the second lead is based

I feel like this is an unpopular opinion but I agree ╮(￣▽￣)╭

I totally agree, I remember the earlier chapter, Shimpey had me trembling in fear and disgust.... he does look cute NOW bur please I don't want to see that chilling face of his again

ate with this comment people forgetting ml is still PSYCHO and kotaro is actually the normal one like sorry kotaro is the literal servant of satoko like does it not make sense for him to repress his feelings especially since it’s making her look bad?!?! of course shinpei can do whatever the fuck he wants he’s not tied down to anything, he doesn’t have duties, or a position in society

that’s because you’re a real one!! the opinions about kotaro are confusing because he’s not trying to control her or dictate her life… her love interest is a literal psychopath LMAO. bring their relationship back to earth and at least admit kotaros actions make sense

his bloodthirst is gone for now, but he still acts insane when it comes to getting his way!! and me too, it’s about to appear again now that she ran away… im scared

the villainizing of responsible men makes me realize people don’t know a good love interest even if it slaps them in the face. readers can like shinpei idrc but the exaggerated hate towards kotaro is sending me because what is he actually doing bad??

he didn’t demand anything from satako or use his feelings against her. he wishes in any way, shape, or form she has an easy and happy life- and marrying a serial killer psychopath wouldn’t give her that. his repression has nothing to do with himself, and decided he’d rather suffer than ever let her be ridiculed or badly affected. and literally, like you said, shinpei doesn’t have to care but his recklessness will get her hurt!! his confessions and eagerness to love her is not a reflection of his character like COME ON

So what about his feelings? He can go ahead and throw them away. While wanting to protect Satoko is admirable, deciding her best future for her and restricting her autonomy is still wrong. She deserves the agency to make her own relationship choices, even if Kotaro sees potential issues with them. Repression of emotions is rarely psychologically healthy long-term. If Kotaro wishes Satoko happiness, part of that may come from her living freely and honestly according to her feelings, not expectations imposed on her due to Kotaro's role as a police officer.

A core issue here is that Kotaro you people defending Kotaro seem to be prioritizing Kotaro's own romantic feelings and desires over Satoko's agency and autonomy to choose who she loves.

Satoko has repeatedly demonstrated love, care, and sacrifice for Shinpei. Yet Kotaro's actions are coercive and dismissive of her clear feelings and affection towards Shinpei, instead imposing his own vision for her future.

A truly selfless love would mean wanting the other person's happiness even with someone else. Kotaro claims to want Satoko's happiness, but is clearly not listening to her wishes. He is putting his jealousy and possessiveness over her ability to choose her partner freely.

Those vilifying Shinpei and excusing Kotaro are doing the same - disregarding or downplaying Satoko's repeatedly articulated emotions in favor of the Kotaro’s pathetic unrequited romantic love. you support Kotaro suppressing her autonomy.

Love should empower the other, acknowledging that even if it hurts, the other deserves freedom in pursuing their joy. Kotaro's love seems more about control. A compassionate approach would be supporting what Satoko herself wants rather what Kotaro decides is best, even if that means she chooses Shinpei. Her agency and consent matters most.

While Shinpei is indeed a psycho, his motivations now are fundamentally about Satoko, even at great self-sacrifice. Kotaro appointing himself the arbiter of what keeps Satoko "safe" or leads to a "respectable life" without regard for her stated feelings and preferences is paternalistic. She is an autonomous adult woman capable of assessing her own relationships.

The argument sets up a false dichotomy - that either Shinpei must still be considered a dangerous psychopath while Kotaro is the "normal one" sensibly repressing emotions for Satoko's sake, or that Shinpei can act without accountability due to lacking social duties. As Satoko’s literal servant, Kotaro’s duty should be to uniquely and solely to enable and empower her indepedence, not impose his will upon her, no matter his personal feelings. By prioritizing avoidance of potential social judgment against Satoko over respect for her clearly articulated emotions and desires, he utterly fails in his core role as her servant.
Furthermore, servants maintain intimacy and familiarity with their masters’ experiences that should nurture empathy. Yet Kotaro exploits his status to substitute control for consent via an imbalanced power dynamic. His duty is to amplify Satoko’s freedom, not leverage access against her.

somebody cooked here.

