🔍kn8 analysis: ship & character study. as others discard what they hate, take what they like & run w it... we sit w the characters & explore them.
👁️rational > emotional. evidence, not bias. truth isn't defined by how many agree. norms/trends = driven by comfort = often go against the truth & lies r favored & biases drive attitudes.
👋eng - not my 1st. random pfp.
(ch 1) Kafka knows how to break the ice (pun half-intended). Funnily enough, while he's "abusing his authority" a bit there, as Reno teasingly complains (jap: やめ... 先輩マジでパワハラっすこれ!), it — along with the vitamins, moments prior — seems exactly what made him upturn Reno's worldview & part of what made him fall for him (see) *: he shows practical concern (despite Reno's earlier passive rudeness) & goes out of his way to help Reno out (see also Reno's excess self-reliance: how beliefs can make life harder).
* Next to the fact he's socially welcoming, considerate, etc. Being helpful is one thing, but what life is like with one on the daily basis is what makes up the relationship's quality & Reno quite clearly is uninterested in unnecessary interpersonal struggles: shows disapproval of Shinomiya's entire overbearing personality in ch 26, of Kafka's misplaced blame in ch 10.
In fiction in general, romance is not about emotional intensity, blushing, etc — but about the presence of romantic clues (see below).
Kind of a chill overview & I'm prbly forgetting some, but: first of all, there's the:
established relationship of Isao & Hikari.
any other parents.
"marriage in progress" in ch 70.
Doesn't get more blatantly romantic than that, w/o having them make out obscenely on screen (gotta be passion. So the audience knows it's for real). With those cases off the table:
The most blatant example is the cringy hey babe type attention kaiju No. 15 gets in ch 69.
And the comedic moment in ch 13, where platoon leader what's-her-face gets creepy af & pants for Aoi and Haruichi. The average, superficial getting hot for hot people thing.
Similarly blatant-cringy is Iharu's, Aoi's, Haruichi's crush on Ashiro (ch 11). Similarly shallow, too: comedic exaggeration of a admiration/celeb crush type thing, a staple in fiction.
Then there's this low-key crush of Shinonome towards Narumi (ch 82). Again: not bc blushing but bc the ambition has a tone quite a bit beyond mere professional recognition:
one thing is, she complains all Narumi is into is strength/power. Why would she want him to be into sth else, if her feelings were purely professional.
then there's this beautification panel (see below). Or are face masks part of getting better at killing kaiju. Her recognition thirst isn't just about skills. But that's only brushed over, in a somewhat comedic way; see the note on that below.
Seems more serious than the prev case, tho we only get one whole ch that says a whole lot of nothing = hard to elaborate. Doesn't seem a rescue bond, at the very least, unlike the prev case.
Ashiro has some ambiguous moments towards Kafka, too, e.g. ch 9, 10... etc but it's all very ambiguous/borderline, interpretable either way. Perhaps intentionally: shonen is not the genre for proper romance & they are, after all, among the most main characters = having them makeout obscenely on screen would be genre-inappropriate. See also the note on that below, again. However...
...some other main characters get far more explicit (not to the point of kissing but to the point of far less ambiguous) moments, see below, so, whatever that indicates about this case.
And so for contrast, there are e.g. some quite blatant crush theatrics from Shinomiya towards Kafka (e.g. ch 11, 13, 21):
denial of worry (ch 21).
fluster at recognition (ch 13).
blink-and-youll-miss-it jealousy (ch 11).
Seems deeper than the above, though doesn't evolve into much. Apparently driven by Kafka giving Shinomiya the praise, recognition, and kindness, that she couldn't get from her parents, esp, after Hikari's death, from her father. Now...
...in ch 7, a girl is shown to give her that. But apparently Shinomiya is not into females — hence it didn't develop into a crush (and she must have been around 12 there, since "middle school entrance exam" so, v much within the crush-ability age).
And finally, there's Reno. Who also isn't depicted as into females (see more here), even gets an anti-gynephilic visual framing in ch 11.
Instead, he has romantic feelings for Kafka (ch 1, 3, 67, 100. Also 101 & more, but those are less blatant; see a more detailed look: section "Kafka x Reno" in Understanding Reno & his bonds).
Seem rooted in relational values, not in any deficits (not e.g. "I want to be recognized" but "I want somebody I can rely on") & look the most mature / like a proper romantic love (e.g. his investment all throughout the manga, his desire to be involved beyond just professional contexts (ch 67), his desire for mutuality (ch 101), etc).
He gets:
a denial scene; well, two scenes; or three, if we're being extremely precise (ch 1). He's comfortable admitting worry in a professional setting (ch 25), unlike Shinomiya (see above: ch 21), but gets flustered doing that in a more domestic one (ch 67), since the latter is far more intimate, not explainable as "just a teammate worried about another".
fluster at recognition (ch 100).
a blink-and-youll-miss-it jealousy moment (ch 3).
(Fun fact: in the phone call scene, the jap original apparently isn't specifying "I" or "we", because Japanese often omits subjects when they're understood from context. From said context, "I" might be more apt, and that's how the english sub and dub of the anime adaptation translates that line, if that's any clue).
So, very analogical portrayal to Shinomiya's crush on Kafka (compare the panels: ch 1 vs ch 21, ch 100 vs ch 13, ch 3 vs ch 11) — just aligned with his own personality & psychology: e.g. he's more secure = not uncomfortable with intimacy, not nearly as uncomfortable with romantic vulnerability (also doesn't show signs of discomfort with emotional vulnerability, see e.g. ch 63 or, again, the confession in ch 25 vs 67), etc.
BUT ROMANCE IS BACKGROUNDED
The most blatant romantic tone is reserved either for some side characters or complete randoms (e.g. ch 69, 13), or only gets tiny little scenes usually of a comedic type (e.g. ch 11).
There's no serious romance explicitly existing on screen (confessions, kisses, "omg I'm in love" inner monologues, etc). Including: none of the more main characters gets any sort of romantic resolution by the end (the only romantic resolution is that random couple mentioned as married, in ch 129).
Because Kn8 = shonen = not the genre for romance.
That =/= romance in any shape or form is completely genre-inappropriate, but it does mean it being the main focus is avoided. Perhaps also Matsumoto — or whoever involved (his editor, maybe someone else) — didn't want to have anything like that at all even at the end bc what's the narrative point — or/& for other reasons. Romance as the tool to drive character motivations, growth, etc, plot; not as candy to throw at the audience.
But also, just like irl:
the most shallow/crush type romance gets the most blatant/direct moments (hey babe, fuck me they're so fine, boiling to near-death in a hot bath, etc)...
...while the more proper romantic love, the more layered & low-key it is (until we move into the bedroom, or into the characters' deepest, darkest fantasies ...but again, not the genre for that, so none of that happens).
Because the latter is serious, sensitive, important = even the most socially bold or blunt — such as e.g. Reno (see e.g. his very 1st interaction with Kafka in ch 1 vs how flustered he gets later on in ch 1) — get shy.
And finally, there's obviously the desire to avoid harming audience engagement. Which having a more explicit same sex romance would — esp in a genre where that's not expected (such as shonen). Perhaps hence Reno's feelings for Kafka aren't just a bit more blatant (plausible deniability).
ROMANCE IN THE OTHER KN8 RELEASES
Some non-canon, official Kn8 content (btw: what's canon in Kn8) acknowledges & elaborates on them, e.g:
the anime: on all of them, e.g. adding Iharu teasing Shinomiya abt asking Kafka out in an extra scene for ch 10, or adding a blush on Reno's face for the phone call scene from ch 67.
"relax": has e.g. a whole v-day ch where the aforementioned trio contests for Ashiro's heart. "Relax" is blatantly homophobic though (only depicts males in that v-day competition), so it also ignores Reno's romantic feelings for Kafka.
b-side (or "relax"; keep forgetting, too lazy to check now): has e.g. Minase noting excitedly how Shinomiya constantly talks about Kafka, which gets Shinomiya flustered.
etc.
INTENSITY =/= ROMANCE...
...whether in shonen or, usually, in fiction in general. Intense friendship — where one sacrifices themselves for another, cares a lot, has emotional intimacy with them, etc — is a real, normal category in shonen or other genres, also realistic. Romance has its own, romantic clues (see above).
That said, it is true that friendship is a rich ground for romance. Doesn't predict it, but does increase the likelihood.
And in fiction, different sex friends — or different sex anything — are constantly shoved onto each other romantically (e.g. Kafka & Ashiro). Whether by authors or fandoms (for the latter: unless a big age gap or they're not v sexy. Hence Kafka & Shinomiya aren't popular, and Hoshina x Shinomiya or Narumi x Shinomiya aren't much a thing either, much like Ogata x Hikari).
Often with no justification (e.g. Aang & Katara from atla, by the authors, where Aang falls in deep, profound love in half a second & it ends up with a fanservice kiss despite a weak build-up; or e.g. Reno & Shinomiya, by fandom, where some thought they'd end up like that, despite both having feelings for Kafka instead & Reno showing a dislike of her (see). Make either same sex & it'd be a different story).
So it's only fair to do the same for same sex friends (e.g. Iharu & Reno, Aoi & Haruichi, Shinomiya & Minase, etc), same sex people who are on good terms even if not very intimate (e.g. Iharu & Kafka, Reno & Hoshina, Reno & Haruichi, etc), or same sex whatever else.
Why Reno uses Iharu-kun for Iharu, senpai for Kafka, family name for Shinomiya
Technically Reno-centered: he doesn't seem concerned with etiquette (see below) yet uses honorifics for close friends & so why would he, rather than simply using bare given names. But briefly analyzes some other Kn8 characters, too, as a btw.
Goes into:
briefly: how Japanese address terms are used. As far as I've gathered.
examples from Kn8.
how & why Reno uses address terms.
Intro notes:
tmk there're no official explanations for the last two (one could say they're not necessary, at least for the jap audience & those familiar with jap culture). But one can speculate — based on jap norms, the setting, patterns per character, character personality, etc.
idk Japanese & am not immersed in Japanese norms. Have simply looked stuff up. If you've more insight, do share.
in examining address terms in Kn8, I obvsly reference the jap original of the manga (specifically the original manga, as it seems the only Kn8 release reliably definable as canon). Note: depending on translation, the eng ver might or might not retain them or translates them into the closest eng substitute (the last one is true for the vol translation). For the anime adaptation: the eng dub doesn't retain them at all (but often uses the closest eng substitute), & idr if the eng captions in the jap dub do.
ON COMMON JAP ADDRESS TERMS
Much like in other languages, in Japanese one can use for another:
[family name]-[honorific].
[given name]-[honorific].
bare family name.
bare given name.
full name (given + family).
an honorific (applies for e.g. senpai).
a nickname.
It seems jap norms for those are for the most part very similar to some other languages, including eng. But basically:
Honorific:
yes — respect, sometimes distance. But depends which honorific + what's the full context.
no — informality or intimacy; can be friendly or rude/dismissive.
More masculine/highly casual types easily drop honorifics with peers (Kn8 examples: Kafka, Iharu, Hikari, Shinomiya, Haruichi, Aoi, etc). More formal/etc types (Kn8 examples: Reno, Ogata, Minase, etc) may never drop them, even for very close friends.
Which name:
given — intimate/familiar. Can be friendly, or rude/dismissive if the other person isn't showing closeness, esp if w/o an honorific. Apparently in jap fiction given-name use often happens faster than irl.
family — polite with an honorific, w/o one it has a casual/rough air that can mean closeness/friendliness or emotional distance, harshness, even disrespect/dislike, depending on context (e.g. if one routinely uses honorifics for peers they're close with & drops them for certain other peer/s they're not close with instead of using [family name]-san (default), it implies a deliberate distancing from the latter). E.g. bare family name for a stranger is very rude; but in workplaces [family name]-[honorific] can be more intimate/friendly/warm between peers than bare family name even though the former is technically more formal.
There's also:
full name — official documents, formal introductions, roll call at school/work, etc. In daily life, if one suddenly drops honorifics or given name only & uses another's full name, can mean upset, seriousness, a boundary, etc. Sometimes used with -san (in very official or medical settings).
nickname — very informal, intimate, can be very friendly or patronizing/dismissive depending on context. Range from more chill (e.g. abbreviating a name. E.g. Tokuda -> Toku, Iharu -> Haru) to more cutesy (e.g. adding るん-run, which is a more cutesy version of -chan) or playful (e.g. a completely different name/title/etc).
Which honorific:
-CHAN
ENG EQUIVALENT: "dear"/"my dear", "sweetie", "honey", etc, or a diminutive (whether for given name, e.g. "Johnny", "Katie", etc, or for family name, e.g. "Smithy" if the name is Smith).
WITH GIVEN NAME: affectionate, intimate, cute, endearing, playful. Used for young kids, babies, close female friends (males have -kun), pets; common in romantic bonds. Females also sometimes use it for themselves, as a cute title. Can be used as a tease, esp for a male, since it has a cute tone. E.g. #1 below.
WITH FAMILY NAME: more playful/teasingly affectionate, implies a very close, casual friendship. Used more commonly for females (males have -kun); among classmates, in close friend groups, casual workplaces. E.g. #2 below.
overall very informal.
-SAN
WITH GIVEN NAME: like calling someone by their given name with an air of respect; or e.g. in a letter etc it's like "Dear [given name]". Polite, respectful, but warm/familiar.
WITH FAMILY NAME: similar to "mr", "ms", "mrs", "miss", etc; or e.g. "Dear Sir/Madam" in a letter. Polite, respectful, distanced, formal. The safest, most common default title for those one isn't very close/familiar with (if their family name is unknown, one would just use indirect polite speech, much like e.g. "excuse me" or "excuse me, mister").
can be used for female friends if preferred over or more apt than -chan (for males friends there's -kun, can be used for female friends as a "one of the guys") or a nickname or family/given name only.
-KUN
primarily (but not exclusively) used for males: younger males, male friends, male peers, male coworkers, etc.
WITH GIVEN NAME: like using his first name in a friendly, comfortable way, a friendly nickname, or adding "bud"/"buddy"/etc. Very close, affectionate/fond, familiar, warm; sth like a more masculine & more serious -chan. Used for young males & between close friends (one can use that or bare given name for their close male friend. Depends on the person, not on how close they feel to him). E.g. #1 below. Can be used for tomboyish female friends.
WITH FAMILY NAME: like using his last name in a casual/comfortable but still somewhat distanced/polite way; when for a subordinate, resembles "son"; polite but more casual than [family name]-san. Courtesy + casual familiarity. Used for male peers who aren't very close or by superiors for male subordinates. Can come off as warm or patronizing, depending on context. E.g. #2 below.
also used by fans for male youtubers, to express closeness/friendship/casual endearment/etc.
SENPAI
literally "the one who came before". The closest eng translation is "senior".
has accumulated strong romance associations in the manga/anime world: many Japanese school romances begin as admiration for an older student.
