So Ushio is an investment. In the post-war world, those with an education have the greatest chance of making a decent life for themselves. Kitakami took her in and works now to provide for the both of them, and Hatsushimo as well, apparently, so that the destroyers can go to school and eventually provide them with steady lives.
On one hand, it's a pretty calculated plan. From the looks of the other comic, Haruna and Houshou are dirt poor as civilians and here Kitakami is getting by on manual labor. Peddling scrap metal isn't a job she can do forever and she probably doesn't have any skills outside of war to fall back on. If she's working all day then she doesn't have time for school for herself anyway. So she's using Ushio for her own eventual benefit. It seems that's the way she's even trying to present it as.
On the other hand, she's obviously not as cold and apathetic to Ushio's feelings as she's trying to appear. Ushio reminds her of Ooi, and it's possible Hatsushimo is a surrogate for Kiso. She lost her entire family in the war, so she's adopted the destroyers who are too young to fend for themselves as her new sisters. Of course, she went from middle child to eldest, so instead of being looked after by the older Kuma sisters and doted on by Ooi she has to be the caretaker and provider. No doubt that's another abrupt adjustment she's had to make, but Kitakami strikes me as someone who just couldn't handle being alone. Those annoying destroyers are the last vestige of her old life and glory years, her second chance at having a family, and an opportunity to do some good for youngsters who wouldn't have a future otherwise.
She's not so different from those parents in poverty who push their kids to excel in school. "Get smart. Make it big. Then you can support me when I'm old!" many of them will say, with the spoken or unspoken second reason, "Get smart. Make it big. Have the future I couldn't have."
So Ushio is an investment. In the post-war world, those with an education have the greatest chance of making a decent life for themselves. Kitakami took her in and works now to provide for the both of them, and Hatsushimo as well, apparently, so that the destroyers can go to school and eventually provide them with steady lives.
On one hand, it's a pretty calculated plan. From the looks of the other comic, Haruna and Houshou are dirt poor as civilians and here Kitakami is getting by on manual labor. Peddling scrap metal isn't a job she can do forever and she probably doesn't have any skills outside of war to fall back on. If she's working all day then she doesn't have time for school herself for anyway. So she's using Ushio for her own eventual benefit. It seems that's the way she's even trying to present it as.
On the other hand, she's obviously not as cold and apathetic to Ushio's feelings as she's trying to appear. Ushio reminds her of Ooi, and it's possible Hatsushimo is a surrogate for Kiso. She lost her entire family in the war, so she's adopted the destroyers who are too young to fend for themselves as her new sisters. Of course, she went from middle child to eldest, so instead of being looked after by the older Kuma sisters and doted on by Ooi she has to be the caretaker and provider. No doubt that's another abrupt adjustment she's had to make, but Kitakami strikes me as someone who just couldn't handle being alone. Those annoying destroyers are the last vestige of her old life and glory years, her second chance at having a family, and an opportunity to do some good for youngsters who wouldn't have a future otherwise.
She's not so different from those parents in poverty who push their kids to excel in school. "Get smart. Make it big. Then you can support me when I'm old!" many of them will say, with the spoken or unspoken second reason, "Get smart. Make it big. Have the future I couldn't have."
Very good interpretation. I agree with everything you've said here.
Actually, Hatsushimo's condition would be like Haruna's.
Haruna and Houshou weren't that bad off. Houshou was deep in depression so her state was worse that it may have otherwise been; meanwhile, Haruna adjusted well enough. However, the specifics for both were not as elaborately displayed like here.
If anything, this makes me wonder about how they all split up: I feel as though Kitakami was filling her role as a cruiser to lead destroyers instead of something more emotional.
Ushio wearing Kitakami/Ooi skirt, i'm guessing it was Kitakami's skirt since she not wearing one. Symbolism of Kitakami giving some of what she has for Ushio? And the author shown it with color on last pages.
