Paranoia and Abuse in Blood on the Tracks Volume Four

4 min readAug 17, 2024

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

Hey guys…uh, have I mentioned I get sidetracked really bad?

Though it took a bit of a detour, my quest to finish Shuzo Oshimi’s catalogue is nonetheless still important to me, which is why this will hopefully be the beginning of a return to completing Blood on the Tracks, arguably his most psychological and frightening story to date.

Picking up where volume three left off, Seiichi has become increasingly scarred by his interactions with Seiko, so much so that it begins affecting his social life. That being said, there isn’t much to be done without invoking the very anger that set his mom off in the first place.

Paralyzed With Fear

After almost being choked out by Seiko in the final chapter of the last volume, Seiichi is understandably left in a state of terror, so much so that he can barely talk. Most of his thoughts are now occupied by the image of his mother on top of him, trying to squeeze the life out of him. Sure, he could try and tell someone else, but who would believe that she could be so vile as to try and kill both her nephew and only son?

The experience leaves him mentally and physically unable to communicate. Despite protests from teachers and school officials, Seiichi can’t bring himself to talk. Even his classmates won’t leave him alone, content with bullying someone who is clearly in a terrible headspace. Of course, no one ever claimed middle school boys were mature. This continues for a while, that is, until Fukiishi steps in.

A New Beginning

And they say only boys have nerdy middle school crushes…no one actually says that, I don’t think, but wasn’t really sure on the lead in for this section.

In all seriousness though, Fukiishi does like Seiichi a lot. After promptly getting kicked out of their house by Seiko, she feels dejected, and the future of their relationship looks rocky at best. Still, she is not dissuaded easily. The two meet up after school a month later at a nearby park bench overlooking the river, at which point he finally works up the courage to ask her out, stammering through a wave of nerves.

Fukiishi also serves as a stark contrast, a spot of happiness against the terrifying wrath of his mother and the controlling expectations of his immediate family. She can also relate to a bit of what he’s going through, as Fukiishi tells Seiichi about her alcoholic father and his bits of rage. The two ultimately bond over this shared pain, imagining what it would be like to just not go home.

Psychotic Again

During one of these riverside hangouts, the two begin cuddling on the bench when out of nowhere Seiichi’s mom appears on her bike. Seiko had told her son to be home early the next day after presumably smelling Fukiishi’s perfume on him. Of course, he feigned innocence in an attempt to save his one source of happiness.

Mom begins running over to her son, but he’s had enough. Grabbing his girlfriend’s hand, Seiichi pulls her along and the two run and hide in nearby tall grass. As she searches and searches for them, screaming his name and threatening him, the young boy can only think of how horrific the situation really is. Fukiishi comforts him by covering his ears, and when Seiko does eventually find him, she puts herself in harms way for Seiichi’s sake.

The last two chapters are nothing if not a rush. The vision we see inside Seiichi’s mind are that of hands reaching out, not to help him but to contain him. His mom, plus his entire family get their grip on him, trapping the boy in endless unhappiness. Fukiishi helps break him out.

Conclusion

Seiichi’s situation can seemingly only get worse. Though his knight in shining armor was able to hold off Seiko for now, she will likely be back later. On top of that, Fukiishi’s place probably isn’t much safer for the two of them. Running away is a situation that has show up in a couple of Oshimi’s works now, but for these two, it might just be the only option.

Have y’all read Blood on the Tracks? Let me know in the comments.

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