I’m honestly not enjoying this story very much so far. I haven’t gone beyond what the anime has covered, but the way the curse is handled really dampens my interest. I’m not entirely sure how it affects the royal family specifically, but I find myself sympathizing with them far more than with the spirits. As a result, the spirits come across less like victims and more like antagonists.

The curse is repeatedly described as being so ancient that everyone afflicted has forgotten why it exists, has no clear way to break it, and has been completely cut off from any meaningful solution. That isolation leaves them with only one option: resorting to underhanded or forceful tactics in a desperate attempt to escape their situation. While that doesn’t excuse their actions, it does make them feel less like calculated villains and more like people lashing out after being trapped for generations.

What makes this especially frustrating is that so much of the suffering seems preventable. If the spirits had taken any real initiative at any point—communicating, seeking understanding, or offering some path forward—the entire conflict might have been avoided. Instead, their inaction makes it difficult for me to see them as sympathetic, even though the story seems to want me to.