The name's Becca or Melon. ;) I post my trash stuff here and reblog a lot. I currently love Spiderverse, Tiger & Bunny and No Straight Roads! Feel free to hang around or ask me anything! My art tag is #myhandbarfs. Twitter | NSR Twitter
The only relationship I've watched in anime that has absolutely convinced me that big age gaps can work out romantically is the one between Barnaby Brooks Jr and Kotetsu T Kaburagi in Tiger and Bunny.
12 years age gap. Barnaby is 23 and Kotetsu is 35. They're literally the newest rookie and the oldest veteran in the hero scene. And you can say "they are not canon" as if the creators hadn't gone out of their way to state that they pretty much don't care how you interpret it, a romantic reading of their relationship is as valid as anything else.
Their respect for each other? Their partnership? They're both treated as grown ass men on the same level.
Somehow Kotetsu can call Barnaby a "cute little bunny" and still he never reduces Barnaby to a naive child who doesn't know a thing about life. Kotetsu treats Barnaby like a man, a professional. He never infantilizes Barnaby for his trauma or his past. He helped Bunny as much as he can, goes beyond his limits to help him reaffirm himself and recover his independence. Kotetsu wants Barnaby to be respected, to not feel powerless, helpless, he wants his partner to stop being manipulated. Bunny's whole arc is that he wants to stop having decisions made for him!!!! Kotetsu knows it!!
On the other hand, Barnaby jokes all the time that Kotetsu is old, calls him grampa, that he should retire, the complete dance. Yet, Barnaby has never seen Kotetsu as a father figure. Kotetsu is Bunny's hero partner, not his superior. Thanks to Kotetsu's respectful treatment, they're friends. Hell, Bunny treats Kotetsu like a man. He doesn't pity Kotetsu for having lost his wife. He doesn't treat Kotetsu any differently when he meets Kaede, Kotetsu's daughter. There are moments when you forget the age gap because the story focuses on them being equals!!! They can take care of each other, they can share their burdens, they talk it out if they are frustrated, they communicate with full responsibility, etc etc etc.
Normally I don't like big age gaps at all. It's more of a personal preference, since those dynamics make me uncomfortable.
Kotetsu and Barnaby are the exception and the standard. God bless the Tiger and Bunny creators.
* also it has some of the best treatments of a teen girl having a crush on an older man I've ever seen. It's nothing predatory 'cause Kotetsu completely respects Karina and never takes advantage of her, also completely healthy because Karina uses that to sort out her teenage conflicts and figure out how she wants to be treated, how she deserves to be treated, what he's looking for in a relationship, how older people should approach her, etc.
Kotetsu is a gentleman through and through. An absolute must watch if you want to learn how to write those types of characters and relationships.
I hope this reaches every author on this site. If they haven’t written a word in years, only are writing in their head and haven’t put it down yet, are hip deep in their own War and Peace wordcount fic.
Designs inspired by the Ineffable Husbands duality, including my take on the iconic good omens tattoo: the flaming sword + snake! and a couple of hands of god, playing her ineffable game with the universe.
If you are interested in getting one tattooed, by all means, do it! (and consider making a donation to my Ko-fi)
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