Matakara Asamine - Blog Posts
Okay okay listen, I understand that Arajin is a selfish coward with thirst for some puss in da boots and people dislike it (obviously), but the fact that Arajin still has nightmares about Matakara being hit by those guys even after 5 years makes me feel kinda sorry for this pathetic little guy. Him trying to distance himself from the guilt I mean. And I hope that there will be a huge improvment in him as a character and with his relationship with Asamine. (At least I'm here for some BL drama))
bucchigiri fanart from 2024 i didn’t finish up until now 😭
two sides of the same stone: in defense of arajin as an mc & his parallels with matakara in bucchigiri?!
honestly, everytime i see someone say "matakara should've been the mc" in response to them not liking bucchigiri i kind of laugh because like. i really don't think it would've changed your mind. if matakara was actually the mc, people would've gotten mad that he still wants to reconnect with arajin because of the way arajin distances himself from him, or that he gets corrupted, or that zabu is the one who should've stepped in.
i think when people say that bucchigiri sucks because matakara forgave arajin, they fail to understand that arajin was matakara's first friend other than his brother. komao and zabu, while matakara's friends are not as close to him as arajin was (i.e. how they get matakara's favourite gyoza lunch from the convenience store, but arajin teaches matakara how to make gyoza.)
people dismiss arajin because he's an unlikeable, cowardly protagonist, but he and matakara are two sides of the same coin: matakara wants to become strong because he believes he is weak. everyone's left him. he wants to become strong, so he doesn't have to rely on anyone, because he doesn't want to burden them. he pushes the people who care about him away. the biggest hater arajin has IS himself. arajin runs away from his problems because he believes he is weak, so he doesn't try. he thinks he doesn't deserve (in this case) matakara's forgiveness, so he pushes him away because he doesn't believe in himself. he doesn he also doesn't reach out to the people who care about him, and pushes them away. both are flawed people who idealize and project onto others in order to cope: matakara with arajin, as a reminder of his past, and arajin with mahoro, as what an "ideal" and "normal" relationship should be like. and when the illusion is broken, they double down. and, in order to help matakara, arajin has to forgive himself in order to help others. does bucchigiri have flaws when it comes to writing? yes, absolutely. i think there are issues when it comes to pacing, i think certain characters could've been tied into the plot better thematically, and i think scenes could've been added to push the relationships and themes more. however, i want to stress: when you dismiss arajin as a character, you also dismiss matakara as a character as well, and the parallels between them. you ignore what makes their relationship, and in turn, their characters, by extension- the show- so interesting.
everybody watch this show
butler women + maid mahoro
HEY SO GUESS WHAT I NOTICED LATELY AND KEPT THINKING ABOUT AND WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU
Mata and arajin both kinda achieved what they wanted to some part?
OK LEMME EXPLAIN : mata wanted to be stronger (why? To never be left behind again) and he did just that
Arajin wanted to be braver I think (why? To never leave behind a friend ever again)
And guess what
Come on guess it
THEY BOTH DID DO JUST THAT, BUT ONE FOCUSED MORE ON THE GOAL RATHER THAN THE WHY (Mata, with his delusional belief that getting stronger will solve everything) AND THE OTHER FOCUSED ON THE WHY MORE THAN THE GOAL (arajin, with him simply deciding that you can't leave behind a friend if you don't have any, he truly is the smartest idiot out there)
Mata is now much much stronger, maybe not the strongest but still, and arajin is much much more brave, maybe not the bravest but still much braver, especially when you see how they used to be and how they are rn
LIKE COME ON. COME ON. LIKE, ANOTHER LAYER TO THEIR RELATIONSHIP AND I KNOW IT'S A SIMPLE ONE TO NOTICE BUT I DIDN'T UNTIL TOO LATE AND GOD, THEY BOTH WILL NEVER BE SATISFIED TILL THE GOAL AND THE WHY BOTH GET ANSWERED, AND THAT WONT HAPPEN TILL BOTH DROP THEIR DELUSIONS AND WAIT IS THIS A LAYER OF NEVER FEELING LIKE YOU'VE DONE BEFORE IM SEEING??