yea we are not on the same page right now. you can bring up her autonomy all you want but huge aspects are being forgotten here. shinpei is a serial killer psychopath who would willingly drug and allow others to S/A the people she cares about, just to prove she loves him. this isn’t a typical love story where satoko is fully in control of her feelings and circumstances. she was on HIS hit list, kidnapped to an island, and was forced to play nice with him so she wouldn’t get hurt. their relationship starting out as victim and perpetrator is not healthy! they may have genuine love now but there’s too many factors that affect her decision making. do i still ship them? yes!! but let’s not act like kotaro is somehow taking away her freedom by wanting her out of this situation. genuine question but if someone you loved wanted to bring home a serial killer for their hand in marriage would you let them, after knowing he drugged someone to let them get raped? this is the dilemma kotaro is in currently, so minimizing what he’s doing as “deciding her future and restricting her” is so shallow and individualistic

the repression of his feelings came from a place of maturity, selfless love, and care. romantic feelings are not a debilitating disease lmao… it’s not like depression and anxiety- he knows he loves her but doesn’t act on them and chose his responsibility. he’s one of the best examples of not upholding expectations from someone you love, and caring for them regardless. if you love someone dearly you know when to step in. boundaries should not be the focus, when his sole priority is getting her off a dangerous island and back home. saying that kotaro shouldn’t interfere based on “potential issues” is such an understatement to the ENTIRE plot

you are saying a whole lot of nothing omg... where are you reading he’s controlling her and imposing his own feelings on her for selfish reasons? the false dichotomy argument is also lost in this conversation because shinpei may be a complex person but his past actions and continued behavior supports people labeling him as a psychopath. in this instance where kotaro is called the “normal one” it’s because of his reactions to their relationship and further decisions to prioritize her safety?? these labels aren’t an exaggeration, it’s because of all the accumulated actions each person makes. it’s quite literally an observation of each individual, but doesn’t limit their potential to change

a good servant would not let their client make any and all decisions for “happiness”. you are so lost in translation im actually speechless. why would he blindly support her, when he knows what shinpei is capable of? kotaro knows social status/standing is life or death for her. it’s ironic that you’re actually the one setting up an either-or fallacy. by claiming because he’s forcing her to get away from shinpei it goes to show how bad of a servant he is and how little he respects her as a person and master. you fail to take into consideration all his past deeds, why he’s trying so hard to separate them, and how complex this entire situation is. how does he fail his role as a servant and exploit his status by being inconsiderate of her feelings ONE TIME in this EXTREME case?????

not you too dookiegurl the lack of reading comprehension for this story makes me cry. using buzzwords or therapy talk doesn’t make this a good argument when it forgoes most of the context in the decisions a character makes

yea no this is not the take you thought it was. she’s fully capable of making her own decisions but it doesn’t make her less of a victim or vulnerable to the circumstances she was left in. im not gonna change my mind on the fact that its pretty valid for kotaro to not want her with a serial killer, is that ok? compassion isn’t always soft or kind, it’s also knowing when to be firm or leading someone into a better place. true selfless love doesn’t involve letting the person you care for doing whatever they want and never disagreeing with them. you may think it matters that she’s his master and he’s her servant, but all the more reason im surprised/supportive he’s going against her this time

you talk of consent and agency but what about when she was scared out of her mind with shinpei, fearing when or if he’d take her life? you ignore a big part of their dynamic and why kotaro feels so inclined to get her away from someone who’s shown such heartless and cruel behavior. if you think someone should marry with no room for interference, after all the toxic and dangerous behaviors displayed, i don’t think our convo will get anywhere. i really don’t mind what you feel but trying to invalidate me over and over by your responses is overbearing when you don’t take into consideration the entire story as a whole and sum it up with “she deserves the love she wants regardless of who is it and how it will affect her”. theres so much more nuance to my take and i don’t get how you’re numbing it down to her autonomy vs kotaro is controlling

Firstly, on Shinpei as a serial killer psychopath who has committed horrific acts like facilitating assault - you are absolutely right that his past cannot be brushed aside or minimized. While driven by desperation, violence still necessitates accountability before claiming reform. I should not downplay that. However, his relentless drive for Satoko, suggests some shift towards that deserves small credit in evaluating change. It does not excuse his actions but shows his priorities are no longer wholly selfish.

Regarding Satoko's agency, trauma undoubtedly compromises her autonomy and consent given the abuser-victim power dynamic. Assumptions of free choice ignore how violence physically and emotionally limits options for victims, as you rightly emphasized. However, the intensity of sacrifice Satoko shows for Shinpei also implies she retains some genuine care rather than trauma bonding alone. Her emotions should not be entirely dismissed, even if limited by context.

