Kawamoto Akari symbolic of growing up [March 2019 OWLS Tour]

Last Updated on February 23, 2020

Hey everyone it’s the wonderful month of march and also women’s history month and we the guys and gals at OWLS are celebrating girl power with our blog tour this month with the topic;

Feminine

In honor of Women’s History Month, the OWLS bloggers will explore the concepts of femininity and feminism. We each have our own definition of these two terms and we will explore our definitions using “feminine” characters from various pop culture fandoms. We will discuss how these characters are “feminine” or show signs of a feminist agenda. We will also share our personal stories about the amazing women that supported us in our lives as well as sharing experiences involving women’s rights, oppression within the patriarchy, and/or issues of growing up as a woman or having a feminine persona.

Examples: Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor, Sakura Sex in the City, Female Musicians Etc.

So for me the lady with the heart of gold, Kawamoto Akari was the first person that popped into my mind.

Who is Kawamoto Akari?

If you haven’t watched March Comes in Like a Lion, you probably won’t know the eldest of the Kawamoto Siblings. She’s the matriarch of the family and the glue that hold the Kawamoto family together.

Apart from cute little Momo

A resident of Sangatsu-chou (March city), she is the eldest of three sisters. After their father leaving and their mother passing away. Akari took care of her two younger sisters.

In the mornings, she helps her elderly grandfather run a traditional wagashi (Japanese confectionery) shop, Mikazuki-dou, while in the evenings, she works as a hostess for an Edo-era store in Ginza, Mizaki, which her aunt manages.

She encounters Rei in Ginza and takes him home with her, to recover after finding Rei in a drunken state.

And it is from this point where Akari and the rest of her family begin to rekindle a fire in Rei frozen, chronically depressed, horribly malnourished, and incredibly lonely life.

Why I picked her?

Some people might just look at her and see a supporting role, whose not that remarkable I mean it’s not like she’s running a position that is usually male dominated or trying to prove the saying correct that “what guys can do women can do better”.

You won’t probably find her name in the history bookes, on the TV, still not famous, she will probably still be anonymous but she is someone who as an important place in people’s hearts who have been lucky to meet her.

To me, she’s an unsong heroine. Seeing her reminds me of words my mum once said to me while we were talking;

It takes a lot to give and not be selfish.

As human beings, we always have things we want or we want to do. But sometimes for the people we care about we need to slow down or completely give up on that dream or want. Or more accurately make sacrifices for the ones we love.

And Kawamoto Akari like someone whose near and dear to me seems to always pick that path.

I mean she’s just 22 or 23 but yet she’s being a mother figure and sister to a 13 or 15 year old Hinata and 3 year old Momo Kawamoto. Fighting off poverty and having been orphaned at an early age with two younger sisters is definitely no work in the park. She shoulders the responsibility with their grandfather and aunt.

She seems to have given up a stage in her life and skipped to the mature motherly stage of her life.

Most of us would run away or crack under so much pressure at such a young age but Akari continues to keep the family bond strong, creates a warm home to return too and making sure they have a strong moral compass by encourageing them to be compassionate to the people they meet.

I mean she could be doing so much for herself than just working for her grandfather and aunt but she’s sacrificing her time to take care of the things she loves. And I honestly think thats worth shining a spot light on even though I think a better writer would have illuminated her better.

Akari Kawamoto is a strong woman that I think is one of the many examples of the unsong heros who sacrifice themselves and their time, and that through her character are given shape and a voice. Showing what their life can be like when you are now the leader stumbling in the dark to make a way for the others or like a boat out at sea with no idea which direction is land but still sailing on.

It’s definitely a world made more beautiful because of kind hearted and loving people like Kawamoto Akari.

Thanks for reading my post and following our tour from the previous tour post by Mel on Fullmetal Alchemist to the next tour post after this by Rai on Sword Oratoria. Till next time, have a great day.