this is really goddamn long
anon asked: “How did Oso-san establish mental illnesses?”
Oh man oh man I’m so happy someone asked this ahah… its something I feel pretty strongly about! For starters, let me establish I’m focusing mainly on Osomatsu (because. Reasons) and also, none of this is 100% confirmed by staff, but this is my take on it. I find the subtlety of the issue in a gag serious makes it even more relatable tbh!!
We’ll start in numerical order, way back in episode 2 of season one. Oso finds himself home alone, which is what we can assume to be an irregular occurrence. After essentially stalking them in pursuit of some brotherly bonding time, he gets pretty pissed at their lack of interest in him. He even tells Chibita he’d rather be born an only child, which we know now to be bullshit. He acts pretty dejected for the rest of the episode, though no one really notices.
Skip ahead to episode 5’s Esp Kitty. After Ichi’s freak incident with Nyanko and his pretty obvious regret, it’s Oso who is the most understanding and brotherly of all. This could be a stretch but I think it ties in with the opposites attract mechanism in parkamatsu (and suuji, but it’s more apparent), being Ichi is afraid of rejection while Oso wears his heart on his sleeve 99% of the time. Again, just my opinion. Parka’s some good shit.
The more concrete evidence comes in at episode 9, where we really get an insight to how bad loneliness affects him. He’s definitely the most pissed after finding out about Jyushi’s girlfriend, because it’s supposed to be him getting a girlfriend, he’s the oldest, the titular sextuplet, and He’s the one who sets the example. He still does the right thing in the end, bless his soul.
There’s also the sanematsu skit. While I don’t believe in the “Osomatsu’s an only child who made up his brothers” theory, I do think it could be foreshadowing a grim result in missing his brothers so much, either at the end of Letter or Sakura.
Aaaaand then we skip ahead to Letter. What I feel about this episode has been said a million times over at this point, but basically, without his brothers, Oso doesn’t feel like anybody, and this realisation hits him like a TRUCK. Que chemical imbalance in the brain, a side effect of mental illness (most notably depression) which causes the person to lose complete interest in life, bringing up aggressive episodes occasionally. Which is fairly spot on to what we see in Oso.
On to Season 2!! Everything’s happy and light hearted again, but the kicker here is the side effects of episode 24 remain. Karamatsu’s lost respect for his onii-chan, Choro’s grown a coldness towards him, Ichi’s grown more fed up of his antics. (No difference with Jyushi or Totty, I don’t think). It’s driven home just how aware Oso is of his inability to be his own person, with how everyone perceives him. (Episode 2, his bros painting him as he’s always looked because there’s nothing special about him, and then Totoko reiterating that fact.)
Then we have another sanematsu segment. If Sane is indeed a Bad End deriritave of Oso, the whole “don’t make me say it” conversation gains some extra depth. Of course, Sane dies, which could play into Oso’s shift in gear, the Bad End is dead, avoiding another Letter incident in this season’s episode 24.
Which, of course, was the best episode ever made. Sakura proves to us that Oso is capable of making the right decision when not forced too. He’s become more self aware, he needs to make a decision that his brothers will willingly follow, a decision which will benefit his family. All looks well since he’s avoided the whole I Have No Reason To Live Without My Brothers front, but it’s given him a different problem. Without My Brothers, Who Am I?
He’s spending less and less time with his bros, more time by himself. He’s not acting as he does when around them. He’s not acting as the self he’s always known to be him, so is that really who Osomatsu is? If not that, then what? What’s his purpose now? That was probably his train of thought while he sat disassociating in the rain for hours. That’s a pretty big red flag that he’s not super okay all of the time.
I would like to think that he came to the conclusion that self-doubt like this is just part in parcel of growing up and finding your true self, and that’s what he was going to share with his brothers. BUT OF COURSE STAFF FUCKED US OVER AND SENT THEM ALL TO HELL IN TYPICAL OSOMATSU SAN FASHION. Otl.
TLDR; Staff are a bunch of smart cookies who made the seemingly most bland character into the most complex, with enough emotional experiences that make him a relatable and compelling protagonist and husband material. Seriously, if you’re like me and suffer from mental illness, Ichi and Kara are all well and good but Oso is objectively the most realistic of the lot. He needs more love. HE’S ALSO A FUCKING SWEETHEART??
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