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Rule #4: The Dead Mom Haircut
Why This Rule?
Children change the way we live. From what I see and hear, you can forget sleep, quiet moments, and doing what you want for a while. It’s natural to invest less in yourself and more into them. After all, biological or not, children reflect pieces of their parents down to the finest detail, and no love like a mother’s love can be replaced. Anime mothers are caring, but some rock the same hairstyle…to the death.
The side-plait, where the long hair is braided and rests on the shoulder, or the extremely low-tied that’s worn over the shoulder is the tell-tale sign. These usually brunette, caring mothers are subjected to a premature death, unable to care for their children much earlier than they had planned. From the ones that I’ve seen, they are all compassionate, model mothers...which makes their passing all the more sad. Their death can range from a sudden illness or a giant being eating them alive, but it quickly becomes clear that they are or will die.
Even more noteworthy though, is how they affect the story itself. Not every anime character has a parental figure that’s painted in a positive light, but almost all of these mothers are exemplary. They’re caring, fun, responsible and compassionate; devoted to their children they’d do anything...but how much else is known about them? Just thinking about a couple of examples, I cannot remember what other significance they played in the plot other than dying. Even the hairstyle itself draws attention away and to themselves because of its relaxed but refined nature. What about their flashback, who they were and their character development? It’s unjust storytelling but unfortunately these mothers are created to die.
Examples and Exceptions
Examples of this rule are the following characters: Trisha Elric from Full Metal Alchemist, Carla Jaeger from Attack on Titan, Toko Yadomi from Anohana, and Ryouko Feuguchi from Tokyo Ghoul. I’m sure there are others that I haven’t seen but those are the best examples.
As far as exceptions...there aren’t any that I’ve seen. If they have this look as their everyday go-to, you can almost bet the next place they’ll go to is the grave if they aren’t already there.
Origins
The osuberakashi was a hairstyle worn by Japanese women in the Edo period (roughly the 1800s) featured pulling the hair back and up with a ribbon, and then using another ribbon to secure the rest of the straight hair at the low-end (1). This style fit for simplicity and yet elegance resembles the low-tied side ponytail that can be seen in anime. Historically, ornamentation and design was a key focus of the traditional hairstyle to the point where it was designed to look like a crown of sorts (2). In comparison to the other Japanese hairstyles worn by the upper-class in this time period and before, the modern-day osuberakashi is much simpler.
When I look at pictures of this style, it makes me think of not only the functionality but of the realism. The design of the locks, combs, and ribbons make these women look powerful and rich - in an example like the kanzashi (3)! I believe that I can safely assume that servants would raise children in these households, because that much hair must be time consuming. Commoners would simply wear the hair that suited them best depending on the lifestyle they had. And let’s be honest - I could easily imagine a model mother with “the hairstyle of death” rather than one spending hours trying to create and maintain a kanzashi.
Overall Judgement
Although there are many examples and signs in anime and manga that a mother wearing her hair in a relaxed ponytail over her shoulder will die, it is not guaranteed. I haven’t seen or read it all so there’s most likely exceptions to this rule. But, once again be warned: Every anime mother that I’ve seen with this hairstyle, ends up dead. That’s not a coincidence.
Likelihood of that caring mother ending up 6-feet under:
75%
1. Szczepanski, Kallie. "10 Ancient and Medieval Japanese Women's Hairstyles." ThoughtCo.com is the World's Largest Education Resource. 09 Sep 2018. Web. 12 Sep 2018. <http://www.thoughtco.com/japanese-womens-hairstyles-through-the-ages-195583>.
2. "The Importance of Hairstyles for the Japanese | YABAI - The Modern, Vibrant Face of Japan." YABAI - The Modern, Vibrant Face of Japan. Web. 12 Sep 2018. <http://yabai.com/p/2890>.
3. "Kanzashi: The Traditional Hair Ornament and Self-Defense Weapon! | Japan Info." Japan Info | Genuine information about Japan by the Japanese. Discover great restaurants, amazing places and unique culture! Web. 12 Sep 2018. <http://jpninfo.com/35978>.