also, about his single status even at 33: I'm wondering about it, but I wonder if it's actually nothing unusual? Someone on wordpress first mentioned about this: his family needs heir, so why hasn't he married yet? Toshio is married, Mikiyasu (good few years younger) even has a child. Takae even mentions about an Ozaki heir, but no one makes a fuss at Seishin about it. Sotoba is a traditional village, and the setting is in the year 1998 too, so I figure everyone there usually marries off at considerably younger age. Ritsuko is 28 and people find it unusual that she hasn't married, but traditional people usually pester women more than they do men in this case. But then again, from the way no one fuss about it, maybe for monks it's simply different? I don't know, maybe monks usually get married late? Like in Shinmei's case (but the way it's put makes me think that his case is rather unusual. Maybe he married TOO late) Shuuji also hasn't married yet, and it may be unusual, but he doesn't come from an important family like Seishin. But nah, if people force Seishin to get married already, he'll just get angstier. Thread Reply to this Thread Hide 1 comment Show 1 comment Re: 8D sinnesspiel 2013-09-17 07:18 pm (UTC)(link) In the novels Jinrou come from those who have two parents who have the genes to Shiki. We know his dad goes Shiki; it seems Miwako would have too. If Jinrou can still breed, I wonder if Sunako would have pushed him to marry/mate.
I've seen a funny gag video about Seishin being 32, going on 33 and being unmarried, while showing Mikiyasu who's about 3 years younger happily married with a kid and all. (No mention is made of Ozaki also being married, but I don't think his is a marriage to be envious of...)
I think the significance of him being freshly 33 when everything goes down is to relate to the Sotoba tradition mentioned in his essay that after 33 years "there's nothing human left" and their grave site is taken down and it's just the spot for a new fir tree.
I personally agree with you that it's significant that he's not married yet though. What it's significant about I can't say, but the Waka-combi are both under pressure to play their parts, and Ozaki went ahead and married just as a formality to get it out of the way already when he was in his 20s. Shuuji being unmarried is definitely treated as an oddity. Ritsuko feels that if she doesn't marry her current boyfriend at her age, all chances of marriage are lost. With Shinmei falling ill, the pressure to arrange a marriage for the next heir would only be all the more pressing. Thread Reply to this Thread from start Parent 8D (Anonymous) 2013-09-18 12:38 am (UTC)(link) ...but no one make a fuss about Seishin being unmarried, right? and it's what's most unusual. (well, at least it's like that in the manga and anime, I don't know about the novel) from the way people there like to gossip, I'd say Seishin's case has been gossiped about once or twice, but then they're all respectful towards the Murois though, so I think most of the time they leave Seishin alone. Not even the temple forces him.
about his 33 years of age, ...whoa I didn't think that far. Ono-sensei sure is awesome. Thread Reply to this Thread Hide 1 comment Show 1 comment Re: 8D sinnesspiel 2013-09-18 09:00 am (UTC)(link) Hmmm, no one has gossiped yet that I've seen! Maybe it's been worn out by now. They don't really say anything about Kyouko not even living in the same house or town as her husband, either.
I think you're on to something with it being significant that he isn't married. Marriage has come up extremely often as a matter of standards, expectations or that it's the thing to do. The Yuuki/Koide family distinctly refuses the institution of marriage while doing all the good, loving things that are supposed to come with it (but as the series shows, don't); the complications that arise explicitly complicate his acceptance to the village and is a frequent source of frustration for Natsuno. Ritsuko being late marrying age crosses Mutou's mind, Ritsuko herself feels it's her last chance, her mother is distinctly pushing her to wed. It's brought up about Shuuji with such wording as "failed to get married," with the police officer just "holding his tongue" after his mother says he had no wife or kids. In the next sub-chapter they pretty much spell out that Ozaki's marriage to Kyoko is pretty steeped in obligations and failure to escape his mommy issues (and who wouldn't have issues with her as a mom). We haven't gotten to Chizuru and Seishirou yet, but that's another ulterior motive marriage for public appearances. Miwako and Shinmei had never met, having an arranged marriage in what seems to be strictly duty as he got on in years.
On the one hand you could say she just didn't deal with any of that as an issue with Seishin because it's prominent in so many other characters and points throughout the novel, but on the other hand if we grant that she's an organized writer aware that an otherwise prominent theme is not addressed with her central character, one would presume the authoress wished readers to think about it. What she wants us to think I have no idea; as I've said, I don't really get Seishin.Edited 2013-09-18 20:03 (UTC) Thread Reply to this Thread from start Parent