printfogey:

Young Sabo, episode 496, flashback-within-flashback. This is right after he got into a fight with a boy of the higher nobility who provoked him, getting hurt in the process (I wonder who patched him up?), only for his mother to slap him and then ignore him in favour of apologising to the other boy and his mother. 😡

I thought the anime does a great and subtle job of showing Sabo’s emotions here. First his tears well up – he’s still in a bit of shock, incredulous – then he tries getting angry for a split second – but then he closes his eyes and just looks so… resigned. Giving up hope he’ll ever get any true concern and warmth from his parents. ;__; Like ‘It will always be this way.’ No wonder he split for the Gray Terminal as soon as possible…