[Sumeragi]

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Actually, how do we know this?

You think a member of the Imperial Family, no less the Crown Prince, would not receive treatment?

Originally Posted by Triple_R

I recall reading that Japan doesn't treat people for mental conditions to the same extent that we do in the western world. In fact, I've even read that given as a reason, here on Anime Suki, for why so many psychologically disturbed characters in anime never seek out psychiatric help or get treatment in line with certain mental conditions.

I would personally say there is too much "treatment" in North America and Europe, but that's my personal opinion.

Originally Posted by Triple_R

Honestly, I have to beg to differ. While Mashiro has learned a fair bit during the full run of this anime, she keeps falling back into the same sort of verbal misunderstandings that I think most people would have learned to avoid by now, if in her position throughout this anime. Her facial expressions are frequently as blank as ever, her preoccupation with certain topics hasn't really changed, and in many other ways she continues to exhibit the symptoms of autism.

To me, it appears that there are overriding patterns to Mashiro's behavior and speech that she can't fully break out of.


I think that there is perfectly legitimate reason to think that Mashiro is autistic. I see nothing wrong with that, and I continue to think that there's about a 50% chance that she's autistic.

Again, you're looking at Mashiro as if she's a person who grew up in a normal environment. Everything so far indicates she has NOT, thus the statement "that I think most people would have learned to avoid by now" is not applicable. Blank facial expressions are not real consideration unless other symptoms are prevalent. Preoccupation with certain topics is a common thing (especially for someone whose life was supposedly only about art).

At this point you've basically decided on the diagnosis and retroactively looking for the symptoms. We have a person who had an unusual childhood, and thus we cannot apply the same standards as we would for most other "normal" people.