(sorry for rambling, it just been circulating my mind for the past three days and my god I need that 2 hours analysis video asap)
OKAY! Finally had some time to give this my full attention, took me a minute. Hope the wait wasn’t too long. (Also trust I’ll get to your comment back but I try to reply to everything which means I need time to sit it down and Do That but I’ve been busy as shit UGHHH)
BUT RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! THE ADDED LAYERS OF THIS DYNAMIC IS SO GOOOOOOOOOOOOD. I’m so glad you mentioned this because I didn’t quite notice it as an added bit of their dynamic, but they both, as the should go, got a little bit of what they’ve wanted!!!! Which is really charming that they both kinda stay stubborn in their ways, regressing or simply doubling down respectively, and then actually both grow a little bit by the end! While obviously they should progress (or land somewhere other than where they’ve started until that’s another point/purpose), it’s just a charming detail they did get something, by actually dropping the delusion/confronting a bit of who they are and what things are actually like in reality.
They make me so ill, I think. I love my little bad coping mechanism mfs. They rlly thought if they just just dug their heels in, stubborn as shit, double down again and again, it’d just work out. Like no. Dumbass. I love them, though. They match each other’s narratively, but they haven’t caught got to the actual bestie / seeing each other completely yet. (SOBBING ABOUT IT ARAJIN LET DOWN UR MASK PLEASE—) (THERE IS MORE TO YOU I KNOW IT)
Also it will never not be funny to me Arajin rlly went giving “I’ve ever met this man before in my life”/“we’re not friends -_-” energy and Mata is just: “no we’re best friends :) best friends forever :) I’m simply ignoring what you said, you’re just a silly little jokester we’re the best friends in the entire planet trust me! We never stopped being friends! We’re super duper close! Fav guy in the whole world!!”
I love my pair of unreliable ass mfs, never trust them to take control of narration, you’re gonna be lied too.
Look at them. Unreliable ass mfs. I love them so much. They’re so precious to me. Unstoppable force vs unmovable object ass dynamic. Mutually not seeing each other ass dynamic. Denial buddies. Driven by fear ass mfs. “What if I just doubled down” like that’ll do anything. Idiots. I love them so much oh my god.
ALSO PLEASE SHARE RAMBLES AND IDEAS AND ALL THAT JAZZ! I love yapping about stuff like this! I’m just sluggish at replying back cause I’m gonna be busy as shit for a couple monthssssss.
by your hand
moon and stars
I had this idea about Arajin and Matakara floating around in my head recently, so I couldn't help but go into it a little more and wanted to share it here too, it's kind of short
When they were kids Matakara sleeps over at Arajin's house and asks him "How does it feel to have a mom?" but his friend had fallen asleep…
Some time after they had reconciled, Matakara sleeps over at Arajin's house and can't help but ask him that same question again. Arajin, knowing what that means to him, answers him…
Arajin: She can be annoying at times, it seems like she's always watching every step you take, she asks you questions out of place and even behaves in an embarrassing way. But… she's also the one who welcomes you home with a smile and a plate of freshly made food, she's always happy to see you, she teaches you many things saying that it's for your own good, or she'll tell you that you look handsome even if you don't think so.
Matakara: Yes… I think that's it, actually... I'd forgotten. I should thank your mother for reminding me, it was nice.
Arajin: So that's what it was about… well, she's always been like that (She became very insistent about that after telling her about Matakara's parents).
Matakara: She's been very kind to me, I really appreciate it.
Arajin: It's not so strange if you think about it.… you're my best friend after all… in some way that makes you part of the family, doesn't it? Besides... since she raised me well, I don't need so much attention anymore.
hear me out: aramata SLOWBURN. i mean painfully slow. it takes them (almost) a whole decade. mainly because i think their relationship needs to develop to where they are both fully comfortable and fully accepting of their relationship, as well as attraction to each other. i think matakara knows he likes arajin already but post-canon it takes a while since they're trying to balance their relationship to be more equal. he also isn't entirely sure if arajin likes him back and wants to let their friendship heal first. arajin is deep in denial about being attracted to men in specific so i think it would take him longer. he'd accept being attracted to matakara first (because over time, i think he'd open up, accept his own insecurities and mistakes more etc) but when it comes to being attracted to men he's used to thinking of himself as straight and gets defensive when questioned so when he actually confronts it years later he'd be like "...wait a minute" the same thing i said about matakara applies here (trying to heal their relationship first before anything else) also they both take their relationships really seriously (implied in this short story) so i definitely think they would have to go through a lot, be certain about it and commit fully.
we're getting farther and farther apart
you're drifting farther and farther away i think of you all the time
no matter what i try
you're within reach,
but i can't grasp for you.
