Forgive me if this has already been discussed but I just started reading this series: so for me the biggest mystery is why can't Aizawa speak. We never see her talk in flashbacks and her spirit form is mute but it's not like that's prerogative of Michi's perception since we saw the little girl spirit in Michi's flashback kinda talk to her. I think this is key and could be related to her cause of death.
Also I have the suspicion Aizawa was the one that somehow drew the pentagram under her desk while she was still alive, maybe she sensed she would fall to tragedy soon...
What do you fine people think?
As a ground rule, we at least know she was capable of speaking: she recorded a solo album Michi's been listening to. We've also seen other ghosts can speak.
As a ghost, she's never spoken but has made noises. Some of which are essentially words, but we can assume for narrative purposes she's incapable of speech. Her one conversation with Michi involved pantomiming. Chapter 4 is noteworthy for featuring several flashbacks of living Aizawa, all of which she never spoke in. It highlights her muteness, but I think that's simply for dramatic purposes. We're being led to anticipate her finally saying something.
A big part of the mystery stems from Michi's inexperience. She tries her best to shut out the supernatural and has no mentor to establish guidelines. The moment we get one of those, things are going to take a serious turn. Chapter 6 already substantially changed the rules at play. Kasumi's senpai could potentially fill that role, though I'm starting to get suspicious of why Michi's mom isn't around.
My pet theory is that Aizawa's speech is sealed, just like her boundaries, if only because it opens an avenue for progression. After Michi acknowledges Aizawa they'd still have a goal to accomplish together: getting her voice back. (And it's super cute how expressive she is without words so I want to keep it going.) I don't believe "clearing Aizawa's regrets so she can pass on" is the final course we've settled on; that's just all Michi can find now in her unfamiliarity, unwilling to directly confront Aizawa.
This could be a Little Mermaid type situation where Aizawa's voice itself was part of some supernatural bargain, since she's an idol and all, though it's not like another idol strangely started sounding exactly like her.
But it seems clear this isn't a "natural" ghost. Somehow she's been manipulated in death.
While Aizawa being mostly absent leads me to think her death must be related to showbiz, the pentagram on her desk links it to school. It could be there to trap her—if so why does she need to be prevented from passing on? Or it could be an attempt to preserve her. Whoever's responsible doesn't seem to be checking in, so maybe she did do it to herself. Was it placed at school because that's where her regrets lie, or because it's so distanced from her normal life no one with supernatural sight would think to look? Though that sounds like a long shot.
But we can't be sure whatever caused her death and whatever created the pentagram came from the same source. Aizawa's cheery disposition is at odds with her tragedy, though it's not uncommon in stories for a ghost to forget the details of her death; which could make Michi exploring her regrets a risky idea as Aizawa isn't perfectly stable.
I love all the speculation but there's too many mysteries. I'm praying chapter 8 brings a bit of clarity now that Michi's committed to take action.
