Something that occured to me concerning the treatment of the LAW in Maou ep. 01 - 03
I was picking berries today and suddenly, something occured to me about Maou... (very soothing work, picking berries. ^-^)
( Cut for spoilers for the first three episodes )
( Cut for spoilers for the first three episodes )
I'm finding this really intriguing . . . I've been thinking about this post pretty much constantly since last night . . . I kind of have a more cynical take on Naruse's treatment of law, though . . .
I find this highly interesting. Obviously, Naruse thinks that the judge made a wrong decision when he passed the judgement on Naoto. At that moment, the law is clearly wrong to Naruse, and he very assuredly wants Naoto to feel bad about what happened. His whole plan of revenge happens because the law let his brother's murderer get away.
I already was working this out with another fan, but it seems to me that what Naruse is doing with the law is less based on his belief in it as a system or as an authority and more with his disillusionment with the law as justice. His crimes force Serizawa to relive his own nightmare at the shortcomings of the law as a system of justice. Like Naruse, Serizawa is repeatedly denied closure and justice for the deaths of his love ones through the manipulation of law. His choice of being a lawyer gives him an in on revenge with Serizawa Sr., but it also puts him in a position where he forces Naoto to helplessly watch perpetrators be released without any legal penalty for taking away his loved ones.
But he's still obsessed with the law, and seems to be about righting it--essentially legally, which does really imply that he's stuck within that system, even appointing himself as a corrector of its unacceptable lack or failure in his brother's death. And he does seem to be setting himself up to be punished by being caught . . .
And he seems to be completely convinced that the verdict of "innocent" passed by the law makes everything OK for the murderer. The law makes the murderer happy, because it has spoken.
I wonder . . .
I think Naruse assumes that he isn't hurting his tools (the ones with their hands clean, unlike Yamano, Ikehata (reporter), and I presume, the other members of Serizawa's circles who are being positioned for a 7-way betrayal-fest and paranoia massacre.
I think that that's why he's so shaken at Sora's mother's hatred for both the man who manipulated her and for herself as a murderer. And I think he's so upset not just because he sees that he's hurt her, but that he realizes that she doesn't feel exonerated by the legal pronouncement--and that could unravel his entire self-justification, because . . .
if the perpetrator suffers terribly from their guilt and remorse, their self-hatred, despite being legally exonerated, then did Naoto really get off scot-free, which is what drives his anger and revenge? No. And where does that leave Naruse?
In ep4, too, we see some of his own self-hatred more visibly, and the way he punishes himself with guilt--he's totally setting himself up as one of the guilty, as well, but at the same time holding on to the self-martyrdom, laying down his life twice for his brother--by taking on his brother's dream of being a lawyer and fighting for the weak, but also by setting himself up to be punished in the end, to lose everything in his quest to make sure his brother's death is acknowledged and "justice" for that crime is served.
In the same way, Naruse will not - and cannot, I believe - go against the law. He can murder, terrorize, destroy - but he cannot go against the law doing it.
I like this a lot. It also fits in with the idea of free will, though--devils use God's gift of free will-- to let people hang themselves--they can only tempt humans, not force them to sin--much as Naruse just sets up a situation that tempts his tools, and lets them then choose to destroy each other . . . they have the option not to, but choose to fall. Which brings us to the problem of the Devil's role in God's plan . . .
*head spins just a little*
Have you watched 4 yet?
*desperately wants to discuss without spoiling--especially literary stuff ^^"*
And I haven't read Goethe's Faust, but I have read Marlowe's and am now wondering how similar they are. I do love that the devils in Marlowe are also required to play within God's rules--they can tempt, and people have free will so they can choose to sin, but it's always a choice, as with Naruse's tools . . .
*waves*
PS--berries sound delicious \o/
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I loved reading your points! I'll definitely try to answer you properly! ^-^
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I've been thinking about the justice issue all day--I can't wait to see how it turns out . . . also, what if he never actually breaks the law? What exactly could they arrest him for at this point? He doesn't actually attack anyone directly or do anything illegal. How awesome would it be if he was able to do it, and everyone know it, and yet not be legally culpable for it--like Seizawa, only more so?
Sadly, I don't think the drama will let that happen, but it would be awesome.
Have I mentioned that my loyalties in this show are pretty skewed? ^^"
Sleep sounds so good. I have so much packing left to do. But I got the final papers from my students today, and graded them all in a sitting. So proud of myself. Now I can pack all evening tomorrow. Though I'm not sure that counts as a reward, really.
*wants sleep now*
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