USED FOR: seniors = those who share our workplace, school, sports club, field, etc & are more experienced / of a higher rank / been there longer than us. Age is not a factor (so if A has been at a company etc longer than B, they're B's senpai, even if they're younger than B). But -san is supposedly sometimes preferred, as senpai feels too school-like.
WITH FAMILY NAME: similar to "mr/ms [name]" or "sir/ma'am". Distant; the standard, polite, respectful way to address a senior: maintains a professional boundary + acknowledges their higher within-organization status. Used e.g. in everyday workplace environments, formal club meetings, or for upperclassman we respect but aren't close with.
WITH GIVEN NAME: akin to "big bro/sis", "bossman", or just using given name with a respectful tone. Blends seniority with high familiarity. Used if in a close, friendly relationship with the senior.
ALONE: like a direct title (e.g. "coach", "teacher", etc). Casual, familiar, esp if the relationship is already established. Has a nickname vibe. Respectful if at school/work/etc, but among friends is more affectionate, teasing. In manga/anime often used by a character who's romantically into the senior, though irl it's just as often used for platonic workplace/school interactions. More intimate than [family name]-senpai but less than [given name]-senpai.
What context:
history — original address terms often stick (in Japan or elsewhere), unless a significant change occurs (e.g. getting together romantically, the relationship falls apart, etc). In storytelling it's also cleaner to keep the address term the same once established, so it makes sense to choose address terms apt for the character & their actual relationship with others.
personality etc — people have own preferences for how they address others, how they feel about different address terms, etc. E.g. a socially serious/formal person won't like cutesy nicknames -> might call even close friends or romantic partners by their full given name instead of using nicknames, which w/o taking that into account could seem like distance/etc. Sth analogical is e.g. how one uses emojis or whether at all. Language has its system, but everyone has their own take on it.
local norms / environment type / the situation. E.g. in a more relaxed setting/workplace/etc, what elsewhere might sound too familiar will be seen as normal; in a formal setting, a superior fond of a subordinate will likely still address them formally due to the setting's norms; etc.
is it consistent with one's pattern of addressing others or stands out (e.g. honorifics for most, but a certain person gets just family name).
whether more than one person would be addressed the same = differentiation is introduced to help distinguish.
etc.
and the actual closeness/chemistry itself.
Much like in eng e.g. "Johnny" vs "John" vs "Mr. John" vs "Mr. Smith" vs "Smith", etc; given name vs "bro" vs "bestie" etc; etc — they all have specific default tones to them, but ultimately their use is very individual & should be interpreted in context -> while knowing the above helps explain what's up, full context is needed to explain maybe not the which honorifics but the whether & how.
KN8 EXAMPLES
Kn8 = fiction = social behavior is to some extent stylized / doesn't perfectly reflect real life norms. Kn8 seems pretty grounded, though phrasing style might be more or less manga-typical / fiction-typical & address terms seem generally on the relaxed side. It's common in jap fiction to omit honorifics, so the dialogue feels brisk, engaging, but irl apparently even among officers formal address terms are the norm (usually at least [family name]-san, if familiar or in a relaxed setting).
BY HONORIFIC
-CHAN
#1:
Ogata for Toko (e.g. ch 59, 62).
#2:
Hoshina for Okonogi (e.g. ch 73).
-SAN
Kafka for Tokuda in ch 1 (Toku-san; so, a nickname form of his family name = polite since it's family name + -san, but affectionate).
Minase for Kafka (ch 27) (Hibino-san).
the little kid for Kafka-kaiju in ch 2 (kaiju-san).
-KUN
#1:
Reno for Iharu.
Ashiro for Kafka inconsistently (e.g. ch 1 when they were kids, ch 33).
#2:
Minase for Iharu in ch 100.
Ogata for Reno in ch 62, 102, & for Iharu in ch 102.
Hoshina for Reno in ch 5.
Matsumoto for his assistants (e.g. on Iharu's shotgun info page).
SENPAI
Reno for Kafka (senpai).
OTHERWISE
FAMILY NAME ONLY
Hikari for Ogata (ch 64).
^ Seems on close friendly terms with him = might be a more socially confident/rough/masculine type. So, that case implies casual/rough closeness.
^ Suggest a lack of closeness (perhaps a dislike for some of those), since for friends or those they're shown to be close with (or like / not shown to dislike) they (aside from Kafka, see below) use given name only (see below) or nicknames (Iharu for Kafka, see below). With Kn8 being seemingly relaxed compared to irl, they indeed would likely just use bare given name instead of family name, as they don't use honorifics in general anyway (aside from Kafka, for Tokuda in ch 1), contrary to e.g. Reno or Minase.
Reno for Shinomiya (e.g. ch 8, 9, 25, 26, 67 which is the last ch he references her).
^ Suggests a dislike/disregard: he seems to use honorifics for those he likes + the entire rest of their dynamic on Reno's side is made of consistent distance/dislike clues: section "a specific aspect of his social dynamics" in Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content + see below for a context-based interpretation of the "no honorifics" itself.
Hoshina for Shinomiya (e.g. ch 30), while family name + -kun for Reno, in a professional context.
^ Apparently the former is normal for closer / more trusted subordinates.
Ashiro for Reno in ch 33.
^ While expressing what seems some form of annoyance about his behavior. Might be affectionate annoyance, might be some humor to relieve the tension, might be some personal annoyance. Since it's just family name, but technically outside professional context, it's likely simply a common, neutral workplace shorthand; in Japan, or elsewhere, it's apparently common to omit honorifics when talking to another insider.
while Kafka uses honorifics — for Tokuda in ch 1, even in a nickname style, see below — or given name only — for Iharu (e.g. ch 16, 67), Ashiro (e.g. ch 33), Shinomiya (e.g. ch 7, 27) — for those he's close with, & bare family name seemingly for those he's not close with (e.g. Minase in ch 27), he uses bare family name for Reno (e.g. ch 6, 8, 9, 27, 33, 67).
^ Likely a rough fondness/casual comfort/buddies type dynamic. Since Kafka seems close to Reno, seems to like and care about him a lot (e.g. ch 22). One might wonder whether he suspects Reno has romantic feelings for him & is using his bare family name to maintain clarity reg his own feelings ("just buddies").
GIVEN NAME ONLY
Iharu for Reno.
Ogata for Hikari (ch 64).
Kafka for Ashiro (e.g. ch 33).
Haruichi for Aoi (e.g. ch 102).
^ All seem close friends. Ogata uses honorifics, but [given name]-chan could be too cutesy for Hikari's personality, [given name]-kun would fit though but bare given name is equally apt. Iharu and Kafka aren't formal at all in general, so it fits they'd just use bare given name for friends. But then...
Kafka for Iharu (e.g. ch 16, 67), Shinomiya from early on (during their practical exam).
Aoi for Reno (ch 34), despite not being shown to be very close with him.
Haruichi (e.g. ch 102, 11) for Reno, Iharu.
...and those don't seem close bonds (except for Kafka's with Shinomiya but only later on). However, fits for friendly peers, if Kafka, Aoi, and Haruichi are very socially casual/informal = use bare given name if friendly, however close. And e.g. Haruichi is shown to be friendly with Reno in ch 22, Kafka with Iharu in e.g. ch 67.
while Hoshina calls Reno "Ichikawa-kun" (市川クン) in ch 5, in ch 22 he calls Reno by given name only.
^ Hoshina isn't shown to be close with Reno. But the former is a professional setting, the latter is a casual one (a celebration) = might be an intentional, temporary shedding of corporate stiffness to foster bonding. Might also imply Hoshina is particularly fond of Reno.
Shinomiya for Aoi, Haruichi, Reno, Iharu (e.g. ch 84, 100).
^ Meanwhile they all use just family name for her & aren't implied as friendly towards her. Reno in particular is shown to dislike her (see above). Which implies an unusually informal/casual or disregarding personality. The only characters who use given name for her are the only ones shown to be friendly with her: Kafka, Akari (who even uses a cute nickname, see below).
[FAMILY NAME]-[HONORIFIC]
Kafka for Tokuda (ch 1) (san).
Hoshina for Okonogi (ch 73) (chan).
Minase for Kafka (ch 27) (san).
Minase for Iharu (ch 100) (kun).
[GIVEN NAME]-[HONORIFIC]
Reno for Iharu (kun). See below for more on that.
Ashiro for Kafka in ch 1, 33 (kun).
Ogata for Toko (chan).
FULL NAME
Hoshina for Reno in ch 14, when talking about him.
Ashiro for Kafka in ch 33 when explaining the procedures/etc to him.
Hoshina for Shinomiya in ch 14, when talking about her.
Ogata for Iharu in ch 102, when talking about him.
HONORIFIC ONLY
Reno for Kafka (senpai). See below for more on that.
NICKNAME
Kafka for Tokuda: shortens his name to Toku = while it's family name + -san, the abbreviation makes it function like a polite nickname = friendly/warm without becoming intimate. Tokuda uses given name only for Kafka, just in that same scene, though it's hard to tell whether that reflects close friendship or just Tokuda being very easygoing.
Minase for Shinomiya: あきこるん -> Kikorun (ch 11). Shinomiya seems her close friend & Minase seems a socially cutesy type, so it fits.
Iharu for Kafka: old dude/old man. Written in hiragana おっさん in ch 67, 11, 34, in katakana オッサン in ch 22. Can be affectionate, teasing, or insulting depending on context.
Below are some of the aforementioned manga moments.
Their jap name spelling (as written in their jap character pages in the vol version):
Tokuda Masahide (introduces Reno in ch 1) — 徳田 マサヒデ
Jap spelling of honorifics:
-chan — ちゃん in hiragana.
-san — さん in hiragana.
-kun — くん in hiragana, クン in katakana, 君 in kanji.
senpai — 先輩 in kanji, せんぱい in hiragana, センパイ in katakana; 先パ (senpa) is an affectionate abbreviation & Reno uses it for Kafka in ch 1 as Kafka is saving him.
From Reno's behavior, a defensible conclusion seems:
he's not baseline concerned with etiquette. Not a socially oblivious type either. Just direct but lowkey & low-drama. Uses etiquette as a practical tool to avoid unnecessary friction, not because. So he doesn't use honorifics because etiquette, but as a sign of regard, hence he uses them for those he's depicted close with (Kafka, Iharu) & doesn't use them for Shinomiya whom he's depicted to dislike.
he's not a socially cutesy type comfortable with nicknames (unlike e.g. Minase, see above) or -chan. So, for romantic partners he'd likely just organically use bare given name instead (while many use bare given names for friends). That naturally makes bare given name feel too intimate for even a close friend, so instead, for close friends he'd use given name + either -kun (for males) or -san (for females; since he seems less likely to use -chan). And then for those he doesn't like but isn't strangers with (= basic etiquette isn't necessary to avoid friction), he'll just use bare family name.
So:
bare given name for reciprocated romance.
honorifics for those he in some way likes or respects but it's not reciprocated romance + the basic etiquette of titles for captains etc & [family name]-san for strangers.
bare family name for peers he doesn't like.
Hence in the manga:
we don't see him ever use given name only. Perhaps precisely because he doesn't have anybody he'd seemingly use it for, which would be a boyfriend (he's written as homosexual, see).
but he does have a [seemingly unreciprocated] romantic interest whom he's also close with otherwise (Kafka; see "Kafka x Reno" in Understanding Reno & his bonds) & a close friend (Iharu; see All about IhaReno). And uses honorifics for both. So, while many would just drop honorifics with very close friends & use bare given name, Reno seems a more socially formal type in that specific sense & would keep them all the way.
he uses titles etc for captains.
he's only shown to use family name only for one character, whom he's also shown to dislike: Shinomiya (see "a specific aspect of his social dynamics" in Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content).
He seems to know & use basic etiquette in more formal contexts (see below), so he'd likely use the obligatory default of [family name]-san for strangers (if he knows their family name) — though might not be too polite in his actual speech. He also uses titles (captain) etc when appropriate. And then for peers, he'd likely use:
[given name]-kun for even very close male friends (Iharu).
[given name]-san (again, he'd likely not use -chan) for even very close female friends (which he's not shown to have).
[family name]-kun or [family name]-san for friendly male peers (e.g. Haruichi; but it's not shown how he addresses him when talking to him in ch 22).
[family name]-san for friendly female peers (e.g. Minase; he's not shown ever interacting with or acknowledging her, but nothing implies he dislikes her).
senpai, with or w/o name, for friendly seniors (Kafka), depending how close he's with them.
[family name] alone for peers he's not strangers with but doesn't like (Shinomiya).
That's the conclusion itself. And here's [further] evidence.
Reno is only shown addressing 3 characters who aren't captains (for those, he uses family name + their captain title, e.g. 緒方隊長 -> captain Ogata in ch 59):
Kafka: "senpai" = honorific.
Iharu: "Iharu-kun" = [given name]-[honorific].
Shinomiya: "Shinomiya" = family name.
In ch 4, he also explains different recruits to Kafka, using their full names with no honorifics. But it's irrelevant for inferring his relationship to them, esp as he's yet to actually form any there.
And not all Kn8 characters are shown to use honorifics (aside from titles like "captain"; e.g. Iharu, Kafka, Haruichi, Shinomiya, etc, see above) & not all that do, use them consistently. Exceptions are e.g. Ogata:
family name + -kun for Reno & Iharu.
given name + -chan for Toko.
given name only for Hikari whom he seems close friends with.
Minase:
family name + -kun for Iharu.
family name + -san for Kafka.
Reno is another:
"senpai" for somebody he met as his senior & is depicted to be close with and in love with.
given name + -kun for a male peer he's depicted to be close friends with (Iharu).
family name only for a peer he's depicted to dislike (Shinomiya).
So honorifics in Kn8, much like irl apparently (though this is fiction = some aspects of social behavior are exaggerated etc for clarity, or as part of characterization, etc), reflect the characters:
some use honorifics never / almost never (see above) = likely since they're more socially relaxed, rough, etc.
Ogata & Minase use them = might be more formal/well-mannered types.
As for Reno...
...he doesn't seem to use them as part of etiquette, because:
he seems rational & pragmatic (section "Reno's psychological profile in attachment" in Understanding Reno & his bonds) = less likely to just follow rules because.
in ch 62 Iharu describes Reno as genuine/forward/direct/etc...
...and Reno's actual behavior does match that. For...
...example, in his very first interaction with Kafka (ch 1) he starts off with "すか? なんで 諦めちゃったんすか?". Which apparently is very informal, casual type speech, that comes across as fairly rude — not as in "aggressive" but as in "this guy has no filter" / is against basic etiquette — especially in the context such as "a new worker talking to a senior", even in a relaxed workplace. Both in the wording itself & in that it's very direct, personal for someone he barely just met. He doesn't do the social cushioning of asking a softer, roundabout question, or choosing a more polite phrasing, etc — he's just cutting directly to the meat.
