underrated BTG friendships
this is very long and some small portions arent proof read so if you see a mistake…email me and I’ll pay you 50 bucks for the inconvenience. …Naaah, I’m just joking. I’m gonna beat you to death with nunchucks shaped like my son.
Kiyosumi + Kozue
Okay. Hear me out on this one, guys. Yes, they don't have many visible similarities, yes, they have no canon interactions, yes, I just like thinking about my two favorite characters interacting, but forget all that and just listen. There’s potential here. You trust me, don't you? I mean, who wouldn’t trust poopyballz28? A madman. A madman wouldn’t trust poopyballz28. But you trust me. Don’t you? You do.
I understand at first glance they may seem like complete polar opposites, which technically they are, but I’d still beg to differ. While Kozue is definitely a very kind and caring individual (as opposed to a certain someone), one may easily overlook how truly hard-headed and stubborn she is. I always think of the chapter where she asks Baki what he thinks about her getting married, an almost provoking sort of expression on her face. But as she’s waiting for Baki’s reaction, she begins biting her bottom lip in this almost fearful anticipation.
God, and you can't forget the scene where she interrupts the father-son fight. Walkin’ up to them without a lick of shame or fear just to diss them. Ahh…it was so badass. Well, it was pretty badass before she freaked out when they started attacking each other again. She’s but a girl, …at the end of the day.
She makes a silly decision she knows is silly in retrospect, but is never prepared for what’ll come next. She’s got a deep stubborn soul. It really reminds me of Kiyosumi. They act and make these tough, unwavering choices and never think of the afterward, or what they’re even doing at all for that matter. Kiyosumi, dont go into that old American man’s underground torture dungeon, thats a bad ide- oooooh, he’s gone.
While it is true that Kozue is definitely timid and very polite towards others, time and time again we see her bolder and more confrontational side show itself when faced with strong emotions. This is where she really starts to remind me of Kiyosumi. That emotion driven, brash, almost daring attitude is seen in the both of them, I feel they can really resonate with each other because of the shared fire in their souls. They aren’t easy to give up, they’re both carried along by their emotions, they’re both quite awkward people, I feel there's a lot of deep big bro and lil sis bonding that could be had here.
I like to think Kozue is one of the only people who Kiyosumi sort of…“tones it down” around. He tries not to get as aggressive in front of her and overall just treats her much kinder than most of the people he knows. Kozue definitely recognizes that Kiyosumi softens his usual attitude when she's around though and yes, she absolutely takes advantage of it. She often likes to tease him, much to Kiyosumi’s dismay. She knows she can get away with it without him getting disproportionately explosive. What a cheeky girl.
But quite honestly, I think Kiyosumi could really benefit from being a big brother to a girl who just gets him. Someone who he doesn’t have to explain himself to, someone he doesn’t have to prove himself to, just a regular person with a calm, loving presence. It’d be good for him. I imagine she’d be able to calm him down after one of his outbursts especially. Not just particularly because of how guilty he feels being angry around her, but because of how great she is at grounding him, y'know?
Often when you see him really heated, you can tell he really struggles with, uh…self control. I feel like Kozue could sorta reset that aspect of his anger. I dunno, he just sees or hears her and suddenly, he has an unignorable mission in life. Keep her safe, see her happy. That's quite a rare feeling for him. Honesty, ‘quite’ is underplaying it a bit. He’s never felt so…broternal? Mind you, he has siblings canonically. Kozue’s unfiltered pureness ignited the hidden pureness in Kiyosumi’s heart that he’s never been able to escape from and subtly wants to bask in but his self-hatred and lifestyle won’t let him. That’s my personal theory…for my own writing? Very confusing day, today huh?
It’s pretty sweet to imagine Kozue being the only person Kiyosumi can confidently spend money on. He’s never spent any considerable amount of money on anybody…but something about this girl is different.
“Uwa-…that bag is super cute…”
“...Yeah, true.”
She receives that, expensive ass bag, mind you, as a random gift a day later. Oh my god, how did he get the money for this and why did he use it on me!? She thinks. In her head. (Okay, she knows he's some sort of criminal but has not yet connected the yakuza ties, she’ll get there eventually guys dont worry.)
I have so much more to write about with them but I’m making this waaay longer than I should.
