Acro Silky: Spotlight

The Mother that forgot everything but Love. 

Spoiler: Season 1 Episode 6 and 7.

Content Warning: Child kidnapping, suicide, grief, violence, sexual exploitation/prostitution, and motherhood-related grief.

It’s Mother’s Day. A time that’s dedicated to thanking the women that raised us to be the people we are today. Even the women that may not be biologically our moms, but sometimes that doesn’t always make a difference. It’s really about the women we look up to. After all, some people are born to be mothers, while some never get the chance, or their time gets cut shorter than expected. 

With this day coming up a character I came across recently has stuck with me. By the end of the post I am sure you will understand why. 

Acro Silky from Dandadan. 

When alive she was a loving mother to a beautiful little girl. Trying to do her best to provide as a single mother. Now as a Yokai who’s desperate to find a child to love and protect. 

When we’re introduced to her, she is essentially attached to Aira. A girl who had just started to see the paranormal a day or two ago. Longing to be called mommy again, by someone she assumed was her daughter when she was living. Wanting to be her mother so bad. 

Now everyone thought that it was because of Okarun’s golden ball. 

Turned out it was much more than that though. 

During the fight she just wanted Aira to call her mother. Acro Silky didn’t know how to go about it right. She just wanted her child, but she was holding onto someone that wasn’t even hers to begin with. 

At one point not even caring which girl called her mommy. 

When they both rejected her, she swallowed them alive. Well that didn’t really go as planned for her because the cross Aira had actually was a lighter and she had swallowed her hair with them. Somebody had decided to light her hair on fire causing Acro Silky to throw them up. 

Momo and Okarun were fine, but Aira was out. So they were able to start running away. Though when they realized her hair had gotten tangled up in all the beams and walls, they had stopped running. At that moment, Acro Silky had realized she wasn’t going to be able to reach Aira.

Acro Silky had made up her mind and was deciding on just eating Aira. That way she would be a part of her flesh and blood. 

Therefore she started to rip out all of her silky hair. 

Momo uses her psychic abilities to grab hold of her legs. Where Okarun could then headbutt her (Now this headbutt makes Tanjiro’s from Demon Slayer look weak). 

Acro Silky is down.

So we thought.

Turns out when she swallowed them, Aira’s body wasn’t able to handle it. She didn’t have psychic abilities. Therefore the moment she was thrown up her aura started to fade. She was dying and there wasn’t anything for them to do. CPR wasn’t going to bring that back.

Acro SIlky got back up.

Not to fight anymore, but to save Aira’s life. 

They didn’t believe that charging her aura with Acro Silky’s aura would work. Nor did they trust her to have the purest intentions after everything. Turbo Granny assured them that you can in fact recharge someone’s aura with a different one.

With that said Acro Silky had ripped her mouth open to prove that she had no ill intent for Aira. She just wanted to be able to save her because she felt as if she failed her. Though honestly as a Yokai she may have been maternal, she didn’t know how to go about it. 

Momo then started to transfer her aura to Aira. That’s when we get to know the real Acro Silky.

She worked 3 jobs while alive. One more unconventional than the others. She worked in a convenient store, as a janitor, and as a prostitute. Sometimes in certain situations you have to do things that you didn’t expect you would do. 

A parent will do anything to get their children to have the best lives that they can. 

So when Acro Silky wasn’t with her daughter she would be at work. The moments with her daughter you can tell, she loved her daughter very much. This was a mother that would do anything for her child. 

Often teaching her acrobatics, playing, and cooking with her. Even buying her a beautiful dress that she was so thankful for and would dance around the house in. Her child looked like the happiest little girl. 

Til one faithful night. 

That dress money should have gone to the debt collectors. They found out that they weren’t getting the fullest amount she was making. Going to her house and confronted her on the matter. 

In front of the little girl.

Then kidnapped the girl while Acro Silky blacked out for a minute. When she comes back to, she’s running down the stairs, into the street, and falling to the ground in the rain. Not really having anything left in her body and had to watch that car drive away with her child. You can only imagine how that feels. 

Not knowing where her daughter is going.

Not knowing where to look.