Which matches the premise of him being forward/genuine/direct/low-filter. Someone who wanted to follow the same path as him gave up, so Reno's curiosity would naturally be piqued, but if he was more concerned with etiquette you'd expect a more polite phrasing.
He also doesn't use any honorifics there, and while he might simply not know Kafka's family name yet (he knows Kafka's given name since Tokuda uses it there, but Kafka's family name is not shown to be disclosed to him. And the norm would be to use [family name]-san for a new coworker), he could just use polite indirect speech (the norm until family name is known). But his speech, while indirect (no "senpai" etc), is impolite, as noted.
So in general he doesn't seem concerned with etiquette...
...and any potential unfamiliarity with social norms seems an unlikely alt explanation given Reno's other dialogues — e.g:
in ch 1 he uses a polite "yes" in response to an instruction from his new boss.
in ch 5 when addressing Hoshina/operators, he uses a conversational-polite "あの この解放戦力というのは?" = not a proper "excuse me", as one would expect if he was supposed to be a properly polite character, but socially mindful.
in ch 11 he scolds Iharu for being rude when Iharu makes a joke about Kafka's physique.
etc.
Kn8 is fiction = phrasing is apparently overall more relaxed than irl — so as to make it fun to read — e.g:
in ch 34, Iharu doesn't even use "captain"/etc when addressing Ashiro ("あんなのがまだ続くって ことですか!?"); the eng translations add that/"ma'am" in. Though e.g. in ch 59, he does use "captain Ogata" (緒方隊長) for Ogata, so, he's clearly not simply "a rude character" in that sense. But probably one of those who as a student could just organically write an informally phrased message to their professor; Reno meanwhile would likely be mindful of manners in such a situation.
even the captains/etc in professional contexts don't just use peak formal language, e.g. ch 59.
etc.
But with Reno being the only one using honorifics for peers/close friends while others, whether use honorifics or not, just use bare names or nicknames (like Iharu for Reno, Ogata for Hikari, Minase for Shinomiya; see above), one could expect a more stiffly polite character — IF it was supposed to be an etiquette thing.
That might especially work as part of fictional characterization, where things often imply stuff more than they would irl.
And so the above demonstrate he:
does know basic manners & is willing to adhere to them in more formal settings, e.g. when talking to a superior. As for talking to a stranger on a street/etc, he's likely the type to be casual-but-still-respectful: no stiff/proper phrasing, low-filter, but no confrontational language either. Iow, forward but lowkey & low drama. Etiquette as a practical tool: for the sake of not causing unnecessary issues; and not "because etiquette is good, because I'm polite".
but doesn't do etiquette in daily interactions/more relaxed settings, apparently even in borderline moments (like a first interaction with a senior at a new job): won't hesitate to question stuff he finds odd, won't try to hide his hurt, etc.
Iow, he's just pretty normal. Not more proper/stiffly-mannered than most other Kn8 characters — though his personality does have its own flavor: he's:
less expressive/more lowkey than e.g. Iharu or Kafka.
more soft-spoken than Iharu or Kafka or Shinomiya etc.
etc.
Now, if Reno isn't simply well-mannered / honorifics aren't an etiquette thing in Reno's book, why would he use them at all instead of just bare names, like e.g. Iharu, Kafka, Shinomiya, Haruichi, Aoi, etc?
Perhaps exactly for reasons proposed in the intro to this section:
it's not about etiquette. As discussed above.
but he seems a more socially serious type. Because...
...from what's known/implied in the manga:
he's very serious & thorough about things he cares about (esp his bonds) (see Is Reno dangerous & Reno's passionate personality).
he's a bit old-fashioned/old-soul/"overly mature" in his social presence. Including...
...his:
playfulness level: low: he does make clever humorous observations sometimes (e.g. ch 31, 26) but never teases or goes playful, his response to Iharu's boasting in ch 11 is a "I mean, facts are xyz, so you're not really correct" which suggests a more literal, serious personality, while in ch 11 he snickers along to Iharu's joke he's also scolding him for being rude, etc.
relationship to displays of affection etc. E.g. in ch 22, when Kafka half-hugs him in joy, he seems a tad awkward; not in a "omg social anxiety Idk how to act this is stressful uhhh plz let me go" but in a "oh geez, hahah" of somebody not used to e.g. yelling their joy out to the entire world.
There's also the somewhat speculative but still likely possibility that:
he might not have had very close friends before (Reno's excess self-reliance: how beliefs can make life harder). If indeed true, could translate into: just like receiving help from Kafka in ch 1 was apparently a big deal for him (he thanked Kafka for it, which Kafka seemed surprised by) or receiving the feedback & help from Iharu in ch 63 was apparently a big deal for him (he had a bit of an emotional release there), using bare given name for someone might feel like a big deal to him, even if the friendship is intimate enough to warrant that.
And so we have:
a more serious, old-soul, low on playfulness type -> more likely to feel weird about things like nicknames (e.g. Johnny) or cute titles, more likely to find more formal naming (e.g. John) natural.
maybe not used to having people in his life he'd use given name only for -> which could add to how big doing that feels. But primarily it's the prev point.
If someone unconcerned with etiquette in casual contexts honorifics a friend instead of using bare name, that suggests it's not about etiquette but about personal regard.
Some are comfortable with casual physical contact, being playful with others, using nicknames for them, etc — e.g. Kafka, Iharu. Some are simply naturally more meaningful & serious, socially stiff in one way or another — e.g. Reno — = find it natural to use proper names (e.g. "John") & not nicknames (e.g. "Johnny") even for close friends. Making them likely to come across more distant than they actually feel.
Again: not that the specific reason is an explanation for his address terms pattern though — the pattern itself is explanation enough: honorifics for those he's close with instead of bare given names, so bare family names imply a lack of regard, iow, distance/dislike.
THE INDIVIDUAL CASES
IHARU -> "IHARU-KUN"
Even just with what [given name]-kun typically means, apparently, it's fully consistent with Reno feeling very close to him, fond of him, etc. The added personality etc aspect, presented above, would further support it.
He's first shown using it for Iharu in ch 11. The previous — & 1st — time he references him is in ch 4, as noted above, seemingly before they're even familiar at all. Ch 11 is about 2 months since enlistment (explicitly stated in it), which seems long enough for them to develop a close bond; though apparently, as noted, jap fiction often exaggerates how quickly people move onto [given name] terms anyway.
Over time, they clearly grow closer, e.g:
are by each other's side on the battlefield (any single battle they have (in ch 11-20 (specifically 13-17), 24-32 (specifically 25), 58, 60-64, 99-128 (specifically 100-101 & 114)) they're either next to each other (e.g. ch 15-17 or 25) or talking through comms (ch 114)).
Iharu has observed Reno's tendency to do stuff alone (ch 63).
etc.
And maybe Reno could switch to bare given name (he never does: the final time he addresses Iharu in the manga is in ch 114, where he still uses "Iharu-kun"), but again:
[given name]-kun is already compatible with very close friendship anyway.
it seems Reno uses honorifics for those he likes & even for very close friends he might not feel it natural to use bare given name.
and there's also the original address terms tend to stick. Though in storytelling that's an unlikely factor, as things are supposed to represent the characters & their dynamics.
(ch 11, 16, 63, 22, 114)
Note: In the anime adaptation, they've added a scene in s1 (e5, iirc) where Iharu tells Reno to just use his given name when Reno addresses him with "Furuhashi-san", when they meet properly for the first time. It's apparently unknown whether Matsumoto was involved there or had to approve it (seems his involvement in the anime has been low = he's not been co-writing, supervising, reviewing, etc. And changes/additions like this scene are minor enough an anime team normally wouldn't bother asking for feedback), but:
it's not a necessary or logical filling of a gap the manga had (they're not shown properly meeting, but since in ch 11, when their first interaction is shown, Reno uses [given name]-kun, one can infer they've grown close over those 2 months stated in ch 11)...
...but the assumption Reno would use [family name]-san for a stranger seems apt, as explained above: etiquette as a practical tool, to avoid unnecessary friction.
On the other hand, having Iharu go "just call me Iharu, Reno" — so, a mutual given name rule — while very fitting for Iharu's easy-going vibe (bare given name seems like a no big deal for him), takes away a bit from Reno's side of things (like it wasn't an organic thing Reno switched into due to growing close to him).
KAFKA -> "SENPAI"
Conveys familiarity & affection since persists across contexts, yet also a polite distance since it's not [given name]-senpai.
Reno meets Kafka at a workplace & he's a senior to Reno, which Reno seems to know = "senpai" makes obvious sense. And the original title often sticks, which might be part of why he keeps calling him that even when out of Monster Sweepers & on equal ground in terms of within-company hierarchy & even past ch 101 when Kafka officially recognizes him as his battle partner (Reno still calls him "senpai" in ch 129 which is the very last one). Though the below seem more likely reasons for that, esp since this is storytelling = things are often supposed to have a meaning.
Now, he only calls him "senpai" later that day, in the nose plugs scene in ch 1 = the moment he seems to warm up or have warmed up to Kafka. Which is apt for how that address term would be used (see above) & consistent with how he seems to use honorifics. He later comes over to thank him for helping him get through his first day & in ch 101 he specifically recalls that moment as meaningful to him, which seems related to his "heroes don't exist" & the resulting excess self-reliance (see Reno's excess self-reliance: how beliefs can make life harder).
Storytelling-wise it's useful: differentiates Kafka — his romantic interest (see "Kafka x Reno" in Understanding Reno & his bonds) (apparently unreciprocated) — from Iharu — his apparently purely platonic (mutually, too) bond. Once out of Monster Sweepers, Reno could switch to -kun for Kafka, but that'd fuse Kafka with Iharu in Reno's social dictionary while they are two different types of attachments, & could be too platonic for a romantic attachment (& -san too formal).
As noted above, "senpai" also has romantic connotations in manga, especially when alone, which makes it further apt. Alone, it fits for the romance being unreciprocated: Reno keeps the polite boundary. Switching to using Kafka's given name, even with an honorific — which as far as I've checked so far, Reno never does: it's always 先輩, from ch 1 to 129 — could feel too vulnerable, since Kafka doesn't seem to reciprocate Reno's romantic feelings. "Senpai" might thus poetically reflect pining for someone who doesn't feel the same.
Kafka also represents to Reno the kind of officer he aspires to be (ch 15, 101), which "senpai" might loosely reference.
All in all, if Matsumoto wanted a name/title he can stick to for the rest of the story, that's apt for how Reno has met Kafka & how comfortable with him he quickly got while being fit for a romantic attachment, senpai is it, carries the right associations.
(Note: Realistically, if Kafka ever reciprocates & they do get together, Reno would drop the "senpai" & switch to sth more intimate. Most likely just "Kafka", as explained above).
(ch 1)
Note: In eng translations of the manga (& the eng dub of the anime), it's often "sir". Sometimes also, for whatever reason, replaced with "Hibino" or "Kafka", or added where originally isn't (e.g. in their very first interactions, see the panels above). But in the jap original, it's instead, consistently, "senpai" (as far as I've checked so far).
SHINOMIYA -> "SHINOMIYA"
As noted above, family name doesn't inherently imply a distance or dislike. But as also noted above, sometimes it does, as context is key.
Since Reno uses given name +/or honorific for those he's clearly close with, family name & with no honorific stands out as distant...
...and that also matches how he's depicted towards Shinomiya:
no friendly interactions.
a disapproving comment on her personality.
the flat collab.
etc.
See section "a specific aspect of his social dynamics" in Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content.
If there was any friendliness/respect on his side, given Reno's honorific usage pattern you'd expect [name]-[honorific]: most likely either:
[family name]-san, if they were just friendly but not close.
[given name]-san, if they were friends, much like he uses [given name]-kun for Iharu.
With Reno's address term style/patterns, neither being the case fits the fact that from what's shown in the manga (see above) he doesn't just seem distant/"whatever" about her but more or less disliking — a realistic "ugh. I don't wanna deal with 'em" someone humble, generally respectful, and low drama would have about someone overbearing, haughty, etc — which is consistent with his personality and psychology (as noted/referenced in that post).
If I find out sth is missing/inaccurate, I'll fix it, and you're also welcome to let me know.
Reno's excess self-reliance: how beliefs can make life harder
In ch 63, Iharu points out Reno's excess self-reliance.
Contents:
where it came from.
how it has affected his life.
sidenote: what was his social life like: friendships, dating.
how it has progressed.
extra note on ch 59.
WHERE IT CAME FROM
Based on Reno's current behavior + what's known from canon about his past (ch 101), it seems to simply come from his repeated experience of tragedy/suffering & nobody coming to prevent it or help afterwards. As he says in ch 101, he has formed a belief "heroes don't exist/are fiction", iow, "you can't assume someone will save you".
Note: From what we know about his past (ch 101), he didn't have to "basically raise himself" at all. Not that excess self-reliance even requires such extreme circumstances anyway.
That conclusion is a very rational one to form, especially for a kid. Far healthier than the far more common "it's my fault, I should have prevented it" etc. Kids would usually fall into the guilt narrative: they lack proper awareness of the systems in the world around them = take everything personally. But some e.g:
are raised in a way that makes them aware what's within vs outside their influence (e.g. caregiver/s explaining events to them in a sober way like that).
are naturally more observant or pragmatic = able to process stuff more realistically. Seems the case for Reno: he's level-headed, as seen all throughout the manga, & all about what actually helps, as his backstory (ch 101) + his framing of "saving" & "heroes" imply. He's also described on his character page as the tsukko ("voice of reason") half of the comedic duo he makes with Kafka.
etc.
Still, though the conclusion was sober, it turned into excess self-reliance = an obstruction in relationships.
Reno still grew up very interpersonally functional:
forms close bonds & is invested in them but with healthy boundaries (e.g. ch 3, 10).
isn't avoidant, anxious, nor a mix of those; though struggles with romantic vulnerability a bit (at least at the beginning and when reciprocation seems absent, ch 1; very normal).
isn't fully healed up from his childhood loss or mature in all aspects (does explode sometimes, e.g. ch 3, 6, 10; sometimes sets boundaries in a bit of a "desperately trying to prevent his loved ones from dying" mode, ch 3), but very much stable, secure, functional overall (e.g. doesn't explode to create drama but to express rational worry and deliver reasonable criticism, e.g. ch 3, 6, 10).
is put-off by toxicity (e.g. dislikes Shinomiya: Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content).
etc.
But his excess self-reliance seems to have had a negative impact — substantial in effect, though fairly mild in type — on his post-loss/teenage life. Because...
HOW IT HAS AFFECTED HIS LIFE
...in ch 101 we learn Kafka was the first person in Reno's life to offer him care, help, show reliability.