Retsu + Genichi
Ahhh, you really can't go wrong with this. Oh wait, it just occurred to me. If some of you might not know, (or at least remembered his name), Genichi was Retsu’s coach during his boxing arc. He's badass.
Nobody ever points out how funny these two’s ‘bond’ came to be in the first place. Genichi practically became Retsu’s coach on a whim. Realistically, probably, less than 10 minutes directly after meeting him. Over a complete jest. Just a passing sarcastic joke. Oh, if you could do some crazy shit like that then I promise to be your exclusive coach, pal. Didn’t think Genichi was ready to make that promise, especially not to our alleged (by me) autistic specimen Retsu Kaioh. Did not really pick up on the joke there. But then again was it really a joke? Okay, I’m trailing off again it looks like.
I just absolutely love the dynamic between this guy who takes shit way too seriously to his own fault but is somehow always getting himself into wacky situations and a retired older man whose most action he’s had was like, 15 years ago. It’s so fun to me.
I really like how the ‘point’ of the boxing arc was to really show the disconnect between Retsu, a man who grew up in a temple separated from regular society to study the martial arts, and the flashy, disastrous world that is the capitalistic entertainment industry. It’s such a cool topic to explore and I really think Genichi was a super good character to accompany Retsu during all of it.
I can just imagine the awkward moments they always share because Retsu just cannot comprehend when Genichi is trying to joke with him. He’s always dead-panning directly at him afterward then asking what he meant. And ya’ know, Genichi sits there and sighs…then swiftly takes another swig of his beer. Nothin’ works on this guy. He thinks. In his head.
“...Was that a joke of some sort?”
Sigh “Yes, Retsu, it was… (well it was supposed to be..)”
“I see…”
“...”
“...”
“Would you like me to laugh?”
Just imagining Genichi writing down jokes he thinks of and trying them on Retsu to see what’ll get him to laugh, or at least get that it's a joke at all. His little notepad is just…full of crossed out jokes. He’s still working on it.
But then again, I don’t think Genichi is too great at jokes anyway. They tend to be very…very dad. Dad jokes. But he’s genuinely convinced they’re like, peak comedy. When in actuality, nobody under the age of 60 would laugh at them. And he’s not even hit 60 yet. Hell, he’s not even 50. Sad.
Okay, I really want to talk about this scene because I think it's really wonderful and I smile every time it comes to mind. You guys remember that chapter right after Kaiser sets up the fight between Retsu and Andrei, the part where Retsu reflexually dislocates Genichi’s wrist? God, I love that chapter. It tells us a surprising amount of information on these two’s dynamic, it's lovely. I think my favorite part of that scene, not counting the badass jab Genichi threw at Retsu, was how quickly Genichi was to completely change his attitude upon Retsu bowing in apology.
It really shows how sympathetic and forgiving Genichi is despite all the crazy shit he’s been pulled into…and also how hard it is for anybody to stay mad at Retsu.
It was remarkable the way Retsu understood his frustration so easily, from such an outward and sudden physical assault no less. It’s such an amazing way to show how kind and understanding Retsu is as a person despite his often inconsiderate nature. He’s too good-spirited to truly dislike.
I like to imagine Genichi gets pretty down in the dumps for not being able to train Retsu in any way, at least when it comes to boxing. Retsu’s decision of purely using his Kenpo abilities to climb to the top in the boxing world is pretty set in stone…it proves to be quite the struggle for Genichi though. I mean, he’s not got a clue on how Chinese kenpo works…so how is he even supposed to be his ‘coach’ at all? He can barely even train him. I think he gets pretty upset about that fact, he hates to feel like he's not contributing anything to his own boxer’s growth.
He’ll definitely make an attempt to teach Retsu boxing techniques on occasion though. But somehow, everytime, Retsu always ends up warping it in some way and just doing his own thing. Much to Genichi’s dismay, I’m sure you could imagine. It’d be pretty cute if it leads to Genichi researching a bunch of Kung-fu and Chinese martial arts just to help Retsu out a little bit…or atleast know what he’s dealing with. Coach ‘s gotta do what a coach ‘s gotta do. Anything to support your fighter, right?
I imagine Genichi’d bring up a particular Kenpo move during a conversation without a second thought, essentially giving away the fact he’s been looking into that stuff for Retsu’s sake. Retsu’d point it out and Genichi would look away embarrassed and whatnot. