ROUND ONE: POLL #6
Kotetsu T. Kaburagi/Barnaby “Bunny” Brooks Jr. vs. Enjolras/Grantaire
Kotebani (Tiger & Bunny)
Enjoltaire (Les Miserables)
PROPAGANDA BELOW
Kotetsu T. Kaburagi/Barnaby “Bunny” Brooks Jr. :
NO PROPAGANDA SUBMITTED
Enjolras/Grantaire:
[ In 19th century literature] references to homosexuality were carefully encrypted and are becoming less decipherable as time passes. Gr
"However, [Grantaire] had one fanaticism. This fanaticism was neither a dogma, nor an idea, nor an art, nor a science; it was a man: Enjolras. Grantaire admired, loved, and venerated Enjolras" "Grantaire in the presence of Enjolras became some one once more." "Grantaire, in whom writhed doubt, loved to watch faith soar in Enjolras. He had need of Enjolras. That chaste, healthy, firm, upright, hard, candid nature charmed him, without his being clearly aware of it, and without the idea of explaining it to himself having occurred to him. He admired his opposite by instinct." "There are men who seem to be born to be the reverse, the obverse, the wrong side. They are Pollux, Patrocles, Nisus, Eudamidas, Ephestion, Pechmeja. They only exist on condition that they are backed up with another man; their name is a sequel, and is only written preceded by the conjunction and; and their existence is not their own; it is the other side of an existence which is not theirs. Grantaire was one of these men. He was the obverse of Enjolras."
Pollux = twin of Castor, Patroclus = famous lover of Achilles, Nisus = partner of Euryalus in Virgil's Aeneid, Ephestion = boyfriend of Alexander the Great, Pechmeja = 18th Century French author
WHO WAS THE FUCKING DUMBASS WHO SUBMITTED MY MEN WITH NO PROPAGANDA DO I HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING MYSELF????
VOTE TAIBANI
(spoilers below)
There is no other way to put it, their relationship IS the show. Yeah there's villains and superpowers and government conspiracies and all that is integral to the show, but the heart of the show, the one thing that makes it what it is, is those two.
There is no "Tiger & Bunny" without Kotetsu and Barnaby.
Full propaganda under the cut cause this thing is way too fucking long sorry
The two of them start out absolutely despising each other, the both of them spend the entirety of their first few days together mentally listing all the things about the other that they find irritable.
Bunny.
Yeah, my first impression of him was that he’s an extremely unpleasant guy.
If I were to start pointing out the reasons why, the list would be endless.
First, he nitpicks and finds faults with my heroic philosophy of keeping one’s identity secret.
Told me that I’m behind the times during our first meeting.
Called me an old man.
His smile is creepy.
Even though I’m his senior he ignores my instructions and acts alone by himself.
Keeps obsessing over how to present himself in the show; his shallowness is another thing that’s unpleasant.
Generally speaking overlooks his own negatives, finds ways how to blame others.
Persistent and cross to the point of telling me I made him wait for three minutes.
Saw through my strategy of letting Tony play a hero and pries into everything I do.
It grates on my nerves.
Besides, starting from the very first impression I have been finding him to be an extremely unpleasant man.
If I were to start listing the reasons why, the list would be endless.
Point one. Romanticizes heroism and secret identities; never doubts his beliefs.
Point two. Doesn’t realize how behind the times he is.
Point three. Still convinced that he is young. His beard.
Point five. Constantly pretends he is an experienced veteran, boasts about it at every opportunity and likes to command others; in reality his instructions are usually inefficient.
Point six. Doesn’t put any effort into making himself presentable during the show; ill-mannered and boorish.
Point seven. Generally speaking, overlooks his own negatives, finds ways how to blame others.
Point eight. Wasted three minutes of my time without having a good reason for it.
Point nine. Let Tony play a hero because he himself is drunk on the idea of heroism.
Point ten. Even if one points it out to him, he won’t admit it.
But even from the very start, even when they hate each other, they can't help but feel a certain pull to each other.
But he’s more than just this. You have saved me twice already. Once with the princess carry and once when you saved Kaede.
I'm taking back what I said to Mr. Lloyds about being unable to work with him. I mean, we've just met. Maybe I should start talking to him and kinda work on deepening our communication. Yeah, I'll invite him for a meal! Uh, I wonder what he likes. He doesn't really look like somebody who eats meat and stuff. Sooo... Should I invite him to a salad bar? But alcohol doesn't go with leafy foods... Yeah. Eh, I'll just figure out something later.
And so, I found my thoughts drifting by in a daze...
However, it’s possible there is more to it than this. When that girl was about it be crushed in the rubble in the skating hall, why did I recall that man's words? Why did I save her? No matter how many times I go over it, he had nothing to do with it. Still, there are many points in which his behavioral principles don't make sense. Why would anyone do something that could possibly kill him, even when he has nothing to gain from it? Is this the so-called virtue of heroism? But even if one stays true to this philosophy, then what in the world awaits him beyond that?
Before I knew it, my thoughts, one after another, were drifting to that man.
They have a push and pull dynamic to their relationship, it slowly shifts from genuine agression to playful banter. Though they try to deny it at first, they make a terrific team! They move together like pieces of a well oiled machine, their teamwork only failing when they try to reject the pull they feel for the other.
Their chemistry is strong from day one, but their bond is one that comes from hard earned trust.
Throughout the first season they learn more about each other's struggles, about Kotetsu's estranged relationship with his daughter, about the murder of Barnaby's parents. They help each other through it, Kotetsu doesn't stop meddling no matter how much Barnaby protests; and Barnaby is by Kotetsu's side no matter how much he draws back.