(jap original bc why not)
Now, at the time Reno met Kafka and experienced that kindness from him (ch 1), Reno was 18. It'd be unrealistically extreme for him to have never met somebody like that in his life before (outside of his family, including his grandma who took care of him post-loss). But:
we do know he's excessively self-reliant (see above) + as part of that, seems prone to the "I'm fine" response (ch 1: he refuses the vitamins and the nose plugs, see below. It's understandable to refuse something "goofy"/etc like nose plugs, but why would he go "I'm fine, I don't need that" about something very neutral like vitamins? Especially in storytelling, that kind of detail might be telling). And...
...what you believe shapes how you act, and that is perceived by others and influences their behavior, which in turn influences your social experience — in a way that further reinforces your existing beliefs. Beliefs have a tendency to confirm themselves like that.
So what likely happened was NOT that Reno never met reliable, helpful, caring people before ch 1...
...but that those he did meet and who did offer help/care, obeyed his "I'm fine" (excess self-reliance) signalling and went "oh; okay then" instead of pushing. Respected his autonomy, in that specific way.
But Kafka — and later on Iharu — did not. See above for Kafka, and here's the moment with Iharu (ch 63):
(Note: In the jap original, in the last panel there, Reno is saying わかりました = "I understand"/"got it"/etc. It's a polite form, but with 頼みます as the follow-up + the serious context + the emotional vulnerability & the fact Reno recalls just before that, it has a sincere, willing tone rather than e.g. overly formal for how one would talk to a friend. So, the "fine" isn't the best translation, too reluctant; the "all right" from the volume one is closer. Relevant, since it affects how his acceptance of Iharu's help comes off).
Kafka there is fairly insistent with his care (also looking very surprised when Reno later on thanks him, likely since to him it's just normal; but to Reno it's not). And Iharu bluntly points Reno's excess self-reliance out to him, then goes "just let me help you, you 'I'm fine' fucker". Neither is aggression, disrespect, imposing (Kafka's is, but the tone is playful), etc; instead it's care that doesn't accept Reno's bullshit ("I'm fine").
Except for Iharu's forehead smash. That one might be more than just a funny bit: almost looks more like a symbolic thing: Iharu facing Reno's stubborn self-reliance head on and slamming the reality into his mind. Like a symbolic impact moment. With stubborn people, like Reno, one sometimes has to be a bit brutal (lovingly, otherwise the stubborn person will not end up feeling safe and integrate the lesson, will just walk the f away hurt instead — or whatever, depending on their personality, current mood, behavioral patterns for such situations, the exact interpretation of the feedback etc, whether there are onlookers and who they are to the person, and so on).
SO, WHAT WAS RENO'S SOCIAL LIFE LIKE?
Nothing about it is known from canon, but the above makes certain things very likely.
FRIENDSHIPS
Realistically, he did have:
experiences of help, care before ch 1.
some — maybe more shallow but still — friendships before ch 1.
As for the latter: especially earlier in life: kids & younger teens easily bond and just as easily fall apart. However...
...Reno seems a more selective, meaning-based (instead of superficial) type (see section "Reno's psychological profile in attachment" in Understanding Reno & his bonds) = requires more substance in order to actually connect with somebody. And personality becomes more pronounced later in one's teens. So he might have struggled to bond even as a kid, if already then he was a more serious type, but especially later on. His reaction to Kafka's helpfulness in ch 1 supports that. That said...
...he's very much socially adapted & literate: he shows:
general comfort in social situations; isn't out there with his emotions, like e.g. Kafka or Iharu, but isn't shy/socially anxious either (see e.g. his forward question to Kafka in ch 1, when they're still complete strangers).
awareness of boundaries and basic respect (e.g. in ch 1 he tries to balance respect for Kafka's autonomy with his mildly desperate nudging).
comfort in chill moments with friends (e.g. snickering along with Iharu even while telling him off for being rude to Kafka in ch 11). Or even just in ch 1, playfully scolding Kafka for "abusing his authority".
etc.
Those imply he was within social circles; not anything like an outcast. But likely more on the side, quietly present, not out there. He'd spend time around people, but as for relationships, nobody really crossed the threshold where he felt actually connected. On the other hand, exposure to media can be enough to develop social literacy, and in Kn8 they do have TV, internet, etc.
Again though: seeing how Kafka broke his world-view a bit (the "heroes don't exist", so, "people don't go out of their way to come and help" part of it; as Reno says in ch 101), it seems most likely that kindness & those friendships were more brief, situational, nothing deeper or consistent. And with Reno's apparent post-loss "I'm fine" thing, people wouldn't go out of their way to connect, help, etc, unless they were close friends with him (like Iharu; and even he only ultimately breaks through that in ch 63). So, Kafka being the first person who persisted with it, checked in, etc, isn't unrealistic at all.
It is a bit sad though: Reno seems to have unintentionally shaped his teenage life to be more lonely than it otherwise could have been (even accounting for his apparent high selectivity and meaning-based bonding style). Something close to a self-fulfilling prophecy / beliefs confirming themselves (only "close", since people indeed wouldn't go out of their way to help).
DATING
Even with his apparent selectivity & meaning-based (instead of superficial) bonding, he likely did have a crush here and there, but he's very likely to never have dated. Which would, btw, place him in the bigger part of Japanese young adults: apparently, over 50% well into their 20s never dated.
Moreover, with:
him being homosexuaI (see) = less of viable dating options.
no signs of emotional obliviousness (and with him being earned-secure, it'd be unlikely) + a high likelihood of a more observant mind (e.g. how he noticed nobody came to help instead of blaming himself for not being able to help, see above) = low risk of obliviously doing what others do/expect (e.g. dating the other sex).
...the likelihood of him never having dated further increases.
Back to the topic of Reno's excess self-reliance itself...
HOW IT HAS PROGRESSED
From what we see in the manga/canon, Reno never had trust issues (e.g. "I can't trust people when they offer help", suspicion towards such offers, etc) or otherwise dysfunctional attachment patterns:
his behavior doesn't show that.
and that fits with the fact his post-loss past seems good: the only struggle was the one mentioned in the manga (ch 101), that his grandma was going through it at night (realistic for stuff like grief to surface at nighttime, when the daily busyness is gone).
For all we know, he wasn't anywhere close to in any way neglected.
So, no developmental hindrances. He just has that very logical belief, that became a habit, the status quo he went by [and then unintentionally kept confirming, it seems, see above].
That's why:
he did notice and appreciate the small acts of care Kafka did in ch 1; also remembers them months later, in ch 101. They seem part of why he developed romantic feelings for him (section "Kafka x Reno" in Understanding Reno & his bonds) — next to the fact he's socially welcoming, considerate, etc. Being helpful is one thing, but what life is like with one on the daily basis is what makes up the relationship's quality & Reno quite clearly is uninterested in unnecessary interpersonal struggles: shows disapproval of Shinomiya's entire overbearing personality in ch 26, of Kafka's misplaced blame in ch 10. Note: no idealization/blind admiration/etc (see e.g. how he sets boundaries/etc in ch 3, 10, 67, talks about Kafka's reliability in ch 10, etc). It is a strong, depth-based attachment & Reno is a serious type, but strong =/= worshipful or otherwise dysfunctional.
he did accept Iharu's offer of help in ch 63. Initially refused, but out of — reasonable — worry about his safety, not out of "I can't trust you" etc. He also experienced an emotional release in that moment, which suggests Iharu's honest, non-judgemental feedback and his confident offer of help made him feel safe there: "he sees me for what I am, he doesn't judge me for it, and he cares about me enough to go out of his way to help me" (the last one especially = what a hero is in Reno's book).
One could wonder why Kafka's care (ch 1 and onward) wasn't enough to achieve what Iharu managed to achieve in ch 63. Since Kafka's acts corrected Reno's world-view ("heroes do exist, after all").
Thing is:
the brain processes new data according to the existing data (= the default perception is inherently subjective/biased). Because for survival (specifically: navigating the world, including problem-solving), coherence is more economical than accuracy: allows to make some decisions, even if wrong, instead of sitting on crossroads with everlasting question marks. Thus...
...what contradicts existing data can often pass unnoticed/is less salient. Producing stuff like blind spots.
Especially for e.g. very habitual beliefs that self-reinforced over the years = they're automatic, not salient to the person = conscious processing doesn't go "hey, I have this belief, and this new data contradicts it -> let's update" because the belief is not conscious/in one's awareness & subconscious/automatic processing filters the contradictory data out = the belief becoming conscious makes it more likely that automatic filtering is bypassed and the belief is corrected. And so...
...corrective data (including corrective experiences) is usually most effective & works the fastest if framed directly in reference to the existing data (including beliefs) — also because it directly prevents the brain from reinterpreting the corrective data in a way that matches the existing data (e.g. that this corrective experience "was just luck", not evidence that the belief is inaccurate).
though repeated corrective experiences can still update unconscious data/beliefs even without the latter becoming conscious, when the experience is consistent, salient, or/and too blunt/direct to explain away. Unconscious data =/= immune to updating, but does tend to update slowly/gradually, & most easily when there's a clear, credible mismatch between what we expected & what actually happened.
sidenote: congruence isn't the only factor, there's also emotional comfort = if the corrective data touches on something painful, it might require extra cushioning so as to not get defensively rejected. But that doesn't apply here.
(Another example beyond Reno's situation here: even if you know reactive behavior often serves to control unpleasant situations, avoid unpleasant feelings, etc, it =/= your brain automatically applies that to experiences with such people, allowing you to process it soberly (e.g. preventing you from taking it personally). You have to do it yourself, or someone (e.g. a therapist, a friend) has to do it for you. Eventually it might become a stable new belief, like a habit, but until then it might require conscious reinforcement).
In ch 63, Iharu gives Reno exactly that: he explicitly calls him out for always doing stuff alone (= that habit, and likely the associated belief, becomes salient to Reno), and goes "but I am here and can help you out". So, Reno does get a pretty direct reference to his "I shouldn't count on others to help, I should do stuff myself". It's not the most direct possible (e.g. "you have this belief that you have to rely on yourself"), but even then it's usually, realistically, very much direct enough for the brain to connect the dots. Which is likely why only then Reno's excess self-reliance seems to let go.
Before even the actual proof (only later, in ch 64, he finds Iharu's help was indeed reliable), too — again, he didn't have trust issues, he just had the habit unconnected to the corrective data ("heroes do exist = I don't have to shoulder through stuff alone").
It all is psychologically realistic, quite precise writing on Matsumoto's side; whether he specifically thought about it or went with intuition or a mix of both.
Also a cool example of: there's more to the story than explicitly stated, you just have to read between the lines or connect the dots (the trick is to do it correctly. I, too, would at times fail bc of forming a conclusion w/o a closer look). Because...
...when in ch 63 Iharu mentions Reno always doing stuff alone, it might seem out of nowhere / like that's the only moment that aspect of Reno is depicted in the manga. Meanwhile, it's hinted at also already in ch 1, and then in his backstory in ch 101. So, there's — obviously — more going on off screen...
...and the "what that is" isn't always eventually explicit but sometimes only hinted at via small clues in what the characters do or say (e.g. we don't see Iharu or Reno interact much with e.g. Aoi or Haruichi, but nothing on screen implies they dislike each other. Whereas we don't see them interacting with Shinomiya, and especially Reno gets a bunch of clues that he dislikes her: section "a specific aspect of his social dynamics" in Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content). Iow, seems Kn8 was written in a way that rewards attentive reading.
EXTRA NOTE
That was going to go in Is Reno dangerous but thought it'd fit better here.
In ch 59 — where Reno agrees to accept No. 6 despite Ogata's warnings — Reno's "heroes don't exist" has already been challenged (in ch 1), but his excess self-reliance is yet to be (ch 63). And this moment in ch 59 (specifically: Reno's internal monologue)...
...comes off a bit like his excess self-reliance (again: at that point still unchallenged) is showing, like he's forgetting he's not the only ally Kafka has.
But it doesn't seem he's accepting No. 6 because though there's a dozen of candidates, he thinks he's the only one who can do it, etc. Because he IS the only one. The first one in ~a decade. (His convo with Ogata there doesn't show he knows it, but with him apparently having known about No. 6 prior, he probably does).
Whether his excess self-reliance is contributing or not, with his pre-existing drive to be capable of protecting Kafka and Iharu from suffering, that fact likely puts extra pressure: "if I don't do it, there's actually no one else who can". However overhyped No. 6 ends up being compared to its apparent weight in the final battle; see here for some thoughts on that.
If I find out sth is missing/inaccurate, I'll fix it, and you're also welcome to let me know.
(art by Matsumoto) Sort of fits their tsukkomi-boke theme (mentioned in Reno's jap character page): Reno serious af, Kafka doing goofy zombie shit or whatever (maybe he's supposed to reference some japanese monster/etc; not a japanologist, so lmk).
Wonder why there are 3 human hands. Reno has a hitaikakushi on his forehead, plus this pale kimono which apparently is a burial kimono (kyokatabira/shinishozoku), so he might either supposed to be dead or be a yūrei (幽霊) which is a japanese analogy to the western ghosts (but ig they don't have 3 hands, so idk).
And then Kafka is some kind of zombie thingy(?). Bc they're at a graveyard. During full moon; which apparently signifies this art references Obon (お盆), a japanese buddhist lunar summer holiday honoring the dead, supposedly akin to e.g. a mix of thanksgiving and the day of the dead, or some other death-related holidays like e.g. russian ones in spring and fall. Depending on the region, it falls on 13-16 of august or of july; the art was published in the magazine on august 14th (https://shonenjumpplus.com/episode/3269754496443150547).
Then the blue flame (青炎) is supposedly a thing in japanese folklore. Linked to hitodama (人魂) which are floating phosphorescent light phenomena appearing at night at e.g. graveyards that are supposed to be the soul/spirit of newly deceased or dying humans. Blue cause the cold of deadness, apparently; kind of funny bc Reno - ice - cold (though it's only the surface). And on that art he lowkey looks like his soul (fire/joy/etc) has just left him.
Idk what's with the rod. Lmk if you do.
With Reno being the voice of reason / etc type, he could be going "ghosts don't exist" (and maybe "relax"'s (which isn't by Matsumoto tho) idea of Reno having a fear of ghosts is supposed to be a looking glass reference to his rationality). Or maybe it's a "even after becoming a ghost, Reno still has to keep it down-to-earth" (yūrei are often depicted w/o legs/feet, floating above the ground). Maybe the rod thingy references his tsukko vibe: catching the boke's goofiness to stop them from spiraling too far off track, by pointing out the absurdity/etc. Would fit if it's a fishing rod. Or maybe Kafka is supposed to be some soul-eating monster, and Reno is giving him food (souls) cuz he loves cooking. OOOOORRRRR...
