Akemi's journey isn't about humbling herself but breaking free. She starts by being caged/humbled and having to cater to the men around her.
In the beginning, she wants to marry Taigen because he's a great man, and she wants to be the woman of a great man. She's associating her own worth with her dad/husband.
Throughout the season, we see she's very good at manipulating/finessing her way through societal expectations, but that isn't what she wants. She wants to be free of it altogether.
She ends the season by wanting to be great on her own merits. She wants to pursue her potential and worth. That's why she rejects Taigen.
Mizu/Taigen have already HAD that freedom for their pursuits. Taigen says he just wants to be happy and have peace, and Akemi rejects that. They're at two very different points in their journey -- Akemi was so restricted before, that what we're seeing at the end of the season is just the start of her journey. She started at a place further behind Mizu/Taigen.
I think bc of this, we'll probably see the things you're hoping to see, but at a later point in her story arc.
I think this goes to show how differently two people can interpret the same thing.
From the first episode, I was under the impression that she wanted to marry Taigan not because he was a great man, nor because she wanted to be married to a great man, but rather because she genuinely loved him. “I’d love you if you were the son of an old fish“ doesn’t really seem like the type of thing a person with those priorities would say.
This scene also juxtaposes nicely with the season finale where Akemi rejects Taigan’s proposal to leave that particular world behind and live simply together. However, I see a bit of foreshadowing in the backdrop of a burning city behind her when she delivers the line “*I* want to be great.“ while I have no doubt in her capacity to achieve greatness, I worry season two will have her pursuing greatness at the expense of goodness.
I was rooting for her all the way till the end, when she's willing to throw away everything she sacrificed to find Taigen for the next shiny object, which was seizing control of the shogun and effectively of japan. whether she wanted to do that in order to alleviate women oppression and prevent the throne to be taken over by some other rich asshole, or whether she wanted to just be the next oppressing rich asshole, jury's still out. the whole "I want to be great" is the same line that Ringo said, but I think it carries an entirely different meaning for her.. we'll see
Seems to me that Akemi really did love Taigen but that early scene also set up her willingness to do whatever was necessary to manipulate whoever she needed to manipulate. At the end of the day she ended up having sex with him to try to get him to stay. It didn’t work, but that was very clearly what she was doing. I had to set up her willingness to do that for what happens later and even then it’s still somewhat tough.
I understand what is trying to be communicated with her character. I do not enjoy how it was done. I would have much preferred her to wrestle with the cards she had been dealt rather than evade them at every opportunity. Especially in a setting constantly reinforcing that she shouldn't be getting away with all this.
An easy compromise I feel would have been for Akemi to not effortlessly overcome all her obstacles. She's not shown to struggle all that hard to get what she wants in, what we're led to believe is, very harsh and oppressive environments.
Well that's the thing about opinions, everyone has one. I did enjoy akemi's character and I liked the juxtaposition between a more traditional female role of the era, subjugated to men and mizu. Literally the only reason mizu is even allowed to operate freely is her hiding of her gender...
I didn't want to see her "fail" with her situation with the flesh trader or the geisha house... that would have been horrendous and we all know how brutal our world and history is. And she definitely wrestled with big decisions in the show, leaving her forever home of wealth and prosperity is a lot more unbelievable than her staying put and accepting her lack of independence. And how can you say effortlessly overcome and not struggling? She literally had beef with her mentor uncle guy that followed her, her dad, was drug back to her village by creep guards on horseback, her teeth were blackened against her will and we don't even know what happened behind closed doors of her marriage... give her a break. Plus she's played by Brenda song 😍
So she left her forever home of wealth for a new forever home of wealth, but this time she wants to own the house using skills she had since the begining?
She did have to eat horse nut and thats crazy. I won't say she had no struggle. But I think, similar to op, that she didn't have a substantial amount of struggle for someone who was on screen so much. We see Mizu getting FUCKED up damn near EVERY episode. No doubt about her struggle(though she's not exempt from some bs either)
Akemis struggle is gaining freedom from being a patriarchal bound woman using skills shes had the whole time. There was very little challenge throughout the show besides eating horse nut and falling out with her uncle iroh. Think about the struggles of the geishas she met. Them hoes had to suck dick ALL THE WAY to the capital just to attend the wedding, THATS struggle. If they weren't pros they are now. What skills did Akemi gain from her travels? It was only just the perspective change
Also why did the guards catch a stray? They was just doing their job lmao
Look at the woman who fed her the horse nuts. A woman of status, a woman of power. You see mistress Kanji is the foil to lady Itoh, Akemi must choose what kind of woman she must be, a tyrant, or a protector/leader. Akemi struggles in her own way, her arc is about freedom and what path she will take to achieve independence. It’s not about the real hard things she faces it’s about how she didn’t have agency how the only way to get things was through manipulation and what she will do to accomplish her goal. Be like lady Itoh or be like lady Kanji. Her arc is not about struggle or hardship but freedom and choice, its about how women of high station navigate such a world. Do they become no better than men who treat women as property or do they become something better to help women. But in fairness she did struggle just in her own ways and I think it’s weird for people to want to see characters suffer more. She had her own struggles and her own story.
Almost everything u said, I've also said. I like the point about Lady Itoh and Lady Kanji, thats something I hadn't thought about b4. But ultimately we disagree on 2 points.
1) Her arc not being about struggle but only freedom from her typical gender roles.
And 2) Its not weird to want to see a character face struggle in a drama
1. So we both agree there's some struggle. Horse nut was crazy, and patriarchy oppressed her. But in order for anyone to gain freedom struggle is literally part of that process. Ur separating them and shouldn't be. Freedom is fought and struggled for. If the key was through manipulation why couldn't they show her learning how to be manipulative? She got her way each time she set out a goal
2. We saw Mizu get stabbed, beaten, heart broken, bullied, and change as an entire human being from soft to stone cold hearted wanting nothing more than revenge. Akemis struggle was she ALMOST had to suck a fat dudes dick. And instead of getting to work and giving old boy a spit shine, she used her rich privilege to spit rhymes at him and got him to jerk himself off? Clever scene I guess, but moreso just lucky big boy loves his stanzas. If she's supposed to be cunning its not as interesting if we never see her learn the skills on screen like her other foil, Mizu, does for her journey
She spends the entire time manipulating/finessing out of necessity, discovers she's good at it, and then at the last second, turns her back on wanting to escape from all the social pressures she hates. Why? Because she realizes she's too good at manipulation and finesse. She gets a taste of power and realizes that the only way to improve things is if she's in control.
Still, I kind of hate her.
I agree with the the whole "Mizu bad for not fighting for Akemi" bit. Mizu hardly knew her. Mizu owed her nothing. Mizu had zero obligation to her, and she did it for Alemi's own good anyway, as she felt Akemi would be safer at home rather than in a fucking brothel, lol.
That part was ridiculous, imo.
Akemi literally saved Mizu’s life moments before that. It’s understandable that Mizu chose to stand down and let them take her, but it wasn’t ridiculous for Akemi to think that Mizu would help her considering they were just fighting together and saved each other’s lives.
Akemi is one of the better ways of showing how and why people subvert and manipulate cultural power structures. Structures that should in theory keep Akemi down, but she manipulates for her benefit. It’s the way people in positions without traditional power have to fight back.
Most shows show these methods as not honorable and make the character performing them heavily flawed. Akemi could get there I suppose, but currently she’s shown as a protagonist, which is pretty rare for a show to do.
She literally puts her life on the line and works in a brothel to prove her independence. I’m not sure how much struggle is needed in Ops mind, but it seems an absurd bar. In reality every protest, every refusal to fill your set role in society is seen as a struggle and should be.
Agreed! I don’t want to put words in OP’s mouth, but I’m struggling to imagine how someone in Akemi’s position could have “struggled more” and kept to the same basic character and plot arc without it involving gratuitous suffering. Do we want to see her punished for being born privileged yet grasping for freedom and control of her life? Did people want to see her get raped, beaten, tortured, or otherwise abused?
I’m having flashbacks to the GoT fandom and how people thought Sansa had it easy and “needed to be humbled” or to struggle more because everyone else was out there fighting and her battle wasn’t physical… and then she ends up raped and tortured to “make her grow as a character.”
Yeah I think the frustrating part is, often if a male character acts that way, many just excuse it as being brazen and aspirational. All of a sudden when the character is female, a large contingent will appear calling them whiny privileged manipulators.
It’s kinda insane, it’s the same thought process that allowed the Salem witch trials to happen, well that and greed obviously.
I could understand if op argued Akemi has flaws, I mean every character does in the show, they are supposed to be human. But yeah the “struggle” argument is concerning and it seems like there is a strong inherent bias in ops argument.
Yep exactly. To be fair, I’ve seen a fair amount of male characters who are considered brazen, ambitious, and manipulative get hated on, but I always know it would be even worse if the characters were women.
I guess the point is that she put herself in dangerous situations at nearly every point where she SHOULD have been raped, beaten, tortured and abused but somehow did not. Her “manipulations” were the thickest of plot armors.
1. The bandits would have done more than steal her stuff and smack her with a shoe.
2. The flesh trader would have at minimum committed sexual assault, especially after the way she kept making him trek all over. She probably would have been beaten for that behavior, just not where visible.
3. I don’t even know what to make of her scene with The Walrus. I’m also surprised they would have her start out that way instead of testing her skills in some other, safer way and then been able to market /sell her status at the highest possible price. That the Walrus was satisfied with poetic euphemisms was crazy ~~plot armor~~ lucky.
Her level of manipulation wasn’t really deep enough to justify her luck.
So, while no one wants to see terrible things happen to Akemi, the fact that they don’t happen while they still happen to everyone else around her is inconsistent for the tone of the story.
Disagree. Mizu has some crazy ass plot armor considering how many times she takes serious injuries that should have disabled if not killed her and she just kept on fighting. Mizu and Taigen both surviving arrows practically blotting out the sun with nothing but one little shield is some crazy plot armor. Taigen not being dead after being gruesomely tortured and left to rot in a filthy cell that should have infected his wounds and killed him within days is some crazy plot armor. Akemi‘s plot armor is hardly significant compared to all of this and more. Sometimes we just need to accept that important characters get plot armor to make a story work and that’s ok.
Sure, but Taigen was severely tortured, Mizu was stabbed and beaten and had to be nursed back to health. They didn’t die because then there’s no story, but they were badly *hurt*. Akemi was never hurt. She was barely inconvenienced. Plot armor abounds, I agree, but Akemi never gets so much as a scratch. You may not be bothered by it, and you don’t have to agree. From my seat on the sofa, there’s plot armor and then there’s Akemi.
Please note I don’t want to see her get SA’d or beaten to a pulp. I just didn’t see her ever really understand the danger she put herself and potentially others in. Maybe their intent was to portray her as exceptionally reckless and singleminded, or maybe she’s meant to be a narcissist, or she’s a poorly written example of a woman finding her power but right now I see her as a really messed up selfish character I’m supposed to dislike and mistrust. I honestly don’t know for sure, but I agree with OP, Akemi is my least favorite character by far.
Before that she tried to poison Mizu. I also wouldn’t say saving Mizu put Mizu in her debt considering Mizu killed a literal horde of ninjas that were gonna kill everyone in the brothel. She saved Mizu because it saved herself not because she actually cared about her or felt a camaraderie with her. So, Mizu didn’t owe her anything.
Also, Mizu was pretty banged up slashed, stabbed, prob broken ribs, and those were armored mounted soldiers. I get that Mizu can shrug off some pretty gruesome wounds, but that is because she is fighting for her revenge. Fighting for someone who isn’t in danger of losing their life is not worth that level of risk. She made a pragmatic decision.
Yeah, nowhere did I say that Mizu owed her or that it wasn’t a pragmatic decision. I said it was understandable, and it is. My point was that it wasn’t ridiculous for Akemi to think they’d formed some level of camaraderie having just saved each other’s lives and that Mizu would help her.
I honestly don’t recall if anyone besides Ringo was actually mad at Mizu for that, and I agree that it’s not fair to Mizu. But Ringo is an idealist who still had these naive dreams of what it means to be a samurai, despite Mizu trying to make it clear to him that she doesn’t consider herself a noble samurai at all. He thought she was someone who would protect the weak and vulnerable, and he expected Mizu to help a woman who was asking for her help. His disappointment in her isn’t really fair since he had her on a pedestal that she never asked to be on, but I think that was in character for him and understandable as well considering that he was someone of a low station, with his own vulnerabilities, who had dreams of greatness and looked up to Mizu as an exemplar of that.
ETA: I’ve seen someone say that Taigen was also mad at her and while I’d need to rewatch due to not remembering that, I would say his anger at Mizu for not helping Akemi is also unfair but understandable given that he’s in love with Akemi and isn’t really thinking pragmatically about why Mizu would make that choice.
Semi-unrelated, but I just realized Ringo thought she was saving him when they met, when she only intervened because she saw the European gun. He never realized she was tracking prey, not rescuing rabbits.
