Shou And His Resistance Team Are Based On The Moon Rabbit Folktale (that's Why He Gets A Haircut)

Shou and his resistance team are based on the moon rabbit folktale (that's why he gets a haircut)

References are in his lackeys names / outfits + other

The story in short is about a rabbit who wanted to save a starving man, so he jumped into fire to become food for him. and then was rewarded for his kindness/self-sacrifice by being taken to live on the moon and he makes rice cakes there.

(other versions have different animals, an actual starving man or emperor or god; or the rabbit's gift is his image being carved on the moon (implied that he died in fire), or the rabbit making medicine on the moon)

Ootsuki 大月; 月tsuki means moon, hence the crescents on his outfit

Fukuda 福田:

- is interestingly the name of a company that makes medical technology stuff/ healthcare products

- 田da means rice field , hence the plant on the H and maybe the white knots is a visual cue for rice 

 While in the Japanese version the rabbit makes rice cakes , in the Chinese version the rabbit is making medicine instead, so that's also related to his healing powers.

Higashio 東尾: 

- hi 火 means fire 

- 餓死 gashi means starvation. (the only one I had to skip the official way its written but if I were to guess I dont think starvation would be directly part of a name so yea)

Shou:

 -Chinese zodiac sign: rabbit

- hair looks like fire

So, Shou is surrounded by moon rabbit references, and his arc is mainly about running away vs responsibility which parallels a story about self sacrifice (as kindness/virtuous mind you). That's reflected in wd arc and confession arc, as in both arcs Shou was prepared to die to stop Touichirou. 

Because in confession arc even though Touichirou’s plan was to sacrifice himself…..he explained how to do it to Shou. the one with the self sacrifice metaphor…()

Anyway, Shou getting a haircut in the epilogue symbolizes realizing that he shouldn't sacrifice himself for others sake, like letting go of the fire that the rabbit would've jumped into. 

Bonus here's an official poster celebrating otsukimi