Final set of my Inktober pieces this year. I had so much fun challenging myself to animate again. Glad it's over, but looking forward to next year already!
You’ll get much, much stronger. Continue at the dojo. There’s nobody in you age group that’s any match for you. I’m sure in no time at all you’ll have suprassed me, too.
this line (and the rest of Kisaki’s words about intaking Mikey’s darkness) always rubbed me the wrong way. not that it was bad, just that it felt like it didn’t fit somehow.
and then i understood that it’s bc Kisaki is both right and wrong here. he’s correct that he’s a shadow, but he is absolutely not Mikey’s. no, he’s Takemichi’s.
(this has probably been said before, but anyways)
the relationship Kisaki has with Mikey, while needful, is nothing compared to the dynamic between him and Takemichi. Kisaki didn’t join and obsess over Toman for Mikey. he did it to be better than Takemichi and “win” Hinata. even with most of his plans revolving around Mikey, everything Kisaki does has never actually been about him, it’s always been about TakeHina and especially Takemichi.
Kisaki and Mikey don’t need each other at all. they were/could be big influences over one another, but it’s been proven since Tenjiku arc that they follow their paths regardless of the other being by their side or not. after getting kicked out, Kisaki just linked up with Izana. after Kisaki died, Mikey still goes down the same dark path he always did anyways just under a new name.
but you know who does need each other? Michi and Kisaki.
we have LITERALLY never seen Kisaki mourn or express hesitation towards any other characters but Takemichi. when Michi informs him that he kills Hinata in the future, Kisaki doesn’t even fucking blink. he just goes “damn that sucks :/ guess i gotta do better next time!” and takes it in stride. meanwhile, whenever faced with the possibility of killing Takemichi, he loses it one way or another. in the present/future, he cried when pointing the gun at Takemichi after just carelessly shooting Chifuyu. then in Tenjiku arc, Takemichi straight up goaded him into shooting him in the head, but again, Kisaki lost face and shot him in the foot instead.
and smthg similar applies to Takemichi. obviously he’s shown Emotions™️ towards other characters, but with the immense hate and murderous intent Takemichi eventually grows to have, him mourning Kisaki was definitely smthg. Takemichi himself can’t even understand it. he hated Kisaki so much, more than anybody else ever did and could probably ever understand, but he still couldnt help missing him after he was gone.
and this is bc they’re two sides of the same coin. people usually talk about their shared feelings for Hinata, but they’re similar and perfectly different in many other ways.
initially, both only joined Toman to use it to accomplish their goals. theyre also both relentless in what they do, to the point that they weird other people out with how determined they are. and they both played a role in triggering each other’s story. Kisaki would’ve never gotten involved with the world of delinquents had Takemichi not wanted to. Takemichi would’ve never even time traveled let alone needed to, if Kisaki hadn’t put that hit on him in the original timeline.
and they’re also different/parallels in the best ways. Kisaki only got Mikey’s attention by forcing his way in and then had to continuously prove his worth to stay (since Mikey never liked him from the start nor grew to). while Takemichi can’t help but draw Mikey’s attention when most of the time he never means to. Takemichi is also canonly a buffoon and can’t plan worth shit, but he gets info from the time leaps. Kisaki doesn’t have a superpower and has no idea what the future holds, but he’s able to cultivate an extensive 10 year plan and manipulate everyone around him bc of how smart he is.
i say all this to say, “I am the shadow you cast” fits Kisaki and Takemichi way more than it ever could Kisaki and Mikey.
“The moon doesn’t shine on its own.” / “And I’ll take on all that darkness so that you can shine!!”
Kisaki’s actions had the super ironic affect of giving Takemichi the best life he’s ever had. in Black Dragon arc, in not so many words, Takemichi basically says that even tho things may be messed up now, he would never choose to go back to his original life before bc of how much he hated it.
like it’s not at all what Kisaki meant to happen, but Takemichi was not actually a hero until Kisaki became his villain. a hero has no purpose without a villain and a villain has no purpose without a hero. which is why whenever the other is abt to die or after they’ve already died, the two mourn each other.
so no, Mikey and Kisaki don’t and have never needed each other. but Takemichi and Kisaki absolutely did. Takemichi is the light to Kisaki’s dark and vice versa. both determined to wipe each other out, but inevitably grieving the loss all the same.
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