Every chapter in this series breaks my heart a little. I hope this doesn't end in tragedy.
I don't think Hario is the evil villain some of you make him out to be. Looking for a villain to blame or tallying points on a moral scoreboard misses what makes this story so great: the complex messy adult relationships between realistically flawed people. If there is any villain to be found here its the misogyny and homophobia of Japanese society.
Having said all that...you can't make me like a man who doesn't take no for an answer and continues to pursue a woman. Even without Ema's perspective, I think it is very clear that Hario knows deep down that Ema has never been in romantic love with him and his behavior throughout the whole series reflects that insecurity, with almost every kindness also an act of possessiveness. It reminds me a little of people who try to keep wild animals as pets or the men in folk tales who hide a selkie's skin. I'm not going to cry any tears when men like that get cheated on.
last edited at Jun 4, 2026 1:59AM
