Shimako from Rewrite and All Those Other Disabilities

Significant spoilers into Rewrite are described below.


Shimako, a character introduced rather late into Rewrite, stands out drastically from her peers. She is an average-sized eight year old girl with green hair but her appearance itself is not particularly strange (shown below). Her primary oddity? Not being able to speak.

Shimako is both shy and outward-directed: her inability to speak combines with her lack of social awareness to paint Shimako as strange and difficult to understand.When Kotarou first meets Shimako, he angers her with a greeting she perceived as far too friendly; the next time, Kotarou scares her by greeting her in a more introverted and disconnected manner. Despite these obvious lacks in emotional connection, Shimako continues to walk up to Kotarou curiously, something she only does with him.This behavior is more befitting, as Kotarou mentions, of a three year old yet Shimako also cannot speak. I was apparently late in talking by about a year but I managed to achieve age-appropriate skills eventually. Shimako, on the other hand, is clearly developmentally disabled when viewed from society's perspective because she is delayed in behavior and speech. Being this way is not "wrong" but it is often discriminated against. Each age level has certain biological and behavior norms requiring a person to act appropriately according to one's age.


Shimako is thus excluded from normal company. Though Kotarou believes she could integrate successfully into society, this belief is shallowly based on her ability to quickly react to situations. In particular, Kotarou had this thought when he had to chase Shimako, who had escaped into the hallway where she was not supposed to go. That said, even though Shimako clearly has an aid in the form of Tsukuno and other apparent disparities, Kotarou makes his best efforts to not treat Shimako differently. This habit is vital because of the tendency to assign disabled persons to particular stereotypes or attitudes is dehumanizing. After all, Shimako's inability to talk and her abnormal behavior do not make her subhuman. Kota, though he has some misguided notions initially, manages to treat Shimako as he would anyone else. Actions such as playing board games with her highlight this fact. Even when he makes mistakes, such as when his patting Shimako leads to her throwing a tantrum, Kotarou adapts and remembers for the future. Her mere inclusion in Rewrite is itself empowering because so many works of art focus on "normal" people. I really appreciate Shimako as a character.