Here's my two cents.

"Some part of me says that she should have tried harder for Momo if she really wanted to love him, by finding help even though she felt like she couldn't trust anyone anymore- she should've known not everyone is a piece of good-for-nothing-s**t, but that's easier to think when you're not in that person's shoes. :( "

I know exactly what you mean. Look, it would've been a lot easier if Harada didn't bring the mother, or just portray her like the evil creature, witch, bitch, sadist caracther that by chance is like that to create necessary drama and just write a couple of chapters with tension enough to make you distracted from pull a bunch of popcorns on you mouth because you're shouting "DIE SPAWN OF SATAN" but oh no, she actually portray the woman seriously fucked up, emotionally unstable who by realistic reasons (the ones treated in the plot: rape, abandonment, rejection) created a background that at least make some of us just stop for a second and say... Maybe if that wouldn't happened...

One thing is certain, Harada didn't create cheap drama here just for the fun of it. My bowl of popcorns got cold. And taste badly.

Yep, yep. And just because we know that the mother can't be forgiven, doesn't mean we can't feel bad for her- she's not the only one to blame. >:(

Harada likes to mess with people's emotions... I don't know if I love her or hate her. XD

Lol, I don't know how you thought I was part of those feminazis (I don't believe in most of them or feminist anyway), but I'm not agreeing with her actions or justifying them- I'm just saying that I feel bad for what happened and if her family had helped her, then maybe things wouldn't have turned out the way it did.

And I DID say that she needs to be PUNISHED, but you're probably just nitpicking.

I decided to take part in this topic since I have had experience with such situations, but before starting let me tell you that your implications are not only ignorant but an insult.
A distant cousin of mine had an arranged marriage ,after the wedding she lived abroad for some years. When she came back alone, we discovered that her husband was abusive, a drug addict, would work with prostitutes and had threatened to kill her many times, but fortunately she managed to escape. She had a baby that goes to kindergarten now,whom she loves deeply and would do anything to assure him the best,she has 2jobs and is a single mother. Let alone hate him for his father's mistakes, or worse punish him,or let him get raped!

You say that it's a sad reality but most women would act the same way as the character in this manga. Where do you get this crap? Have you ever volunteered to help abused mothers or go for a visit in a ghetto in a 3rd world country? Well,I have. Before leaving my country I volunteered for single,teen mothers. Many of them were raped,thrown out of their home because of the shame buy they never,I repeat NEVER sold their children. Some of them would prostitute themselves so as to send their kids to school. You should try,it makes you understand what a Mother is and why such a figure holds probably the most important,sacred place in society.

I don't consider this manga a source of information nor a depiction of reality,I see this as pure entertainment.Maybe Japanese authors aren't the ones you should look at for such themes since in Japan pedo pornography was legal until 2007 If I'm not mistaken. So if you want to learn something,or analyze such situations at least read a book where professionals give their information.
Saying this character the actions of this characters are to be understood as part of a normal consequences gives me a headache. It is not normal, it's not what usually happens. Considering it normal is an insult to those who had such experiences and worse, is the approval that this kind of child abuse is a normal consequence.

You may like this manga, have your view, feel sorry, but don't make claims that shame victims.

I started to read your comment but when this popped up: "but before starting let me tell you that your implications are not only ignorant but an insult" I stopped and completely lost interest in what you wrote. Probably you have pretty solid points because your comment is long but really, there are ways to express your ideas without being this rude. So, I'm going to ask you kindly, ignore my comment and move on. ¡Gracias y Adiós!

An implication being ignorant means not having knowledge.
English isn't my first language ,but I know the meaning of certain words. And in no way is my comment meant to offend you or anyone, but to give information about a topic that you are ignorant about.
Anyway, it's your choice.

Many people, me included ,tend to talk about situations that we dont know as you rightfully said. I agree that some assumptions made here are offensive to victims.
Thnx for sharing your experience.

Hello? US "feminazi' here--I think you are a bit off target. Many feminists object to child abuse--most in fact. Probably all.

I like the ideale of feminism depsite some people who give it a bad name, as I identify as a humanist. Living in europe ,some years ago they wanted to created a place where pedophilia was legal in the Netherlands. It made my skin crawl and upset me since I didn't see groups opposing it with the same attitude they do with other issues . fortunately, it got declined. There was another case, where a French woman denounced a pedophilia ring where parents would bring their kids, she was one of the children in the ring. Despite the police admitting that she helped them finding the bodies of lost children, she got labelled as a liar and crazy,her case got closed. No group, social worker lifted a finger. It's unfortunate how such a topic is still a taboo. The Japanese are under huge pressure for mangas like this, they want to ban them. It was said to hear a politcian how japan was not fully aware of children's rights. In such cases I don't know whether I should support the mangaka or think that it's time japan banned it.

