Haven't read the original series, but Shin strikes me as an individual who very much wants to be in charge, but is too pliable to competently handle such a role. He is destined to be henpecked if he ever marries.
That's an astute observation, @Diamona ! Really goes to show how well Kajio portrays the characters - even someone who has never read FotNS can understand the essence of the characters :)
