The Twelve Kingdoms Forum

Perhaps it is the English translation. Or maybe too many mobster moviews. Anyway, I watched the episode where Kouya tells Asayu that he is "banishing" the prisoners from the palace. Asayu seems to respond with sarcasm, saying that he is pleased that he has found someone who can do what he (Asayu) is thinking without having to be told. I believe Asayu is sending Kouya an unspoken message that he is pleased that he is killing the prisoners and he wants him to continue. But Kouya believes Asayu would never approve and misses the message, but continues to kill the prisoners anyway.

One reason I think this is the fact that Asayu asks Kouya what is happening to the prisoners. He is suspicious for some reason. He knows they are dissapearing. He also knows that Kouya has a Tenken and that if the youma was eating the prisoners there would be little to no evidence left behind. Asayu is also living a dual life. On the one hand is a good and caring person. On the other, he locked up his father in order to take his place and he killed a man when he lost an archery competition instead of acknowledging that he missed. Kouya and the youma would fit perfectly into this dual lifestyle. "Good Asayu" is commended for befriending a homeless boy and his pet youma, and "Bad Asayu" is saved from detection by having Kouya and his hungry youma eat the competition.

By the way, I don't think Kouya really knew anything about the "Bad Asayu" until Asayu died.

What do you guys think?

I agree with the dual personality hypothesis. Basically Asayu is pleased that Kouya is ridding him of potential opposition in a deniable way. He knows deep down that Kouya is killing them, but if he's willing to let it go on as long as it isn't thrust into his face because it's safe and convenient.

This happens in real life --- not to draw modern day politics into it, but we know for instance that our government is currently torturing people and sending people to be tortured in places like Syria and Egypt, but we tolerate it as long as we don't have to look at pictures or have it in our face, because we think it makes us safe.

Actually, the other guy Enki met was his father. The guy without a tongue was a body double. So yeah, you had it backwards.

... I think. I'll be rewatching this part in a week or so...

in episode 43, enki talks to the man in chains and asks him if he's atsuyu's father. The man in chains shakes his head and enki goes "you're not?..."
and afterwards talks with the man who can actually speak, who then claims to be atsuyu's father

Atsuyu has No-Tongue (who is mad) in a place where he can be found. He can say "look - dad is insane - he is locked up to keep him safe". Meanwhile his real father is hidden behind a stone wall where no one can find him. Atsuyu is the one who is insane. At the end anyway... Poor Kouya.