Lu Shaotang has been a comforting presence in Sakamoto Days in its beginning stages. However, as the series progressed, Shaotang’s character kept getting more and more sidelined. The trio of Shin, Sakamoto, and Lu has suddenly been reduced to just to male duo.
In fact, the change can be witnessed in the anime as well, despite it being nowhere near the manga’s progress. But Lu might have bigger problems to face than just her disappearing number of scenes.
The gradual erasure of Lu Shaotang from Sakamoto Days
Back when Lu debuted in Sakamoto Days, she was the absolute darling. She quickly became a member of the Sakamoto squad, and her battle prowess made sure that she fit in like a glove. Unfortunately, it didn’t last too long. Little by little, Lu was sidelined from the series, and she never recovered from it.
Most of the recent arcs in the manga failed to give her a proper role. At times she only showed up to move the plot along just a bit and then disappeared for most of the latter chapters. Even in the anime, her gradual disappearance has become notable from as early as episode 5.
When Shin and Sakamoto invaded the Dondenkai office in episode 5, Lu only served as a minor character who just tagged along. In episode 6, Lu’s role was once again minimal. She also brings trouble to her teammates unwittingly. But as Sakamoto Days keeps releasing more episodes, Lu’s absence is bound to get more visible.
Lu might have more pressing issues to handle
Lu’s growing alcoholism has become a pressing matter in Sakamoto Days. The problem first presented itself when Lu fought against Obiguro. She began drinking heavily before the confrontation and began using Drunken Fist Style. Ever since then, her alcohol intake has only been on the increase.
As the series progressed, she began to take in more and more quantities of alcohol with an increasing potency. She can even drink pure ethanol without experiencing its ill effects. But where will this alcohol dependency end?
Lu mainly drinks when she fights; thus, the more she is absent from Sakamoto Days, the more sober days she spends. Fans have often joked that Lu’s prolonged absence from the manga directly translates to the fact that she has been away from her addiction. So, at the end of the day, is that why Lu has been kept away from the main plot?
Sakamoto Days manga is available to read on Viz Media, and the anime is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
