hello tumblr dot com. I usually only post art here and save my discussions and ramblings for twitter, but I would just like to write a love letter-y post about rocchidota here for anyone who enjoys or is interested in them but doesn't follow me on that hellsite. because I draw them a lot and mostly it's lighthearted silly stuff, nothing I have drawn so far really captures the extent of how ill about them I am enough imo, so I thought I could plonk something here without having to jump through word limit hoops.
for starters, I think it's difficult to categorise them into one singular trope box, because there's... so much to them actually?? they seem like one thing or another at surface-level, but after a little consideration they're actually quite a unique duo in Durarara; they're both leaders, equals, a genuine rivals to friends (NOT enemies. big difference) scenario. Chikage is usually someone hostile towards most men and Kyohei - albeit likely subconsciously - tends to assume a sort of superiority whenever he feels challenged by someone. during their first interaction, however, we quickly see these familiar conventions get subverted; (in the novels) Chikage outwardly admits that he might've gotten along with Kyohei had their circumstances been different, and Kyohei initially attempts to scold Chikage due to his assumption that he's inadequate for the gang world (the same way he has to for most other characters) until Chikage swiftly proves his logic wrong.
I think what strikes me about their initial interactions - specifically before their fight - the most is how much they smile, how quickly they sort of settle into a playful back and forth between each other, how they enjoy interacting. I think it's something quite rare to see in this series involving characters at odds with each other; for such a mutual respect to begin to blossom even before the score is properly settled, for that to only strengthen during the fight (which is very physical, which again is not exactly a commodity in Durarara, since more often than not "fights" are moreso "chases" or unevenly matched and involve one character barely breaking a sweat). it's just so refreshing to me to watch the progression of a genuine friendship unfold in a series where nearly everyone is sort of lying to each other.
it's just fun to witness, really. to see that kind of chemistry develop so quickly and so easily. perhaps it's rushed and unrealistic to some, but for me it's not at all out of place. they're both held in very high regard in their respective organisations - either idealised to some degree or despised - by almost everyone. they're both practically always surrounded by people but never properly understood due to none of them being in similar positions, until faced with each other. while Kyohei was never officially the leader of the Dollars, he still harbours a degree of responsibility for them, and it matches the more outright responsibility Chikage has for his own gang members.
it makes their standoff quite thrilling because they're so similar in this regard. the most worthy opponents either of them have faced, not afraid to go all-out during their fight, because they trust that the other can handle it (while Kyohei wins their fight, he does imply at the end that it's entirely possible Chikage could have beaten him if he weren't already injured by Shizuo of all people. plus Chikage demonstrates multiple times throughout the series that he's definitely Up There in terms of physical strength and durability, with it implicitly being similar to Shizuo's in some cases. all this to say, no I do not think Kyohei was 100% holding back, it was likely mostly subconscious, and despite the loss on Chikage's end I think they really are an even match. I think Kyohei recognised this).
a friend of mine once described their appeal quite perfectly. to quote: "it points to a very specific type of male / male relationship that I think Chikage and Kadota match perfectly. sailors, cowboys, hardened men whose only known way of showing affection is through roughhousing and hidden touches". there's truly just something so yummy to me about a natural solidarity between such rugged and very conventionally masculine men, and in such a rugged and very conventionally masculine environment too what with all the gang wars and street fighting. I'm not sure if this'll make sense to everyone, but there's also something so incredibly queer about their dynamic when read romantically; about guys like them letting their guards down around each other, recognising themselves in each other's eyes, seamlessly drifting closer and closer, yet they Refrain under the scrutiny of their peers, subordinates or enemies who expect otherwise. another thing that stands out to me is how Chikage essentially embarked on the same vengence-hunt after Kyohei's hit an run as the rest of the van gang despite only knowing Kyohei for less than a day (Chikage Rokujou get off the floor...)
so we've covered what makes them similar, the groundwork for their relationship. now what's equally as important imo is what sets them apart, how they clash as characters, why their chemistry and dynamic just works so well. for starters, Kyohei is outwardly a very stoic and guarded but laid-back and grounded person. he doesn't really care for appearances and instead values practicality. yet despite his gruff exterior he's very reliable, time and time again, deeply values personally connecting with people and is actually sort of adorably shy! Chikage on the other hand is comparatively more flashy, a rooster of a man in the sense that he's territorial and kind of a showoff and very frequently makes it his mission to charm women. he's like a moviestar, he's confident. but beneath this exterior is someone who's VERY uncontrollable and violent, yet deeply emotionally intelligent.
while what lies beneath their respective layers and that understanding it forges between them certainly contributes to their dynamic, so does their clashing exteriors. there's an age difference of roughly five years and it definitely shows in their varying levels of maturity. Kyohei usually tries to keep himself composed, to remain "the normal one" in the city otherwise full of freaks (even though he ABSOLUTELY is one of those goofy freaks himself) while Chikage is a lot more outwardly brash and. well. Silly, for lack of a better term. they click together just as much as they clash. Kyohei is practical while Chikage is flashy, Kyohei is sensible where Chikage is reckless, Kyohei is easily flustered where Chikage is very forwardly flirty. while, of course, neither of them strictly adhere to these conventions, they're traits that they more frequently respectively demonstrate and definitely juxtapose each other when side by side. even their designs perfectly convey this (that I made a pretty detailed thread about on twitter that I'd be more than happy to share if anyone's interested. but the condensed version is); with Kyohei in baggy working clothes and Chikage in more deliberate attire, from their choice of hats to standout colours (teal and red, which are very close polar opposites on the colour wheel) all the way down to shoes. although I'm no expert by any means, character design is a strong interest of mine, which is why I'd fully believe that their designs are based off each other, or at least Chikage's being based on Kyohei's considering the latter's presence in the series first.
and I think that even promotional material sees this too; how they're marketed pretty frequently together or matching each other for a duo that interact for less than 8 minutes in the whole series. while I've covered existing material, there is just so much potential when it comes to them. if I recall correctly, Chikage doesn't even appear in minidura without Kyohei in the same chapter.
anyway. I'm not totally sure how to close this. what I am sure about is how this is merely the tip of the iceberg of how ill they make me. I could delve in to more headcanon-y territory, like how Chikage taking romantic interest in Kyohei is COMPLETELY different to him taking romantic interest in women not only because of gender difference but because of how Kyohei is a friend first, how he already doesn't want to lose him. Chikage Rokujou, who romantically approaches basically all his interactions with women and therefore being turned down isn't a huge deal to him, being absolutely terrified of a rejection for once. again, potential potential.
but yes thank you Durarara for showing me the start of something so excitingly beautiful, and it's sort of crazy to me how pretty similar Non-Traditional-Yaoi dynamics are getting more popular lately, dare I say like phaidei from HSR or hollanov from Heated Rivalry, basically men on equal ground (particularly in terms of physical strength), renowned figures in similar or The Same fields, who are rivals and competitive and tease each other develop such a deep and rich bond and are hornyyy and YEARN like there's no tomorrow!! it makes me wonder how recognised rocchidota would be if Durarara was more mainstream in an era where non-traditional yaoi enjoyers are more of a commodity, but alas. anyway, as you can tell I am completely normal about them, they're all I ever want to talk about. I adore them <3
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