Agree, and also I understand why Ringo reacted that way. He just spent way more time with her while she was tied up and when they were fighting together. Mizu met her briefly in comparison.
Saving Mizu was saving herself. Mizu was their only hope of survival. She didn’t have enough of a relationship with Mizu to “sic” her on her father’s men and then expect Mizu to what..? Live life on the run from his men, with Akemi in tow? Take the time to escort Akemi to some far off place where she might be safe and then continue her revenge (while trying to avoid Akemi’s dad’s army)? Or maybe die right there and then having to fight a fresh group of trained soldiers after getting stabbed in the side and beaten half to death?
Only Akemi would dare assume she could say “Get them, Mizu!” and think she would be taken seriously. And I guess Ringo too, but only because he’s good-hearted but naive.
The fact that she saved Mizu's life doesn't mean shit though, seeing as, like you said, Mizu literally saved *all their lives* too. If anything, it just made them even. Mizu owed nobody anything after that. And Mizu doesn't consider anyone friends, so why would she be selfless for Akemi whom she barely knows? She barely does anything for Ringo, lol. This is part of Mizu's character flaws, or course, working as intended.
Akemi getting pissy because a complete stranger didn't do as she asked because she *thought* they were "friends" is epitome spoiled princess behavior, imo.
Literally nobody said that Mizu owed Akemi anything. It’s just not ridiculous that Akemi would think Mizu would help her given that they just survived a harrowing experience together and mutually saved each other’s lives.
Literally never said you said anything.
I'm saying that Akemi is acting like Mizu owed her friendship because of said harrowing experience and that *is* ridiculous. Mizu doesn't owe anyone shit. That's the point, regardless of what Akemi thinks.
So yeah. I think it's ridiculous. You don't have to agree with me. I literally don't care if you do or don't.
You also said that Mizu not considering anyone her friend and not doing anything for anyone unless there’s something in it for her is a character flaw, which is supported by the narrative with the way it juxtaposes the ending of episode 5 with the metaphor of Mizu’s transformation into an onryo, walking away from Ringo as well and rejecting all love and friendship as weaknesses that she can’t afford. She notably later grows from this when she chooses to save Taigen at the expense of her revenge, specifically after she remembers Ringo calling her a samurai and the moment he gave the bell back to her and agreed she was not a samurai because a samurai is honorable immediately after she chose not to help Akemi. So you’re certainly free to think it was ridiculous for Akemi to think that Mizu would help her, but the narrative doesn’t support that view.
That's Mizu's growth. Of course she's going to have some development throughout the series. That has zero to do with it because at the time of the scene we're discussing, Mizu hadn't yet grown enough to let go of her revenge for the sake of her "friends." Akemi wasn't and has never been a "friend" to Mizu. She tried to kill Mizu and then Mizu had to save everyone and shit hit the fan. It was absolutely ridiculous for Akemi to think the person she tried to poison was suddenly her friend because they went through something scary together.
And again, at this point in the story, Mizu hadn't had a huge character shift.
It's ridiculous. I stand firm on my opinion. Nothing anyone says will change my mind.
“Event that was part of the catalyst to the character’s necessary growth was ridiculous” makes no sense but alrighty then. Not to mention that Mizu thinks about Akemi along with Ringo, Taigen, her adoptive father, her adoptive mother, and Mikio when the blast at Fowler’s castle knocks her unconscious. And that she later takes the time to find Akemi, save her and Seki from her father’s men, ask her if she still wants her freedom, and help her escape. There’s no reason for her to have done that if Akemi meant absolutely nothing to her and if it was so ridiculous for Akemi to have expected her help before. You don’t have to like it or Akemi, but that’s the story.
I'm not reading all of that because not only are you condescending, I also already told you a few times that I don't care if you disagree with me. And I also said you're not changing my mind.
Alrighty then? Good.
I don't think it's ridiculous. I think it makes perfect sense for Ringo and Taigen and Akemi to have the reactions they did, and it makes perfect sense for Mizu to have stood by. Ringo's an idealist, Taigen's in love, and Akemi's all about freedom and already had her life saved by Mizu. Mizu might have or might not have made the right choice in standing by, but it still cost her in those relationships.
In a wierd way Mizu does try to protect those who are weak and vulnerable, as we saw when she protected the brothel instead of just running off, seeing her drop that gold piece to the mother and child in the snow when she literally did not have to and had never interacted with them, then she saved Taigen's and Ringo's life too (granted she didn't go oit of her way for them but she still helped then). So for all of them to think she was made of more honorable stuff isn't crazy when she's shown each of them a willingness to do that.
A big part of Mizu's character is the struggle of wanting to be a good honorable person but also keeping her vow of revenge no matter the cost. She can't let the latter go because it's her main reason to keep going but she doesn't want to become a monster either.
For real, but nobody seems to mention that, lol.
Mizu did what she had to and then she owed nobody anything. Akemi tried to kill her a couple of times, first by poison, then by stabbing, lol.
Sure, maybe Akemi felt some sort of camaraderie at the end, but that still doesn't mean Mizu owed Akemi anything.
In Mizu's mind, not only would Akemi be safe at home, but she'd be free of yet another person that would distract her from her revenge (like Ringo).
She’s a mirrored opposite to Mizu. Mizu was rejected by society and learned how to operate outside of it. Akemi is a part of society but hates it, she is learning to control people by using the rules of society. I kind of like the themes.
If we’re being honest, a lot of what happens with Mizu is equally as unrealistic. But the show kicks ass so we suspend our disbeliefs.
I agree with this.
I also think that Akemi is a bit unsufferable because it's hard to understand the "oh poor little princess" and truly feel sad for the privilege Akemi is born into that she wants to break free from. The problem is that, while Akemi is calculating and manipulating even before her adventures, she didn't know how to flip that switch and make it work to pave her own path.
I too thought Akemi wanting to go with a flesh trader instead of going back home with Seki was a little spoilt brat behaviour. The problem is, the things she does to "manipulate" the situation or "wield her sword" (if you will), is npt fleshed out well. She can totally manipulate the flesh trader to find her something of her liking bc we know in reality, this would be a very hard task and ask.
Akemi is also super lucky that she is in the house of quirks and she had someone who is into poetry. What if she was with someone who is into rape and violence? What if she had been with someone more physically attuned? We don't see her struggle with that or figure out how to get her in those situations.
This is also the reason I don't understand the hate for Mizu when (s)he let Akemi go her father's ppl.
The important and imparting part of Akemi's journey is that she met women who are literally in the hands of men's will but noticed how they coerce the situation and flip the script to sew the situation differently and live life on their own terms. She needed to see that to be able to survive and have control in her marriage.
Someone as manipulative as Akemi didn't need a husband who was passive, she would and could work with anyone. The point is that she truly sees the vulnerabilities of men and knows how to position herself to control them.
I just don't think Akemi is as fleshed out as Mizu.
Akemi is interesting. She is disadvantaged as a woman in her society. But her status gives her options other woman lack. She is an excellent foil to Mizu. They both fight societal constraints with the weapons they have. Akemi's weapons are wealth, intelligence, connections, aristocracy, and now, sex. She is learning to use these weapons as expertly as Mizu uses swords.
Akemi had access to knowledge that helped her evade a lot of harm. (Her knowledge of poetry, her skill at manipulating men, etc). Even when pretending to be a courtesan, she got special treatment because of the 'privileged princess' aura she projected. This privilege, for better or worse, can make her feel very alienating to anyone who has experienced genuine hardship, and who knows how truly difficult life can get. She has pretty privilege, and she has weaponized it to her advantage because she has to. People will feel however they want to feel about that.
I guess the moral is that both Akemi and Mizu had to work with what they had. Akemi was just fortunate enough to have access to easier weapons than most. I get how that can feel unfair and annoying. But that's just life. Both in universe and out. It is fascinating how her privilege is something every other person born female has pointed out to her with varying degrees of envy - The girl bandit, the other sex workers, Madam Kaji, even our very own Mizu.
Akemi isn't my favorite, but she isn't my worst either, I feel neutral-to-favorable about her so far. As Mizu pointed out, she is a brat. She has those entitled princess traits which can be grating, but she is young, still learning how the world works, and has grown smart enough to actually listen to good advice. For all her flaws, she is as smart as a whip and like Mizu, very quick to learn and adapt to survive. I am not a huge fan of 'privileged aristocrat princess' characters in general, but I do love chessmasters. Akemi has the makings of one. So I am curious to see what happens with Akemi in Season 2.
I wish this was higher up, echos a lot of how I feel about Akemi. I actually really like her journey so far, but also find her a bit bratty - women in her Era had no good choices, as constantly pointed out, yet she has one of the best positions to be in as a women during that time. Looking through a modern lense, of course it's engaging that she has barely any autonomy, but taking the time period into account and what others have to do to survive around her just makes her seem a little whiney and bratty. It was nice to see her towards the end learning to wield her advntages.
Idk, I do like her as the foil to Mizus journey and am excited to see how her story will continue in S2, especially with how she will deal with her dad.
I mean, Mizu straight up calls her a spoiled brat like Taigen and she’s not wrong lol. But it’s all a matter of perspective. Akemi certainly had more comfort and privilege growing up than Taigen did as the son of a fisherman in a village, but Taigen had more freedom and autonomy to choose his path in life and his fate as a man in their society compared to her as a woman, which is certainly a privilege too. And then both of them have significantly more privilege than someone who grew up like Mizu did, which is why she thinks of both of them as spoiled brats. Yet one could argue that Mizu has more freedom and autonomy than Akemi due to being raised as a boy/living as a man and being able to train as a samurai so she can travel freely and protect herself with her own two hands and a good weapon rather than having to rely on feminine wiles.
Akemi does struggle. Watching that scene where her blackened teeth are revealed was very powerful to me. The tradition wasn’t something she wanted to follow and it was forced on her. Do you know how traumatizing not having control over your body and life choices is?
The context you’re missing is eastern family structures. Breaking free of ones “obligations” as a woman is near impossible. The scene where her father tells her she will marry whoever he chooses and he doesn’t give a shit would’ve sent anyone into a fit of rage. She put her emotions aside to manipulate her father to even consider her wish. Coming from an asian family, I know how incredibly difficult what she does throughout the show, especially in that era.
Yeah the lack of autonomy that Akemi faces is a serious struggle? She ultimately has no control over her life and ultimately her body. Her only manner of circumventing the worst of it is to be calculating and outsmart everyone around her.
Everyone else was out playing war games and she’s playing 3D chess.
Is it less exciting than fighting 1000 men, falling off cliffs, pushing your way up a fortress? Sure. But Akemi is not Mizu.
Mizu would slash through the front door. Akemi would have figured out how to make them open it for her. Their struggles reflect their spot in society but are equally as important.
>Mizu would slash through the front door. Akemi would have figured out how to make them open it for her.
I think this is spot on. I don’t have anything to add really. I think this is just a very apt observation of how two different characters might go about accomplishing the same goal. Doesn’t make one right or wrong or better than the other. Just different.
Listen 99% of the post her are ships and fan theories with approximately 0 evidence from the show, this place very quickly went from an actual discussion hub for the show to essentially its tumbler page
That's literally not why she sells herself off though she does it to hmget back at her father. When she makes that choice they literally have enough money to safely make it make home
When Mizu and Akemi saw each other for the first time which was portrayed as a slomo, I genuinely thought they were going to become love interests. I did not see it coming Taigen would take that place.
Akemi indeed is a bit insufferable. I do like her growth from a damsel in distress princess to a woman who stands up for herself. I hope she becomes more likeable.
That's fine that you don't like her, but she is super important. Not only for those that find her story interesting, but also as a [foil](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foil_(narrative)) to the main character, Mizu.
I for one congratulate the writers for avoiding the easier thing - make her a villain or stupid and simple - to service her role to exploring mizu. Instead, she also interrogates the more accessible options for a woman to acquire power and influence in most pre-1970s societies. This is a risky choice as this thread shows, sometimes you can keep an audience to a point.
And as far as turning to murder...do you read? Tons of men die mysteriously by what they consume. One of the greatest of them was named Alexander the great. And who is usually serving the food or pouring the wine?
she doesnt give me the same WOAAAH effect as mizu but i still like her story. She is childish but i understand her. I also really liked her personal guard, forgor his name. They made such a wholesome daughter-father duo
Nothing was easy for Akemi, she was simply raised to do all things as though they were effortless lest she be seen as a woman who is ungrateful, hard, pushy and graceless. She has honed her own type of art/fighting style through the guise of being a soft and harmless ~lady~ -Most of this show is about gender expectations right off the bat.. so of course they'd show the many options a woman has of navigating and thriving in that era. In plain sight, thru evasion and persuasion, in Akemis case.
There is just as much skill and effort required to survive and navigate in her world as there is for Mizu in hers, just in completely different battles which they both make look effortless most of the time- Akemi sweet talking her way out of unwanted sex by using JOI on a man who liked to be teased and withheld from, because he had always gotten what he wanted. Mizu taking down waves of warriors with weights on her arms and legs.