...Reno has died and is giving his soul up to Kafka, because he is, after all, very devoted to him. "Senpai, I'm giving you my freaking SOUL, would you at least look at it?! I swear to god", bc in the manga, Reno is pining after Kafka (see), bless him, but Kafka won't shut up about Ashiro (there's even this moment in ch 3).
Imagine that tongue playing with Reno's [redacted] soul. Must feel brill.
Or he's going "I'd literally die to keep you safe, and you're just doing goofy shit" bc that's the truth of a life with Kafka-kaiju.
Much like he's neither emotionally expressive nor reserved but selectively expressive with a private/low-key baseline (how icy is Reno, actually)... and neither polite nor rude but genuine and low drama (see the upcoming "Reno is so real")... he's also not dangerous/reckless/etc — nor fully calculated — but level-headed/reasonable yet profoundly passionate & serious about the things that matter to him which makes his behavior seem unreasonable at times. Nuance.
The panel above (ch 59) is one of the best Reno panels in the manga. Because it captures that cold ardency of his:
• he's a voice of reason/level-headed type: e.g:
how he scolds Kafka in ch 3 or 10.
how he replies to Iharu's boasting in ch 11 ("what's true", not "I'll bite back").
etc.
his jap character page (the ツッコ -> tsukko = the "voice of reason" half of a manzai-style comedy duo).
and even as a kid (ch 101) he already had a voice of reason vibe: seems to have had a good grasp on his locus of control: "no one came to help" instead of "I should have been able to help".
It's his thing, big time. Many others in Kn8 are also level-headed — e.g. even Iharu in ch 63 or 67 despite his otherwise fairly impulsive self (e.g. ch 62-63) — but in Reno's case it stands out as a very core, very prominent, influential trait that even buffers against toxic guilt in face of childhood trauma (might sound unrealistic, but actually isn't; though is uncommon). But he also...
• ...has a highly passionate personality (see), in the sense of caring deeply and seriously, attaching deeply, becoming highly driven and invested, feeling intensely, etc.
The latter produces determination that might look like he's not quite level-headed. Part of why he seems best understood as fire underneath ice (see also); hidden passion. And his No. 6 arc seems designed to make it very clear just how ardent his passion is.
One might briefly read it (or watch the anime adaptation) and think Reno there is driven by some excess sense of responsibility etc. Especially with his ch 62 inner monologue (see below). There's also Ogata's comment in ch 62 which explicitly describes Reno as having a tremendous sense of responsibility, but that seems to refer to conscientiousness, dedication, etc, not anything self-blame-related.
Excess sense of responsibility doesn't seem the case for Reno; he doesn't read self-blame-y ("every suffering is my fault"). Now, if he was prone to self-blame, it'd be restricted to his loved ones (Kafka, Iharu) anyway, since he's not just generally protective (ch 62, see also). But he's not prone to it:
even as a kid, he didn't have the self-blame tendency (see above).
and his wording in ch 62 is "If I were stronger", not e.g. "If I was as strong as I should be" (that's the eng dub of the anime tho (which apparently isn't directed/supervised by Matsumoto, see), for some reason, idr if also the jap) — "俺がもっと強ければ". Nowhere in the manga does he should himself.
He IS deeply devoted, serious about stuff that matters to him, deeply affected when his loved ones get hurt (ch 34, 62) and in ch 15 he expresses the ambition to be the kind of officer who can put his life on the line to keep them safe (side note: Kafka's act he recalls there seems to serve to illustrate his long-held ambition/value: "this is who I wanted to be, and now there's a person who exemplifies that". And at that moment, Iharu was yet to become another such person, that happens in ch 16, and then in ch 62-64).
But that doesn't imply self-blame or even an excess sense of responsibility. And so, doesn't contradict his younger self's sober processing style mentioned above. Instead: he wants to keep the man he's in love with (Kafka; see) and his close friend (Iharu; see) safe + he's more capable now than he was as a kid = if he fails, even though he most likely fully understands it's not his fault, it's still a painful blow to his very ardent desire to be capable of protecting his loved ones, to not be helpless again in the face of loss, especially since he's profoundly devoted to what he cares about (again: also noted by Ogata in ch 62). In other words...
...if you dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to something, and fail somewhere, you don't need a toxic mindset (e.g. "I should be better, why am I not, what's wrong with me" or "it's all my fault, I'm so bad") in order to feel upset and deeply determined to do better — it's only natural to, because it matters to you so deeply. Even without a particularly passionate personality; let alone with it. That's what Reno seems to have going on: "I want to be stronger, I want to keep Kafka and Iharu safe, I can't stomach them suffering. And now I'm not a helpless kid anymore who truly couldn't have done anything, now I have more control over things. So if I let something bad happen to them, that hurts because now I could have been stronger".
Still, even with a lack of toxic beliefs/mindset, sometimes that upset isn't fully reasonable. Just brain being brain. But even with that said, Reno doesn't exhibit an excess sense of responsibility or toxic guilt. Those are more e.g. Kafka (ch 1, ch 120) or, especially clearly, Shinomiya (ch 44, see also).
And so when in ch 64 Ogata describes Reno as "一途で頑なで危なっかしくて" -> "single-minded/wholehearted, stubborn/headstrong, reckless/dangerous/likely to get himself in trouble", he's referencing the results of Reno's passionate personality: if Reno cares about something, he doesn't care about the consequences [to himself] as long as that thing is safe. It's very consistent with a big part of his western zodiac sign's (Aries) profile, too, he's just not hot-headed (or baseline emotionally expressive) — that's more Iharu, e.g. with how he throws himself into danger to help Reno out in ch 62-63 — he's reasonable + deeply devoted to what matters to him.
The latter could bring recklessness etc, become dysfunctional, if not paired with that reasonability. But in Reno's case, it is. He's not just reckless/etc, he's cold-headedly ardent: "I take big risks, but I'm not simply throwing myself blindly into shit, I know what I'm doing and why. I understand the price of the risk and I understand the price of choosing the safe path — and I'm choosing the former, because a safe life where my loved ones get hurt is not one I want to have lived. If the cost of loving is high, I'll pay it any day because I'm not dealing with another loss now that I CAN become strong enough to help it".
And so when in ch 63 Iharu unteaches him excess self-reliance (which shows up in ch 1 and is pointed out by Iharu in ch 63; see also Reno's excess self-reliance: how beliefs can make life harder), that wouldn't do anything for the aforementioned — as a feeling and an urge, though does as a behavior, see below — because it's completely unrelated to excess self-reliance. It's temperament (innate) (supported by Ogata's explanation of No. 6 in ch 62, since he uses 性格, see Reno's passionate personality). Thus, not going away.
Not that it has to: Reno chooses risk (a weapon dangerous to its user), but he chooses it with awareness, and by doing it he chooses a life he would have probably chosen to live again: one dedicated to what matters the most [to him]: keeping his loved ones safe. Even if it costs him maybe a few years of his own life, the cost-benefit balance points towards the choice Reno has made, at least for the kind of person who highly values their bonds — and Reno clearly does.
He quite blatantly doesn't accept a martyr life (e.g. tries to put boundaries and some reason into Kafka's head in ch 3). But ultimately he's hopeless against how much he cares. In that sense, he's very self-sacrificing — and that type of profile, if low on a basic sense of respect, consideration, empathy, etc, becomes a "whatever it takes" (sacrificing not just themselves but anything/anybody else) — because when he cares, it runs deep and strong. With his excess self-reliance, it could be problematic; which, again, is why Ogata observes that stubbornness in ch 59. And...
...why Iharu's lesson in ch 63 is so important: as noted above, it won't decrease how much Reno cares or how much it urges him to do something, but it will affect Reno's behavior: decrease how likely he is to try to do it alone.
If I find out sth is missing/inaccurate, I'll fix it, and you're also welcome to let me know.
"Kn8" = the Kn8 manga/canon, not the whole Kn8 franchise (relevant, since it's not directed/controlled by Matsumoto but by the publisher, Matsumoto might not be required to give approval, and official/legal approval=\=personal one). And e.g. "relax", the anime's hyakkei, etc, have some more religious (buddhist etc) content (e.g. praying at a shrine or shrine visits); though apparently even those are commonly practiced in Japan by secular people, as a cultural thing.
I'm not a japanologist. Share if you've more insight.
Tmm (might be forgetting stuff, if some other characters have anything similar), the most "actually feels religious [to a western reader reading the eng translation]" moments in Kn8 are in ch 16 & 17, when Reno and Iharu call upon 神 (translated as "god" in eng) etc.
The jap original for:
Reno in ch 16 is お願いだ神様 今だけでいいこの瞬間だけこの俺に四ノ宮よりも亜白隊長よりも強い力をください
Iharu in ch 17 is 頼むよ 神様いや鬼でも 悪魔でもなんだっていい
These contain:
both Reno's and Iharu's line: 神様 (kamisama; sama being an honorific) — can mean abstract fate/luck/universe/etc, generic god/deity (other gods/etc in Japanese mythology have specific names), god in a monotheistic sense (including god in christian mythology: as per reddit users the christian bible uses 神 for "god"), or god as used in everyday non-theistic expressions (e.g. "kamisama arigatou" = "thank god". Same thing as non-religious western people/characters saying e.g. "this is heavenly", "to hell with this", "oh my god", etc), including, humorously to describe somebody superior at something (much like "god" is used in e.g. eng, e.g. "he's a football god"). It's often used in manga & anime, in a non-religious or unspecified sense, so, not to signal the character is religious.
鬼 (oni) — a yōkai, demon, orc, ogre, troll, etc in Japanese folklore.
悪魔 (akuma) — an evil spirit in Japanese folklore. Stems from buddhist texts, but became the customary translation for Satan or the Devil when christianity was introduced to Japan.
So:
the words used can be neutral, specific to japanese culture, or what e.g. Japanese christians would use.
the last one makes up only ~1% of the Japanese population though. The vast majority is instead shintoist or buddhist, or secular. Specifically, the Japanese population is apparently ~50/50 secular/religious, or even predominantly secular.
with the addition of the fact it's the only religious-esque moment in the entire manga.
plus the fact even that moment itself isn't religious in tone but a typical dramatic/desperate, very fiction/shonen-style plea — e.g. the very much secular Japanese pop-culture usage of 神様 as a generic higher power, with no more specific religious framing in or anywhere outside the moment — it seems...
...Matsumoto's use of those words there doesn't by itself imply Reno or Iharu are religious. At all. Because it's a very typical type stuff to have a character say in a moment like this.
But if they were religious, they'd much more likely be shintoist/buddhist, not western-religious.
With how much of a norm religion is in Japan (again: ~1/2), one can assume if the characters were specifically supposed to be religious — and not just clearly Japanese — it'd not be depicted merely with that typical shonen framing but [would be allowed to be] more direct:
more doctrinal phrasing and/or more specific names.
religious practices outside pleading for help in desperate moments.
Neither is the case for Kn8. Instead we have:
generic phrasing, that also fits the genre.
no exclusively religious practices (many religious things are practiced secularly in Japan, but there are apparently things that secular people don't do; same can be said about e.g. christianity).
As for the latter: idk Japanese anything but afaihg, even the way moments of grief are depicted (e.g. Reno's grandmother kneeling by a butsudan in ch 101, the whole JAKDF after Isao's death/whatever in ch 54, the funeral scenes etc, Shinomiya at the grave/s in ch 129) isn't inherently religious. E.g:
butsudan (at least afaihg that's what that is) is rooted in Buddhism but especially nowadays it's commonly used by secular people, as a form of remembrance, respect, etc, much like e.g. christmas trees in the west are widely used by secular people. So, its use doesn't by itself imply religiosity.
while japanese funerals are typically buddhist in form, it's normal to follow the associated traditions even as a secular japanese person, simply because they're seen as the norm in handling death rites.
clasped hands at a grave are rooted in Buddhist tradition (so, an eastern-asian religion). While that same gesture exists in e.g. christianity, in manga and other Japanese contexts it apparently by default reflects a Japanese — secular or religious — custom instead. Nowadays it's not practiced as exclusively religious, and in storytelling is often just a "quiet respect" gesture.
So, while Kn8 uses words and customs rooted in religion, the way it does it doesn't imply actual religiosity of any of the characters. They might be buddhist etc, they might also as well all be secular. If we're going by statistical realism, it'd be ~50/50 to predominantly secular.
Iharu's name & the hidden layers to his spring vibe
The jap original writes "Iharu" as 伊春.
伊 can mean sth like "that one"/"that person" or a pronoun, but most typically one would just read it as a phonetic (it's often used as such). It's a phonetic for "i" (pronounced like the eng "e").
春 is pronounced "haru" (not the same as the "haru" part of Haruichi's name, that one is in katakana, not an existing Japanese word) and is the Japanese word for spring/springtime (used in terms like "spring break" etc).
So, Iharu's name is a phonetic for "i" + the Japanese word for spring -> in terms of meaning, it's just "spring", the 伊 doesn't seem to be there for the meaning, only for the sound.
Side note: The 伊春 is kanji for "Iharu" here. Kn8 also gives his katakana (phonetic) spelling: イハル.
Kanji is on Iharu's jap character page & pretty much all throughout the manga. In ch 4, when he's first introduced, it has tiny katakana beside it, likely for pronunciation clarity, and that sometimes repeats (true for others too), e.g. when in ch 62 Reno goes "If I was stronger, senpai and Iharu-kun wouldn't have gotten hurt".
Fun fact: In ch 11, Reno uses イハル, while he I think (yet to check all the moments) consistently uses 伊春 otherwise. Idk Japanese but afaihg, spelling a traditionally kanji-based Japanese name in katakana often signals a socially chill, casual setting, so, "this is bantering" type dynamic. Can also signal annoyance etc, but Reno there uses it when biting back about muscles but then also moments later when going "you're being rude" while laughing along, so, two different moods + both times with -kun (くん) as he consistently does elsewhere = it's likely not implying anything about his emotions there.
Back to the kanji.
Japanese especially is very symbolic, so here's more nuance about the 春 (again, idk Japanese, but have looked stuff up; correct me if false):
• the 日 represents the sun or sunshine ☀️ and the 𡗗 represents the sprouting plant/grass, so, natural growth that happens thanks to it 🌱.
• it's related to youth (the Japanese word for youth/prime age/adolescence is 青春 = literally "blue spring". The 青 means blue but in traditional Asian color theory it represents the color of fresh/budding plants). Quite logical: youth as the springtime of life, since spring is nature revitalized/rejuvenated & youth = vitality, energy. And fits Iharu's personality perfectly: he's very youthful, lively, hype. See: Iharu being a goofball of sunshine.
• because of that association with vitality and explosive liveliness, 春 is officially listed in dictionaries with meanings related to sexual awakening (思春期 - puberty, literally "thinking-of-spring period") & sexual desire, sexuality, lasciviousness. It makes up many japanese words or euphemisms related to sex, e.g:
買春 - purchasing sexual services, literally "buying spring".
