Hey Audric, i was really hoping that the reason Kokoro chose Mitsuru as a partner was because she had also gone through the same deadly experimentation to get stronger, i was actually certain that was this was the reason she chose mitsuru but i was quite disappointed that didn't seem to be the case. i was hoping for a satisfying reason as to why she chose to break her promise to her partner, also what are your thoughts on the lastest episode? what do you think of Zero Two's behaviour
This one’s gonna be rather long Natalie, so apologies in advance ^_^
Regarding Zero Two’s recent behaviour, I think it’s been rather nice to see her acting so carefree and really integrating with the group. She’s shown that she has still retained her mischievous side, but now she’s just a lot happier since she’s certain that she’s finally been reunited with her darling. She’s just really genuinely enjoying herself and making up for a lot of lost time with Hiro. How long the good times last, now that the Nines and the Klaxosaur Princess have made their presences known, remains to be seen.
Now with regards to the reason Kokoro was so drawn to Mitsuru, I always just kinda felt that he was the only one she was truly able to talk with, you know? Even long before the partner shuffle, they often spoke in the greenhouse, and you could tell those conversations held a much deeper meaning than how they appeared on the surface.
In contrast, Futoshi just seemed to idolise her, even to the point of worship:
And he didn’t seem to really have an idea or an understanding of who exactly it was he was placing on this untouchable pedestal. However with Mitsuru, Kokoro always just seemed to have something there, and I think the main reasons that she was drawn to Mitsuru were because not only was she able to connect with him on a much deeper and more personal level, but from what I saw, Mitsuru was also the one who inspired her to become more bold, assertive and voice her desires, regardless of what her peers may think.
I’ll get into more detail on that shortly.
But from early on in the series, Kokoro was shown as having paid particular attention to Mitsuru. She was the first one to notice that he was still feeling the effects of having partnered with Zero Two, despite his outward demeanour:
And she truly cared for his well being, even though at the time, he continuously brushed off her attempts to help him, because he viewed it as pity:
At that point, Mitsuru still had a lot going on in his head so he wasn’t the easiest of people to approach, but Kokoro chose to do so anyway because even at this early stage, Mitsuru was someone she held slightly closer to heart than the rest of her peers. This was only but the first of many examples which illustrated the connection between the two of them.
Then there was the time they explored the ruins of a nearby town. Kokoro soon began to feel rather anxious at the prospect of what they could potentially run into should they venture further into the unknown, so Mitsuru told her that she didn’t have to come along if she didn’t want to:
This was important because it ties into the running theme of Kokoro simply going along with the plans of her peers, regardless of what she herself wanted. This theme will increase in significance later on because I feel as though it’s pivotal to explaining why Kokoro was so drawn to Mitsuru.
So at this, Futoshi demonstrates more of his overbearing protectiveness and borderline possessiveness by reprimanding Mitsuru for what he said, despite the latter not having said anything wrong or in a rude manner at all. (This possessiveness would be on display again during episode 17 when Futoshi said “My Kokoro”, but I digress). Yet, Mitsuru responds simply by saying how from that point onward, he wouldn’t be able to guarantee their safety:
So essentially, he was saying that he’d bear no responsibility if something were to happen to any of them.
Yet, despite having said this, Mitsuru still went looking for Kokoro when she wondered off on her own, and managed to save her from some falling debris:
Just a small example of his heart of gold, despite his aloof demeanour, because he demonstrated here that he may seem cold and uncaring on the surface, but the lives of his comrades still mattered to him.
Later on, they would meet again at the greenhouse, which would essentially become a form of “special” place for the two of them, as Mitsuru would explain that he often went there to get away from the rest of the group and to spend some quality time to himself:
I’d imagine that Kokoro also frequented the greenhouse for similar reasons, other than to indulge in her love of plants of course.
They started talking about the different types of plants held in the greenhouse and the “Language of Flowers”, which allowed Mitsuru to know Kokoro on a more personal level, something which Futoshi wasn’t shown to have done.
The conversation then switched to the ongoing feud between the girls and boys where Mitsuru expressed his complete and utter disinterest in the entire ordeal. This struck a big cord with Kokoro and she found it very admirable that Mitsuru was able to voice his disapproval of something so easily, because when it came to her, she usually just went along with what the others suggested (like she had done when they explored the ruins of the town).
She told Mitsuru that she found his outspoken nature really cool, because unlike him, she was too scared to say anything to the others:
However, towards the end of the same episode, Kokoro finally found a spark of resolve which enabled her to speak up, and to stop being on the fence about everything. She told the other girls that they couldn’t continue as they were, and that they had to make up with the boys because the things they needed to do could only be accomplished if they all worked together.
Ichigo and Ikuno immediately noticed the change in Kokoro, and commented on how strange it was for her to be so assertive:
And I think a lot of that was because of the influence that Mitsuru had on her following their private exchanges. She greatly admired his boldness and how he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and act on his desires, and she aspired to be a little more like him in that regard. So this was just the first example of her trying to change and better herself because of his influence.
