Monster

i was pretty adamant on how i interpret the ending all this time but perhaps this watch changed my perception. maybe it's the growing up and maybe it's also the desire for me to lean into liberation and freedom for once. all this time, i think the principal's role got lost in me. she's always been a complex character and a bit of an outsider among the other main characters since her full perspective was never revealed. but it clicked into me that perhaps she was there as a symbol of society itself. of course she's there as her own character with her own motives and grief. but the way she's a key part of the story mostly as the outsider, made us saw a glimpse on how complex it is being one, an outsider but still have a massive part in someone's story. her side of the story mostly was tossed between the other creating her as a complex character, but society is complex to begin with. it is antagonizing, it's monstrous, it's selfish, and most of the time it doesn't care about the truth but also there are parts where it's humanizing, genuine, and kind, even grieve behind all the monstrosity. there will always be 2 sides within the society. in the movie, she's a key part as a connection between the kids and a formal institution that is school. the kids are forced to fit into the narrative the norms had fixed up even without laying out the words bcs it was already the mold and box they need to fill. but then the horn scene came where she said 'that happiness should be something everyone could have', showing more side of her that is more human and kind. and that was a part where minato decided to drove to yori's where yori said, 'i'm normal now' to which he replied 'u're always normal', it shows that for once he accepted and embraced himself as his own feelings and wants, not the mold he was shoved into. he'd finally accepted that it was just him all along, not the 'pig brain' nor he's a monster. the ending then led to minato seeking back to yori as he thought the world was ending, a wordless attempt to say that he wasn't going to shy away from himself under the norms and expectations set on him anymore. bcs minato was more than ready to start it all over again with yori still on his side. then it ended with them, drenched in what the storm had left them with, running to freedom and liberation. full more coherent review: medium.com/@gyoukan/monster-2023-by-kore-eda-even-those-who-seem-like-monsters-can-lead-to-forgiveness-8ec6bfcbd4b9