Confession~Love and Youth at Ichizu High School~
A special short story included with the 4th Bucchigiri?! DVD/Blu-ray
Description from the official site:
Worried about how to "confess his love," Arajin asks his best friend Matakara for advice on how to convey his feelings to Mahoro, but...?!
Story by Kishimoto Taku/ Supervision by Utsumi Hiroko
(NOTE: I'm an amateur when it comes to translation so there's unfortunately going to be mistakes here and there. I do plan on uploading clean scans of the original material sometime in the future for those who are more capable. I just wanted to share my own take on this little story.)
"Hmm~~, mmmmm~...ahh~...What on earth should I do...how can I convey my passionate feelings to Mahoro-chan!"
One young man is groaning loudly while holding his head in agony. This is Tomoshibi Arajin.
"Hey, Matakara! How do you confess to someone!?"
"Eh? Confessing? Hmmm...just be serious and tell them how you really feel, isn't that enough?"
The one who gives such an honest answer is Asamine Matakara. He has known Arajin since childhood, when they'd been best friends who aimed to become Honki People together.
"Just expressing my feelings seriously huh...Hmmm...I'm the type of guy who believes actions speak louder than words..."
Arajin is muttering something like that before he says,
"Matakara, show me how you'd do it."
"Ehh!? Me!? But confessing..."
"Just try it, try it! Okay!"
"Um...wait a minute...a confession huh..."
Matakara is flustered for a moment, but finally, as if he's made up his mind, he lets out a sigh, clears his throat, and says,
"P-Please, let me make miso soup for you every day!"
"Why are you the one making it!?"
"I see...it's more fun to make it together than by yourself! As expected of you, Ara-chan!"
"That's not the point! In fact, what you're saying is basically a proposal!"
Arajin holds his head in his hands, realizing that he has consulted the wrong person.
"Yo~"
"What are you doing?"
"Ah, Zabu and Komao."
The people who call out are Zabu Kakeru and Sakigake Komao, the usual lineup.
"Hello! What are you guys talking about?"
Komao doesn't care what the topic is and just gets into it.
"Ara-chan was wondering how to confess."
"If you're so keen to confess, then just tell the other person, right Zabu?"
When asked about it, Zabu grins.
"Yeah you should, if you really are that popular."
"But...I don't like Ara-chan being too popular."
Seeing Matakara's indecisive attitude makes Arajin confused.
"Hey what's all that about!?!? There's no such thing as being too popular!"
"No, it's not like that..."
"Matakara is Minato Kai's second best after all! Of course he's super popular."
Komao speaks without any ill intent, not knowing what the person in question is actually thinking.
"Stop it..."
"Grrr...I guess this guy's popular after all!"
Arajin grits his teeth as Zabu presses on.
"Weren't they waiting in line for you the other day?"
"Wh-What did you say!? Girls were waiting for him?"
"Grrrrr!"
Arajin growls with rage.
"It was just because that place was small! It's really not that great. They're girls, so I can't hurt them...but I can't just ignore someone who's coming at me with all their might..."
"Pyuu~" Zabu and Komao whistle as they turn away, ignoring Arajin.
"What is it? Tell me quickly! Tell me!!"
Zabu puts his hand on Arajin's shoulder in an attempt to calm him and continues with a serious look on his face.
"Listen here, Ichizu High has a time-honored tradition of matchmaking."
"Matchmaking!? Isn't matchmaking when a man and a woman who want to get married are introduced to each other at some arranged dinner??"
"In our case, the person who falls in love first comes forward and says 'Let's make a match!' and the other person accepts by saying 'Sure, I'd be happy to make a match!' and that's how it begins. If you fight seriously and defeat your crush, the two of you can have a special relationship."
