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Originally Posted by Kirarakim
I think when Saki said she viewed the monster rats as "animals" that is what she meant as "animals" not another race of people.
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I'm not sure why that's important with respect to the trope. To me, it's merely a rationalisation for racism (or speciesism, if you will). What did you make, for example, of Satoru's outburst, last episode (#21), of "Didn't we treat you well?" To me, this shows that Satoru's "not getting it". (But he's starting to get it, and
if he ever gets it, he may be in trouble; imagine death feedback triggering on killing a bakenezumi.) They may think of them as animals when it's convenient, but I'm pretty sure no other species has to fill out forms if they want to fight each other. No other species has to send representatives to answer to a committee. They may
think of them as animals, but they treat them a lot like colonists treated "savages".
For the record, I do think that biological differences are important in the show. I do
not think, though, that the difference matters with respect to the trope.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Shadow5YA
I really would rather not have Kiroumaru betray Saki. There is already discrimination against him for being a bakenezumi. There's no need for him fall within that prejudice and justify that racism.
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That's sort of the rub. He's in a situation where he's either a "good bakenezumi" or a "bad bakenezumi", but whatever he does, he's bowing to human judgement.
That's the problem.
The shoe's on the other foot, too: the bakenezumi can play a game of "good human/bad human". And if the power balance shifts towards them, they're probably going to be no better. (I do
note though that even Mr. fanatic rat of episode 21 didn't talk about bakenezumi supremacy; it sounded like "should have been equal" to me; in other words, you had long enough to get it, you didn't get it, you're not going to get it, so we'll take this convenient chance to get rid of you.)
Note that it's not a matter of "treating them well"; it's a matter of setting the standards.