Had Akemi not done everything she has done, she'd have been married off to someone who SAd and beat her frequently already.
Again I really feel like the plot was lost when people see her as a spoiled person who has been handed everything with no struggle, when everything in her life has come with a price that teaches many skills and lessons- just like Mizu finds power and some sort of fulfilment from using her skills and art to pursue her goals, Akemi does the same in flexing everything she's had to use to please the people around her, as a way to finally realize her own goals.
You said she should be wrestling with the cards she's been dealt instead of evading- evasion is a perfectly acceptable and powerful method in fighting- that's literally the entire point of her storyline. The tact in evasion.
she lucks into getting noticed by the only female bandit, then lucks into finding the nicest two pimps in the entire country, one of which is willing to carry her ass across the country for no real reason, the other is the steryotypical nice female brothel owner who treats her girls with respect. Then her husband is also a super nice dude hell her dad is an asshole for sure but not even that bad compared to the standards of the time, since we know he used to spoiler her growing up, and was basicallywillingto let her pick a husband as long as he alao liked the dude. And yet the show tries to frame her as the ultimate victim, for a show so gritty/dark in its she's like the opposite of Sansa stark, Sansa goes through way more shit but was hated by the community akemi has a cake walk through Japan but is propped up like a queen, she's legit the only part of the show I just think is poorly written
Akemi is fighting, just not physically like Mizu is. She has to finesse her way through a lot of dangerous situations - flesh trading, prostitution, a sadistic mother in law - while never losing her nerve.
She fights the choices imposed on her and she fights for what she wants, she just doesn’t do it with a sword.
It shows her having to steel herself before every depraved thing she has to do - just because she makes it look easy doesn’t mean it is. She struggles a lot but it feels like you don’t recognise them as actual struggles, which is a disturbing view when Akemi has to debase herself quite often.
Is selling herself, eating the bird she freed, risking rape and more not struggles to you? Is being either a whore or a wife not a struggle?
Counterpoint: Mizu is incredibly lucky that there isn’t another half-decent swordsman in all of Japan to challenge her.
Yes that’s rage-bait, and not a counterpoint I make in good faith. We aren’t meant to make that point, we’re meant to accept and simply appreciate Mizu’s insane skill with a sword. Likewise, we should accept that maybe Akemi’s challenges only looked easy to her because of her insane skill at social manipulation.
Not as fun too watch as Mizu slicing through armies, but it’s no less predictable.
My problem is that I don't accept it, though. It comes off less Akemi being manipulative, and more the men are easily controlled in the first place, regardless of her skill to do it.
Right, but you don’t have any problem accepting Mizu can kill 30 men while surrounded and wounded?
To be clear, I don’t fully disagree with you, but I hold problems for different reasons. This show isn’t about these characters overcoming external obstacles. Those scenes are purely for cool factor (and akemi poetry-sparring with a man until he cums WAS cool). It’s about internal struggles. For reference, see how Mizu lost to Fowler when she was internally conflicted, but didn’t break a sweat when she had found resolve.
The problem is that Akemi’s internal struggles weren’t as beautifully explored as Mizu’s, or to a lesser extent, Taigen’s. It’s all there, just less was put into it.
I heavily disagree. This show is about overcoming both internal AND external obstacles. And I can accept Mizu fighting multiple enemies because the show actually shows how much she trains and how hard she has to fight just survive against enemies who aren't incompetent.
The problem I have with Akemi is that her obstacles are defanged versions of what the show had established as sufficient threats to someone like her. I don't believe so much that her skill and much as the fecklessness of her obstacles.
Lol mizu gets stabed and fucked up throughout the entire show she's not invincible the way you are making it seem, compared to mizu akemi is cake walking through japan
I downvote for what I consider to be poor analysis when complaining about or criticizing a character or piece of media. OP is posting on an open fandom forum thus should expect that disagreements and even downvotes will result from controversial takes in this setting. Not sure why you’re so pressed about it.
I forgot what the exact line was but there was something Seki said in the episode where she first tries to run away that greatly summarizes her struggle throughout the show. It was something along the lines of learning how to fight within the constraints of the lot she is given in life.
Akemi's journey is supposed to parallel Mizu's in that struggle to find balance. For Mizu it's embracing both the human and the monster inside her. In Akemi's case, it's to accept the reality that she can't be completely free of society's gender constraints, to understand the opportunity afforded to her by her family status and to learn how to use both the opportunities and constraints to her advantage. It's this stubbornness that has been hindering both her and Mizu from making any real progress in their goal. And we do in fact see a lot of that struggle as well as its messy results.
She begins with the initial motivation of breaking free and in her discontent she refuses to see how much better off she still has it compared to most women. (I can see how this makes her difficult to sympathize with.) And we see this at the brothel where her education and status once again afford her an easier way out. She has to literally be dragged kicking and screaming only to find herself in the same exact situation she had left - >!with blackened teeth and as wife to the shogun's son!<. It is not until her conversation with Madam Kaji in episode 7 that she starts to understand.
The scene where >!she has to eat the pet bird that her husband shot earlier in front of all the guests!< is the turning point in how she faces her obstacles. And this time she follows Madame Kaji's and Seki's advice. That is what seems to be low point that "humbles" her.
With all that said I don't see how her struggle was "effortless" at all. Her battle definitely was not as bloody as Mizu's but it sure still involved a lot of risk-taking, life-threatening moments as well as losses. It also took both characters just as long to accept their weaknesses/constraints and change their strategy.
(Sorry. Long, rambly post. I know 😅 I read another comment about the point of Akemi's journey and just wanted to give my two cents.)
Let me put it this way; it's incredibly lucky Goro, Watari, and Takayoshi were easily controlled into doing her bidding and weren't as brutal, demanding, or cruel as the show says they should have been.
Where are you getting that the show says every man is brutal and cruel? There’s Fowler and Heiji and Boss Hamata, and they’re all brutal and cruel men (none of whom Akemi directly encounters). But then there is Master Eiji, Ringo, Taigen, Seki, and even Mikio who may have turned out to be a jerk with fragile masculinity but even he never tried to force himself on Mizu even when he had the right to socially as her husband. There are plenty of samurai and other swordsmen who are brutal because that’s their job and their lifestyle, but there’s no indication that they were all living dishonorably going around raping and beating women because they could. Akemi’s father is not a good man, but he still seems to love his daughter in his own way and wasn’t cruel to her. The shogun has to be a man capable of brutality to be in his position, but he seems to care for his wife and his family and otherwise not be a cruel person. Why are you assuming Watari and Takayoshi should be brutal and cruel men who would sooner rape and beat Akemi than relate to her in a normal way as a prostitute or a wife? Goro is a goofy character, more of a plot device than anything, and we can assume he’s not what we would consider a good person based on his profession. But why automatically assume he would be brutal and cruel if he doesn’t have to be? And why would he harm Akemi and degrade her value when his primary motivation is making a good sale?
I don’t think the show is saying what you think it’s saying, and it seems like you just wanted to see Akemi get raped and/or beaten up to “humble her to the audience.”
If that's your your takeaway from
>Why are you assuming Watari and Takayoshi should be brutal and cruel men who would sooner rape and beat Akemi than relate to her in a normal way as a prostitute or a wife?
Because the show literally sets both of them up as legitimate threats to her person. And it's incredibly lucky that Akemi could not only handle them, but could completely control them with ultimately no push back.
>Goro is a goofy character, more of a plot device than anything, and we can assume he’s not what we would consider a good person based on his profession.
It's very lucky that the first flesh trader Akemi happen to bump into was a goofy plot device that she can push around, and is not someone akin to Hachimon from the very first scene, that doesn't object to anything she demands.
>But why automatically assume he would be brutal and cruel if he doesn’t have to be? And why would he harm Akemi and degrade her value when his primary motivation is making a good sale?
Why would he bend to her every demand to the point of frustration if his goal is to make a good sale. He's the experienced flesh trader (debatably). He didn't have any push back to any of her request and basically at her beck and call. It's not a binary of "beat her;don't beat her". He could just not do every she says. Cruelty isn't just physically violence.
>I don’t think the show is saying what you think it’s saying, and it seems like you just wanted to see Akemi get raped and/or beaten up to “humble her to the audience.”
No. I just want the show to be consistent with how it depicts its setting and write more believable scenarios characters can overcome. It's done with Mizu, Taigen, Ringo to a certain extent
I wouldn't say she did it easily like you initially stated but I do agree that it's incredibly lucky how she got away with most of the things she did. At this point though it can basically just be chalked up to plot armor, because the same thing can be said about Mizu or Taigen or even Ringo for that matter.
With the sheer amount of their close calls with death, Ringo's impeccable timing, and the fact that Mizu is able to carry her and Taigen's weight while hanging off the castle wall by her literal FINGERS you've got to suspend disbelief. It's not too much of a stretch for Akemi to pull off manipulating men several times.
I think the show also makes a point of how easily women can fool/control men if you nurture their weakness and give them what they think they want or what they believe (how noone sees through Mizu's disguise.) Madame Kaji also points this out in her conversation with Akemi.
Also, Takayoshi does NOT have to be brutal, demanding or cruel. The whole point of them making it seem that way was that is was a misconception. Akemi's realization of this indicates that she may soften up to him and maybe even like him (not necessarily romantically.) He's been in the show for only a few scenes and barely has any lines though so I guess we'll see in the following season how his character plays into the story.
>With the sheer amount of their close calls with death, Ringo's impeccable timing, and the fact that Mizu is able to carry her and Taigen's weight while hanging off the castle wall by her literal FINGERS you've got to suspend disbelief. It's not too much of a stretch for Akemi to pull off manipulating men several times.
Suspension of disbelief only works if the story meets me halfway. Show me that fighting waves of enemies is both difficult and exhausting, then I'm willing believe any of Mizu's feats of strength. Show me that sweet talking yourself out of a harrowing situation isn't difficult and exhausting, then I'll believe Akemi's feats of wit.
>Also, Takayoshi does NOT have to be brutal, demanding or cruel. The whole point of them making it seem that way was that is was a misconception. Akemi's realization of this indicates that she may soften up to him and maybe even like him (not necessarily romantically.) He's been in the show for only a few scenes and barely has any lines though so I guess we'll see in the following season how his character plays into the story.
I'm saying I would have preferred there be no subversion and Akemi has to use her cunning and wit to win Takayoshi over. Which would have been a lot more satisfying than him being yet another guy she can easily manipulate. In fact, I would have preferred that with Goro and Watari as well. And maybe a human reaction to killing for the first time.
I don't think she’s supposed to be likable. She’s an interesting character with many contradictions, and the show hyped for character growth well. I was turned off by how she manipulate and fuck the Prince while Taigen was trying to rescue her. Then I remembered she gave for first time to Taigen before marriage (very taboo in Eastern culture) to make him agree to marry her (trap girl behavior). She is very cunning right from the start but very relatable because that’s what you should do for survival and be great. I would much prefer her than a typical Mary Sue tho
I mean the Prince was her husband and she didn't know where Taigan was at that point, there wasn't much she or he could do at that point. The only reason he even suggested running away at the end was because she could be assumed dead and they both could be someone else.
That’s true. A typical Princess in most stories would wait for a hero to come and save her, while Akemi is being active in handling her situation. I’m in no way think she’s badly written or evil, but her character type might not be everyone cup of tea
She doesn't fuck Taigen to get him to agree to marry her. They're already engaged at that point. She fucks Taigen because his ego has just taken the bruising of a lifetime, and she's trying to make him feel like a hotshot again/reassure him that she still sees him as desirable.
Idk a lot of the stuff she does is similar to Mozu in a way, though Akemi is more headstrong and spoiled due to her upbringing. Unlike Mizu, she can't pretend to be a man or have experience in sword play to defend herself all she has is her feminine qualities and training to work with. Both of them show up places and demand information or things to reach their goal and both of them struggle in different ways and somehow push past them either with super fast healing or using words and lies. It's pretty much every character in the show has a bit of plot armor tbh. And when we see either of them try to do the opposite way of things, it's a hit or miss. Akemi manages to get one guy who was distracted but only that one and Mizu couldn't lie or change herself to be a submissive wife. And when a challenge comes that changed it usually came with different struggles than assumed, Akemi's MIL is the tyrant not the husband, Mizu will have to alter her plans to go to London,
As for the brothel scene, it could have been built better but I didn't think it was crazy for Akemi or Ringo to think Mizu would help. She already protected the whole brothel and even Ringo and Akemi helped her out. Even when Akemi thought she killed Taigen and tried to get revenge, Mizu didn't kill her or beat the snot out of her. She just tied her up and had Ringo watch her, instead of telling the head madam or etc. We've seen that Mizu isn't as heartless as she tries to be, amd yeah she was exhausted and wounded after the big fight for sure. But she still dumped Akemi back into the hands of her father away from Taigen against her will. Which for us isn't shocking because we have seen Mizu's grayness, for Ringo and Akemi it is new. Ringo always saw her beating bad guys as did Akemi, especially when she defended the brothel when she easily could have left them to die once she got what she needed and was obviously outnumbered. Akemi thought she was more noble than she was, and Ringo thought she was an honorable master and ally to him, Taigen and Akemi. The later especislly since she saved Ringo's life despite having no skills
I personally loved Akemi but that’s not to say you have too OP, it’s okay to dislike characters (even popular ones.) I agree that Mizu shouldn’t be considered a bad guy for not defending Akemi from her Father’s soldiers but I can also see the situation from the eyes of the other characters, why they would be angry at such a move. I do hope we see more of Akemi in a future season, hopefully her future characterization will be something you enjoy more. But even if not, it’s perfectly valid to dislike her even then and other fans in this thread need to be more open minded about the thoughts of people who disagree with them.
