What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga)

I think the story got more interesting in its last 3rd, after the 1st court ruling, when the seemingly carefully orchastrated crime scene started unravelling and all parties involved were revealed to be disappointingly incompetent. There were no masterminds. Everyone was just grasping at straws and hoped for the best.

The mother made bold-faced lies that were easily disproved by 3rd parties. The teacher gave contradicting statements out of fear which affected his credibility. The court ruled in a half-hearted manner that satisfied no one. Even the kid that began the whole thing only gave a throwaway lie at the start to avoid being yelled at. The wife remarked about how the teacher was in this mess because he kept saying things he didn't mean, and I feel that applies to the other characters as well. Toward the end neither sides could credibly defend their case, and the court really just stumbled toward the right conclusion.

Ultimately what successfully cleared his name were the few other children in his class who testified for him in the last minute. The story still ended on the usual positive note about how the truth prevails, but with its own take. Here the right conclusion was reached not as a result of careful deduction or strong conviction, but despite the lack of it. Actions speak louder than words, and so despite the teacher's shortcoming when it comes to his timidness and not being able to speak his truth, his care for the students during everyday duty still shone through and was the ultimate proof of his character.

Edit: just found out the story is based on an actual case. No wonder it feels different.