably because they know they don't exactly have any right to force me or anything. They do however, wish that I would open up more, and they love me more than anyone ever does. They only chide me at most when my being closed up poses as actual problem (like if it could harm my academic progress or health). So I wonder if Toshio is just being like my family. He probably knows how important it is for Seishin to internalize stuffs first. Usually, people who tend to leave others to internalize are the ones who also internalize their problems. My parents are the same (my sister not really, which is probably why she's more vocal about my being closed up). Toshio, while being extroverted and all, actually does internalize some important stuffs.
However, my fear still stands remembering the metaphor Toshio = Sotoba. So I'd like to discuss it more, especially since I know Toshio has the potential to be controlling. He's actually went to some lengths to keep Seishin by his side to support him too.
Oh, I think Toshio is already quite needy about Seishin. About not wanting to share Seishin with other people; as I've mentioned in my last reply, I think Toshio isn't in a position where he'd feel 'threatened' by other people (and he remains in the dark about Seishin's growing attachment to Sunako, lol) that he'd make a fuss about it. He already got the biggest share of Seishin if you ask me. I think he'd also overlook casual friends because they're casual and Seishin has a job where he serves people. About asking for verbal confirmation if he is indeed in love with Seishin; their dynamic hasn't changed at all since they were kids when they obviously hadn't developed any hypothetical feelings. Seishin has always helped him and visited him at night since he was kid, and because he does the same as adult, Toshio would probably think that there's no reason for Seishin to develop romantic feelings. Not to mention he doesn't know if Seishin is into guys or not. He'd probably also feel that if he acts upon it, it could affect their cherished friendship in a bad way. I think he'll want to hear something like that, but unless he's sure their friendship will not be ruined and he already knows Seishin reciprocates, I think he'll be more subtle about it. Actually, even if Toshio doesn't like him that way, I still think he'd want to hear those words from Seishin.
Since Shiki novel is old (published in 1998, reprinted in the 2000s) I don't think people in Japan especially remember much about the novel, sooo I don't think there have been novel interviews these past few years. And to be honest I don't think she wants to deal with all the shipping hype, since she did say she couldn't handle it. I figure it'll be easier to avoid it rather than saying anything that would attract attention.
We definitely do! But I'm also wondering if prooooooobably I better contribute more. I'm much too cautious that I'd probably end up not doing anything tho. I still think I don't understand Seishin and Toshio enough to write about them.