For me...
She is also a bitch of her own way...
I'm not sure what you were watching or reading but they were both equally bad... and he probably would've done better if she didn't push him to mimick his grandfather, he been found his own sound after he played for the grandma, it was his mother who wasn't pleased with that... but either way they all selfishly put expectations on him cause he's talented. without a care for what he wants period!!!
Isn't this just a normal parent to some extent---(I say this very loosely).
What I mean is, both the father and the mother have different ideas. The father wants to raise the son to be the utmost best and his technical successor, the mother wants the son to be a replica of her dad's talent.
Setsu himself is a walking paradox. He wants to find his own sound, but his sound won't win him competitions, however he clearly feels a sense of loss after being so thoroughly outclassed by the techniques of his step-brother. So it's not as if he doesn't want skill and recognition either.
The way I see it, Setsu is just in a rebellious teen phase. Both his parents can give him the other half of his ideals, but he himself rejects it for the remaining half.
And now I feel like he's floundering to try and find his own way of obtaining both his ideal all on his own, without anyone's input.
I agree with you, as far as there are some parents who exist that are like his, still doesn't make them any less shitty... but I had a diff take away, for starters he was only ever interested in finding his own sound he never wanted to compete, he was pushed into it, but he at least thought his sound was good enough to win, so of course he was disappointed when he lost. But if you listen to the reason it wasn't solely because of his sound that he lost, but because he changed the sound style half through, so whose really to say what would've happened... but like the other dude said, he needs accomplishments for his sound to be acknowledge... but as a parent they both failed, and his mother even embarrassed him on stage... but lets not forget they're only his parents in DNA neither of them raised him, so neither should have a say as far as i'm concerned, especially when they're doing more harm than good, and for their own benefit at that.
I hate his dad but the mom I don't find her hateful. Harsh, yes, but to be honest, Setsu is too much thinking of copying his gramps and want to get his 'sound'. Like no dude, you keep whining and whining and not understanding is where you lost yourself and that's how the result happens in the game. That's where I'm irritated and I wouldn't say pathetic but I feel the mom, he needs to grow up and realize he has his own 'sound', not copying someone. If a judge and everyone sees that then Setsu shouldn't be blind by that either.
Hopefully season 2 (I hope there is) will be better for Setsu and realize he has his own creative sound.