But they're only human, they make mistakes and hurt each other too. More than once they cross a line, say something they shouldn't have, they're not there when they should have been; but they always try their best to make up for it, no matter what it costs, even at the risk of their own lives.
At the end of the first season they both retire as heroes (for their own personal reasons), but they come back and become a team once more. Barnaby very explicitly comes back to be Kotetsu's partner again.
Most of the second movie, "The Rising", revolves around their relationship. When Kotetsu comes back from retirement, he isn't able to join the "First League" of heroes he once belonged to; and because Barnaby is his partner, he joins Kotetsu in the second league, where they don't get the recognition or the resources they had before. Kotetsu believes he is holding him back, so when the ultimatum for Barnaby's return to the 1st league is that he won't join him, Kotetsu accepts without telling him, and when Barnaby confronts him about it Kotetsu decides to break up their partnership.
The searchlights of the city were sweeping the skies, illuminating Sternbild’s night. On the roof of the Apollon Media building, underneath the dark sky, Kotetsu and Barnaby held their talk.
“And you seriously agree with it?”
“Yeah. It’s perfect, actually.”
It’s perfect, actually. At Kotetsu’s phrasing, a confounded look passed over Barnaby’s face.
“You were stuck in the Second League because you were paired with something like me. I don’t want to be an even bigger burden than I already am.”
“You are not.”
“Don’t force yourself. You don’t have to spare my feelings.”
“I’m saying the truth.”
“Come on. I know my own worth, if nothing else.”
“You were the only reason why I even bothered—”
“You know, the Second League would be more convenient for me. More flexible hours, more time for Kaede.”
“...”
“It fits me just right.”
“...You are seriously telling me this.”
“Yeah.”
Barnaby was speechless.
It was his stubborn spirit that had allowed Kotetsu to keep fighting in the First League. It had been him who kept insisting - in every way and form - that he would live his life on his feet.
Barnaby respected that Kotetsu; had been married to him as his partner until now. He did not want to hear him spouting this kind of lazy defeatism. He knew this for certain.
[...]
“Anyway, maybe it’s just time for us to go our own ways?”
“...”
Barnaby was very still. He could not summon the strength to do anything else.
At that moment, the PDA on his wrist sounded the alarm signalling a Hero dispatch.
“Do your duty.”
With these few words, Kotetsu left.
Kotetsu had a million things he wished to tell him. To make him know. But the right words would not come. Even if they did, the only response he would probably get would be ‘Are you trying to lecture me again?’
And now, with the urgent dispatch, Barnaby had no more reason to stay here. The only thing he could do was to send him off; not allow him to turn back.
Make him look forward and nowhere else.
Barnaby, on the other hand, was worried. Kotetsu’s curt attitude anguished him more that he would have expected of himself.
The Kotetsu he knew would have gotten preachy to the point of exasperation. He had no doubt that the reason why Kotetsu had folded so easily was because of simple shock.
This was a crucial time; miss the opportunity and any future First League return would become very uncertain.
But here and now, Barnaby could not help him.
[...]
Besides, he would have time to think things through later. Now, he had a mission to carry out.
He knew it all in his head… but his legs would not move.
Should he really let Kotetsu walk out on him? He had plenty of things he would like to tell him, did he not? Should he really just accept things for what they were?
The answer he wanted did not come. Barnaby put his feelings aside and resolutely headed out to get ready for the mission.
But they can't stay apart for long. They come to an understanding, and they prove the whole city that the two of them will always be stronger together than they could ever be apart.
“Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!”
The Heroes watching the spectacle called the inner “hurrah” under their breath.
“You’re great, Tiger, You've helped so many people along the way.”
Kotetsu still looked somber and glum. Blue Rose grew impatient with his despondency and stomped over to stand before him, gesturing wildly.
“See?! Everybody says so!”
Kotetsu, however, felt lost.
To return as a Hero was his dearest wish, of course. But whether to reform the duo or not was not for him to decide. The partner was Barnaby and obviously he could not ignore Barnaby’s wishes.
He searched Barnaby’s face by his side, trying to confirm the truth behind it.
“...You really okay with it?”
Barnaby’s steady, unreadable gaze met Kotetsu’s and some thought seemed to pass behind his eyes. He looked at the airship screen with the masses of people, high on their Tiger-call.
“...Can’t say no with this crowd.”
It was Barnaby’s “yes”, oblique to hide his embarrassment.
Inside, there had not been a single moment when he had not wanted him back. He would have gladly kept chasing after him, even.
But the two of them had been together for too long and they were too close. At this point, saying the truth and nothing but truth had become a tad embarrassing.
“Why not, I suppose. You tend to make me look better.”
Barnaby’s words were tinged with his typical biting cynicism and Kotetsu’s face broke into a smile.
They were men. Was there anything else to discuss? After all, they both knew the answer.
They would resolve themselves and would give the people what they hoped to see.
Kotetsu turned to the screen and raised his right hand in a thumb-up gesture, with Barnaby doing the same with his left hand. Their hands then rested on each other.
It signalized that the two had reformed their duo.
The cheer was deafening and Mario nearly spit his lungs out in excitement extolling the memorable ending of the HeroTV episode of the day.
“Tiger & Barnaby are back!”
I'm not gonna spoil season 2 cause I've already spoiled enough, but their arc is all about staying together no matter what. Whatever life brings at them, anything at all, none of it is strong enough to break their bond.
SO YEAH VOTE TAIBANI OR I'LL STEAL YOUR TEETH
shoutout to that person who translated those novelization excerpts that shit is crazy as fuck (links down here)
The Beginning excerpts 1
The Rising excerpts
(I didn't use these but the rest of the Beginning novelization is also funny and gay as fuck)
The Beginning excerpts 2
The Beginning excerpts 3
