The Japanese hates weaboos…
Kohei is a third generation trapeze artist for the circus who hates his co-workers.
At first, I was thinking that it was because he’s xenophobic. He puts the blame on the foreign guy, Ali, and accuses him of wanting to be the top flyer in the trapeze act. Not catching Kohei when he needs to makes Kohei look like he’s the one who’s not doing something right. Being a third generation trapeze artist, he didn’t think the fault could his fault. Then acts cocky throwing in Ali and the other foreigners’ inability to speak proper Japanese. The thought would have never come into my head if the boss didn’t justify hiring them to Kohei.
He starts becoming anxious about performing because he thinks that Ali will just let him fall. Ali tried to tell him before, but Kohei punched him before he finished the sentence. As the episode passes, little clues appear. It ends up Kohei’s inability to find fault in his performance.
It is true anyway. When we’re experts in a certain field, we refuse to be told we’re wrong until indisputable proof is presented to us. It’s hurtful to our e-pen0rs.
As Dr. Irabu continues treatment for Kohei’s Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Kohei traces it all back to his childhood where he developed a fear of strangers. A circus freak boy moves around and never stays at the same place. Wherever he is, he is seen as a freak and never made friends.
This triggered a defense mechanism where he never puts the blame on himself, but on other people. It’s good in a way, it is the only way he could have existed and have confidence in himself with the kind of lifestyle he was living (being a nomad). Faced with new co-workers, he does the same thing. I find that kinda strange since as a circus performer, he should have more empathy for his fellow performers.
Nice post for Trapeze.
As for Kohei, yes, nomadic life may have changed him to the point where the only person he trusts is himself. I mean, simply leaving a person alone is enough for someone not to trust his surroundings. Of course, in this world we’re living in, there’s nothing as permanent as ourselves, even people who are connected by blood, or putting things by the perspective of existence.
@Shance
Now you understand why it took me forever to write the posts. I’m not sure I can write the next couple of episodes like this too.
But it was good nevertheless. Simply critical for an episodic review, and for someone who loves to take it mentally in a very weird way, it seemed so right for a show that is perceived as something so wrong in many ways.