"Huh!? Isn't that more like a wrestling match!? What does wrestling have to do with matchmaking?"
"That's just how it is, a match is a match, that's all there is to it!"
Komao says, showing off his skills as he grabs Zabu in a headlock.
"By the way, guys can ask out other guys."
"A lover of men I am not!"
Arajin watches with dead eyes as Zabu is taken down by Komao's suplex.
"Ara-chan, if you'd like, wanna practice together? I mean, I could try being your matchmaking partner? By the way, my specialty is hoisting people up, so it's a technique that won't hurt girls..."
Arajin interrupts Matakara who was making a misguided proposal and glares at him.
"No way! The confession I want to make doesn't involve hoisting, or headlocks, or finishing moves! Isn't there a more normal way to confess your love?"
"That is normal..."
"Zabu, how would you confess?"
"Wh-What do you mean...just the normal way. I'd ask the other person to go out with me, like normal."
Zabu stammers nervously after Matakara suddenly turns the conversation toward him.
"Is it okay to just do that without thinking too deeply about it? What do you think Ara-chan?"
"Hmmm...but you know 'going out' just doesn't feel right..."
"What do you mean?"
Arajin tilts his head, searching for the right words as Komao looks at him confused.
"Going out, 'dating' that is, it's more like a contract, right? 'I won't date other people so you shouldn't either'."
Perhaps caught off guard by the word "contract," Shinpo mutters, "Well, you could say that, but..." He seems a bit dissatisfied.
"Aren't you overthinking it? I'm just saying 'let's go out' because I'm too embarrassed to say 'I like you'."
As Zabu looks on in disbelief, Arajin continues.
"But you know, I still don't feel comfortable with just 'I like you' and 'Me too'. For example, even if you find your partner on a date with someone else, if they say they like that person too, you won't be able to say anything."
"That's true, dating implies that 'neither of us will like anyone else' but that's only one possible meaning."
Matakara, who had been listening to Arajin's story, nods in agreement.
"Right? You don't want to get married, but you still want to date, it's kind of half-hearted, even unfair...If you really love the other person, you should just propose and get married!"
"I see...that's right!"
"Eh? Don't just go along with whatever he says! It's way too much responsibility. You can't just get married!"
"Propro~pose, pro~po~se~~!"
Maho readily agrees, but Zabu retorts, and Komao does a little dance.
"In that case, the 'miso soup' thing Matakara mentioned before might actually be on the right track..."
"What I said earlier, 'Let me make you miso soup every day'?"
"Yeah. There's that vague feeling of wanting to spend the rest of your life together...I guess a man is only as good as his sense of responsibility. That's a true companion."
Arahito pushes his hair back to look cool.
"Ha, stop trying to look cool when you've never even dated."
Zabu looks at Arajin with an expression of amazement, wondering what he was talking about.
"Eh, perhaps..."
"Have you ever dated, Zabu?"
Startled by Arajin and Matakara's words, Zabu lowers his head. He then speaks in a small voice.
His answer:
"No...not yet, for now..."
As time passes quietly by, Maho suddenly blurts out something.
"I wonder what it would be like, to date someone..."
"Ah..."
"That's right..."
The three of them look off into the distance, thinking about the relationship they have yet to realize.
"It's nothing that special."
It is Komao who says this so nonchalantly.
"You have no idea, you've never even gone out with anyone."
"There is someone."
"Ehh!?" Three boys shout in unison.
"No way..." Zabu mutters while Arajin and Matakara are speechless. None of them can hide their surprise.
Komao!?!? Experienced!?!? And nobody's heard anything about it!?
"I mean, we're going out right now."
"Ehhhh!?"
"Seriously...."
Zabu is unable to hide his shock and can't even look Komao in the eye.
"What's it like? Going out..."
Matakara asks a straightforward question.
"Hmm? Usually we stay together overnight."
"Overnight!?"
"Yeah."
Looking defeated and timid as he raises his hand, Arajin asks,
"Um, well~...Excuse me for asking, but when you say staying the night, does that mean you'll be going to bed together...?"
"'Going to bed'?"
"Well...he means if you're going to sleep in the same room together."