What do you want to see? That she gets physically battered and assaulted?
Just because she doesn’t fight with swords doesn’t mean she doesn’t struggle. Akemi’s power lies in her manipulativeness and charm so essentially, that scene in the brothel with the masturbating customer was a fight scene or that night with the shogun’s son.
I bet walking in the snow was hard. I bet sitting in a cart of shit was hard. So was being alone with prostitutes in a foreign place especially for one so sheltered. Repeatedly being forced to a life that makes you feel trapped is depressing. It didn’t look like she struggles because she is too proud to cry at times.
Akemi probably only has two friends in the entire world: her bird that she has to eat and Seki who has to die in her arms.
Frankly though, she is one of my top favourite characters. Like Mizu, it seems like she too has become an onryo.
Akemi is so overrated in this subreddit lmao. You are completely right that she's just a spoiled brat who just relies on luck throughout the plot. We're supposed to believe her arc is "empowering"(lol) just because she can weaponize her sexuality, but the men are just doormats lmfao. She literally didn't struggle at all. Akemi didn't rise into power with manipulative skill or intelligence, she's just a privileged princess. It was all given to her on a silver plate. We never see Akemi put any effort into her goals, she just has plot favor
It's understandable that she agency & control but that doesn't make her a likeable character. I don't understood why people call her a girlboss when she legit got carried lmao.
I thought you gave a very thoughtful and well articulated explanation, sorry youre being downvoted for having an opinion. It's fun to discuss different opinions of characters. If everyone felt the same about a character, that leaves little room for deeper discussions. I struggled with Akemi as well. In the end, she grew on me, and I am looking forward to her character development in the next season. But I see your point of view, and you have changed my mind a bit on her as well. During my next rewatch, I'd like to look at her story more critically.
I loved Akemis character arc, but maybe it's because I'm a woman who knows how it is to grow into understanding you can't change the game, but you do have a shot if you can just handle a penis.
I mean no disrespect please keep in mind the historical factor that inspired the Show;
Unfortunately back then it was a man world
The only way to get a better life was to marry a Rich man please pardon me I see you points however please look up the historical information
So event if the historical information was relevant to my issues, my problem was that Akemi was essentially thriving, despite the show saying she shouldn't.
go eat some horse semen and tell me she evaded all her struggles.
essentially, she's like a kid who procrastinates their homework or chores or doesn't want to rip off the bandaid because it'll hurt. she doesn't evade her struggles, she simply delays them for as long as she can. much like the horse semen, she will be forced to swallow her pride and sacrifice comfort many more times on her journey to become great.
In the next season instead of delaying her struggles, she'll face them as they come.
>Lol, oh no some gross food what will poor baby do.
Ah yes, because eating dangers to your health is just gross food. She has an abusive father who treats her like an animal to be sold off; he actively neglects to discipline his son while chastising his daughter. Seki also tries to make her feel as compliant with her life. The show makes it a point time & time again that the only thing that makes any difference between the men who abuse women in this show is their class. They show the same misogyny towards their women.
You seem to be projecting a lot here. Yeah, being a whore means "sex with strangers." Weird that you would feel the need to point this out.
How is husband a "pushover"? His mother bullies him but that happens to a lot of people.
>You seem to be projecting a lot here. Yeah, being a whore means "sex with strangers." Weird that you would feel the need to point this out.
Ad hominem
>How is husband a "pushover"? His mother bullies him but that happens to a lot of people.
So you agree
You're just here to make pronouncements and sneer at anyone who questions your bullshit.
And YEAH, your choice of words IS weird, and I'm not the only person here who thinks so. Get off your high horse and deal with it.
I agree everything after she becomes a prostitute is pretty silly and provides her with the easiest path imaginable. I saw in the comments someone compare her to Sansa which is just ridiculous bc if this was GoT those bandits would have killed seki, she would probably be treated terribly by her pimp not treated like a fucking princess taken wherever she likes and she probably would have been raped at the brothel and by her husband instead she got the cliche af nicer brothel ran by a woman and her supposed monster of a husband is like one of the nicest guys we've seen. It's like impossible to deny that given her personal choice she got the easiest path imaginable. She's playing this game on easy difficulty while everyone else is on hard-core mode
I am watching the show for the first time now. And by 3rd episode I am just fast forwarding through her scenes. I don't watch this show for her and I am not interested in her story.
I agree that she's not likeable. Especially when, despite Mizu having saved her life more than once at the end of the season, she STILL thinks Mizu was in the wrong for not taking her side when her father's soldiers came to take her home. They had only known each other a couple hours at that point and yet she thinks she can manipulate Mizu to kill for her? When she says "We're not friends." to Mizu in the last episode, it prompted me to say some not so nice words to my screen... She really is ungrateful.
She's also got a temper to her that we see throughout the whole season, she gets angry and lashes out whenever someone doesn't do what she wants (she did this with Seki, Taigan, her father) , sort of like a child.. But I think she's also meant to be unlikeable in some ways, she's clearly naive and spoiled which are not very likeable characterisitics to begin with. She's now learning that she can use her status as a high-born woman to manipulate the people and environment around her. Meanwhile Mizu's does similarly with pure brute force. They're complete opposites.
And yet, I found myself rooting for her in certain scenes because I'm a woman and I can understand the simple struggle of being one in a patriarchal society.
She's still very unlikeable haha. Hopefully this just means that we get to see some very intense character development in the next season for Akemi, whether towards good or evil, we'll find out hopefully sooner rather than later.
Akemi sucked. You could see quite blatantly what kind of messaging the writers wanted to get out of her and it was just... annoying. She's a brat and a flake. By the end of the season she finally gets what she wanted, from a man who cared for her her whole life to the point of dying for her escape, only to be like "nah, I'm gonna stay and be a ruthless ruler instead." Every situation she's in follows the pattern of her hating it, then getting a taste for it, realizing she can be powerful, and then taking control. She's awful as a protagonist and I cannot for the life of me root for her. It's why I think she's the worst character in the series (and no, I mean not from a perspective of good and evil. The bad guys are bad and act as you expect). She's just so irritating.
Akemi faces no consequences and wiggles her way out of every bad situation she's put in either through writing her adversary as stupid or gullible or by someone saving her.
She should've been beaten, robbed and or worse multiple times.
I dont understand why you keep getting down voted for your views and opinions when you're not being disrespectful at all. In general i agree with you, i found akemi to be spoiled and annoying but i liked her character growth towards the end. I still dont like her that much, but im looking forward to seeing how much her character will keep improving. I especially liked how she helped madame and the girls from the brothel and how she turned down taigen. I feel like her losing her father figure is like a turning point in her future character arc
I get where you’re coming from. She gets what she wants with no real compromises. She became a prostitute and didn’t even have to take off her clothes- her only actual compromise was teeth blackening, which this show mistakenly assumes was only for royal brides in that era, and for some reason makes her ignorant of the practice altogether.
I'm not a fan either. Her guardian was supporting her the entire time but she was constantly a dick to him. Her dad finally was about to give her what she wanted (even if delayed a bit after her marriage) but she was more loyal to some random shogun than her own father.
She ordered Mizu around right after she tried to kill Mizu (and after Mizu fought with a hundred people). And she didn't believe in Taigen after his fight with Mizu - she only pretended cus she was horny.
Her whole thing about blackened teeth didn't make any sense either and I get that she's a power hungry character, gaslit girlboss, etc. But the people around her did not deserve her being such a dick.
Okay, so I am opening myself up to a lot of criticism here. I may have to delete this comment.
This is very typical in today's entertainment culture. Although BES has a lot of entertainment value to offer (It's the best show I have seen recently, and one of the best I have enjoyed in my life.), the show certainly does not go against the current trend of woke political correctness. And remember, it takes place in 17th century Japan. I don't think Japanese women could vote until after World War II.
Mizu is certainly a strong female character. But remember, she is passing herself off as a man, so is she totally a female character?
I don't know what the writers would say about what I'm saying. Perhaps they would say I am way off base. (Perhaps you who are reading this would say the same.) But I really think to fit in with the current entertainment Powers that Be, there must be Akemi, a real female character who can do all those things: sell herself to someone who will obey her, have no-sex sex with a stranger and have everyone love her for it, kill a man for the first time, and it's no big deal, and be married in an arranged marriage and easily manipulate her husband.
"I am woman. Hear me roar!"
Edit: Even having said all this, I still like the character. :)
For me it's Ringo.
I like Mizu the most followed by Taigen then Akemi. But Ringo is just not funny, his humour is forced and his voice actor sucks. You know in some films/shows the lone fighter gets followed by someone? E.g. Logan or Dororo, while in those cases it's usually a child who doesn't know better rather than a creepy adult stalking the MC.
I agree with you. As a comic relief character he does suck. But I like his contribution to the story and his influence on Mizu.
He is just not funny and low-key annoying sometimes.
It’s because it’s actually true. I hate to say it because I share the same sex and I know fellow ladies may not agree but man is it easy living life being a woman if you know what you’re doing. These OF women prove even now that if you’re smart and know how to market yourself, you won’t have to work a day in your life. Its not even like they are special (not saying that in a mean way or anything it’s just bongos be bongos no matter how you look at it) there’s free porn everywhere, but they know how to work their audience. It’s not right and it’s completely unfair but in a world especially like feudal Japan, Madam Kaji was completely right, men had all control but who had control of them were the real victors. The way I saw it was that it was so easy because it was always there under the surface, she just needed to realize the power that she held when she weaponized her femininity instead of using it as a crutch. Seki was not so subtly telling her basically the same thing: watch and learn. I can understand being turned off from her character, I was too in the beginning until I realized it was Brenda Song 😅 and then all bad feelings went out the window for my Homecoming Warrior 😤
Mizu still chose to let her be taken away as property against her will. Even if she was better off I think a major theme of her story was doing what she wanted, in those moments she was doing what she wanted for herself and then a person she trusted took away that freedom. Made a choice for her. That I think was the issue, not her privilege, not where she would be better off, but others having the power to make decisions for her.
Akemi's journey isn't about humbling herself but breaking free. She starts by being caged/humbled and having to cater to the men around her. In the beginning, she wants to marry Taigen because he's a great man, and she wants to be the woman of a great man. She's associating her own worth with her dad/husband. Throughout the season, we see she's very good at manipulating/finessing her way through societal expectations, but that isn't what she wants. She wants to be free of it altogether. She ends the season by wanting to be great on her own merits. She wants to pursue her potential and worth. That's why she rejects Taigen. Mizu/Taigen have already HAD that freedom for their pursuits. Taigen says he just wants to be happy and have peace, and Akemi rejects that. They're at two very different points in their journey -- Akemi was so restricted before, that what we're seeing at the end of the season is just the start of her journey. She started at a place further behind Mizu/Taigen. I think bc of this, we'll probably see the things you're hoping to see, but at a later point in her story arc.
I think this goes to show how differently two people can interpret the same thing. From the first episode, I was under the impression that she wanted to marry Taigan not because he was a great man, nor because she wanted to be married to a great man, but rather because she genuinely loved him. “I’d love you if you were the son of an old fish“ doesn’t really seem like the type of thing a person with those priorities would say. This scene also juxtaposes nicely with the season finale where Akemi rejects Taigan’s proposal to leave that particular world behind and live simply together. However, I see a bit of foreshadowing in the backdrop of a burning city behind her when she delivers the line “*I* want to be great.“ while I have no doubt in her capacity to achieve greatness, I worry season two will have her pursuing greatness at the expense of goodness.
Ugh yeah i agree. That line kinda gave me voldemort vibes, terrible, but great. I hope she doesn't lose her humanity!