Finally, on Kotaro’s role - you make a claim that his motivations arise from selfless care more than possession, given the situation with Shinpei’s past. However, for Kotaro, truly selfless love would still mean respecting Satoko’s agency to choose for herself, even understanding he sees risk. I already said this. By refusing to even consider Shinpei or Satoko may be consenting in her context, Kotaro’s paternalism replaces empowering her independence with imposing “protection,” no matter how you like to dress it up in flowers that it is his “selfless” love and care for her.

this argument is a sinking ship. shinpei is fully capable of change, and we’re all here for it, but others like kotaro can still see him as a repeater of his past actions rather than someone who can fully move on from the drive it requires to commit them

and in satakos case her emotions aren’t being dismissed, i think he knows her feelings run with shinpei but it doesn’t take away her decision making isn’t in for her best interest or fully encompasses how it will change her state of life

with korato is the main criticism coming from me saying selfless love? both of us have a subjective take on it but im not romanticizing what he’s doing… to kotaro her safety is more important than her agency. a selfless love to me is going against them when it matters and not ignoring the things that will harm their life in every way. he’s not getting in between them to fulfill his one sided love, he’s doing it to get her back home and away from the trauma she’s faced. i don’t blame him for not accepting her feelings given the circumstances but again, this isn’t a question of “risk” but knowing when to interfere if the person you love is not making a fully grounded decision. they’re still on the island she was trapped on and has no way to get home. shinpei has been her sole protector and means of living but has also terrorized others for selfish reasons, it’s not something that can be fully separated from her autonomy- every part of this decision will affect her life and it makes sense he thinks she’s not thinking rationally

“You are saying a whole lot of nothing omg...": This dismissive statement sets a negative tone right from the start, indicating a lack of willingness to engage in a respectful discussion. It's important to approach conversations with an open mind and a willingness to listen to differing viewpoints without resorting to condescension.

The designation of Kotaro as the "normal one" overlooks the complexities of his character and his motivations. Rather than blindly accepting Kotaro as the morally superior figure, it's important to question his intentions and whether his actions truly align with Satoko's best interests… Which I do not think they do. Yeah, his concern is warranted. And I guess we have different values and priorities, but I still value Satoko’s agency and ability to be autonomous over his concern over her. I understand him. I just don’t like it or agree with what he’s doing. Nothing will change my mind on that.

"A good servant would not let their client make any and all decisions for 'happiness'.": This implies that Kotaro's actions are justified because he prioritizes Satoko's safety over her happiness. And again, this is where the conflict lies. We have different ideas of a good servant. To me, however, a good servant should support their client while also respecting their freedom. By forcing Satoko to comply with his decisions without considering her own desires, Kotaro undermines that… I understand the context, again, but it doesn’t change my mind that he’s a good servant lol. It never will.

“You fail to take into consideration all his past deeds, why he’s trying so hard to separate them, and how complex this entire situation is“… What you said just suggests that Kotaro's actions are justified based on his past deeds and the complexity of the situation. Sorry, but they aren’t… In your opinion, maybe. But not in mine. I mean, I’m not going to repeat myself. You already know my schtick.

Again, condescending…

Satoko's vulnerability in the face of danger does not diminish her agency, but it does warrant compassion and support from those around her. Kotaro is not really doing that. And you clearly define your version of compassion, heavily different from mine. While Kotaro's concern for Satoko's safety is understandable, it's important to consider whether his actions align with Satoko's wishes and desires. Call me individualistic and shallow however much you want. It doesn’t add anything to your argument other than act as an ad hominem, I don’t think it’s shallow to prioritize Satako at all. I don’t disagree with the individualistic part, because to me, it’s not a bad thing. Compassion should indeed involve firmness at times, but it should also respect the person in question and what they want. He doesn’t do that to me.

While genuine love may involve disagreement and setting boundaries, it should also prioritize the well-being and happiness of the individual without imposing one's own desires onto them. This is my version of love.


"If you think someone should marry with no room for interference, after all the toxic and dangerous behaviors displayed, I don’t think our convo will get anywhere.": This statement overlooks the complexities of the situation and reduces it to a simplistic either/or scenario. I also find it ironic how you said I was doing the either/or thing, when you’re doing it here. While interference may be warranted in cases of genuine danger, it's crucial to ensure that any actions taken are in the best interest of all parties involved and respect what they want. While it's understandable to be concerned about Satoko's well-being in light of Shinpei's past actions, it's crucial to recognize that ultimately, the decision to marry should be Satoko's to make. And let’s be real. She’s going to marry that crazy toxic man any way. My logic that I apply to this story takes into account that this is not a butterflies and rainbows story, it’s morally grey. Naturally, in real life, I wouldn’t support such a situation. But in this manga, I do. I am in staunch support of Satoko and Shinpei, because I read this story to see the crazy, toxic, bad, and like it.

“Trying to invalidate me over and over by your responses is overbearing when you don’t take into consideration the entire story as a whole." While I may disagree with certain aspects of your argument, it's not my intention to invalidate your viewpoint. You misunderstood me completely. Honestly, it felt like you were the one who was trying to invalidate my opinion, looking down on me the entire time with your tone of condescension just because I do not agree with you. I wanted to engage in a constructive argument with someone who had such a stark contrast to my opinion. It was not a personal attack.