Matakara kindly explains.
"You mean, in the same futon?"
Zabu asks, finally joining in.
"Of course. We always take baths together."
"Baths!?"
"Yeah. But he doesn't like the heat."
Beside the group, who are frozen in place, Komao laughs heartily.
"I see... that's it..."
Matakara manages to squeeze out a reply.
"Do your parents know about this?"
Arahito can only use polite language now.
"Hm? Of course! I mean, they heard his voice the other day too."
"My parents!"
"His voice!??"
"That guy has such a loud voice~, so I quickly covered his mouth but that just made him go crazy..."
"Stop it already! Stop it, Komao!!"
Unable to bear it any longer, Zabu screams out loud enough to drown out Komao's voice.
Zabu's mind is in turmoil, like a small boat in a storm. They had been talking about what it meant to be in a relationship...but this was too sudden.
Only one of them was going too fast! Where are you going, Komao? No, does that mean the Komao he knew wasn't really Komao after all!?!?
It's no good, Zabu doesn't know what's going on anymore...
"What's up with you Zabu~, don't just scream so suddenly~. Now my ears are ringing."
Komao pouts in dissatisfaction. Zabu looks down and clenches his fists.
"That's not the Komao I know... the Komao I know... isn't like that..." His clenched fists tremble.
"What do you mean? You're joking, aren't you? It's just a game."
"!!!"
"Just a game...that's all? You're seriously calling it that?"
Matakara looks at Komao with a stern expression that he rarely shows to his friends.
"I'm disappointed in you, Komao."
Zabu states, clenching his fists so hard he was close to drawing blood.
"Eh~? Aren't you guys being too serious?"
Immediately afterwards, Zabu grabs Komao by the collar.
"What, what are you talking about! I can't believe you were that kind of guy!"
"Huh!? You guys should just go along with it instead of whining about it."
"What do you think, Ara-chan? Listening to Komao's story."
Matakara's usually soft voice hardens and his expression turns serious as he asks Arajin.
"Me too..."
Arajin quietly bows his head.
"You're right, this kind of thing can't be tolerated, right? Not being serious about the person you love..."
Arajin clenches his fist.
"Me too..."
"That's definitely not okay, Ara-chan..."
"I want to lose my virginity!!!!!"
。。。
The roar blends into the wind that rustles the leaves.
No one speaks.
All that can be heard is the rustling of leaves and the cries of crows...
In the silence, one person speaks up.
"Oh, it's him!"
Komao looks up towards the sound of the crow.
"What? He's...?"
"That's who I'm going out with right now, Caw-chan the crow!"
"Caw, Caw!"
A crow with round eyes, large wings and a lustrous black body flutters down near Komao.
"...A...crow...?"
Komao and this crow? They're going out? They're staying the night together? They were heard by his parents? While Zabu and the others stand there confused, Komao speaks to the crow in a friendly manner.
"Let's take a bath together again today~"
"Caw!"
"If Caw-chan is going to cry, I guess I should go home~,then~,see you tomorrow~!”
"Caw! Caw!"
"So... you're saying... you're taking a bath with a crow?"
As Arajin stands there in a daze, watching Komao leave, Matakara replies, gazing up at the crimson sky where Caw-chan has flown away.
"Well, they do say that crows like a quick bath..."
(The End)
One idea that I can't get out of my head is that maybe Matakara doesn't feel completely comfortable going to his friends' houses, because seeing them interact with their families makes him jealous and he feels bad about it. This also happened when visiting Arajin when he was younger, seeing how loving his mother was towards him (something that is not difficult to imagine) to that we add that surely given his background he must feel an almost instinctive distrust towards adults, especially parents, there being few exceptions to these.
i wanna put them in a blender!!! THEYRE SO CUTE 😭😭😭
I like the idea that matakara can be clumsy or way too strong physically because it’s so funny to me. like that one gag where he crushes arajin is rent free in my mind. he's great at combat but he is the type of guy to fail at peeling a boiled egg (and also fail at cracking eggs- he'd get the shells in food, much to the chagrin of arajin.) matakara is the type of guy to accidentally crush someone in a tight hug.
IS THERE ANY ADULT?
