Crime and Criminality
ARE THEY THE SAME?
Unlike horror, detective stories are scientific and reasonable. The people commit crimes for a reason. That reason may not be malefic and unforgivable. In some cases, the act of committing crimes may be the consequences of living under overwhelming social constrains.
In Kindaichi Case Files, there is a common practice. After Kindaichi has figured out who is the people who committed crimes, that person explained his/her motives and how they conducted crimes. Some people raped another person because they would like to experience the feeling of intimacy that they had not experienced in their personal growth. Some people killed someone they loved as a way to preserve their existence and beauty. Some people robbed because they can never get enough by socially legitimate means. As we may see, not all crimes are malefic in all aspects and not all people are unforgivable. In Kindaichi Case Files, the ‘criminals’ had a chance to explain their predicaments. Sometimes, their motives are understandable. However, the fact they had chosen the socially unacceptable, illegal way to achieve their goals makes them irreversibly become criminals and be taken away everything they had. They may have no choice in their life but to commit the crimes.
Whether the person committed crimes or the system that leaves them no choice is criminality worth discussion.