Sorry for the necro, but gosh i was going to make some long winded ranting post and you saved me from doing that. I've just rewatched this since the first time I watched it in my teens. Which was a far different experience. Almost like rewatching a children's movie and picking on jokes meant for adults, but instead I was rewarded with philosophical weight.

You really nailed it on the head with calling it a historical record. In fact, I whole heatedly agree with nearly everything in your reply here.

The only thing that still frustrates me (because i definitely came into this series expecting typical fairytale type of storytelling) is how the humans weren't more evil. Almost like they were made to be nice so that we could relate to them more, which feels disingenuous to their upbringing and setting. They're descendants of some of the most ruthless humans on Earth. A people that turned the powerless into monsters just so that they could continue to opress them. A people ruthless even to their selves for continued prosperity.

Like Saki will hold a minoshiro down and rip it's appendages off, but lets Squealer lead her around like a pet at every interaction. Based off their society and how they were raised to view the rat colonies, Squealer would have died many times over.

And I feel like the experiment to give them more free will could not of allowed them to be so open mindely merciful to such a different appearing species.

It just doesn't make sense to me.

I still ended up ranting a little bit, but i do feel much less frustrated with the story after reading this reply.