I have released some ideas on Twitter lately, but when I realized that there was a common thread, it seemed like a good idea to put them together to organize them better(and maybe expand a little).
The way Bucchigiri approaches the "adult world" is something to say the least curious when you think about it. The gangs seem to be in their own reality, where everything related seems relatively distant. However, what is striking is that despite this, the anime doesn't completely rule them out, it recognizes their influence on their daily lives, and not only that, but also the great importance of adult guidance, with Arajin and Matakara being a clear example of this
Arajin was raised by his mother (we have no information regarding his father) who we can see has always been there for him, giving him her love and guidance, which we see by how she bequeaths him her cooking skills, a curious mix between independence and giving love/affection, key elements to mature as a person (being serious/Honki in a way)
But in the case of Matakara, everything indicates that he was a child raised by another (Mitsukuni) and that inevitably creates a gap between him and other kids his age, especially having grown up in a house where both brothers never felt comfortable, which is easy to notice by their desire to get out of there.
There is something I want to make clear, so far, it doesn't seem that the relationship between the Asamine brothers and their relatives was conflictive or hostile , but some tension can be felt, so I cannot assume that they had bad intentions, but it doesn't seem they did a lot to make both children feel welcome and safe, which can be seen in several details, such as the little (or no) interaction between them and Matakara
Or how, unlike Arajin, his lunches are not homemade, but bought and although it may not seem like it, this says a lot, because both houses are also family businesses in which they have to serve several clients, from what it seems to me that this parallelism is intentional and to make us see that despite coming from similar backgrounds, the treatment that Arajin and Matakara receive from the adults they live with is very different.
This is when food "speaks" in Bucchigiri, because it translates not only as affection, but also warmth of home, therefore, safety(There's already an analysis of this specific topic for those who may be interested). It's an interesting way to telling us (along with his oppressive room) that Matakara never had that while growing up.
Because no matter how hard Mitsukuni tried, he wasn't a father, not even an adult, he was another child, one who must also have his own scars after everything that happened, someone who was trying to play a role for which he was clearly not prepared. The fact that he doesn't know how to cook is a good way to represent it, because it's a skill linked to independence and therefore to adulthood.
In fact, it is very curious that Arajin is coincidentally the only one of all the young characters who knows how to cook, because something similar happens with Mahoro, who cooks for her brother who is in the hospital, but it is evident that she is not good at it, which which could indicate (at least based on what has already been said) that she has not had that guidance from the adults around her either.
However, we still have something else to address, we have already seen that even if it's subtle, Bucchigiri doesn't rule out the importance of adults as guiding figures, but just as this is pointed out, a line is also crossed, making it very clear to us that although There are adults like Yayako or Ken who can be trusted, there are also those who take advantage of young people, doing a lot of damage in the process.
Let's not forget the police officer who was trying to distribute drugs using members of Minato kai and probably other kids in the area, a situation for which Mitsukuni had to assume the consequences of taking the lead and putting a stop to it with his own hands, having to leave his brother behind in the process(reminding us of the harsh reality that exists in Honki city in the process).
And of course Ichiya is not spared, we are talking about someone who took advantage of an emotionally unstable teenager in his most vulnerable state to achieve his revenge against Senya, subjecting him to manipulation and emotional abuse, also using Matakara's pain as basically fuel. Situation that would have had the worst possible outcome if it weren't for Arajin managing to save his friend in time, but removing the supernatural factor, not all young people in real life are so lucky.
But leaving that aside, I think that both "genies" do something important, showing that adults are not perfect and that in a certain way they have not finished "growing" at all, in the sense that they are people who can still learn, commit mistakes, that can hide things from you, even if their intentions are not bad at all(Senya) or understand that their bad actions may have a root (Ichiya). Something quite curious, because like being Honki, maturity/adulthood is something that is sometimes diffuse and not entirely clear.
Although it wasn't the main theme, and it is certainly somewhat in the background, the "adult world" in Bucchigiri is still present throughout the anime in various details if you pay attention. There are still some things left, Mitsukuni and Ken seem to me to be characters that should be talked about separately, because their role as young adults seems to function as a kind of midpoint between the "world of gangs" and the "adult world", as well as maturity and the sense of duty, that is a key element for both.
