My (very biased and emotionally based) opinion on Ugetsu Murata
Hello fellow Given fans, I'm here like many others to write my own point of view of Ugetsu Murata, in hopes to leaven a little bit of the dislike that he gets. Also like this is not a smooth read, I think my being projecting on Ugetsu made this a very tumultuous read. I did try my best to atleast go chronologically, (at least to a point)
I want to start with Ugetsu's childhood.
Ugetsu is known to be from an affluent family where his grandpa is a politician and his father is a diplomat. From this one sneak in the manga, atleast the grandpa had no interest in child Ugetsu, and a running trope for rich kids is normally how distant those family members are. For my introspection sake and due to lack of anything about Murata's past other than this snippet we will assume so.
Further, by being a portrayed a 'genius' Ugetsu's path is cemented to be lonely, even in Akihiko's flashbacks Ugetsu is always shown alone.
Now this guy is lonely, and Akihiko is the only one to approach him. He clings onto the relationship, he is finally being cared for and seen, as not the prodigy but as a friend, there is no surprise it turns to lovers.
I'm sure during the time together Ugetsu let's himself feel ease and relax in the security of Akihiko's love. He likes being cared for by Akihiko and even acts indulgent like a child. But at one point he realises how Akihiko is getting lax with his violin, to be honest that scene where Akihiko hands Ugetsu his violin before a competition maybe Ugetsu thought, you aren't supposed to support me, you're supposed to be here with me! Which is why for Ugetsu , for whom music was such an important channel to express his feelings, something he can't ever lose, seeing Akihiko do so probably because of him must have hurt him so much. Maybe he even had past trauma where someone may have blamed him for being to reason they gave up music. (Like in knb, maybe, just speculating). Would explain why he tells Mafuyu he doesn't have friends and why he chose to make Akihiko his everything. Friend, confidante,lover.
Their relationship is very wrapped into each other. Even if it was the dark basement, they were warm and fulfilled with just each other. At one point though you have to get out to face the light, I think the basement portrayed the ignorance to the flaws in their relationship, or their reluctance to reach out to anyone else other than each other, this would inevitably break it down.
I won't say Ugetsu is toxic. The relationship perhaps. I saw it from Akihiko's side too. The urge to own Ugetsu scared me. I know Ugetsu hit Akihiko but when u see the preceding scene with how Akihiko was pulling and grabbing at Ugetsu it seemed a defensive injury, done out of instinct, may i assume a bad childhood for Ugetsu? Still of course, hitting someone you love is not right.
Akihiko says in the start about Ugetsu, Ugetsu has a big heart and he feels immensely. He acknowledges in a way that makes me feel Akihiko knew he was taking advantage of that. Knowing that Ugetsu dumped Akihiko but he didn't have the heart to leave Akihiko alone and let him stay close.
When I say advantage I am in no ways portraying Akihiko as a bad person, see these two people are not emotionally developed, in a world that segregated them from others and the lack of a stable family dynamic as well, seeing as you develop emotional stability because of your parents care and attention, they turned to the next best thing, each other. While Ugetsu dumped Akihiko, he couldn't do further than that to distance himself and let his own emotional whims turn their relationship into a pull and push, where Ugetsu who didn't know healthy ways to handle his own emotions continued to hurt Akihiko , and Akihiko hurt him and then they reconciled because out of the people they slept and tried dating they would of course, when threatened, when lonely , go back to the security of familiarity, into each other.
But relationships are only wholesome when you grow with them, Akihiko and Ugetsu have been stuck into this stagnant dance where they are not improving themselves, they aren't inspired and they have grown resentful to each other even if the love still exists.
Ugetsu's basement is filled with the bare minimum, I think Ugetsu has a complicated relationship with attachments which made that basement void of a homely touch despite being rich enough to afford it, which is why I think when Akihiko got them matching cups he shows his displeasure because he does not want attachments that hold him back especially when he is trying to make Akihiko leave. When he slaps the cup and accidentally breaks it, he realises he ended up hurting Akihiko who probably just wanted to show his affection through those cups.
I think Ugetsu truly did love Akihiko, in a way he didn't love or get to love anyone else, which is why the dumping was most he could do. He wanted Akihiko to leave him because he was simply incapable of leaving himself because he didn't want to. He loved him.
When Ugetsu sees Haruki, he knows and he sounds a bit bitter but I think he whole heartedly approved of Haruki and I think he felt better knowing Akihiko was leaving him for something better which would make it easier for Ugetsu too, to move on.
The final scene of confrontation, Ugetsu is trying to protect himself by being a little condescending with his jibes, he wants to show Akihiko he's not hurt, which he is of course I think because it was the first relationship in his life he felt so loved. Akihiko picks up on that definitely, he knows Ugetsu but he doesn't say anything.
Even when Ugetsu cries looking back at Akihiko, he truly did love Akihiko and that love wanted something better for Akihiko, he doesn't run back even when his instinct is to because Ugetsu wasn't the chasing type in the end, he was but the holding type, and now that Akihiko was leaving on his own violation and on better terms, (he loves music again). What could Ugetsu want more.
I think after that , in the little snippets seen of Ugetsu alone, we see a much more relieved and freer Ugetsu who's not bitter about how things ended because maybe after all the probable crying he did after such a deep intense relationship he learnt to appreciate what he had when he had it, and to let go when it didn't serve the both of them. I think both Ugetsu and Akihiko through this relationship came out to be stronger and much more emotionally strong. And Ugetsu faced his fear of being alone after Akihiko and realised it's okay. It's okay to be alone.
So that's it what I wanted to say. I really love Ugetsu Murata and I hope we get more stuff on him that gives his character more depth and dimension, way more than this post can give. Thank u if you read!
Really enjoyed reading this meta! <3 One of the best analysis of Ugetsu's character! It's been added to the Database 😉
