I have always hated the "right path" concept. It's absurd to say the least. 60 years ago the tight path was to stay married no matter what, it was heterosexual marriage and two kids, not talking about abuse, staying in your career path (preferably medicine or law for men and housewife for women). Today is entirely different. Because the right path doesn't exists. The appropriate path for you is for you only. Not for everyone and is certainly not something that you can impose on others. So when I see this in yaois(because sadly this is not the first one) it really angers me, because choosing for someone can bring way worst consequences than if they just let the person choose for themselves.
As always, beautifully said. I could not agree more. It applies to everything too. Friends, career, children, love, faith... Happiness is a nebulous term. What brings happiness to me may make many others completely miserable. This is why I raised my children strong and independent. They must find their own happiness, I can't do it for them. I will, however, admit to having left boyfriends in the past because I worried that my existence in their life would only bring trouble. I was being a coward and I was afraid of facing that trouble with them. That alone made my choice the right one. I would have brought trouble and then not been strong enough to face it with them. Still, I should have given them a choice.
Kinda bothered me. There was nothing wrong with the writing or art. I just don't like the idea of people deciding what "the right path is" for others, even adults when regarding children. There's a difference between choosing a path for them and guiding their choices. In the case of this story, because the Dr. did not listen to, or talk with Ichikawa about his "path" (except to choose it for him), this is obviously not guiding but choosing. To guide, the person getting guidance must have a voice, and a choice, in the decisions they make. Even young people, no, especially young people.