MORE THAN A STONE
This is not such an extensive topic (or at least that's what I thought when I started), but I found it interesting enough to comment on it.
Rewatching Bucchigiri, I eventually came across the scene in which Arajin offers the "love forever stone" to Mahoro and although the tone with which everything happens is comedy, you can tell that they were already sending us a message with this, because It's not only about Mahoro's rejection, but also what that stone symbolized.
These stones have a special meaning for Arajin, we know that it's something that he only shares with those who are special to him, and it's no coincidence, stones and rocks are usually associated with durability and resistance over time. In this case, the stone represents the love he says he feels for her and the desire for it to last.
But the moment Mahoro receives the stone she immediately drops it, making it VERY clear that she's not interested, not only that, the stone is completely shattered to the point of being irreparable, and although this may seem to be intended to be a comic effect (which it is), it could also be a "clue" disguised as a joke, representing that in reality Arajin's feelings are not strong enough, or as genuine as they seem (and it's not the only occasion in which that this is pointed out)
It's no coincidence that this occurs in the same episode that we see Matakara's "best friend stone", being a complete contrast with Mahoro, not only because of the great happiness that he evidently felt at the moment he received it, but also because it's an object which he has treasured for years with great affection, being one of his most valuable possessions, which helps him feel safe in difficult times.
In addition, there is another key element here, we already said that the stone for Mahoro is not supported (so to speak) by a strong feeling, in the case of Matakara, we are talking about affection, a promise between the two. In addition, Arajin also has his, which we eventually found out about, was significant enough that even after having distanced himself, Arajin doesn't dare to get rid of it, even despite being part of a past that he prefers to leave behind. To this we must also add that the fact that each one has a stone tells us about a shared feeling, so in this case, the affection is not unilateral.
This is something that continues to be pointed out during the second half. In episode 9, Arajin is preparing a new stone for Mahoro, and he doesn't know how to give it to her. Senya demeans the value of the gift, asking him who would want something like that, to which Arajin immediately thinks of Matakara. Considering how the situation was at this point, I think it was about making it clear that even when Matakara idealized Arajin, his feelings were always sincere, something that was also alluded to before in the Nyan Nyaight Love segment, making a clear parallel with the situation between Arajin and Matakara.
And this escalates to a new level in the final episode....
Despite his efforts, Matakara begins to be slowly consumed by the shadows, accompanied only by his most valuable treasures. The photo with his brother and his stone, both broken, completely alone and abandoned by his two most loved people, even after having gained the strength he so desperately sought, showing us how until what seemed like his last moments, Arajin was still important to him, despite everything that had happened.
Fortunately, what we have all been waiting for arrives, Arajin finally fills up the courage to save his friend. Let's get to the point...
The anime had already shown us previously through Mahoro that being Honki it was never about strength, at least not in a physical sense, although I do believe that it's something that each person manages to achieve in their own way, because it should be noted that Arajin doesn't becomes a Honki person when he decides to save Matakara, it happens when he recognize not only how he really felt, but also accepts that he hurt Matakara, and it's from there that his honest desire to face and fixing what he had been running from all this time manifests in the form of the stone seal on Arajin's hand to deliver the final blow, because again, it's not just the stone itself, it's what it represents, because the bond they share transcends the object. Closing with a flourish when Arajin reaffirms the promise between the two, and he does it with HIS stone, the one that even Matakara himself was sure he no longer had, showing that no matter how hard he tried, Arajin (ironically?) was never able to leave his memory behind, no longer with ink, but with blood, symbolizing that their bond will only get stronger from now on.
rain or shine ☔️
Cooking, love and home(1.5)
I shared an updated version of this analysis in a Twitter thread. I had my doubts about doing it here too, but I want to avoid misunderstandings, and I also notice that new people are slowly joining in, so maybe it's not such a bad idea. Also, I feel indebted to this community
This new version is focused on Arajin and Matakara, to adding a couple of extra things(It's not exactly the same as the previous one), after all, Bucchigiri had not yet finished when I shared the first analysis. If you prefer the previous version, don't worry, it's still there
Many surely know that cooking and everything that it implies along with food and sharing the table is a whole language that lends itself to multiple interpretations, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Bucchigiri knows how to speak it unexpectedly well.
