I can’t even begin to describe how impactful and powerful this scene was
I think this is one of the first times I got to see a woman genuinely rage in fiction (let alone manga/anime). This trope is almost exclusively reserved for male characters, and at that, usually because a female character died/was horrifically injured.
So to see a female character react to grief in such a brutal, angry way felt so refreshing and raw and real. Maki didn’t react how most women in fiction do, which is to cry or quietly accept/talk about it. Maki immediately decided to act and take out her anger on those responsible, and it was beautiful.
This scene isn’t pretty. It isn’t glamorous. It’s pure, ugly anger and I finally got to see that from a female character. This isn’t a “female empowerment” scene, like so many female fight scenes feel like. This is just genuine character development that I feel like I can actually relate to. It feels human and real.
And on top of that
Obviously Mai was the catalyst for this. Maki did this because of Mai. But this is also the result of Maki’s own feelings. Her resentment and spite and anger, over the abuse her family put her through, not just Mai.
We got a female character who lost it and took out her anger and hate on the people who wronged her and her sister, rather than moving on and forgiving or something along those lines, as is common for female characters (again, especially within manga and anime)
So yeah, I seriously can’t express how amazing this scene was. It took my breath away, as I’d rarely ever seen anything like it, and it feels so, so important.
