The film lacks explicit depictions of non-cisnormative identities or same-sex romantic arcs. It operates within a historical framework where modern Western queer constructs were not codified.

The narrative disrupts patriarchal hierarchies by centering the symbiotic relationship between Hokusai and his daughter, Oei. Oei is portrayed with significant agency rather than as a passive domestic figure.

The cast is ethnically homogeneous, reflecting the historical reality of the Edo period. It presents an authentic, localized cultural landscape that avoids the Western gaze often found in international productions.

The film avoids idealized social structures, focusing instead on the friction between creative impulse and rigid social orders. It critiques systemic stability through the lens of the marginalized creator.

There is no prominent depiction of neurodivergence or physical disability used as a central narrative device. The focus remains on psychological and economic pressures of the era.