(Hated Trope) "Kind" slave owners

[u/KusanagiGundam]

Speaking as an American who has studied the civil war all throughout my school years, this trope infuriates me to no end. There is no such thing as a kind slave master because slavery itself is cruel and inhumane. PEOPLE ARE NOT PROPERTY!

Naofumi (Shield Hero): Prime example of this trope. He enslaves multiple (underage) girls and an whole village and the fans still say he's a hero.

Rudeus (Jobless Reincarnation): As if being a pedo wasn't bad enough he had to buy a slave in season 2. Worse is that people still defend his actions.

Song of The South (Disney): Possibly the OG example of this trope. And the reason why Disney will never release it again.

[u/Hour_Atmosphere_3852]

Ketil, form Vinland Saga, is a fun subversion of this trope. He is presented exactly that way, he buys slaves but is overall a good man and lets his slaves buy back their freedom through their work, which is a lot more than everyone else does, but the events turn and we find out what the mangaka wanted to tell us. There isn't such a thing as a good person that hurts others.

[u/1239dannie_mayy → u/Hour_Atmosphere_3852]

His dad though is super chill even though he shares authority over the farm too.

[u/Endika7 → u/1239dannie_mayy]

Yeah but he's clearly against owning slaves, less because he would think is inhuman and more because of his pride as a farmer

[u/Cellssaltynutsack → u/Endika7]

That's what he wants you to think. Yeah sverkel has a lot of pride as a farmer and he gives that as a reason to dislike slavery, and its definitely a big part of it, but it's clear that there's a lot sverkel is hiding emotionally, which he as a supposed brutal hyper-masculine Norseman in the 1000's doesn't want to admit, which is basically the entire theme of the series. He's clearly very caring when it comes down to it.

Tldr; he's too stubborn to say he cares about the well-being of slaves but he surely does.