I guess this story doesn’t handle slavery badly per se; it has at least considered a history of slave resistance, though I think they could continue to go further with the worldbuilding. And at least the slave is an old man, and not a sexy beast girl.（￣へ￣）
But I just don’t trust Japanese isekai to handle slavery well anymore. Too many harems, too many mind control slave brands, too many men who see this systematic injustice and turn a blind eye because it serves their personal interests to have a laborer who can’t have full autonomy and convince themselves they’re still good guys because they don’t whip or starve their slaves. Like, there’s always a surface level, almost PSA style of “hey slavery is bad, kids!” before the rest of the narrative proves just how useful and convenient slavery is.
I know that this is heavily colored by being an American whose cultural history is specifically with chattel slavery, but even temporary slaves/serfs/indentured servants are illegal and unethical by modern standards. If you’re going to write about this, you ARE stepping into a minefield and you WILL have to give it due respect.
I guess this story doesn’t handle slavery badly per se; it has at least considered a history of slave resistance, though I think they could continue to go further with the worldbuilding. And at least the slave is an old man, and not a sexy beast girl.（￣へ￣）
But I just don’t trust Japanese isekai to handle slavery well anymore. Too many harems, too many mind control slave brands, too many men who see this systematic injustice and turn a blind eye because it serves their personal interests to have a laborer who can’t have full autonomy and convince themselves they’re still good guys because they don’t whip or starve their slaves. Like, there’s always a surface level, almost PSA style of “hey slavery is bad, kids!” before the rest of the narrative proves just how useful and convenient slavery is.
I know that this is heavily colored by being an American whose cultural history is specifically with chattel slavery, but even temporary slaves/serfs/indentured servants are illegal and unethical by modern standards. If you’re going to write about this, you ARE stepping into a minefield and you WILL have to give it due respect.