Popo endures severe emotional and physical abuse from her mother Darumaya, who forces servitude while flaunting her own faded glamour and possessions. This environment features violent physical assaults and psychological manipulation, marked by Darumaya's intense jealousy toward any attention Popo receives. Resentful over her lost youth and beauty, Darumaya subjects Popo to dangerous situations, including violent groping and encounters with a merchant implied to have predatory designs on the girl.

Living under constant mistreatment, Popo initially interprets Palme's desperate clinging—mistaking her for his deceased creator Xian—as a threat. Her terror triggers her to smash her lute against him, echoing prior traumatic exploitation. She later discerns his childlike vulnerability and emotional confusion, shifting from fear to empathy. Their relationship evolves as she becomes his primary emotional anchor, offering steadfast support despite his volatile actions and destructive obsession with becoming human.

Her protective instincts intensify as Palme's emotional crises escalate, notably after he commits violence against an innocent creature. Popo remains loyal through his descent into self-loathing and cruelty, actively attempting a physical rescue during the film's climax even as it causes her further injury. This contrasts her earlier powerlessness, demonstrating growth toward asserting agency and compassion. Concurrently, she develops a connection with the natural world, finding solace in environments starkly different from her oppressive home.

Her resolution with Darumaya involves breaking free from the toxic environment symbolized by her mother's room—a space cluttered with decadent memorabilia and photographs celebrating Darumaya's past that oppressively surround Popo. Her departure signifies a rejection of inherited trauma and the start of a self-determined existence beyond her mother's influence.