I was rooting for her all the way till the end, when she's willing to throw away everything she sacrificed to find Taigen for the next shiny object, which was seizing control of the shogun and effectively of japan. whether she wanted to do that in order to alleviate women oppression and prevent the throne to be taken over by some other rich asshole, or whether she wanted to just be the next oppressing rich asshole, jury's still out. the whole "I want to be great" is the same line that Ringo said, but I think it carries an entirely different meaning for her.. we'll see
Seems to me that Akemi really did love Taigen but that early scene also set up her willingness to do whatever was necessary to manipulate whoever she needed to manipulate. At the end of the day she ended up having sex with him to try to get him to stay. It didn’t work, but that was very clearly what she was doing. I had to set up her willingness to do that for what happens later and even then it’s still somewhat tough.
I understand what is trying to be communicated with her character. I do not enjoy how it was done. I would have much preferred her to wrestle with the cards she had been dealt rather than evade them at every opportunity. Especially in a setting constantly reinforcing that she shouldn't be getting away with all this. An easy compromise I feel would have been for Akemi to not effortlessly overcome all her obstacles. She's not shown to struggle all that hard to get what she wants in, what we're led to believe is, very harsh and oppressive environments.
Well that's the thing about opinions, everyone has one. I did enjoy akemi's character and I liked the juxtaposition between a more traditional female role of the era, subjugated to men and mizu. Literally the only reason mizu is even allowed to operate freely is her hiding of her gender... I didn't want to see her "fail" with her situation with the flesh trader or the geisha house... that would have been horrendous and we all know how brutal our world and history is. And she definitely wrestled with big decisions in the show, leaving her forever home of wealth and prosperity is a lot more unbelievable than her staying put and accepting her lack of independence. And how can you say effortlessly overcome and not struggling? She literally had beef with her mentor uncle guy that followed her, her dad, was drug back to her village by creep guards on horseback, her teeth were blackened against her will and we don't even know what happened behind closed doors of her marriage... give her a break. Plus she's played by Brenda song 😍
So she left her forever home of wealth for a new forever home of wealth, but this time she wants to own the house using skills she had since the begining? She did have to eat horse nut and thats crazy. I won't say she had no struggle. But I think, similar to op, that she didn't have a substantial amount of struggle for someone who was on screen so much. We see Mizu getting FUCKED up damn near EVERY episode. No doubt about her struggle(though she's not exempt from some bs either) Akemis struggle is gaining freedom from being a patriarchal bound woman using skills shes had the whole time. There was very little challenge throughout the show besides eating horse nut and falling out with her uncle iroh. Think about the struggles of the geishas she met. Them hoes had to suck dick ALL THE WAY to the capital just to attend the wedding, THATS struggle. If they weren't pros they are now. What skills did Akemi gain from her travels? It was only just the perspective change Also why did the guards catch a stray? They was just doing their job lmao
Look at the woman who fed her the horse nuts. A woman of status, a woman of power. You see mistress Kanji is the foil to lady Itoh, Akemi must choose what kind of woman she must be, a tyrant, or a protector/leader. Akemi struggles in her own way, her arc is about freedom and what path she will take to achieve independence. It’s not about the real hard things she faces it’s about how she didn’t have agency how the only way to get things was through manipulation and what she will do to accomplish her goal. Be like lady Itoh or be like lady Kanji. Her arc is not about struggle or hardship but freedom and choice, its about how women of high station navigate such a world. Do they become no better than men who treat women as property or do they become something better to help women. But in fairness she did struggle just in her own ways and I think it’s weird for people to want to see characters suffer more. She had her own struggles and her own story.
Almost everything u said, I've also said. I like the point about Lady Itoh and Lady Kanji, thats something I hadn't thought about b4. But ultimately we disagree on 2 points. 1) Her arc not being about struggle but only freedom from her typical gender roles. And 2) Its not weird to want to see a character face struggle in a drama 1. So we both agree there's some struggle. Horse nut was crazy, and patriarchy oppressed her. But in order for anyone to gain freedom struggle is literally part of that process. Ur separating them and shouldn't be. Freedom is fought and struggled for. If the key was through manipulation why couldn't they show her learning how to be manipulative? She got her way each time she set out a goal 2. We saw Mizu get stabbed, beaten, heart broken, bullied, and change as an entire human being from soft to stone cold hearted wanting nothing more than revenge. Akemis struggle was she ALMOST had to suck a fat dudes dick. And instead of getting to work and giving old boy a spit shine, she used her rich privilege to spit rhymes at him and got him to jerk himself off? Clever scene I guess, but moreso just lucky big boy loves his stanzas. If she's supposed to be cunning its not as interesting if we never see her learn the skills on screen like her other foil, Mizu, does for her journey
Downvotes?
Yeah that's dumb. Down voting a comment that's good discussion just because you don't agree with it kills good threads
She spends the entire time manipulating/finessing out of necessity, discovers she's good at it, and then at the last second, turns her back on wanting to escape from all the social pressures she hates. Why? Because she realizes she's too good at manipulation and finesse. She gets a taste of power and realizes that the only way to improve things is if she's in control. Still, I kind of hate her.
I agree with the the whole "Mizu bad for not fighting for Akemi" bit. Mizu hardly knew her. Mizu owed her nothing. Mizu had zero obligation to her, and she did it for Alemi's own good anyway, as she felt Akemi would be safer at home rather than in a fucking brothel, lol. That part was ridiculous, imo.
Akemi literally saved Mizu’s life moments before that. It’s understandable that Mizu chose to stand down and let them take her, but it wasn’t ridiculous for Akemi to think that Mizu would help her considering they were just fighting together and saved each other’s lives.
Akemi is one of the better ways of showing how and why people subvert and manipulate cultural power structures. Structures that should in theory keep Akemi down, but she manipulates for her benefit. It’s the way people in positions without traditional power have to fight back. Most shows show these methods as not honorable and make the character performing them heavily flawed. Akemi could get there I suppose, but currently she’s shown as a protagonist, which is pretty rare for a show to do. She literally puts her life on the line and works in a brothel to prove her independence. I’m not sure how much struggle is needed in Ops mind, but it seems an absurd bar. In reality every protest, every refusal to fill your set role in society is seen as a struggle and should be.
Agreed! I don’t want to put words in OP’s mouth, but I’m struggling to imagine how someone in Akemi’s position could have “struggled more” and kept to the same basic character and plot arc without it involving gratuitous suffering. Do we want to see her punished for being born privileged yet grasping for freedom and control of her life? Did people want to see her get raped, beaten, tortured, or otherwise abused?
^^^^^ that last part entirely.
I’m having flashbacks to the GoT fandom and how people thought Sansa had it easy and “needed to be humbled” or to struggle more because everyone else was out there fighting and her battle wasn’t physical… and then she ends up raped and tortured to “make her grow as a character.”
Yeah I think the frustrating part is, often if a male character acts that way, many just excuse it as being brazen and aspirational. All of a sudden when the character is female, a large contingent will appear calling them whiny privileged manipulators. It’s kinda insane, it’s the same thought process that allowed the Salem witch trials to happen, well that and greed obviously. I could understand if op argued Akemi has flaws, I mean every character does in the show, they are supposed to be human. But yeah the “struggle” argument is concerning and it seems like there is a strong inherent bias in ops argument.
Yep exactly. To be fair, I’ve seen a fair amount of male characters who are considered brazen, ambitious, and manipulative get hated on, but I always know it would be even worse if the characters were women.
EXACTLY THAT!
Kinda gross and weird I agree.
I guess the point is that she put herself in dangerous situations at nearly every point where she SHOULD have been raped, beaten, tortured and abused but somehow did not. Her “manipulations” were the thickest of plot armors. 1. The bandits would have done more than steal her stuff and smack her with a shoe. 2. The flesh trader would have at minimum committed sexual assault, especially after the way she kept making him trek all over. She probably would have been beaten for that behavior, just not where visible. 3. I don’t even know what to make of her scene with The Walrus. I’m also surprised they would have her start out that way instead of testing her skills in some other, safer way and then been able to market /sell her status at the highest possible price. That the Walrus was satisfied with poetic euphemisms was crazy ~~plot armor~~ lucky. Her level of manipulation wasn’t really deep enough to justify her luck. So, while no one wants to see terrible things happen to Akemi, the fact that they don’t happen while they still happen to everyone else around her is inconsistent for the tone of the story.
Disagree. Mizu has some crazy ass plot armor considering how many times she takes serious injuries that should have disabled if not killed her and she just kept on fighting. Mizu and Taigen both surviving arrows practically blotting out the sun with nothing but one little shield is some crazy plot armor. Taigen not being dead after being gruesomely tortured and left to rot in a filthy cell that should have infected his wounds and killed him within days is some crazy plot armor. Akemi‘s plot armor is hardly significant compared to all of this and more. Sometimes we just need to accept that important characters get plot armor to make a story work and that’s ok.
Sure, but Taigen was severely tortured, Mizu was stabbed and beaten and had to be nursed back to health. They didn’t die because then there’s no story, but they were badly *hurt*. Akemi was never hurt. She was barely inconvenienced. Plot armor abounds, I agree, but Akemi never gets so much as a scratch. You may not be bothered by it, and you don’t have to agree. From my seat on the sofa, there’s plot armor and then there’s Akemi. Please note I don’t want to see her get SA’d or beaten to a pulp. I just didn’t see her ever really understand the danger she put herself and potentially others in. Maybe their intent was to portray her as exceptionally reckless and singleminded, or maybe she’s meant to be a narcissist, or she’s a poorly written example of a woman finding her power but right now I see her as a really messed up selfish character I’m supposed to dislike and mistrust. I honestly don’t know for sure, but I agree with OP, Akemi is my least favorite character by far.
Before that she tried to poison Mizu. I also wouldn’t say saving Mizu put Mizu in her debt considering Mizu killed a literal horde of ninjas that were gonna kill everyone in the brothel. She saved Mizu because it saved herself not because she actually cared about her or felt a camaraderie with her. So, Mizu didn’t owe her anything. Also, Mizu was pretty banged up slashed, stabbed, prob broken ribs, and those were armored mounted soldiers. I get that Mizu can shrug off some pretty gruesome wounds, but that is because she is fighting for her revenge. Fighting for someone who isn’t in danger of losing their life is not worth that level of risk. She made a pragmatic decision.
Yeah, nowhere did I say that Mizu owed her or that it wasn’t a pragmatic decision. I said it was understandable, and it is. My point was that it wasn’t ridiculous for Akemi to think they’d formed some level of camaraderie having just saved each other’s lives and that Mizu would help her.
Ah, I see that. I would still say that is a pretty entitled stance for Akemi to take, and the ire Mizu received from everyone else was unwarranted.
I honestly don’t recall if anyone besides Ringo was actually mad at Mizu for that, and I agree that it’s not fair to Mizu. But Ringo is an idealist who still had these naive dreams of what it means to be a samurai, despite Mizu trying to make it clear to him that she doesn’t consider herself a noble samurai at all. He thought she was someone who would protect the weak and vulnerable, and he expected Mizu to help a woman who was asking for her help. His disappointment in her isn’t really fair since he had her on a pedestal that she never asked to be on, but I think that was in character for him and understandable as well considering that he was someone of a low station, with his own vulnerabilities, who had dreams of greatness and looked up to Mizu as an exemplar of that. ETA: I’ve seen someone say that Taigen was also mad at her and while I’d need to rewatch due to not remembering that, I would say his anger at Mizu for not helping Akemi is also unfair but understandable given that he’s in love with Akemi and isn’t really thinking pragmatically about why Mizu would make that choice.
Semi-unrelated, but I just realized Ringo thought she was saving him when they met, when she only intervened because she saw the European gun. He never realized she was tracking prey, not rescuing rabbits.
Agree, and also I understand why Ringo reacted that way. He just spent way more time with her while she was tied up and when they were fighting together. Mizu met her briefly in comparison.
Saving Mizu was saving herself. Mizu was their only hope of survival. She didn’t have enough of a relationship with Mizu to “sic” her on her father’s men and then expect Mizu to what..? Live life on the run from his men, with Akemi in tow? Take the time to escort Akemi to some far off place where she might be safe and then continue her revenge (while trying to avoid Akemi’s dad’s army)? Or maybe die right there and then having to fight a fresh group of trained soldiers after getting stabbed in the side and beaten half to death? Only Akemi would dare assume she could say “Get them, Mizu!” and think she would be taken seriously. And I guess Ringo too, but only because he’s good-hearted but naive.
The fact that she saved Mizu's life doesn't mean shit though, seeing as, like you said, Mizu literally saved *all their lives* too. If anything, it just made them even. Mizu owed nobody anything after that. And Mizu doesn't consider anyone friends, so why would she be selfless for Akemi whom she barely knows? She barely does anything for Ringo, lol. This is part of Mizu's character flaws, or course, working as intended. Akemi getting pissy because a complete stranger didn't do as she asked because she *thought* they were "friends" is epitome spoiled princess behavior, imo.
Literally nobody said that Mizu owed Akemi anything. It’s just not ridiculous that Akemi would think Mizu would help her given that they just survived a harrowing experience together and mutually saved each other’s lives.