春夢 - erotic dream, literally "spring dream".
Again, idk Japanese, but sex seems a strong association with spring...
...so maybe hence the sexy vibe to Iharu's character in his character page & his fancy hairstyle (前作からの読者は気づいてると思いますが、この手の髪型が好きです。普段の男っぽさと乱れたり降ろした時の色気の落差が他の髪型の およそ3倍! (作者調べ) -> Readers who have followed the previous work (there's a character there who has a very similar hairstyle) will have noticed, but I love this type of hairstyle. The contrast between his usual masculine look and the sexiness he exudes when his hair is messy or down is about three times greater than with other hairstyles! (According to the author's research)). Could also be random, but then Iharu coincidentally is the only Kn8 character with a sexy framing like that, so.
• spring is also the season most associated with socializing, bonding. And Iharu is very sociable. It's part of the grounded justification for the sexual connotation discussed above: in highly social animals (e.g. humans), the majority of their sexuality is unique to their species since adapted exclusively for bonding.
• going further: 春's more poetic definitions connect it to light and joy. As well as love/romance. The phrase "spring has arrived" (春が来た, haru ga kita) is a common Japanese metaphor for falling in love ("the blooming of romance"). The former fits, as noted above; but the latter seems completely random for Iharu/not unique to him at all, unless one stretches it to assume sth like e.g. "enjoys the thrill of a new crush" (flirty not much, he's very similar to Reno: blunt, forward, genuine, not suave).
• there's prbly more.
Because of all those little layers, 春 is apparently often used in poetry, songs to convey stuff like warmth, optimism, passion, love, etc. So, spring seems to very much carry that "live, laugh, love" vibe in Japan (and many other cultures too). Spot on for Iharu...
...and not just because it fits his personality:
very social, joyful, hype; won't hesitate to break the ice. E.g. ch 64, 129.
his character page describes him as a hype guy who lifts the atmosphere: 空気を明るくしてくれるムードメーカー。-> "a mood-maker/the life of the party, who brightens up the mood/atmosphere".
But also because it seems to represent the probably most narratively, relationally, and personally significant moment in his part of the story:
in his friendship with Reno (ch 62-64): literally breaking through Reno's physical ice, and then melting the "ice" of his excess self-reliance when Reno emotionally thaws in response to his honest feedback and offer of help.
in how his flash adapter ability reveals itself: via his desire to help Reno out & as a "breaking through his wall" (the literal framing in his inner monologue & vision/whatever-that-is in ch 63).
As well as the victory he basically brings to Reno: breaking through the "wall" (ch 63, including the caption on the very last page: 強固な”壁”も穿いて進む 最強コンビネーション! -> The strongest combination that can even break through solid "walls"!)
A lot of thought seems to go into character designs, so it's unlikely to be unintended. But even if so, it still fits.
What's interesting/cool is (another thing I've mentioned in the past, but): though Iharu's name is supposed to mean "springtime", his b-day is in summer (july 23). Which in western astrology (apparently popular in Japan, next to their more local astrology) makes him a leo = the zodiac sign associated with the sun ☀️.
Leo is very spring-like in the big part of its associated traits: passion, vitality, enthusiasm, joy, expressiveness, etc. Whereas the most literally spring-time sign is Aries (marks the start of astronomical spring), which happens to be Reno's — Iharu's best friend's — zodiac sign. Btw: their b-dates are interconnected in a way, intentionally or not.
If I find out sth is missing/inaccurate, I'll fix it, and you're also welcome to let me know.
(ch 100) That moment is so kind of out of nowhere, funny, and badass. Spot on Iharu's vibe. Reno got a dramatic, majestic entrance that shook his man's kaiju senses to the core, bc he's the kaiju king now or whatever not rly but it's a cool thought. Iharu got an out of nowhere, kinda playful one, bc he's like a joyful storm.
Also the chemistry tho... Well, it's no chemistry, but that's one way ships happen, so where's ihakari. They'd be cute. Almost anything with Iharu would be cute, or he'd be the cute half shining bright enough for them both/all. Check this out: Iharu x No. 9. *Narumi hits unreal* No. 9 gets to see Iharu's social, playful side and just can't wrap its head around it: "why are you so happy for no reason? Why you going around hugging everybody? It gains you nothing. What are hugs? What is joy? I don't understand...".
Realistically, Iharu can teach joy and hugs to anybody, you bet, but No. 9 might be built too different. If kaiju were social animals and not some anomalies, they'd have it in them, but they aren't (?), so they probably don't. Being hugged could make them feel threatened instead. But...
...imagine an alt ver or a spin-off where Iharu teaches No. 9 love, and No. 9 designs some happy fairies or stuff. Still could end badly bc that's life, but. Or...
...one where they send Iharu out to overwhelm the kaiju with his joy vibe and turn them into allies, like humans did with wolves. Iharu also is kind of "monster-like" or non-human-animal-like with his sharp teeth and wild hair (he so would be a werewolf or smth: kn8 characters as halloween monsters) so... It'd not be completely absurd.
The power of love, and Iharu grinning and kaiju grinning, and Kafka-kaiju with an unreadable facial expression. Then Reno somewhere on the side just taking it all in, relieved there's no threat to protect his goofballs from anymore, while next to him Hoshina is dying laughing. And Ashiro is sitting in her weapon thingy, ready to fire any moment. Waiting for hell to break, swallow them all, and grin, before disappearing like a Cheshire cat. Ashiro had a cat that died disappeared, so she knows it all (it's why she's a witch). In some alt universe, this is the "Kaiju No. 8" ending we've gotten.
From the "Hoshina's Day Off" manga drawn by Kentaro Hidano, based on the anime's extra episode with the same title written by Yuto Tsokuda.
Cool moment:
a decent take on Reno's canonical dry wit/no-nonsense air (ch 11, 31, also stated in the eng translation of his character page (likely drawing from the jap original's ツッコ = "the voice of reason" type in manzai-style Japanese comedy which features a goof and a reasonable person); see below). Just seems a bit OOC (too playful, see below).
makes it feel like him and Hoshina are closer/more comfortable than they're shown in canon (the original manga), see below. But for once it's actually grounded in canon.
As for the latter: in canon they have a good vibe: modest/sort of subtle but friendly chemistry:
mutually in ch 22.
Hoshina comforting Reno about his "low" RCP in ch 5, admiring Reno's progress in a friendly way in e.g. ch 11, etc.
Reno clearly isn't meh about the kind of person Hoshina is (wouldn't have a reason to anyway: Hoshina is not high-handed, aggressive, haughty, etc, unlike e.g. Shinomiya, whom Reno dislikes: see section "a specific aspect of his social dynamics" in Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content). And Hoshina seems maybe even fond of Reno; not that he easily dislikes people, it seems, so, it's not unique, but still: friendly chemistry. So, they seem to like each other at least in the basic sense. And based on their personalities, they likely do or would get along pretty well.
As for the former & why it feels more intimate than in canon:
Reno does have a spine, can be blunt af with strangers (see his first interaction with Kafka in ch 1, below), and sure would make an observation like that (again: see e.g. ch 11, 31) — again, dry wit (likely stemming from his seemingly innate high ability for rational thinking, e.g. even as a kid he processed the tragedies he witnessed as "nobody came to help", not as "I should have been able to help"), but also sincerity/directness (e.g. his behavior in even just ch 1; it's also stated by Iharu in ch 62 (see below), etc) and low-drama (see also the upcoming post I'll have: Reno is so real).
But his style seems plain honest, not cheeky or playful. E.g:
his response to Iharu's boasting in ch 11 (see above). They're close friends there already (as seen in the jap original & eng translations that keep honorifics, Reno is using Iharu's given name with "-kun" which is an honorific for close male friends) but Iharu is being a bit out there. But Reno's response is "a bit sarcastic yet low-drama" and all about what's true, not about just biting back etc.
his subtle roast of Shinomiya's (whom he dislikes, see section "a specific aspect of his social dynamics" in Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content) personality in ch 26 (see below), and in a panel by Matsumoto from the light novel (see below): plain dry wit.
He can go a bit playful, though, if he's very close/comfortable with somebody (e.g. his tease towards Kafka in ch 31, see above); but he's not implied to be as close with Hoshina. Also, even then he never has the kind of teasing/playful vibe like in "Hoshina's Day Off" there (whether the anime or the manga version), just that dry wit of his. It's subtle but makes a difference. See also on how & why Reno addresses others.
So, that ep:
gives Reno a "closer than in canon" vibe with Hoshina.
but also gets Reno's style just a bit off. In that particular moment among others, and for other characters as well. Which is for whatever reason common (likely some of it is plain commercial appeal: making the dynamics more engaging, changing the original portrayals to be more fun or pleasant).
As for the former though, again, it's believable — in canon he seems to like Hoshina & vice versa — unlike e.g. the more or less friendliness that his canonical dislike of Shinomiya is swapped for in e.g. "relax", the anime, etc. Speaking of...
...it's weird that despite:
his good canon chemistry with Hoshina.
both Reno and especially Hoshina being among the more popular characters.
they didn't/don't get more content or friendliness ramp-up in non-canon official content (such as this ep). Reno's canon chemistry with Hoshina is actually good enough to warrant that — contrary to e.g. with Shinomiya, and yet in non-canon official content (the anime, "relax", the light novel, etc) the latter gets more content, as well as a softening of Reno's canonical dislike. It's interesting; probably at least partly explained by commercial favoritism of different sex content.
An expansion to In defense of KafReno + why it's underrated.
In Kn8 fandom (maybe any other one too) there's a widespread dislike of big age gaps. But some/many make it seem like it's not just a preference but a morally justified stance, and do various forms of ship hating. So, since those people take it seriously and perceive it as a moral issue, here's a serious look at them.
Firstly, as explained in the aforementioned post, the evidence doesn't support the notion "big age gaps = bad" at all.
And, as also addressed in that post, the specific "if these many-years-apart two would be close, it'd lead to abuse, power imbalance, etc" is headcanons based on the bias against big age gaps, not defensible interpretations based on how a given relationship functions in canon / how it could realistically function based on canon. E.g...
...in the case of Kafka x Reno, based on Reno's behavior in the manga it's absurd to think he'd let himself be exploited, mistreated, etc, regardless how big or small the age gap. He's the healthy opposite of a weak-spined, submissive, worshipful soft boy. See e.g. ch 3, 10, 67. Jokingly speaking, Kafka would be the one abused here (lovingly), if anything, not Reno. It's quite blatant in the manga, and one has to be willingly ignorant of it — or just deeply biased — to claim otherwise.
So, what's wrong with people who hate on big age gaps?
they feel disgusted with big age gaps (whatever's the cause). That's their true "why": personal feelings/a preference.
but they don't recognize it as such. Instead they think those feelings reliably represent the reality (mean their trigger is bad). Emotional reasoning, instead of a rational assessment.
in some cases, it makes them feel like they are thus reasonable/justified when hating on big age gap ships or even like they're morally obligated to do that to "prevent harm" (whatever that harm would be).
So there you have it: what underlies hate on big age gaps is:
not reason ("based on the evidence, big age gaps are toxic"), as noted...
...but personal feelings ("I find big age gaps gross") reinterpreted as facts, or simply perceived as enough of a justification for harassment.
And so they end up with a biased stance. It shows via:
them automatically labeling any big age gap relationship/ship as toxic, creepy, problematic, etc.
a lack of concern about otherwise toxic relationships/ships; exclusive focus on big age gaps as "toxic".
Meanwhile if they were actually concerned about big age gaps' toxicity, and not simply biased against big age gaps themselves, their behavior would look more like this instead:
looking for actual toxicity clues, so, judging every relationship/ship individually, not doing blanket statements/generalizing ("it's a big age gap = it's toxic").
criticizing any toxic ship, not exclusively targeting big age gaps.
But that's never the case (or at least I've yet to see that happen. Do let me know if you've seen it happen). Because again: they're not actually concerned about toxicity — they're merely disgusted with big age gaps and turn those personal feelings into an objective morality. And then some impose that onto others. Side note: It's the exact same pattern that drives many real-world serious problems, including e.g. homophobia, racism, etc, but also less "trendy" issues.
It's one thing to be biased, and especially kids and teens are less capable of separating feelings from reality. But the behavior discussed here is commonly exhibited by adults as well, which is problematic (both within this topic itself & outside it, as just side-noted). It also seems rigid.
In Kn8 fandom for example...
...it produces the following unjustified double standard / absurd stance:
a big age gap: "disgusting", "predatory", "gross", "creepy", "immoral", "not okay", "ground for abuse, exploitation, etc", "how can you ship them", etc.
a character dislikes another because the latter is toxic (e.g. high-handed, inconsiderate, haughty, etc), such as Reno disliking Shinomiya: "nah, they're friends [just off-screen because Matsumoto can't write relationships]".
The absurdity here is in thinking:
Reno, Iharu, Shinomiya — or other younger Kn8 characters — wouldn't want to be close with Kafka despite Kafka being a perfectly friendly, pleasant person to be around ...just because they'd be bothered by the big age gap because "big age gaps are toxic/gross/etc".
but Reno, Iharu, etc wouldn't be bothered by Shinomiya's toxicity and would want to be friends with her, just because they're around the same age.
Neither is the case. It's how those biased against big age gaps feel — how they'd apparently feel if they were those characters (although: see the * in The psychology & morality of age-based attraction) — but it's not how Kn8 was written. Reading the actual material VS reading stuff into it / distorting it altogether (projection, biased reading, etc). The actual material (the manga; which seems the only canon material in Kn8, see What's canon in Kn8) is:
Reno, Iharu, Shinomiya are close with Kafka. Their interactions (e.g. ch 67 for Reno and Iharu) show intimate relationship, friendship. Reno is also in love with him (evidence: section "Kafka x Reno" in Understanding Reno & his bonds, or the TL;DR there), and Shinomiya has a crush on Kafka (see e.g. ch 11, 13, 21). See also The psychology & morality of age-based attraction.
Reno nor Iharu aren't close with Shinomiya. Reno especially is shown to dislike her — evidence: Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content — but also: since they're different sex and among the popular characters, the publisher favors distorting Reno's dynamic towards her into more neutral or even friendly, see the details: Reno in the manga vs in other kn8 official content & Does Kn8 have a true version, that we'll never see?.
If big age gap haters were worried about the "harm" of shipping (so, promoting) big age gaps — whatever that harm is supposed to be — then what about the harm of shipping a character with a character they dislike, a character who's toxic (e.g. inconsiderate, obnoxious, stressful, etc)? It's same thing. If one is concerned about functionality in relationships, it's ridiculously biased to condemn big age gaps, as it's very common to be in relationships — platonic, romantic, sexual, etc — full of problems, and worse yet, without trying to solve them. The entire human species is fucked up like that. Big age gaps are nowhere near the main reason why romantic relationships are dysfunctional, nor do they predict them to be. But of course they get the big portion of the complaining — in cultures that have normalized pathologizing big age gaps — meanwhile actually toxic relationships/ships (e.g. where a character dislikes the other because of their unpleasant personality) do not.