Then, shortly before Nana announced the idea of the Partner Shuffle, Futoshi asked Kokoro if she could be his partner forever, and the look on Kokoro’s face as she gave that short pause before answering spoke volumes:
You could tell that an eternal partnership with Futoshi, despite his good heart, wasn’t what she truly desired. However, she would unfortunately once again allow her fears of speaking her mind to overcome her, and would accept Futoshi’s request, despite her heart yearning for someone else:
So a short while later after Nana made the Partner Shuffle announcement, Futoshi would rather forcefully tell Kokoro that they didn’t need it because they had already promised to be partners for life:
I’d imagine that Kokoro felt as though she was essentially being backed into a corner here by Futoshi, but she knew that her predicament was entirely of her own doing due to her lack of mental fortitude, so she once again just went along with Futoshi’s desires while demonstrating a familiar and despondent smile:
However, when Nana gave the group their final chances to propose any partner shuffles, Kokoro knew that this was her very last chance to follow her heart. And so, despite the obvious ramifications this would have on Futoshi, Kokoro shyly raised her hand, and voiced her desire to partner with Mitsuru:
I’m sure she knew that she couldn’t have picked a worse way to go about riding with Mitsuru, but in that instance, her desire to be with him overpowered any lingering fears of what her peers may think of her due to her actions.
Also, not many things in the series were shown to have caught Mitsuru off guard at that point, but Kokoro’s declaration certainly did:
So during their first true outing as Genista’s pairing, they would initially struggle because of Mitsuru’s severe lack of self confidence due to everything that had happened with his failed attempt to ride with Zero Two, and his general feelings of inadequacy in comparison to Hiro.
He viewed himself as an incompetent pilot whom no one should rely on. Or to put it in more meaningful terms with regards to his and Kokoro’s relationship, Mitsuru didn’t believe that anyone should “lean” on him. However, Kokoro would comfort him, telling him that by no means was he incompetent:
Kokoro not only restored Mitsuru’s belief in himself, but also his ability to put his trust and faith in others. She wanted him to believe in himself, to believe in others, and to believe in her, because she always believed in him:
Her words were eventually able to find their way through the barriers that Mitsuru had surrounded himself with:
And with his faith in others and confidence in himself restored, he and Kokoro were able to pilot Genista back into the fight.
Now following on from this, I think it’s fairly safe to assume that Mitsuru and Kokoro only grew closer from that point onward, as the former felt comfortable enough to ask her to cut his hair, something which is often portrayed as being a rather intimate thing for someone to do in Japan.
As she was cutting, he confided in her all of his insecurities regarding Hiro, which itself was a big testament to how much closer they had gotten. Prior to this, Mitsuru was always depicted as being very closed off and always brushed aside any attempts from people to get to know what was underneath his stoic exterior. And yet here he was now, spilling the beans to Kokoro without prompt.
After further words of comfort from Kokoro, Mitsuru said some rather nice things about her, including how her words made him feel as though he could do anything. Therefore, in what was a very bold and assertive move, Kokoro simply kissed him in response, and she didn’t even hesitate:
Contrast that to how Kokoro was toward the beginning of the series before she started having her personal talks with Mitsuru in the greenhouse. She always admonished herself for constantly going with whatever others wanted and never voicing or acting upon what she wanted. But after showing great admiration for the way Mitsuru wasn’t afraid to speak his mind and act on his desires, she was influenced by him, and now acted on her desires with an assertiveness which greatly surprised both Mitsuru and even herself.
They would continue to spend time at their special place - the greenhouse, and after discussing how important their time together was for each other:
Kokoro once again began demonstrating the boldness which had at that point become characteristic of her, and she explicitly let Mitsuru know of her desire to join her body with his and create a new life:
However, at that point, Mitsuru was still very confused and in the process of mending his relationship with Hiro, and so he was unaware of his own budding interest in Kokoro. Thus, he rebuffed her advances:
However, during a talk with Hiro, the latter helped him to realise the nature of his feelings towards Kokoro:
He was then able to recall the times in which Kokoro was there for him, the times she comforted him, and pulled him up from rock bottom. He recalled the time during their first outing in Genista when she restored his faith in allowing others to “lean” on himself, and his faith in allowing himself to “lean” on others:
This is very significant because during one of their earlier greenhouse talks, Kokoro wanted Mitsuru to “lean” on others because she could tell how much of a burden he was putting on himself by always wanting to do everything alone. But at that point, while his faith in others and himself was still broken, he only viewed this as an act of pity on Kokoro’s part:
However, because of Kokoro’s influence and after all the times she had comforted him in his moments of need, now he was comforting her in her moment of need, asking her to “lean” on him more. Because it was she who restored his faith in others and himself, it was she who enabled him to be able to “lean” on others again, and it was she who enabled him to once again have the confidence in himself to ask others to “lean” on him:
That speaks volumes regarding how much they have helped each other on such a personal level. Mitsuru was the one who influenced Kokoro to stop constantly fearing the idea of voicing her desires, and to start being more bold, assertive, and to act on her desires more often.
Similarly, Kokoro was the one who helped Mitsuru to restore his faith in himself and others. Therefore, with Kokoro being unafraid to act on her desires to become closer and have a child with Mitsuru, and with the latter now free to open his heart to others with a desire to make Kokoro happy, it’s unsurprising that they eventually ended up spending a very intimate night with one another:
And while there will certainly be very large scale ramifications for their actions of clear disobedience, I’m sure that both of them will be more than willing to face whatever consequences may befall them together - It’s ride or die for them now.