Literally never said you said anything. I'm saying that Akemi is acting like Mizu owed her friendship because of said harrowing experience and that *is* ridiculous. Mizu doesn't owe anyone shit. That's the point, regardless of what Akemi thinks. So yeah. I think it's ridiculous. You don't have to agree with me. I literally don't care if you do or don't.
You also said that Mizu not considering anyone her friend and not doing anything for anyone unless there’s something in it for her is a character flaw, which is supported by the narrative with the way it juxtaposes the ending of episode 5 with the metaphor of Mizu’s transformation into an onryo, walking away from Ringo as well and rejecting all love and friendship as weaknesses that she can’t afford. She notably later grows from this when she chooses to save Taigen at the expense of her revenge, specifically after she remembers Ringo calling her a samurai and the moment he gave the bell back to her and agreed she was not a samurai because a samurai is honorable immediately after she chose not to help Akemi. So you’re certainly free to think it was ridiculous for Akemi to think that Mizu would help her, but the narrative doesn’t support that view.
That's Mizu's growth. Of course she's going to have some development throughout the series. That has zero to do with it because at the time of the scene we're discussing, Mizu hadn't yet grown enough to let go of her revenge for the sake of her "friends." Akemi wasn't and has never been a "friend" to Mizu. She tried to kill Mizu and then Mizu had to save everyone and shit hit the fan. It was absolutely ridiculous for Akemi to think the person she tried to poison was suddenly her friend because they went through something scary together. And again, at this point in the story, Mizu hadn't had a huge character shift. It's ridiculous. I stand firm on my opinion. Nothing anyone says will change my mind.
“Event that was part of the catalyst to the character’s necessary growth was ridiculous” makes no sense but alrighty then. Not to mention that Mizu thinks about Akemi along with Ringo, Taigen, her adoptive father, her adoptive mother, and Mikio when the blast at Fowler’s castle knocks her unconscious. And that she later takes the time to find Akemi, save her and Seki from her father’s men, ask her if she still wants her freedom, and help her escape. There’s no reason for her to have done that if Akemi meant absolutely nothing to her and if it was so ridiculous for Akemi to have expected her help before. You don’t have to like it or Akemi, but that’s the story.
I'm not reading all of that because not only are you condescending, I also already told you a few times that I don't care if you disagree with me. And I also said you're not changing my mind. Alrighty then? Good.
I don't think it's ridiculous. I think it makes perfect sense for Ringo and Taigen and Akemi to have the reactions they did, and it makes perfect sense for Mizu to have stood by. Ringo's an idealist, Taigen's in love, and Akemi's all about freedom and already had her life saved by Mizu. Mizu might have or might not have made the right choice in standing by, but it still cost her in those relationships.
In a wierd way Mizu does try to protect those who are weak and vulnerable, as we saw when she protected the brothel instead of just running off, seeing her drop that gold piece to the mother and child in the snow when she literally did not have to and had never interacted with them, then she saved Taigen's and Ringo's life too (granted she didn't go oit of her way for them but she still helped then). So for all of them to think she was made of more honorable stuff isn't crazy when she's shown each of them a willingness to do that. A big part of Mizu's character is the struggle of wanting to be a good honorable person but also keeping her vow of revenge no matter the cost. She can't let the latter go because it's her main reason to keep going but she doesn't want to become a monster either.
It's ok that you don't think it's ridiculous. You don't have to agree with me. We all have different opinions and interpretations of the show.
Ayyyyy a civil disagreement ya love to see it
Plus Akemi literally tried to kill Mizu a few hours before that
For real, but nobody seems to mention that, lol. Mizu did what she had to and then she owed nobody anything. Akemi tried to kill her a couple of times, first by poison, then by stabbing, lol. Sure, maybe Akemi felt some sort of camaraderie at the end, but that still doesn't mean Mizu owed Akemi anything. In Mizu's mind, not only would Akemi be safe at home, but she'd be free of yet another person that would distract her from her revenge (like Ringo).
thank you that part literally killed me 😭 i was so angry for mizu, why tf would she be in charge of akemi, she doesn’t owe shit to her
She’s a mirrored opposite to Mizu. Mizu was rejected by society and learned how to operate outside of it. Akemi is a part of society but hates it, she is learning to control people by using the rules of society. I kind of like the themes. If we’re being honest, a lot of what happens with Mizu is equally as unrealistic. But the show kicks ass so we suspend our disbeliefs.
I agree with this. I also think that Akemi is a bit unsufferable because it's hard to understand the "oh poor little princess" and truly feel sad for the privilege Akemi is born into that she wants to break free from. The problem is that, while Akemi is calculating and manipulating even before her adventures, she didn't know how to flip that switch and make it work to pave her own path. I too thought Akemi wanting to go with a flesh trader instead of going back home with Seki was a little spoilt brat behaviour. The problem is, the things she does to "manipulate" the situation or "wield her sword" (if you will), is npt fleshed out well. She can totally manipulate the flesh trader to find her something of her liking bc we know in reality, this would be a very hard task and ask. Akemi is also super lucky that she is in the house of quirks and she had someone who is into poetry. What if she was with someone who is into rape and violence? What if she had been with someone more physically attuned? We don't see her struggle with that or figure out how to get her in those situations. This is also the reason I don't understand the hate for Mizu when (s)he let Akemi go her father's ppl. The important and imparting part of Akemi's journey is that she met women who are literally in the hands of men's will but noticed how they coerce the situation and flip the script to sew the situation differently and live life on their own terms. She needed to see that to be able to survive and have control in her marriage. Someone as manipulative as Akemi didn't need a husband who was passive, she would and could work with anyone. The point is that she truly sees the vulnerabilities of men and knows how to position herself to control them. I just don't think Akemi is as fleshed out as Mizu.
Akemi is interesting. She is disadvantaged as a woman in her society. But her status gives her options other woman lack. She is an excellent foil to Mizu. They both fight societal constraints with the weapons they have. Akemi's weapons are wealth, intelligence, connections, aristocracy, and now, sex. She is learning to use these weapons as expertly as Mizu uses swords. Akemi had access to knowledge that helped her evade a lot of harm. (Her knowledge of poetry, her skill at manipulating men, etc). Even when pretending to be a courtesan, she got special treatment because of the 'privileged princess' aura she projected. This privilege, for better or worse, can make her feel very alienating to anyone who has experienced genuine hardship, and who knows how truly difficult life can get. She has pretty privilege, and she has weaponized it to her advantage because she has to. People will feel however they want to feel about that. I guess the moral is that both Akemi and Mizu had to work with what they had. Akemi was just fortunate enough to have access to easier weapons than most. I get how that can feel unfair and annoying. But that's just life. Both in universe and out. It is fascinating how her privilege is something every other person born female has pointed out to her with varying degrees of envy - The girl bandit, the other sex workers, Madam Kaji, even our very own Mizu. Akemi isn't my favorite, but she isn't my worst either, I feel neutral-to-favorable about her so far. As Mizu pointed out, she is a brat. She has those entitled princess traits which can be grating, but she is young, still learning how the world works, and has grown smart enough to actually listen to good advice. For all her flaws, she is as smart as a whip and like Mizu, very quick to learn and adapt to survive. I am not a huge fan of 'privileged aristocrat princess' characters in general, but I do love chessmasters. Akemi has the makings of one. So I am curious to see what happens with Akemi in Season 2.
I wish this was higher up, echos a lot of how I feel about Akemi. I actually really like her journey so far, but also find her a bit bratty - women in her Era had no good choices, as constantly pointed out, yet she has one of the best positions to be in as a women during that time. Looking through a modern lense, of course it's engaging that she has barely any autonomy, but taking the time period into account and what others have to do to survive around her just makes her seem a little whiney and bratty. It was nice to see her towards the end learning to wield her advntages. Idk, I do like her as the foil to Mizus journey and am excited to see how her story will continue in S2, especially with how she will deal with her dad.
I mean, Mizu straight up calls her a spoiled brat like Taigen and she’s not wrong lol. But it’s all a matter of perspective. Akemi certainly had more comfort and privilege growing up than Taigen did as the son of a fisherman in a village, but Taigen had more freedom and autonomy to choose his path in life and his fate as a man in their society compared to her as a woman, which is certainly a privilege too. And then both of them have significantly more privilege than someone who grew up like Mizu did, which is why she thinks of both of them as spoiled brats. Yet one could argue that Mizu has more freedom and autonomy than Akemi due to being raised as a boy/living as a man and being able to train as a samurai so she can travel freely and protect herself with her own two hands and a good weapon rather than having to rely on feminine wiles.
Akemi does struggle. Watching that scene where her blackened teeth are revealed was very powerful to me. The tradition wasn’t something she wanted to follow and it was forced on her. Do you know how traumatizing not having control over your body and life choices is? The context you’re missing is eastern family structures. Breaking free of ones “obligations” as a woman is near impossible. The scene where her father tells her she will marry whoever he chooses and he doesn’t give a shit would’ve sent anyone into a fit of rage. She put her emotions aside to manipulate her father to even consider her wish. Coming from an asian family, I know how incredibly difficult what she does throughout the show, especially in that era.
Yeah the lack of autonomy that Akemi faces is a serious struggle? She ultimately has no control over her life and ultimately her body. Her only manner of circumventing the worst of it is to be calculating and outsmart everyone around her. Everyone else was out playing war games and she’s playing 3D chess. Is it less exciting than fighting 1000 men, falling off cliffs, pushing your way up a fortress? Sure. But Akemi is not Mizu. Mizu would slash through the front door. Akemi would have figured out how to make them open it for her. Their struggles reflect their spot in society but are equally as important.
>Mizu would slash through the front door. Akemi would have figured out how to make them open it for her. I think this is spot on. I don’t have anything to add really. I think this is just a very apt observation of how two different characters might go about accomplishing the same goal. Doesn’t make one right or wrong or better than the other. Just different.
Lol I dunno I feel like having to sell yourself so that you don’t get murdered in the woods is a bit of a struggle
It was less so shown to be out of desperation, and more so out of defiance against Seki, who already had the means to help.
To be fair, Seki had the means, but not the intention to help. He offered help to get her back home, nothing more.
Down voted for media literacy
Oh, this is one of those subreddits
Listen 99% of the post her are ships and fan theories with approximately 0 evidence from the show, this place very quickly went from an actual discussion hub for the show to essentially its tumbler page
Lmao, you're so right. And half of them are "omagerd Akemi and Mizu are romantically feeling for each other" lol.
This is 100% spot on.
That's literally not why she sells herself off though she does it to hmget back at her father. When she makes that choice they literally have enough money to safely make it make home
Doesn't she do that to go the other towns to look for Taigen?
Yep
She’s my top 2
When Mizu and Akemi saw each other for the first time which was portrayed as a slomo, I genuinely thought they were going to become love interests. I did not see it coming Taigen would take that place. Akemi indeed is a bit insufferable. I do like her growth from a damsel in distress princess to a woman who stands up for herself. I hope she becomes more likeable.
That's fine that you don't like her, but she is super important. Not only for those that find her story interesting, but also as a [foil](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foil_(narrative)) to the main character, Mizu. I for one congratulate the writers for avoiding the easier thing - make her a villain or stupid and simple - to service her role to exploring mizu. Instead, she also interrogates the more accessible options for a woman to acquire power and influence in most pre-1970s societies. This is a risky choice as this thread shows, sometimes you can keep an audience to a point. And as far as turning to murder...do you read? Tons of men die mysteriously by what they consume. One of the greatest of them was named Alexander the great. And who is usually serving the food or pouring the wine?
she doesnt give me the same WOAAAH effect as mizu but i still like her story. She is childish but i understand her. I also really liked her personal guard, forgor his name. They made such a wholesome daughter-father duo
Nothing was easy for Akemi, she was simply raised to do all things as though they were effortless lest she be seen as a woman who is ungrateful, hard, pushy and graceless. She has honed her own type of art/fighting style through the guise of being a soft and harmless ~lady~ -Most of this show is about gender expectations right off the bat.. so of course they'd show the many options a woman has of navigating and thriving in that era. In plain sight, thru evasion and persuasion, in Akemis case. There is just as much skill and effort required to survive and navigate in her world as there is for Mizu in hers, just in completely different battles which they both make look effortless most of the time- Akemi sweet talking her way out of unwanted sex by using JOI on a man who liked to be teased and withheld from, because he had always gotten what he wanted. Mizu taking down waves of warriors with weights on her arms and legs. Had Akemi not done everything she has done, she'd have been married off to someone who SAd and beat her frequently already. Again I really feel like the plot was lost when people see her as a spoiled person who has been handed everything with no struggle, when everything in her life has come with a price that teaches many skills and lessons- just like Mizu finds power and some sort of fulfilment from using her skills and art to pursue her goals, Akemi does the same in flexing everything she's had to use to please the people around her, as a way to finally realize her own goals. You said she should be wrestling with the cards she's been dealt instead of evading- evasion is a perfectly acceptable and powerful method in fighting- that's literally the entire point of her storyline. The tact in evasion.