What's even more serious than toxic ships — as this fuels an actual, real-world problem — is erasing a character's homosexuaIity. It slows down the normalization of it -> most still cry about -> so publishers don't want to put explicit homosexuaIity in stories (which would be the key to normalizing it) -> so homosexuaIity is written so subtle it's erased instead of normalized -> so most still cry about it -> so publishers still don't want to put explicit homosexuaIity in stories ...and we have a vicious circle where homophobia is self-sustaining. Which does happen to apply to Kn8: An analysis of Reno's sexual orientation.
Being concerned about toxicity itself & not biased against big age gaps = you don't go "f all that, big age gaps are gross so they gotta go, the rest is not a problem, you're just causing drama for no reason". But it's those people that cause drama (ship hate, moralizing, etc) for no reason, iow, with no justification in evidence. No evidence is ever provided, only feelings and inaccurate claims used as blanket statements. So, biased takes.
Some only ship hate on big age gaps when the topic comes up (go "um, excuse me?!?"/"you ship them??... That's gross"/"no way, it'd be creepy"/etc), others go out of their way to do that (e.g. go up to people and shame them). Next time you'll see it, you'll know what's up.
Here's a nerdy supplement: The psychology & morality of age-based attraction.
If I find out sth is missing/inaccurate, I'll fix it, and you're also welcome to let me know.
The psychology & morality of age-based attractions
A supplement to The bias of "big age gaps bad". Kind of a light attempt, not very thorough; prbly forgot a bunch of stuff bc there's a lot to this.
Contents:
how age-based attraction works.
attraction vs being together.
on the functionality of different attractions/a relationship.
HOW AGE-BASED ATTRACTION WORKS
The absurd in the reasoning around age-based attraction is thinking it's based on what age one actually is. Nobody looks at a person and knows just from that what their exact age is. The brain has no such magical power. Without finding out the person's age, all the discrimination here instead happens based on what age the person appears to be. **
Once you do find out, that piece of information might or might not influence how attractive of a platonic, romantic, or sexual partner you find the person. But it's only an optional part of the picture — and one can imagine extreme cases, where e.g. the younger partner never finds out the older's age because the latter for some reason doesn't know it, e.g. in some "raised in the wild" etc type scenario where their age wasn't tracked like in modern societies.
And aging isn't uniform across individuals: some look way older than their age (e.g. like a 25 yo at 15, or look like a 15 at 10), others look way younger (e.g. like a 20 yo at 30), others look more or less typically their age.
Moreover, aging isn't uniform across an individual's all traits either. Or more accurately: e.g. a sexually mature adult might have youthful features that make them look maybe even borderline like a kid (especially applicable to females, since post- vs pre- -pubescent males differ much more than post- vs pre- -pubescent females: their voice has dropped, they've body hair, are more muscular, usually also taller). But the brain seems to generally rely more on the overall picture than fixate on specific parts of it. So if they overall appear more like a sexually mature human than like a prepubescent one, finding them sexually attractive is fully functional (see also: ****). An interesting analogy...
...is body hair. Some cultures deem it unattractive & many have or develop a preference for more or less hairless bodies — which fits with the preference for pre-pubescent people aka pedophilia (though seems driven by modern hygiene standards), since body hair starts growing during puberty. But it's only one of the sexual maturity -related traits = not something a preference for which indicates an attraction to prepubescent people ***. It is, though, an example of how culture shapes preferences, adding to nature.
So e.g:
a 20 yo might be into a 15 who looks like a 20-25 yo. They're not ephebophilic, unless they're attracted to people who have the physical traits typical of teens.
if a 20 yo is attracted to people who look way younger (teen type features), that makes their brain ephebophilic.
If you'd argue that ephebophilia describes attraction to teens, not to people who look like an average teen, re-read the first paragraph: the former is the common definition, but doesn't reflect how it actually works in the brain = is inaccurate, therefore useless or even problematic. Could be to shift the focus onto the legal aspects (teens aren't legally independent in many modern societies), but it leads to unreasonable pathologizing of the attraction itself (see also: ****). Which is especially dumb because...
* ATTRACTION vs BEING TOGETHER
...finding something or somebody attractive =/= actually wanting it/them in your life (e.g. wanting them for a romantic partner) or being okay with either. *****
Irl, romantic/sexual attraction to people quite a bit younger or older than oneself is far more common than most will ever admit (wouldn't have qualms, if culture wouldn't). Funnily enough, in Kn8 fandom itself a ton attracted that way to e.g. Reno, Iharu, Haruichi, Aoi, Shinomiya, etc are around Kafka's age or older (yet condemning big age gaps).
But again: attraction =/= wanting to be with them. One can e.g. find much younger people attractive but never want to be in a romantic/sexual relationship with them due to their however justified moral stance (which can change).
BACK TO THE PREV SECTION
Generally, similarity is most attractive. Including people who look around one's age. Because similarity = high compatibility, rapport.
That also means that if somebody looks young, they will be more likely to be into young-looking people = if most such people are younger than them, that'd make them practically speaking "into younger people" but they're not actually into younger people, instead they're into people who look ~the same age as them.
But some are instead/also into older or younger people:
whether because in their case that increases similarity (they're respectively more mentally grown-up than their age would indicate, or less).
or/and because it matches certain needs or preferences they have (e.g. for maturity and emotional stability, life experience, etc).
or due to certain specific kinks they have (which might or might not lead to dysfunctional relationship dynamics).
etc.
How big the age gap is & the direction (whether one is a youngster into an older person or an old person into a young one) also influence the potential reasons.
Can be a mix of several factors. E.g. some are specifically into older people or younger people, while for others it's less about the specific age and more about the person's behavior etc meeting their relational needs, preferences, etc. And then...
...their perceived age (perhaps also the awareness of their actual age) can weaken, strengthen, or not affect that attraction. Depending on things more or less innate (including their personal feelings around age gaps, which influence the actual openness to a relationship more than the attraction itself).
For Kn8: e.g. Kafka:
doesn't look particularly old or on the unattractive side at all, unlike e.g. Hasegawa; and even e.g. Isao has some young female characters panting for him in "relax" (or b-side, idr atp).
his behavior is youthful, too, whereas a lot of the younger characters display a higher emotional maturity than Kafka himself.
So he doesn't stand out from the younger characters, doesn't have an "old guy" feel to him (even though Iharu keeps calling him old) = the similarity with the younger characters is big despite the age gap also being big = attraction easily happens, for various reasons (rapport, perceived reliability, etc), even if they have no interest in middle-aged people in general.
**** THE FUNCTIONALITY
...of big age gaps, ephebophilia, pedophilia, whatever else mindlessly considered "wrong". This is a more nerdy extension of the section on big age gaps bias in In defense of KafReno + why it's underrated.
Leaving moral panic out & looking at what's accurate, not at what matches the ideas we've normalized...
...especially since what's functional or healthy is not some knowledge downloaded from the natural world, but human understanding, which is inherently limited and biased = what's considered functional or healthy, and why, has changed over time and might continue to change (e.g. nowadays, stuff is only classified as a disorder in the DSM-5 if it by itself (and not via social stigma) causes significant personal distress, impairment, or involves non-consensual acts or harm ******)...
...the functionality of any attraction — including the aforementioned — can be considered from several different angles:
the strictly sexual. Specifically when defined in terms of "does the attraction orient towards sexually functional targets". Seems a reasonable take, since one might assume that is the evolutionary reason for the existence of sexual attraction in the first place.
the practical. E.g. emotional compatibility, equality, etc. Far more complex — also influenced by the social context, including e.g. the legal aspect — & therefore where the nuance discussed in In defense of KafReno + why it's underrated applies.
relational fulfillment. Overlaps with the practical layer & is even more complex. Since while the so called universal human needs determine part of it, the other part is all about personal needs, goals, values ...which then can be individually questioned for functionality/adaptiveness ...and at a deep enough point we arrive at the fundamental "how do you prove this take on morality is more accurate than others?", moreover part of what determines the outcome is the very artificial, unstable phenomenon called culture & social attitudes. So, quite complex.
Therefore:
from the sexual angle, any attraction to sexually "activated" individuals is functional. E.g. ephebophilia is functional, pedophilia is not, attraction to people past ~80 to is not. Because the erogenous system (as well as the reproductive one, in cases where making kids is of interest *) becomes active around early teenage years (puberty) but isn't active before that (the ability to feel sexual arousal, pleasure, and orgasm is still absent) and loses functionality around a certain age.
from the practical angle, e.g. pedophilia can be considered inherently dysfunctional especially from the standpoint of equality, consent, etc, since a pre-pubescent human brain is physically incapable of sober judgement (not that being capable of it = practicing it. As the attitudes around the very topic of this post exemplify). E.g. ephebophilia meanwhile is far more "depends on the case", because as noted in In defense of KafReno + why it's underrated, people are different & age isn't the sole determinant of one's personality, behavior, outcomes, etc.
from the relational fulfillment angle it's even more complex and fundamentally indefensible either way (because: which morality is the most moral) = one would just stay at the sexual & practical angle.
So there's that. Many cultures cry about big age gaps or adults being into teens, just like they cry about many other natural, functional things, e.g. homosexuality, walking around naked, or even more silly things. It's culturally normalized = feels normal or true =/= IS normal or true.
If I find out sth is missing/inaccurate, I'll fix it, and you're also welcome to let me know.
FOOTNOTES
** Same thing applies to the topic of e.g. gender (as well as gender identity) vs sex: people see only the latter, not the former, so the latter is what defines their attraction, not the former.
E.g. being attracted to a CAIS male (XY) =/= being androphilic: while they're genetically male and their ovaries are actually testicles so their sex hormones levels are male-typical, their body — so, the part of them that others actually see — is female-typical (from the outside; they don't have e.g. the uterus, since that requires XX) = attraction to them happens in gynephiles, won't happen in androphiles.
Btw: no, females are not the default sex. The default sex is an absence thereof, both sexes start with the same genitals (e.g. the penis & the clitoris, or the male & female prostate, etc are analogous) and would only develop into the other sex if they had the other sex's karyotype (XY or XX; a Y is not viable but an X won't develop into a female or even a fully functional human).
*** Though how sensitive the brain is to individual aspects seems to vary across individuals. Much like among the people exclusively into either sex, some are into those who mostly look like that sex but e.g. have the other's sex genitals (e.g. trans people on hrt), but others aren't, are naturally incapable of attraction there. Even people into both sexes don't commonly report their attraction to include hybrid cases.
Given the rarity of those hybrid cases, instead of a dedicated aspect of the sexual attraction system that controls that, it might be a side-effect of individual differences e.g. in personality (said to be ~50% genetic), e.g. in sensitivity to incongruence. Deformed genitals would put-off, as part of repulsion to disease/etc, but if appearing healthy, they might only do that if inconsistent with the rest (as it might trigger the "something is off here", so, threat detection; but culture & personal exposure influence what's perceived as a threat), especially in those more e.g. sensitive to incongruence. Same might apply to the "how mature each part of a person appears" discussed above; aside from the fact that for the sexually hybrid cases sexual fluidity in HeF seems to play a role as well.
***** Similar to e.g. finding others romantically/sexually attractive while being in a romantic relationship =/= wanting to do polyamory or to ditch the current partner. And especially sexual attraction is very easy to experience towards "anybody", since for most it's not a lot about compatibility etc but physical traits & most aren't objectively physically unattractive (e.g. deformed).
****** However questionable the last criterion is. E.g. what really is harm and why it's defined that way, or justified vs unjustified violence and then what really justifies violence (the different angles. E.g. personal perception makes what one does justified to them, but what if that perception is impaired, and so on. Complex. One could just say all violence is harmful, we can do peaceful problem-solving instead, but good luck teaching whole societies how to override their very hardwired, primitive responses. Can improve, but there are limits. We're all inherently disordered).
******* This is completely irrelevant for this post, but: That function drives sexuality in many sexual species, but humans are among the most social ones = the bigger part of their sexuality is adapted for bonding instead. See e.g. the existence itself of sexual pleasure and orgasm, the plethora of erogenous zones outside the path used in reproduction, etc. Though the majority of especially the older academic material on human sexuality is more or less completely blind to that.
(ch 61) His graduation pic. With his hype vibe (even mentioned on his character page), he gotta be the heart and soul of any celebration. Only grumpy grandmas could possibly not love him.
(an art by Matsumoto) Taking a selfie with the boys. Him and Kafka are the goofballs, then there's the "more calm and serious" trio. If not Kafka, then Iharu is prbly the one to have fun ideas for when they're having a chill moment.
(ch 64) Expressing joy, expressively. If you don't scream in joy, he'll scream in joy for you. He's like the power of lightning: loud, striking. Like in that popular take on frankenstein, or whatever, where lightning brings one to life.
He'll pick your joy up and bring it to you so you can both celebrate. No success will go unhyped.
(ch 22) Iharu was literally the most hyped one there, next to Kafka himself (when Hoshina announced he was properly accepted into the 3rd).
(ch 129) Expressing affection, expressively. He's so passionate about showing love. If he likes you or missed you or stuff, you'll feel it DEEP in that tender place behind your sternum.
(ch 67) Expressing disappointment, expressively. Poor guy low-key, working himself up over there yet nobody appreciates </333 Imagine having somebody so cutely invested in telling you off for being silly.
(ch 11) Then he sleeps like an angel. Expressing feelings is tiring.
(ch 11) He knows how to chill tho. If you feel hard, you have to rest hard.
(ch 129) Ready to wreck the battlefield. If he becomes the captain (and he might: ch 102, 129), he'll probably be the most obnoxiously lovable one in history. Imagine just how he'll be going about hyping up his platoon (the "next year" mentioned in ch 129). Can't see him doing it serious. I mean...
(ch 12) ...Everybody's kinda serious, Iharu is lookin' kinda jolly.
(ch 11) Sometimes he's a bit blunt with his humor. But: nobody in Kn8 laughs quite as enthusiastically aside from Hoshina (ch 6). Him and Hoshina could get along.
(part of an art by Matsumoto) Enjoying life (and vitamins, ig) with his best friend. (Wonder what flavor).
(part of an art by Matsumoto) Also squatting with him. Nothing beats that brilliant grin when at full force like that. In an absurdist comedy spin-off, it'd be Iharu's power; kaiju would %^@*! from it alone.
(part of an art by Matsumoto) Flashing his hallmark goofy grin, next to his rather serious bud. Looks almost like when they take a pic right when you blink.
(ch 22) Kind of a random moment, but every moment counts.
