Opinion: Scum’s Wish, Akane-sensei, and the Truth of A Player’s Life

Flashback to early 2017, Scum’s Wish (Kuzu no Honkai) was a phenomenal anime that made many viewers screamed after watching it. There aren’t few who consider the anime to belong in NTR or Netorare genre, a term referring to betrayed love where the love partner is taken by someone else.

I do not wish to be left behind in writing my opinion about this phenomenal anime. Not unlike others, I also screamed hysterically while watching Scum’s Wish, not because of the complicated relationships, but because this anime is very capable in showing the reality of a person who plays in a romantic relationship, who is better known as a playboy or a playgirl; or player, for the more general term.

Romance is a Game

I remember a quote from a website about love and romance which reads, “Love is not a game, but romance is always a game.” Hence, if romance is a game, then the player must always know how to win and conquer the game. Furthermore, there is an assumption which needs to be clarified; the assumption that the man is always the player while the woman is always the victim. The truth is that the man can hurt the woman’s feeling, but never assume that a woman cannot be a player. The fact is that women can play more smoothly and more manipulative than men.

In Scum’s Wish, we can see Akane-sensei as a manipulative woman can play with the feelings of many men at the same time. She shows innocent behaviour in front of men, which is opposite of her real traits.

The fact is that it does not only happen in Scum’s Wish, but also in real life. Sadly, sometimes men are too stupid and unaware of being trapped in the game. When the woman starts to leave the man, he usually thinks of the reasons for her leaving. Then he starts to blame himself and thinks of the mistakes he had made to the women. Thus, all the man got is a broken heart. If only the man can be aware of the possibility that he has been played by the woman, it will probably be less complicated and the man won’t feel broken hearted.

Real ‘Player’ Thirsts for Love, Not Relationship

In the 4^th episode, Akane-sensei meets Hanabi in the music room. At the end of the episode, we can observe how Akane-sensei really craves the feeling of being loved by men, while Hanabi unconsciously feels alike. For a player, having a relationship is not important, but receiving love from many, is.

It is not a difficult thing for a player to get love, they usually already understand when there is a person attracted to them. They then just have to act according to the person’s ideal type. Because of that, when you are being approached by a player, it is very crucial to understand this. They can make you fall in love with the ideal type that is being shown to you, but you might never know their true nature. They won’t hold back to give satisfying services that make them being loved more. Through that, players are able to be loved by many.

Not unlike junkies who are addicted to drugs, players are also addicted to love. Unwittingly, they will always feel challenged to subdue the opposite gender and acquire their love, and when they succeed, they feel satisfied. Additionally, even when a player decides to stop playing and have a proper relationship, it is difficult to get rid of the desire. Players will always look for opportunities to fulfill their desires without getting caught red-handed by their partner.

Yet that does not mean a player cannot stop. It’s just a very difficult thing to do since it is against their own nature.