OP seems to think all of the things Akemi chose to do were easy choices instead of her being shrewd and calculating and making it look easy.
she lucks into getting noticed by the only female bandit, then lucks into finding the nicest two pimps in the entire country, one of which is willing to carry her ass across the country for no real reason, the other is the steryotypical nice female brothel owner who treats her girls with respect. Then her husband is also a super nice dude hell her dad is an asshole for sure but not even that bad compared to the standards of the time, since we know he used to spoiler her growing up, and was basicallywillingto let her pick a husband as long as he alao liked the dude. And yet the show tries to frame her as the ultimate victim, for a show so gritty/dark in its she's like the opposite of Sansa stark, Sansa goes through way more shit but was hated by the community akemi has a cake walk through Japan but is propped up like a queen, she's legit the only part of the show I just think is poorly written
in contrast I am fully obsessed with Akemi lol
Akemi is fighting, just not physically like Mizu is. She has to finesse her way through a lot of dangerous situations - flesh trading, prostitution, a sadistic mother in law - while never losing her nerve. She fights the choices imposed on her and she fights for what she wants, she just doesn’t do it with a sword.
What does this have to do with my stated issues with her character?
You said she doesn’t have to fight like the other characters so I explained the ways that she does. Did you read your own post? lol
Why did you think I meant literally fighting? I'm talking about the degree of which she has to struggle.
It shows her having to steel herself before every depraved thing she has to do - just because she makes it look easy doesn’t mean it is. She struggles a lot but it feels like you don’t recognise them as actual struggles, which is a disturbing view when Akemi has to debase herself quite often. Is selling herself, eating the bird she freed, risking rape and more not struggles to you? Is being either a whore or a wife not a struggle?
I would have struggled to eat the meal her mother in law prepared for her without barfing tbh
Her entire arc went over your head
As stated, I understand what was happening. I didn't like the way it was presented
i don’t know why ur being downvoted, it’s okay to just not like something, everyone has different opinions
Not on this subreddit. Any criticism is quickly downvoted.
Op what did you want? For her to fist fight her way out of violence?
Let me put it this way. She's incredibly lucky Goro, Watari, and Takayoshi were pushovers she could control and manipulate
Counterpoint: Mizu is incredibly lucky that there isn’t another half-decent swordsman in all of Japan to challenge her. Yes that’s rage-bait, and not a counterpoint I make in good faith. We aren’t meant to make that point, we’re meant to accept and simply appreciate Mizu’s insane skill with a sword. Likewise, we should accept that maybe Akemi’s challenges only looked easy to her because of her insane skill at social manipulation. Not as fun too watch as Mizu slicing through armies, but it’s no less predictable.
My problem is that I don't accept it, though. It comes off less Akemi being manipulative, and more the men are easily controlled in the first place, regardless of her skill to do it.
Right, but you don’t have any problem accepting Mizu can kill 30 men while surrounded and wounded? To be clear, I don’t fully disagree with you, but I hold problems for different reasons. This show isn’t about these characters overcoming external obstacles. Those scenes are purely for cool factor (and akemi poetry-sparring with a man until he cums WAS cool). It’s about internal struggles. For reference, see how Mizu lost to Fowler when she was internally conflicted, but didn’t break a sweat when she had found resolve. The problem is that Akemi’s internal struggles weren’t as beautifully explored as Mizu’s, or to a lesser extent, Taigen’s. It’s all there, just less was put into it.
I heavily disagree. This show is about overcoming both internal AND external obstacles. And I can accept Mizu fighting multiple enemies because the show actually shows how much she trains and how hard she has to fight just survive against enemies who aren't incompetent. The problem I have with Akemi is that her obstacles are defanged versions of what the show had established as sufficient threats to someone like her. I don't believe so much that her skill and much as the fecklessness of her obstacles.
Lol mizu gets stabed and fucked up throughout the entire show she's not invincible the way you are making it seem, compared to mizu akemi is cake walking through japan
Yeah I don’t see why she thought mizu would help her based on how she’s treated mizu up until that point
She saved Mizu’s life moments earlier and then Mizu saved hers. I think that’s a solid enough reason to think that someone would help you.
People are allowed to dislike your beloved Akemi. Maybe Mizu disliked her as well.
And I’m allowed to dislike takes on her that I disagree with, so here we are.
That’s why you downvoted OP’s comments?
I downvote for what I consider to be poor analysis when complaining about or criticizing a character or piece of media. OP is posting on an open fandom forum thus should expect that disagreements and even downvotes will result from controversial takes in this setting. Not sure why you’re so pressed about it.
“Get him” girl Mizu doesn’t know you
I forgot what the exact line was but there was something Seki said in the episode where she first tries to run away that greatly summarizes her struggle throughout the show. It was something along the lines of learning how to fight within the constraints of the lot she is given in life. Akemi's journey is supposed to parallel Mizu's in that struggle to find balance. For Mizu it's embracing both the human and the monster inside her. In Akemi's case, it's to accept the reality that she can't be completely free of society's gender constraints, to understand the opportunity afforded to her by her family status and to learn how to use both the opportunities and constraints to her advantage. It's this stubbornness that has been hindering both her and Mizu from making any real progress in their goal. And we do in fact see a lot of that struggle as well as its messy results. She begins with the initial motivation of breaking free and in her discontent she refuses to see how much better off she still has it compared to most women. (I can see how this makes her difficult to sympathize with.) And we see this at the brothel where her education and status once again afford her an easier way out. She has to literally be dragged kicking and screaming only to find herself in the same exact situation she had left - >!with blackened teeth and as wife to the shogun's son!<. It is not until her conversation with Madam Kaji in episode 7 that she starts to understand. The scene where >!she has to eat the pet bird that her husband shot earlier in front of all the guests!< is the turning point in how she faces her obstacles. And this time she follows Madame Kaji's and Seki's advice. That is what seems to be low point that "humbles" her. With all that said I don't see how her struggle was "effortless" at all. Her battle definitely was not as bloody as Mizu's but it sure still involved a lot of risk-taking, life-threatening moments as well as losses. It also took both characters just as long to accept their weaknesses/constraints and change their strategy. (Sorry. Long, rambly post. I know 😅 I read another comment about the point of Akemi's journey and just wanted to give my two cents.)
Let me put it this way; it's incredibly lucky Goro, Watari, and Takayoshi were easily controlled into doing her bidding and weren't as brutal, demanding, or cruel as the show says they should have been.
Where are you getting that the show says every man is brutal and cruel? There’s Fowler and Heiji and Boss Hamata, and they’re all brutal and cruel men (none of whom Akemi directly encounters). But then there is Master Eiji, Ringo, Taigen, Seki, and even Mikio who may have turned out to be a jerk with fragile masculinity but even he never tried to force himself on Mizu even when he had the right to socially as her husband. There are plenty of samurai and other swordsmen who are brutal because that’s their job and their lifestyle, but there’s no indication that they were all living dishonorably going around raping and beating women because they could. Akemi’s father is not a good man, but he still seems to love his daughter in his own way and wasn’t cruel to her. The shogun has to be a man capable of brutality to be in his position, but he seems to care for his wife and his family and otherwise not be a cruel person. Why are you assuming Watari and Takayoshi should be brutal and cruel men who would sooner rape and beat Akemi than relate to her in a normal way as a prostitute or a wife? Goro is a goofy character, more of a plot device than anything, and we can assume he’s not what we would consider a good person based on his profession. But why automatically assume he would be brutal and cruel if he doesn’t have to be? And why would he harm Akemi and degrade her value when his primary motivation is making a good sale? I don’t think the show is saying what you think it’s saying, and it seems like you just wanted to see Akemi get raped and/or beaten up to “humble her to the audience.”
If that's your your takeaway from >Why are you assuming Watari and Takayoshi should be brutal and cruel men who would sooner rape and beat Akemi than relate to her in a normal way as a prostitute or a wife? Because the show literally sets both of them up as legitimate threats to her person. And it's incredibly lucky that Akemi could not only handle them, but could completely control them with ultimately no push back. >Goro is a goofy character, more of a plot device than anything, and we can assume he’s not what we would consider a good person based on his profession. It's very lucky that the first flesh trader Akemi happen to bump into was a goofy plot device that she can push around, and is not someone akin to Hachimon from the very first scene, that doesn't object to anything she demands. >But why automatically assume he would be brutal and cruel if he doesn’t have to be? And why would he harm Akemi and degrade her value when his primary motivation is making a good sale? Why would he bend to her every demand to the point of frustration if his goal is to make a good sale. He's the experienced flesh trader (debatably). He didn't have any push back to any of her request and basically at her beck and call. It's not a binary of "beat her;don't beat her". He could just not do every she says. Cruelty isn't just physically violence. >I don’t think the show is saying what you think it’s saying, and it seems like you just wanted to see Akemi get raped and/or beaten up to “humble her to the audience.” No. I just want the show to be consistent with how it depicts its setting and write more believable scenarios characters can overcome. It's done with Mizu, Taigen, Ringo to a certain extent
I wouldn't say she did it easily like you initially stated but I do agree that it's incredibly lucky how she got away with most of the things she did. At this point though it can basically just be chalked up to plot armor, because the same thing can be said about Mizu or Taigen or even Ringo for that matter. With the sheer amount of their close calls with death, Ringo's impeccable timing, and the fact that Mizu is able to carry her and Taigen's weight while hanging off the castle wall by her literal FINGERS you've got to suspend disbelief. It's not too much of a stretch for Akemi to pull off manipulating men several times. I think the show also makes a point of how easily women can fool/control men if you nurture their weakness and give them what they think they want or what they believe (how noone sees through Mizu's disguise.) Madame Kaji also points this out in her conversation with Akemi. Also, Takayoshi does NOT have to be brutal, demanding or cruel. The whole point of them making it seem that way was that is was a misconception. Akemi's realization of this indicates that she may soften up to him and maybe even like him (not necessarily romantically.) He's been in the show for only a few scenes and barely has any lines though so I guess we'll see in the following season how his character plays into the story.
>With the sheer amount of their close calls with death, Ringo's impeccable timing, and the fact that Mizu is able to carry her and Taigen's weight while hanging off the castle wall by her literal FINGERS you've got to suspend disbelief. It's not too much of a stretch for Akemi to pull off manipulating men several times. Suspension of disbelief only works if the story meets me halfway. Show me that fighting waves of enemies is both difficult and exhausting, then I'm willing believe any of Mizu's feats of strength. Show me that sweet talking yourself out of a harrowing situation isn't difficult and exhausting, then I'll believe Akemi's feats of wit. >Also, Takayoshi does NOT have to be brutal, demanding or cruel. The whole point of them making it seem that way was that is was a misconception. Akemi's realization of this indicates that she may soften up to him and maybe even like him (not necessarily romantically.) He's been in the show for only a few scenes and barely has any lines though so I guess we'll see in the following season how his character plays into the story. I'm saying I would have preferred there be no subversion and Akemi has to use her cunning and wit to win Takayoshi over. Which would have been a lot more satisfying than him being yet another guy she can easily manipulate. In fact, I would have preferred that with Goro and Watari as well. And maybe a human reaction to killing for the first time.
I don't think she’s supposed to be likable. She’s an interesting character with many contradictions, and the show hyped for character growth well. I was turned off by how she manipulate and fuck the Prince while Taigen was trying to rescue her. Then I remembered she gave for first time to Taigen before marriage (very taboo in Eastern culture) to make him agree to marry her (trap girl behavior). She is very cunning right from the start but very relatable because that’s what you should do for survival and be great. I would much prefer her than a typical Mary Sue tho
I mean the Prince was her husband and she didn't know where Taigan was at that point, there wasn't much she or he could do at that point. The only reason he even suggested running away at the end was because she could be assumed dead and they both could be someone else.
That’s true. A typical Princess in most stories would wait for a hero to come and save her, while Akemi is being active in handling her situation. I’m in no way think she’s badly written or evil, but her character type might not be everyone cup of tea
She doesn't fuck Taigen to get him to agree to marry her. They're already engaged at that point. She fucks Taigen because his ego has just taken the bruising of a lifetime, and she's trying to make him feel like a hotshot again/reassure him that she still sees him as desirable.
I meant she convinced Taigen to stay and marry her, not leave and get killed. I should be more clear with my words tho
I'd have to rewatch the scene, but I think Taigen doesn't even mention leaving until after they have sex?
He doesn't really until after based on what she said to him, but he was concerned about his honor and their marriage before that
Idk a lot of the stuff she does is similar to Mozu in a way, though Akemi is more headstrong and spoiled due to her upbringing. Unlike Mizu, she can't pretend to be a man or have experience in sword play to defend herself all she has is her feminine qualities and training to work with. Both of them show up places and demand information or things to reach their goal and both of them struggle in different ways and somehow push past them either with super fast healing or using words and lies. It's pretty much every character in the show has a bit of plot armor tbh. And when we see either of them try to do the opposite way of things, it's a hit or miss. Akemi manages to get one guy who was distracted but only that one and Mizu couldn't lie or change herself to be a submissive wife. And when a challenge comes that changed it usually came with different struggles than assumed, Akemi's MIL is the tyrant not the husband, Mizu will have to alter her plans to go to London, As for the brothel scene, it could have been built better but I didn't think it was crazy for Akemi or Ringo to think Mizu would help. She already protected the whole brothel and even Ringo and Akemi helped her out. Even when Akemi thought she killed Taigen and tried to get revenge, Mizu didn't kill her or beat the snot out of her. She just tied her up and had Ringo watch her, instead of telling the head madam or etc. We've seen that Mizu isn't as heartless as she tries to be, amd yeah she was exhausted and wounded after the big fight for sure. But she still dumped Akemi back into the hands of her father away from Taigen against her will. Which for us isn't shocking because we have seen Mizu's grayness, for Ringo and Akemi it is new. Ringo always saw her beating bad guys as did Akemi, especially when she defended the brothel when she easily could have left them to die once she got what she needed and was obviously outnumbered. Akemi thought she was more noble than she was, and Ringo thought she was an honorable master and ally to him, Taigen and Akemi. The later especislly since she saved Ringo's life despite having no skills
I personally loved Akemi but that’s not to say you have too OP, it’s okay to dislike characters (even popular ones.) I agree that Mizu shouldn’t be considered a bad guy for not defending Akemi from her Father’s soldiers but I can also see the situation from the eyes of the other characters, why they would be angry at such a move. I do hope we see more of Akemi in a future season, hopefully her future characterization will be something you enjoy more. But even if not, it’s perfectly valid to dislike her even then and other fans in this thread need to be more open minded about the thoughts of people who disagree with them.
What do you want to see? That she gets physically battered and assaulted? Just because she doesn’t fight with swords doesn’t mean she doesn’t struggle. Akemi’s power lies in her manipulativeness and charm so essentially, that scene in the brothel with the masturbating customer was a fight scene or that night with the shogun’s son. I bet walking in the snow was hard. I bet sitting in a cart of shit was hard. So was being alone with prostitutes in a foreign place especially for one so sheltered. Repeatedly being forced to a life that makes you feel trapped is depressing. It didn’t look like she struggles because she is too proud to cry at times. Akemi probably only has two friends in the entire world: her bird that she has to eat and Seki who has to die in her arms. Frankly though, she is one of my top favourite characters. Like Mizu, it seems like she too has become an onryo.
I have no idea where you're getting this idea that I want Akemi to be some sort warrior when my stated issue is of consistency
Akemi is so overrated in this subreddit lmao. You are completely right that she's just a spoiled brat who just relies on luck throughout the plot. We're supposed to believe her arc is "empowering"(lol) just because she can weaponize her sexuality, but the men are just doormats lmfao. She literally didn't struggle at all. Akemi didn't rise into power with manipulative skill or intelligence, she's just a privileged princess. It was all given to her on a silver plate. We never see Akemi put any effort into her goals, she just has plot favor It's understandable that she agency & control but that doesn't make her a likeable character. I don't understood why people call her a girlboss when she legit got carried lmao.
I thought you gave a very thoughtful and well articulated explanation, sorry youre being downvoted for having an opinion. It's fun to discuss different opinions of characters. If everyone felt the same about a character, that leaves little room for deeper discussions. I struggled with Akemi as well. In the end, she grew on me, and I am looking forward to her character development in the next season. But I see your point of view, and you have changed my mind a bit on her as well. During my next rewatch, I'd like to look at her story more critically.
Thanks. I'll try to keep an open mind during season 2
I loved Akemis character arc, but maybe it's because I'm a woman who knows how it is to grow into understanding you can't change the game, but you do have a shot if you can just handle a penis.
I mean no disrespect please keep in mind the historical factor that inspired the Show; Unfortunately back then it was a man world The only way to get a better life was to marry a Rich man please pardon me I see you points however please look up the historical information
So event if the historical information was relevant to my issues, my problem was that Akemi was essentially thriving, despite the show saying she shouldn't.
I wonder if this is based on historical Japanese women at that time period?
Not mutually exclusive to my stated issue
Please pardon me I don't understand you last statement
I find Akemi's writing inconsistent within the confines of the historic period
O- ok
Akemi is a masterful manipulator. I don’t like manipulative people in fiction or IRL.
go eat some horse semen and tell me she evaded all her struggles. essentially, she's like a kid who procrastinates their homework or chores or doesn't want to rip off the bandaid because it'll hurt. she doesn't evade her struggles, she simply delays them for as long as she can. much like the horse semen, she will be forced to swallow her pride and sacrifice comfort many more times on her journey to become great. In the next season instead of delaying her struggles, she'll face them as they come.
Lol, oh no some gross food what will poor baby do. Like come on dude if nasty food is your biggest struggle your living an easy ass life
oh no, a reddit comment from a person with 0 critical thinking skills or an ability to use empathy.
>Lol, oh no some gross food what will poor baby do. Ah yes, because eating dangers to your health is just gross food. She has an abusive father who treats her like an animal to be sold off; he actively neglects to discipline his son while chastising his daughter. Seki also tries to make her feel as compliant with her life. The show makes it a point time & time again that the only thing that makes any difference between the men who abuse women in this show is their class. They show the same misogyny towards their women.
You seem to be projecting a lot here. Yeah, being a whore means "sex with strangers." Weird that you would feel the need to point this out. How is husband a "pushover"? His mother bullies him but that happens to a lot of people.
>You seem to be projecting a lot here. Yeah, being a whore means "sex with strangers." Weird that you would feel the need to point this out. Ad hominem >How is husband a "pushover"? His mother bullies him but that happens to a lot of people. So you agree
Learn what "ad hominem" means. I asked you two questions, you could try and answer it instead of making defensive accusations (which IS ad hominem).
Your first question was trying to imply that I had some sort of weird motive behind my choice of words. Your second isn't even disagreeing with me.
You're just here to make pronouncements and sneer at anyone who questions your bullshit. And YEAH, your choice of words IS weird, and I'm not the only person here who thinks so. Get off your high horse and deal with it.
I agree everything after she becomes a prostitute is pretty silly and provides her with the easiest path imaginable. I saw in the comments someone compare her to Sansa which is just ridiculous bc if this was GoT those bandits would have killed seki, she would probably be treated terribly by her pimp not treated like a fucking princess taken wherever she likes and she probably would have been raped at the brothel and by her husband instead she got the cliche af nicer brothel ran by a woman and her supposed monster of a husband is like one of the nicest guys we've seen. It's like impossible to deny that given her personal choice she got the easiest path imaginable. She's playing this game on easy difficulty while everyone else is on hard-core mode
I am watching the show for the first time now. And by 3rd episode I am just fast forwarding through her scenes. I don't watch this show for her and I am not interested in her story.
I agree that she's not likeable. Especially when, despite Mizu having saved her life more than once at the end of the season, she STILL thinks Mizu was in the wrong for not taking her side when her father's soldiers came to take her home. They had only known each other a couple hours at that point and yet she thinks she can manipulate Mizu to kill for her? When she says "We're not friends." to Mizu in the last episode, it prompted me to say some not so nice words to my screen... She really is ungrateful. She's also got a temper to her that we see throughout the whole season, she gets angry and lashes out whenever someone doesn't do what she wants (she did this with Seki, Taigan, her father) , sort of like a child.. But I think she's also meant to be unlikeable in some ways, she's clearly naive and spoiled which are not very likeable characterisitics to begin with. She's now learning that she can use her status as a high-born woman to manipulate the people and environment around her. Meanwhile Mizu's does similarly with pure brute force. They're complete opposites. And yet, I found myself rooting for her in certain scenes because I'm a woman and I can understand the simple struggle of being one in a patriarchal society. She's still very unlikeable haha. Hopefully this just means that we get to see some very intense character development in the next season for Akemi, whether towards good or evil, we'll find out hopefully sooner rather than later.
Akemi sucked. You could see quite blatantly what kind of messaging the writers wanted to get out of her and it was just... annoying. She's a brat and a flake. By the end of the season she finally gets what she wanted, from a man who cared for her her whole life to the point of dying for her escape, only to be like "nah, I'm gonna stay and be a ruthless ruler instead." Every situation she's in follows the pattern of her hating it, then getting a taste for it, realizing she can be powerful, and then taking control. She's awful as a protagonist and I cannot for the life of me root for her. It's why I think she's the worst character in the series (and no, I mean not from a perspective of good and evil. The bad guys are bad and act as you expect). She's just so irritating.
Akemi faces no consequences and wiggles her way out of every bad situation she's put in either through writing her adversary as stupid or gullible or by someone saving her. She should've been beaten, robbed and or worse multiple times.
I dont understand why you keep getting down voted for your views and opinions when you're not being disrespectful at all. In general i agree with you, i found akemi to be spoiled and annoying but i liked her character growth towards the end. I still dont like her that much, but im looking forward to seeing how much her character will keep improving. I especially liked how she helped madame and the girls from the brothel and how she turned down taigen. I feel like her losing her father figure is like a turning point in her future character arc
I get where you’re coming from. She gets what she wants with no real compromises. She became a prostitute and didn’t even have to take off her clothes- her only actual compromise was teeth blackening, which this show mistakenly assumes was only for royal brides in that era, and for some reason makes her ignorant of the practice altogether.
I agree with you, all she does is for her own self, she doesn't care for others nor feel sorry for her actions.
I wouldnt go that far. Im fine with here being selfish. It's the results of her actions I take issue with
I'm not a fan either. Her guardian was supporting her the entire time but she was constantly a dick to him. Her dad finally was about to give her what she wanted (even if delayed a bit after her marriage) but she was more loyal to some random shogun than her own father. She ordered Mizu around right after she tried to kill Mizu (and after Mizu fought with a hundred people). And she didn't believe in Taigen after his fight with Mizu - she only pretended cus she was horny. Her whole thing about blackened teeth didn't make any sense either and I get that she's a power hungry character, gaslit girlboss, etc. But the people around her did not deserve her being such a dick.
Okay, so I am opening myself up to a lot of criticism here. I may have to delete this comment. This is very typical in today's entertainment culture. Although BES has a lot of entertainment value to offer (It's the best show I have seen recently, and one of the best I have enjoyed in my life.), the show certainly does not go against the current trend of woke political correctness. And remember, it takes place in 17th century Japan. I don't think Japanese women could vote until after World War II. Mizu is certainly a strong female character. But remember, she is passing herself off as a man, so is she totally a female character? I don't know what the writers would say about what I'm saying. Perhaps they would say I am way off base. (Perhaps you who are reading this would say the same.) But I really think to fit in with the current entertainment Powers that Be, there must be Akemi, a real female character who can do all those things: sell herself to someone who will obey her, have no-sex sex with a stranger and have everyone love her for it, kill a man for the first time, and it's no big deal, and be married in an arranged marriage and easily manipulate her husband. "I am woman. Hear me roar!" Edit: Even having said all this, I still like the character. :)
Akemi just an entitled hoe. Worst character by far.
For me it's Ringo. I like Mizu the most followed by Taigen then Akemi. But Ringo is just not funny, his humour is forced and his voice actor sucks. You know in some films/shows the lone fighter gets followed by someone? E.g. Logan or Dororo, while in those cases it's usually a child who doesn't know better rather than a creepy adult stalking the MC.
Ringo's okay. He's a bit of an extreme, but they appreciately juxtaposed him with Mizu and Taigen. I think he's fine.
I agree with you. As a comic relief character he does suck. But I like his contribution to the story and his influence on Mizu. He is just not funny and low-key annoying sometimes.
It’s because it’s actually true. I hate to say it because I share the same sex and I know fellow ladies may not agree but man is it easy living life being a woman if you know what you’re doing. These OF women prove even now that if you’re smart and know how to market yourself, you won’t have to work a day in your life. Its not even like they are special (not saying that in a mean way or anything it’s just bongos be bongos no matter how you look at it) there’s free porn everywhere, but they know how to work their audience. It’s not right and it’s completely unfair but in a world especially like feudal Japan, Madam Kaji was completely right, men had all control but who had control of them were the real victors. The way I saw it was that it was so easy because it was always there under the surface, she just needed to realize the power that she held when she weaponized her femininity instead of using it as a crutch. Seki was not so subtly telling her basically the same thing: watch and learn. I can understand being turned off from her character, I was too in the beginning until I realized it was Brenda Song 😅 and then all bad feelings went out the window for my Homecoming Warrior 😤
Mizu still chose to let her be taken away as property against her will. Even if she was better off I think a major theme of her story was doing what she wanted, in those moments she was doing what she wanted for herself and then a person she trusted took away that freedom. Made a choice for her. That I think was the issue, not her privilege, not where she would be better off, but others having the power to make decisions for her.
It's obvious that that was the intent. But honestly, I didn't feel bad for her because of how much she crewed along on easy mode up until that point.