Man is vitamins. Literally the Sun embodied, bright and blunt. May he never lose that; Reno's world would become barren landscapes and dreary skies ¿again¿. He'd still have Kafka ofc, but Iharu is one of a kind.
He deserves more time to shine. More opportunities to shock the shit out of everybody (at least he got some) and whatnot. But for how little content overall he got, it's still a decent amount. He packs a punch with his presence, much like lightning.
Reno is lucky to have him in his life. We know he can take good care of ppl, so he better take good care of Iharu, too. Make sure to hug him a lot and everything else loving. Get over that awkwardness; yolo, no reason to hold back. Iharu will prbly teach him that, eventually.
(ch 63) World-building isn't my huge interest = not much brain power for it. But I had this thought: "could Iharu overcome or improve his flash adapter ability?", e.g. extend the length of time for which he gets to maintain max released combat power (RCP). Then I decided to just do an "All about flash adapter" (FA for short).
Contents:
what fa really is, what inspired it.
can fa improve or go away.
WHAT FA REALLY IS, WHAT INSPIRED IT
It resembles ADHD -> one could assume that's the inspo & what FA is actually supposed to be/be caused by. The former might be true, but there's another very plausible explanation. The latter doesn't hold up if we look at the evidence.
What we do know about FA:
prevents the officer from continuously maintaining their max RCP. Instead they release it in short, powerful bursts, and it seems FA actually boosts that max RCP released in those bursts (Ogata's words in ch 102, see below). Which is very reminiscent of lightning/storm; also partly of ADHD, save for the boost.
sensitive to zone/flow state (Toko's observation in ch 63; Ogata's technique described in ch 102, see below). That state would realistically enhance any officer's RCP, but perhaps FA are more sensitive to it. In ch 102 (see below), Ogata tells Iharu low-stress is enough for him, supporting that idea.
max RCP is influenced by training (Iharu's max RCP in ch 62-63 is 42%, then a few months later, in ch 102, it's 88%), perhaps regular training, perhaps some special training; not specified.
rare (in ch 102, see below, Ogata says Iharu is a 3rd known FA). But who knows how many FA out there might exist and never find out. *
associated with a unique brain structure (ch 102). Any differences in brain-related stuff (e.g. personality, intelligence, etc) are like that; but "unique" implies it's something beyond the typical variation, so, something like RCP-related neurodivergence.
it specifically affects the officer's RCP, not their overall functioning.
In the Japanese original…
…there's そのかわり, which literally means "instead", but the english volume translation captures the apparent (idk Japanese; do correct me if this is false) nuance: it implies the aforementioned compensation / replacement advantage. It seems a FA's max RCP is mediated by their FA, rather than being what their max RCP would be if they weren't a FA.
Here's the full: 君で 3例目だ 僕と同じで 特殊な脳の構造上完全解放状態を継続的に維持できない そのかわり瞬間に発揮する爆発的な戦闘能力は他を圧倒する ごく短い ゾーン状態を意図的に発生させる戦闘法を教えるマスターできればおそらく君の瞬間的な戦闘能力は… -> "You're the third case. Like me, you have a unique brain structure that prevents you from continuously maintaining a state of full release. On the other hand, the explosive combat ability you unleash in an instant is overwhelming. If you can master a combat technique that intentionally generates a very short zone state, your instantaneous combat ability will probably...".
Now, based on all that...
WHAT WAS THE INSPO FOR FA
could be ADHD. Except ADHD isn't associated with a boost to performance when in flow. Does give an edge over neurotypicals in specific types of tasks though; but that's not parallel to FA.
next to that or instead, could be lightning.
Ogata's (another FA) theme nor personality aren't lightning-related; quite the opposite. Which is how Kn8 sometimes seems to do things: subverting expectations.
But Iharu's theme is all about lightning:
his preferred bullet type is shock bullets / electric bullets (ch 16).
he loves rock, and his hairstyle of choice seems to reference that via the lightning bolt-like shape over his forehead/nose.
also his shotgun (his custom weapon) fits that.
and all that fits his personality: somewhat shocking, blunt, etc (see also: Iharu shocks everybody), a bit chaotic/wild but in a controlled/non-destructive way, hype and energetic (e.g. his joy in ch 64, how he greets Kafka in ch 129, etc, even his description in his character page), etc.
Since nothing about Iharu (or Ogata, for that matter) indicates ADHD, it does seem more likely that FA is inspired by his lightning theme more than by ADHD, and it just so happens to resemble ADHD ...partly, as noted, since the aforementioned boost strays away from how ADHD works. So...
...WHAT FA REALLY IS?
One could describe it as RCP-specific ADHD, if anything (though ADHD apparently doesn't boost performance, so, not even that is fully apt). Because it's a presumably lightning- or ADHD- -inspired, ADHD-resemblant phenomenon Matsumoto created, that belongs to the fictional system of kaiju, kaiju suits, and released combat power (RCP), and doesn't translate to general functioning. It only affects the officer's RCP.
It doesn't seem a somewhat obscure way to hint at ADHD, because:
again, it apparently enhances the officer's max RCP. While ADHD doesn't enhance one's max performance.
is only shown/stated to affect RCP, nothing else.
Kn8 is set in the real world, with real locations, real-world modern technologies (including smart phones, glasses, or braces), decent human diversity (the mc is way older than the average shonen mc, characters have different and realistic body types, there's a homosexuaI (obviously not explicitly/openly; it'd not be allowed anyway) character (see), as noted there are things like glasses or braces, etc), etc. So if the author wanted to have some characters have ADHD, it'd not stand out at all. Nor would it be offensive to the target audience: things like e.g. homosexuaIity would make many cry, but ADHD probably wouldn't, it's something the target audience might even commonly struggle with. There'd be no reason to have it be hidden behind something else (e.g. FA).
Kn8 world is also part-fictional: kaiju, kaiju suits and released combat power and how that works, numbers suits granting supernatural abilities. That fictional part of Kn8 is often inspired in some aspects by real-world stuff though, e.g. Matsumoto states himself that he uses real-world animals, plants, even psychology (No. 15), etc as inspo for kaijus.
So, whatever it is that makes the FA brain, doesn't seem related to the ADHD brain. Iow, if you were a Kn8 character, having or not having ADHD wouldn't be predictive of you being or not being a flash adapter.
CAN FA IMPROVE OR GO AWAY
IMPROVEMENT
as noted above, it is shown FA's max RCP can go up with training.
but can an FA extend the length of time they can achieve max RCP?
What even influences RCP?
Obviously things like the officer's physical strength seem to. But from brain-related stuff, it seems flow/zone state is a factor. It'd be realistic: in psychology, flow is well-known as the state of peak performance overall. As noted above, flow/zone state seems especially impactful for FA's RCP.
in ch 63, Toko says Iharu's combat performance peaks the moment he gets in the zone.
in ch 102, Ogata talks about a combat technique that puts the officer into a short trance / in the zone briefly, and which allows the officer to increase their max RCP [facilitated by FA] (see above).
stress is one of the sabotagers of flow. And in ch 102, Ogata talks to Iharu about how going at it with his mind at ease is more than enough for him (see above). There's also ch 92, where Hoshina's relationship with sword being freed of the stress of carrying his whole identity (he reconnects with his original motivation: it being fun) seems what increases his RCP with No. 10 (No. 10 is a sentient suit = doesn't work the same way as non-sentient ones; Okonogi's words in ch 73. But realistically + based on Ogata's aforementioned advice to Iharu, it's likely applicable regardless, though might have extra layers in case of sentient suits).
There might be something else, perhaps some fictional brain things Matsumoto never specified or bothered to think into. Since FA =/= ADHD (see above), there probably has to be.
So, since flow seems relevant, especially for FA, flash adapters might benefit from attention control exercises (e.g. mindfulness meditation), as they can extend flow episodes. Question is though:
would it be safe for a FA to extend their max RCP time.
did Matsumoto intend it as possible.
For the former: since FA release powerful, short bursts — similar to how lightning is a massive electrostatic discharge of electrical energy generated within a cloud — one could question whether extending the time they can do that could be dangerous or particularly draining. Nothing like that is implied in the manga though, so perhaps not?
For the latter: if FA is inspired by lightning, so, the whole point is for it to resemble electrostatic discharge happening during a storm, it might not be. Still, theoretically or realistically, it should be possible, to whatever extent.
IT GOING AWAY
Whether the inspo for FA was lightning or ADHD or something else still, with the way it's framed (no mention of a possibility to make it go away), it suggests Matsumoto intended for it to be something inborn that can't go away.
Describing it as related to a unique brain structure doesn't necessarily point to it being inborn (e.g. genetic) or permanent, since brain structure changes all the time (restricted by genetics and the limits of neuroplasticity itself), but as noted, the "unique" does suggest it's something more different than the typical variation, and that does make it more likely to be an implication for a genetic cause.
We can also go nerdy a bit (though Matsumoto likely did not, so, this is redundant) and play around with the idea of FA working similar to ADHD:
the "true"/genetic type, which one can at best manage via meds, practices like mindfulness meditation (research shows improvement), behavioral strategies, etc, but it supposedly can't be fixed/"fixed" (some genetic stuff does go away though; it's diverse, not "genetic = forever", much like non-genetic stuff can stay forever).
or the type parallel to "ADHD-like symptoms": develops due to significant/chronic stress or trauma, and so can be reversed (with years, many brain regions lose plasticity, but e.g. prefrontal cortex, the primary brain region affected in ADHD, remains very plastic forever). Now, in the manga, Iharu's past is not implied to include any such experiences. Closest thing is Ashiro saving him from a kaiju threat in middle school, but given how common that likely is VS how uncommon FA is, it's probably not intended as a possible cause.
So, if FA could be stress-caused, Iharu's apparently wouldn't be. Which suggests his FA wouldn't be something that can go away.
Question is though would one even want it to go away. Some probably would, others not; attitudes vary. It'd certainly be of interest if it:
significantly sabotaged the officer's combat performance even when mastered, putting them at a higher risk of injury or death on the battlefield.
only hindered the officer, didn't give them any boost. So, if it didn't boost the officer's max RCP but instead only kept it from being sustained at max levels for as long as it normally would.
But neither seems the case:
no sabotaging effect is implied in the manga. In ch 102, Iharu seems in trouble for a moment during the fight, but so does Reno (ch 101), in the exact same way, and both come out of it apparently completely okay.
from Ogata's description (see above), that doesn't seem the case: a FA's max RCP is mediated by FA, not what their max RCP would be if they weren't a FA.
So, FA just makes an officer have a different combat style, and while it does require special training, it doesn't by itself put them at a disadvantage. In fact, in a way, gives them a big advantage.
(ch 102)
The only problem is for the FA to find out they're FA, and therefore receive the appropriate training. Now...
* ...here's sth that could be "bad" or simplified writing on Matsumoto's side (makes sense: Kn8 might be about telling an emotionally resonant story, not about building a maximally internally coherent world with no gaps):
it seems JAKDF knows about FA (otherwise how would Ogata know it's related to a unique brain structure; a mere guess?)...
...and yet they never suspected Iharu could be a FA, until he experienced his first RCP bursts in ch 62-63 (driven by his motivation to help Reno).
And they could suspect it. Even without the officer experiencing their first bursts of RCP. Because:
even though being stuck ~20-30% is normal (as per Hoshina's words in ch 16: "only a few can overcome that wall")...
...if an officer is stuck ~20-30% BUT ALSO had a high initial RCP (which Iharu did: 14%, ch 5), then that points to some talent = makes them being suddenly stuck there weird = should raise suspicion about the officer being potentially a FA.
Could be, though, that Matsumoto wanted it to be revealed in line with the theme: suddenly, unexpectedly, much like a lightning's strike. Certain things increase the chance, much like certain objects are more likely to be struck, but it's not quite guaranteed. A FA really is something like an embodiment of that storm.
If I find out sth is missing/inaccurate, I'll fix it, and you're also welcome to let me know.
• chapter-by-chapter / serialized version / the original magazine publication — when it was first being published on Jump+. It includes:
the manga itself, along with chapter cover/title pages for some chapters (e.g. ch 17, ch 61, ch 64).
extra chapters comprised entirely of colored arts (e.g. this is among the ones for vol 2, this is among the ones for vol 3, this is among the ones for vol 8, this is among the ones for vol 13) — at least some of them appeared also on Matsumoto's twitter (https://x.com/ringo_inuS) — and sometimes single humoristic-announcement panels (example).
background info (example from ch 1).
• volume version — when chapters were being collected into volumes, with potential edits/changes & with extra content per volume. It includes:
everything the magazine version includes — with some exceptions: *.
cover art (e.g. here's one for vol 7, vol 8, vol 9). Obviously.
in-volume cover art (e.g. here's one for vol 2, vol 7, vol 9)
character pages (e.g. here's Kafka's from vol 1, Ogata's from vol 8).
humoristic single panels (e.g. here's one for vol 13 in jap & eng, here's one for vol 8 in jap & eng).
author's thank-you's etc (e.g. here's one from vol 1, vol 2), also mentioning the three assistants he worked with.
etc.
* As for said edits/changes: it seems the serialized version has those occasional captions — at the very beginning and end of most chapters — but they're not included in the volume version for whatever reason.
E.g (ch 1): the magazine version (source: https://shonenjumpplus.com):
サイレンが引き裂く 日常!! -> Sirens tear everyday life apart!!
(There's also small info at the bottom of the last panel about the release date of the next ch).
The volume version (https://shonenjumpplus.com) doesn't have it:
And so also this english translation includes them, as it seems based on the magazine publication:
But this one, the volume one, does not:
Another example, from ch 60: the title/cover page of ch 60: the magazine version:
限界、天井何度も超えて―!! -> I've surpassed my limits and ceiling countless times!!
The volume version doesn't have it:
Another example, from ch 63: the magazine version:
"限界"を前に - Facing the "limit".
The english magazine translation:
The english volume version doesn't have it:
Another example, from ch 63: the magazine version:
強固な”壁”も穿いて進む 最強コンビネーション! -> The strongest combination that can even break through solid "walls"!
The eng translation of that magazine version:
The volume version doesn't have it:
Here are some other examples of the captions, from english translation:
(ch 99, 100, 15, 64, 17, 102)
So, magazine vs volume versions differ not only in that the latter has that extra stuff, but also, the manga itself has slight differences:
those captions aren't included in the volume version.
maybe some other things, like that; yet to compare much.
Other than that, the manga itself seems exactly the same between the magazine & volume version. That said...
...for the english translation, despite the same source material for magazine vs volume version:
the volume translation is at times or maybe often less accurate/faithful to the japanese original, sometimes meaningfully (e.g. some of Reno's dialogue in ch 1). Though I've only compared a handful of pages so far.
the magazine english translation has a few instances where the text is omitted, e.g. Iharu's internal monologue about Reno's captain potential in ch 17 (it is there in the japanese magazine version).
