I kind of wish that, in another universe, the creator of Saori Sato had just been some edgy guy who used disturbing stuff purely for shock value and controversy, instead of being a groomer who actually had fetishes tied to the weird things he put into the game. He could have made creepy and disturbing content without that context behind it.
I used to think Saori Sato was strange because of its lore and symbolism. I thought it was actually an allegory about empathy and the pressure placed on women in totalitarian environments, about the consequences of extreme rigidity, and how even actions done for noble reasons can still hurt the people you’re trying to correct or protect.
I also saw it as commentary on how mental health isn’t taken seriously, with the characters showing many signs of psychological decline: incest, untreated disorders, erratic or cruel behavior, power dynamics and learned helplessness, people being too afraid or threatened to reveal what’s really happening. That especially contrasts with what Akane used to believe:
> “Why didn’t you report it? You’ll be punished for not reporting it when we could have helped you.”
> “Please don’t tell anyone what you saw, I’m begging you, it’ll only make things worse.”
There’s also Akane Maki’s very unsubtle, though never confirmed, borderline personality disorder coding.
I saw Saori herself as the embodiment of common sense and empathy in a place filled with instability, abuse, and corruption. Even the whole toilet situation felt like an allegory for the violation of your most basic rights and needs under the excuse of “discipline.”
Akane Maki’s death, to me, shows the consequences of placing immense power and responsibility into the hands of someone young and mentally unstable. I see Akane as someone who genuinely wanted to do good, but without realizing she caused enormous harm, and when she finally wanted to truly do something about it, she died. She also seemed to believe she didn’t deserve Saori’s kindness or help.
For example, there’s a character who literally refers to themselves as another character’s “slave,” and if Saori says she’ll talk to that person, they get upset and tell her not to. Depending on your dialogue choice, you can either stay silent or say something. Saori genuinely wants to help, but many of these people are already too broken, or simply don’t want help anymore.
I also saw Sayama as a reference to Nazi concentration camps.