A Tomie Appreciation Post

What makes an ideal victim? being good? being bad?

A morality trope about the (sometimes arbitrary) distinctions between characters who are victims of misfortune, and how it affects their treatment by both the creator and the audience. For instance, a creator may want a Loser Protagonist to be more sympathetic than a Straw Loser, even if their circumstances are relatively similar, so the reasons for the former's poor lot in life are frame more socially acceptable than the latter's.

While the specifics vary, there are common themes. For "good" victims, their suffering is often due to circumstances beyond the their control, in spite of their upright moral character and behavior, or inflicted upon them by someone else — in other words, they did nothing to deserve it. Inversely, "bad" victims did do something to deserve what they got — it's the result of a willful decision, a moral failing, or karmic justice for some misdeed they committed.

Then WHY Tomie, from Junji Ito is the best victim?

Tomie is the perfect BAD victim. It is often talked about perfect victims when it comes to abuse but Tomie is the opposite. Victims are made into monsters no matter what they do, and they suffer for it. Tomie is different. She is selfish, rude, emotionless, sexual, “asking for it” etc. And she still gets abused, blamed… but regenerates. Survives.

Her surviving and multiplying could signify how victims will never not exist. They will always multiply and survive, monsters to haunt society. Society is obsessed, attracted to, hates and wants to destroy victims.
Tomie has lost all identity. She has no personality but being awful. She has no family. She has no friends. She is never really loved. She is the worst victim possible but she is still a victim.

In a weird way, it is freeing to see a victim so unapologetic and evil. Victims of abuse tend to always feel so guilty and ashamed to just be. No one will be a perfect victim.

Tomie will survive and wants to survive, but she doesn’t want more of her to exist. She can coexist with other victims, but she doesn’t want to.
Men AND women tear down and literally destroy her. All ages, all backgrounds, etc. Her friends. Her classmates. Her adopted family. Her lovers. Strangers. As a victim, it can feel like everyone is your potential next abuser.