*it was sad

Guys I think bringing the term "feminazi" in this discussion is particularly wrong and off shot. Already, the concept of feminazi seems ridiculous to me, feminism has principles and standards, it searches for equality and I find it rather hard to relate this with nazi ideals.
Concerning Momo's mother I think she's trying to justify herself but in the end I read it as an explanation, a simple stating of the facts and how shit went down from her point of view. What she did was seriously wrong (and pedophilia and proxenetism are punished by the law) and is in no way justifiable, but it doesn't erase the fact that she was also abused. It's easy to see things in black and white but it won't help resolve any problem in society unless you plan on attempting some kind of purification pure nazi style.....
I don't justify her, but I understand her. Emotions are something hard to handle and control for an adult, imagine a teen completely abandoned having to raise the kid of your rapist, I know lots of you will say I just would give it away and all , but really none of us have been there (I hope we never get to there) and rape is a big trauma: even if the child is innocent the mother is NOT in the right emotional or mental state and seeing as she had no support her choices are poor and sad but not really a surprise. This is shit that happens for real, human beings are not such that entirely function on moral and rational standards, even less at her age for that matter. I find her selfish and honestly speaking I wonder if she ever should have even tried contacting Momo as she's doing it for her own selfish reasons (closure) but even though I reproach that selfishness and terrible doings I understand, because I just can't help but be touched by human misery and suffering and the fact that she inflicted pain doesn't erase the fact that pain got inflicted to her too....it is all just terribly sad and I guess that is what makes this a good work too, it shows life's harshness and its shades of color and makes you reflect on the subject (at least it made me reflect on it)

I'm sorry, for what she did, she should not have a chance to be with that child. That's why there are systems in place to protect children from abusers. She's an abuser. Forget her past, what made her do it.

She abused her child. She supported the rape of her child. You're basically trying to force Momo to give his rapist a chance. Yes, I called her a rapist. Even before she sold her child for sex, she knew he was having sex underage. She knew that men took advantage of her LONELY child. Even before she sold him off, the fact that she knew other men had sex with her underage son, her BOYFRIENDS had sex with her son and she did nothing. She's a rapist. Let's just call her that. You are merely talking as if the only one who faced problems was her. You are talking as if just because she faced it, therefore there was 'nothing else that could have been done' as though having a small boy being raped is 'consequence of society'. As though a mother getting paid for their son to have sex with other men is 'consequence of society.' Please check your thinking. It's disgusting.

He's nice so why not give him the chance to forgive his rapist? I wonder if you would still say the same if I word it this way. She's a rapist. Don't forget that. Don't act as though the worst thing she did was get money of it.

She allowed men to rape her child. SHE raped her child. So go on supporting that rapist.

"It's easy to see things in black and white but it won't help resolve any problem in society unless you plan on attempting some kind of purification pure nazi style..... "

*hands down*

You expressed yourself so well and I'm absolutely agree with your statement. Yes, she has to take responsability for her actions in the past, but, what about what happened to her? Justice will really be done, then? That's for me a good debate.

Thank you for share your thoughts.

That's not it. Noone is saying that momo's mother didn't go through a horrible situation, nothing will erase what she went through that is for sure. But what she did to her son was horrid. Yes she experienced a trauma, but she knew her son was getting raped, she knew he was suffering, she knew what rape is, she was completely aware and she Made that choice. And it continued for years. That's the problem. She wasn't under drugs ,she was aware of everything. That's it,she understood what was going on and continued. She put an innocent child in that situation in which she was perfectly aware of. That's what makes her evil. It's not about seeing things in black and white, we aren't saying she had a happy life, or getting raped was nothing. No, we are saying she committed a crime and put an innocent child through such a horrible life, and she was AWARE of it. That's it. Her experience will never be an excuse for that, because she was perfectly aware and had no remorse,it wasn't just a thing, it went on for many years and she kicked him out. That's what makes her a monster. Instead of crying she said to momo "it's your fault, you are born from hate". That says a lot, she is going on with her life, no help, no apology ,no money,no "please treat him with kindness" to yata,nothing, she calls him "that child" when he is her son. The only thing she deserves is prison.

Completely agree. Thank you for sharing it, like you said there is a reason why the mother holds a sacred place in society. We say there is nothing like the love of a mother.
A child is a child, no matter his mother or father, there is no child of a prostitite,child of a rapist,child of a killer,there are only children. They are the most innocent ones and deserve full protection .

OK guys, I get your point. I tried to put myself in her shoes and I reached this conclusion. Imagine you see your child probably 6 years old, you see him covered in sperm, with his anus bleeding, legs wide open, bruises all over the body, crying and trembling. After seeing it, what kind of person would keep bringing pedophiles to the child. OK, she lost control because she thought she would be happy with that man and the child got in the middle so she lost it. But after seeing him in such conditions, how could she keep doing it? How? I think I would have committed suicide if I ever saw it......and knew it was my fault.

You can always give your opinion or share your thoughts as an viewer of a certain situation, as an outsider, but saying that "trying to be in her shoes" I don't think it's possible to base an point of view objectively because at the end the consequences of your actions are based in rational/logical thoughts in a situation that I hope is not even near to be 1 in a million chances of occurrence. Everyone here is giving an opinion based in a perspective, for me nobody is wrong. Everyone have something to say because it's a very complex situation, but I don't think that anyone here is trying to convince someone or even judge someone (at least not me and the majority here in this post) for giving an opinion. You can agree or not, but it's not my right to chance the thoughts of someone, just to comment and share my POV because it caught my curiosity the plot twist the story had.

Anyway, thanks for share your words! ヾ(☆▽☆)

Yes, but still the image of a child in that situation is shocking......
Anyway, thankfully this is fiction..... But it's really disturbing. I got shivers trying to imagine the scene.
╥﹏╥

Completely agree. She is an abuser, one of the worst . For fucks sake, we are talking about a child being gang raped next door and the mother making money out of it....... That's the lowest and most disgusting thing in the world.

Apparently to the OP, it's not the mother's fault but the consequence of society. If you're looking for good arguments for those protecting the mother instead of the child, you won't find them here. I don't think these people know they are supporting the rapist by supporting the mother.