I hate bringing up old topics, but just want to say my 2 cents I guess, needed someplace to air my thoughts.
Anyway, the most realistic aspect of their relationship I feel was how it changed from friends to semi-romantic during the second Balbadd arc, most people say it’s forced but in reality the relationship was built up from the very first time Alibaba meets Mor, when he meets her while she is a slave he immediately thinks she is cute, this cements the idea that Alibaba is physically attracted to Mor another instance is when she is dancing and he shouts that she is beautiful. Why the relationship is realistic is they end up becoming great friends through their journey first but when Olba/Toto point her out to be a potential love interest, he reevaluates their relationship, and he decides that theirs a possible future there. That’s pretty normal sometimes you don’t think your close friend is a potential lover until someone points it out, when it happens you see things differently and your feelings change, it’s not a huge leap because he is already attracted physically to her but when he thinks about the past events that happened between them he also becomes emotionally attracted to her.
In contrast to Kougyoku and Alibaba’s relationship it’s never stated that Alibaba is attracted to her physically, even when he thinks about her as a marriage candidate, he ends up think that it would be easy to decline if Kougyoku was not as nice, this is typical behaviour when someone is in the friendzone, Alibaba has from the get go places Kougyoku in the friendzone. So their relationship never progresses further.
Finally, the elephant in the room, Hakuryuu and Mor. From the start I think Hakuryuu shoots down himself with the way he confesses, I get that some people think it’s romantic but from Mor’s perspective, that confession really is a red-flag, firstly he kisses her without her permission then he projects his goals onto her by asking her to be his empress which essentially takes away her ability to choose what she wants, as a recently freed slave, this would greatly her emotional well-being which is why when she returns he clings to Alibaba the person who gives her her freedom. She’s happy that someone loves her but she is unable to be free if she accepts that love hence why she becomes so distraught. In contrast, when Alibaba proposes he says he will bring her joy, that’s a nice contrast to what Hakuryuu does.
To end off, in the chapter when Alibaba decides to fight back against returning to the Rukh it’s a nice symbolic gestures that what spurs him to make the decision is when he envisions chains around Mor, the idea of Mor doing anything against her will is so important to him that he makes the decision to fight the world even if they don’t want him too. It’s a nice nod to how important Mor is to him. Another nice but small moment is the one where even though he thinks he is right he apologises to Mor, I’m sure most husbands out there think that’s a good sign for their marriage.
Well sorry for the rant, hope you enjoyed the analysis!
