Man I cant be a nurse aye. I’m too much of a sadist. I’ll tell you why— i administered first aid to my brother and warned him imma apply pressure.. i got too carried away watching him in pain.
It gave me a sense of pleasure, I wouldn’t know when to stop… 😅
My brother goes “ATE MASAKIT!! SADISTA NAMAN EH” 🗿🗿
Engaged friend of mine posted a breakup post. My heart dropped and immediately looked into his IG, then exhaled a sigh of relief, good— their wedding is still on 😭😭
If Rin's was complex now comes Michael fucking Kaiser's. Really hope this makes sense, my brain has been fucking me up lately. Still I love doing these.
Again, this is just a fun character analysis, not an attempt to throw a diagnosis but to understand his patterns. Once again, I’ll be using the DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Text Revision) to define the main concepts.
In Kaiser’s case we can consider both Complex-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and Vulnerable Narcissism.
Complex PTSD is a condition that originates from a prolonged and repeated relational trauma during a person’s critical developmental years. That is when the people responsible for your care and safety become the source of danger, neglect and fear. Vulnerable Narcissism is a subtype of Narcissistic Personality Disorder, it is characterized by a deep feeling of inadequacy, extreme sensitivity to criticism and self-judgment. These characteristics are masked beneath a surface of defensive anger, entitlement and withdrawal.
There is a significant correlation between them. Someone with a Complex PTSD background can “develop” Vulnerable Narcissism as a hyper-defense mechanism. It is the system’s attempt to protect the remaining concept of identity that the person might have.
Let’s say it is a back and forth between unworthiness and greatness. Kaiser’s name actually reflects this.
“Michael” is a Hebrew name that can be interpreted as “Who is like God?” a rhetorical question that implies no one can equal God.
“Kaiser” is a German concept meaning “Emperor” a very clear social title of absolute worth and authority.
Right from the start we are told that Kaiser was the product of an imbalanced relationship. The director and his actress, giving us a hint that he might be the result of an unwanted pregnancy.
Maternal abandonment as the first rupture, it is stablished that she gave him the name “Michael.” Given the name interpretation I would think that Kaneshiro did this on purpose to portray the idea of worthlessness that comes from her leaving. For a child the mother represents the first ever human relationship/connection. When she leaves there is a deep wound in the sense of belonging. “My own mother rejected me then my existence is worthless” With a deep sense of inadequacy and the tendency for unstable relationship, the child remains with the need to validate his existence and the constant hypervigilance in future relationships seeking control to prevent more abandonments. We could assume that Kaiser’s mother chose her own success over his wellbeing. Not only Kaiser but crushing his father, building the man’s deep hatred for her.
His mother gone Kiser is left with this abusive father. Experiencing a daily dose of physical and psychological aggression. The rose is an interesting detail. His father’s way of clinging to his “old glory.” Preserving with care that idealized version of the woman he “loved” while beating Kaiser who embodies the pragmatic version of the woman that abandoned him.
A father figure is usually related to active validation and guidance. When he is the person exerting violence the child system lives in chronic hyperawareness of every detail in its environment. Kaiser’s only way to survive is to submit to his father, being totally aware that if he fights back there’s a high possibility, he’ll end up dead.
He endures the choking and verbal confirmations that he is worthless. To avoid more “consequences” Kaiser must polish his abilities to steal, further instilling this necessity to achieve perfection in a certain skill.
Since he is the house's income, this gives him a small sense of worth or hope that maybe there is a way out. “I am not entirely useless.” This leads to his first rebellion, buying something for himself. Notice that he wants something that won’t go away, unlike his mother.
He starts developing a relationship with the ball instead of a human. Kaiser kept “testing” it, no matter how many times he kicked it the ball came back. This gave him a sense of “security” he had never felt, creating a connection with it that mirrors his own experience. Relating to an object detaches him from human vulnerability.
To escape his violent situation Kaiser starts saving money to leave his father. Now, his system interprets that he is not “alone.” Fueling his idea that there might be a way out. But then he is framed.
When Kaiser was set up to take the fault for the robbery and snapped. He was finally about to reach his freedom and now it was stripped away. Not only that but his father attempted to “hurt” his soccer ball, which was the ultimate trigger. Releasing all the rage and despair towards him, Kaiser ends up taking down him and the police officers.
His psyche broke but his ego was born.
Kaiser achieved his “freedom” thanks to that soccer ball. According to my research (I asked a friend who loves Physics), an average pro shot runs at a speed of approximately 115 km/h, an estimated lethal velocity would be about approximately 290 km/h. In this hypothetical fictional scenario, it is no wonder Kaiser was recruited to become a soccer prodigy.
From then on, his entire self-worth was tied to soccer. Here is where the Vulnerable Narcissism enters to mask his Complex PTSD.
But there is a small physical detail hinting the wounds are still there… his tattoo. Even if he rationalizes its meaning, there’s an underlying meaning to the rose, not only the abandonment of his mother but also the rejection of his father. The placement on his neck acts as a sensory reminder of his father’s hands choking him. In the future Kaiser self harms with this method every time his brain detects high levels of frustration. And the tattoo does extend down to his left hand, from the rose to a crown. Again, connecting vulnerability and superiority.
Grabe… gusto kong maiyak ah. I want to attempt writing a policy for the Philippines. Thanks to the first hand experience I had with the health system.
Pero naiiyak ako sa sobrang inis at awa… just by trying to draft it.
While listening to Gloc 9 and SB19’s songs.
Kung tatanungin ako kung nagbago ba ang Pilipinas from when I last visited it? Yes it did. I felt the gap grew bigger… mas maraming namamalimos. Bakit wala sa schools yung mga bata?
Kapag hindi nagmatch yung pangalan, kailangan papalitan pero kapag silang Mary Grace Piattos okay lang, exemption.
And one final thing, my uncle said “kung may pera ka at kilala ang pangalan mo, you can easily manipulate the system.” Then I thought to myself, I’m in the system already, have the money but my name isn’t known. I have a choice to use it for the good and be different or remain the same as the others.
Gusto kong tumulong gamit ang tamang proseso, pero paano kung yung sistema na talaga yung problema? It will take years and years and years to change it.