Goddess of bad luck

The Goddess of bad luck is Nanao’s imagined source of the setbacks that dog him, a comic personification that grows more ominous as mishaps interrupt his escape and place him in danger. The expression gives his recurring misfortune a presence he can address, even though the events themselves arise from the hazards around him.

A Comic Explanation for the Snake

While being pursued by Tangerine, Nanao opens a plastic case packed inside a cardboard box and discovers a snake. When it slips out, he imagines that the Goddess of bad luck must be fond of reptiles. The fanciful thought turns an unexpected danger into another episode in the run of bad luck he believes follows him. He puts the case lid back on, but does not pursue the snake: Tangerine is still after him, and escape takes priority.

From Joke to Accusation

Later, as Nanao closes in on a woman, the train bucks while he is crossing between cars. He loses his footing and falls. Rather than treat the stumble as an isolated accident, he reads it as another sign of the Goddess of bad luck’s attention—a fresh installment in a pattern he already expects. The image has become less a passing joke than his ready explanation for events that turn against him at the worst moment.

The Pressure Behind the Motif

The fall leaves Nanao vulnerable to a poisoned needle that has bent against a door. As he realizes the danger, his thoughts crowd around rotten luck, the Hornet, poison, and the possibility of dying; the familiar language of misfortune now accompanies a genuine crisis. The contrast gives the expression its force: Nanao can make a strange interruption seem absurd, but when bad luck has immediate consequences, the joke does not protect him from fear. His thoughts eventually clear, marking a shift from helplessly naming the pattern to recognizing that he must act.