Not knowing if she is even still alive. 

They approached her death in two very different ways. Each powerful in and of itself.

In the Manga it is presented in a more direct and graphic way. Acro Silky is shown beaten, bruised, with a broken face, and teeth falling out of her mouth. She was full of regret, pain, and rage just flowing through her body. 

We see the aftermath right away. The sorrow that became too much to bear. Making it clear that she is standing on top of that building. Looking over the city that had failed her time and time again. 

Having that final little dance. Where in one panel it shows the slightest bit of peace wash over her. While in the next she is jumping off of the building. Very up close and in your face. 

I’ll be honest I didn’t realize until reading the Manga that she had committed suicide. Which makes the approach of the manga that more jarring.

The representation in the animation takes the more artistic route. Using the impact of sound, lighting, that’s mixed with emotional effects. That leaves you thinking until you realize what really just happened. 

Acro Silky dance was used to show her pain because you can feel it radiate off of her with every movement. Though they make it look almost like peace. She is on a lake with the night sky behind her. Rather than having lives below her, while she takes her own. 

It showed her jump with light flying by her, but then the screen goes black with a loud thud. 

Acro Silky was lost and was trying to find something that felt familiar. Though when the will to live isn’t as strong as before, the most devastating thing could happen. 

All of those negative emotions made her so she couldn’t cross over though. Becoming stuck as a spirit who was lost and unsure about what she had lost. Then it happened.

That one moment.

That one word.

That overheard conversation. 

It just so happened, Aira’s mom had passed away too. So being a confused little girl missing her mother, had resulted in something neither one of them could prepare for. Aira didn’t know she went up to a spirit that day. All she saw was a woman that looked the tiniest bit like her mother. 

Acro Silky only knew she had lost someone precious to her. Though she couldn’t remember what her daughter looked like because sadly over time Yokai forget their past lives. The rage and sorrow had turned her into a monster. 

Once the aura transfer was complete that was her time. She apologized for everything that happened. She had never meant for anyone to get hurt. 

She just knew she had to protect the little girl who called her mommy so long ago.

Acro Silky started to crumble. 

Turbo explained that she was destined to go into the void instead of the afterlife. Nobody was probably going to remember her (not the living or the dead). She was dying with so much regret and sorrow Finding peace was on her and nobody else. That was the only way she would pass over. 

Her final words are her apologizing,

“I wanted to buy you cuter clothes… I should’ve played with you more… I should’ve done more… more… If you hadn’t been born my child… You might’ve been happy…I only made you miserable…! I’m sorry…!! I’m so sorry…!!”

Things that many mothers might have said themselves when times are hard. 

Though most of us kids are just happy we have someone who loves, cares, and protects us.

Aira knew at that moment what she had to do. 

She ran and gave Acro Silky a hug only a child could give to a mother. The embrace that says you have done enough, you have given me everything I have ever needed. With the words “I Love You Mommy” that lingers in the air. Strong enough where they know you are ever so thankful for them. 

At that moment, I’d like to believe she was healed. Aira even says,

“Please. Let them live somewhere, where no one will hurt them. Let them live happily. In a kinder world. May they be together again in peace.”   – Aira

Then it shows Acro Silky and her daughter. 

They could now live the peaceful lives they deserved.

I was an absolute mess after watching this. Balled my eyes out. So much that I had to go and hug my mom after watching these episodes. I wanted my mom to know I appreciated her and loved her so much. That I am forever thankful for having her in my life. Without my mom, I would be so lost in life. 

So on this special day. Why don’t you go hug your mom and tell her how much you love her? After all, you never know what tomorrow holds. Anyone you consider to be a mother figure counts. It’s different for everyone. Just go and make them feel special because they are. 

To anyone that may be a mother or mother to be that’s reading this.

We appreciate you, we recognize all of your hard work, and we love you all.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!!

What character do you think about when it gets close to Mother’s Day?

If you want to read about another character that breaks and for valid reasons. I suggest you read OtakuTavern’s Hiromi Higuruma: Spotlight. This man snapped and for good reasons too. 

To catch up on Dandadan you can watch on Crunchyroll.