I think part of why Mondo and Taka value each other so much is that… it’s so rare for either of them to find someone who doesn’t find them intimidating or off-putting.
This is one of Mondo’s possible reactions when you ask to hang out with him during free time:
For someone not to be afraid of Mondo is weird to him. Anyone wanting to spend quiet one-on-one time with him is unusual.
Mondo probably spends plenty of time hanging out with his gang as a group, but in those moments, he still has a reputation to maintain, an image to keep up. He has to be the intimidating leader, the scariest and strongest man in the room.
Mondo is used to people finding him frightening. That's his normal. But he obviously likes it when people aren't afraid of him for once. How good it must feel, to have someone look past the image he protects and see the actual person inside.
As for Taka - Taka is a delight, imo, but I do think he’s intended to be off-putting before the player has a chance to get to know him. He has those red eyes with that intense ring inside them - a very similar design to Peko in SDR2. You know, Peko, who comes across as so intimidating that animals are instinctively frightened of her.
Taka is introduced yelling at Makoto for being late, and some of the others are visibly put off and weirded out by it. Taka has zero chill; his emotions are very intense and always at the surface. His sprites are very exaggerated. And we know he has immense social struggles:
Not to mention how he can come across as blunt and inappropriate without meaning to - telling Makoto ‘I imagine it would be hard to sleep near a decaying corpse’ comes to mind.
How often do you think Taka has heard that he’s too much? That he comes on too strong? That he weirds people out?
The popular read of Taka as autistic is so important to me, because all of this is so relatable. The autistic thing of just trying to exist as your natural self and being told that you’re too much (too blunt, too weird, too excited about your special interests) or not enough (not good enough at conversation, not normal enough).
But then Taka and Mondo meet each other. And even before they become friends, they are not daunted by each other. They’re not afraid of each other. Taka stands up to Mondo, refuses to be intimidated by him. Mondo pushes back furiously against Taka’s criticism, but he doesn’t avoid him or get weirded out. He’s mad, not uncomfortable.
I think they became obsessed with each other so early on because… it’s so unusual for either of them to meet someone who will just speak honestly to them. Who doesn’t find them intimidating and doesn’t back away.
And once they became friends, they knew they would never be too much for each other. No wonder their bond meant the world to them.
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