Is Hotaru a victim of emotional abuse?
Thinking out loud about my fave character here...
Hotaru is a figure very similar to Andromeda from Greek mythology, but how would this play out for and affect a twelve-year-old girl in semi-contemporary Japan? Could her home life be considered abusive?
Obviously, Hotaru's father adores her when he is himself, and their scenes together at the season's climax are beautiful. However, it is made clear that he is rarely around (neglect is a form of abuse), that Hotaru spends the majority of her time at home sequestered in her room, and that Kaori has no qualms with being the sneering, catty authority figure. Hotaru is a meek, gentle girl, but she is very emotional at home while shying from conflict/troubling anyone outside of it. In the episode with the dimensional rifts, she expresses suicidal thoughts.
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