You can really tell how much Kanda and Allen’s relationship changed as a result of what happened in the Mystery of Kanda Arc. Their dynamic changed for the better: they care about each other so much more now.
Allen identified both Johnny and Kanda as “fragile people” (Johnny because he is a civilian, and Kanda because of his limited lifespan), which is interesting to me because Allen has never seen Kanda as a fragile, breakable person before. This is the first time he’s willingly identified a desire to protect Kanda himself. By trying to stay away from his fragile “loved ones” (Johnny, Kanda, and presumably the other exorcists), Allen is trying to save them from the repercussions that will befall them by associating themselves with him. I think the use of the word “fragile” is so interesting and so deliberate here because again, Allen has fought alongside Kanda multiple times, and has fought to protect Kanda and Alma’s final moments together.
However, he had previously never viewed Kanda as an individual to “protect” the way he has a constant desire to protect Johnny or Lenalee or Link. He thought of Kanda as a comrade, of course, and as someone who is very strong and talented at killing enemies. Any action of his dedicated to protecting Kanda was borne not out of recognizing Kanda himself as someone he wants to protect, but rather out of his general heroic impulse to protect individual humans, the way he’d protect any innocent person or comrade in the war against the Millenium Earl. This is why I think it is so significant that not only has Allen actually verbally identified Kanda as someone he considers to be “fragile”, but also as someone he genuinely wants to protect now, not just out of a general desire but now out of a specific desire to protect Kanda the person who has become closer to him.
Kanda, of course, cares so much more about Allen now. We already know that Kanda feels indebted to Allen (for helping him enjoy a final moment of peace with Alma), but Kanda “came back” for Allen, because the regret of not helping him when he needed it “won’t let him die peacefully”. Clearly it’s more than just gratitude and regret though, because Kanda’s fundamental demeanor toward Allen is changing. In a way, Kanda is immensely protective of Allen, and he expresses this in that awkward, boorish way of his, by stating that he won’t let Allen be overwhelmed by the Noah inside him, and that he won’t let anyone else hurt or kill him. I didn’t know if we would get to see Kanda being gentle with Allen though, and chapter 227 surprised me in that way. This is the first time that Kanda has been physically and verbally gentle with Allen, beyond him saying “Thank you, Allen Walker” at the end of the Mystery of Kanda Arc. That expression of gratitude was gentle, but at that moment Kanda was focused more on Alma’s final moments. This time, Kanda is completely focused on Allen, and on protecting Allen.
He is doing everything in his power - including going against the Order - to help Allen escape. Moreover, despite the fact that they’re still getting into childish arguments (some things will never change!), Kanda was very, very gentle, patient, and respectful to Allen when he told him about Timcanpy’s death. And that panel of his hand letting go of Allen’s collar displayed a very deliberate act of gentle physicality - of intimacy. I could envision him stroking Allen’s face (if it was that kind of manga and if we could actually see them be intimate in that manner). It’s not just out of respect for Timcanpy’s death, and it’s not just because he knows how much Timcanpy meant to Allen. Those are factors in this situation, of course, but Kanda has never been shy when it comes to talking about death and destruction. The Kanda of the past would’ve told Allen to get over it. But this Kanda, who has changed in personality and his care for Allen, treated the matter so gently and even lovingly. And as others have pointed out, we have never seen Kanda act this gentle, especially in the context of death and loss. Yes, he was very gentle with Alma, of course, but besides Alma (who is uniquely special to him), Kanda has never been this genuinely gentle with anyone, not even with General Tiedoll or Marie or Lenalee (three people he also cares for). At the beginning of the manga, Kanda didn’t give a fuck about Allen’s emotions, or anyone’s emotions, really. He was gradually moved by Allen’s displays of emotion, but he also thought Allen was immature and pathetic for grieving individual people’s deaths and wanting to be a “destroyer that saves”. He thought all the death was just a part of war (similar to Lavi’s views on death prior to meeting Lenalee), and that fixating on every individual death is a waste of time and energy. He certainly wouldn’t have expended that energy on Allen, whom he disliked so immensely at the beginning. But now, Kanda is choosing to treat this matter with delicacy and patience, and that is everything to me.
They really care about each other, and it’s beautiful to see how their relationship is unfolding this time around. I’m glad that Hoshino is focusing on their dynamic in such a wholesome way.
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