One of the things that cooking is usually associated with is maturity and independence, since we are talking about a skill that is considered important for adult life.
Curiously, this is something that we can notice a little in Arajin, who, although he's still someone with questionable behavior, also has the responsibility of helping his mother with the restaurant, which he fulfills diligently, being one of the few occasions in which we can see the character in a more positive light, showing us in a subtle way that there are redeemable things in him
It's also important to mention that his ability to cook is something that his mother has taught him, showing her love through her guidance, it may not seem like a big deal, but we will see that it says more than it seems.
This is a complete contrast to Matakara, who despite living with his relatives, seems to have had no such support, It could be argued that he had his brother, but let's remember that the age gap between the two is not too much, so it's normal that despite his efforts, Mitsukini didn't have enough tools to properly guide his younger brother.
Knowing this, we can talk about the scene in which both friends cook together, since it is where we can really appreciate this contrast more, represented by the gyoza, seeing how Arajin makes them with ease and skill, while Matakara fails every attempt, showing us how there is a gap between the two, not only in their friendship, but also in the availability of tools to be able to move forward with their lives, as well as the support received from their family environment and an important clue about Matakara's background.
It's from this that we can address the next point. Cooking and eating are also associated with a deep and sincere gesture of affection, few examples are as evident as Arajin's lunches, it is simply impossible to deny his mother's love in each dish, again contrasting with Matakara who simply buys his lunch, and in both cases, it's something the show goes to great lengths to highlight.
However, in the particular case of Matakara, there is much more to say in this area, because if we pay some attention, for him, cooking is deeply linked to the people he loves most, Arajin and his brother, even having a scene with each one of them.
Which doesn't happen with his friends in Minato kai, with whom although he shares lunch in his room, again, they are purchased lunches. It could mean that although he appreciates them, it's a friendship that is not yet strong enough, something we will see later.
This love is also reflected in the party he wants to prepare to welcome Mitsukuni, where he wants to make sure he eats something he made, which is why it makes him so happy that Arajin suggests that he be the one to teach his brother how to make gyoza.
All this opens the door to another topic, cooking and the warmth of a home. I think it's obvious what I want to point out with this. I already said it before, Arajin's lunches are a clear sign of his mother's love, or to be more precise, that Arajin comes from a home where he is loved.
Matakara on the other hand, we know how to cook is intimately linked to those he loves, and we NEVER see him have that kind of interaction with his relatives, neither cooking, nor even eating together, nor any other significant appearance, basically telling us that Matakara doesn't share any real bond with them, or even worse, that he doesn't feel loved in that house.
And I put emphasis on the word "home" because that is for him, it's just the place where he sleeps, it's not his home, and that's extremely important, because that feeling of home translates into safety, and we see that when he looks for Arajin after what happened with his brother. He goes with him because he feels safe at his side.
Much of this were clues that the anime left through how both protagonists relate to cooking, and it's no coincidence, because just like fighting, cooking is also a way of relating.
In fact, it's not for nothing that the last scene that both friends share after the final battle is cooking together, and although everything happens too quickly, there are things that we can notice if we look carefully.
Arajin and Matakara are cooking to welcome the two gangs and their leaders. They are preparing gyoza again, but we can notice that Matakara has finally managed to make one, and not only that, unlike the last time, they are close to each other
and they both look happy, clearly showing that the gap between them has fallen. Furthermore, it is evident that Arajin has been teaching his friend, representing how from now on he will be there for him.
Another extremely important element is that Matakara is cooking for others for the first time, showing how he is finally willing to open his heart.
waiter! waiter! more yuri please!
Can’t believe that Utsumi posted another sketch in honour of the final episode of BUCCHIGIRI?! English dub.
Also the fact that she acknowledges the fandom associating Matakara as a toy poodle?!?! HELLO?!
''Now, say it! Tell me your wish!''
THE PARALLELS ARE DRIVING ME INSANE.
You're wasting your tongue with lame excuses and lies
Now what's on your nasty old mind?
“Who Really Cares” TV Girl album cover redraw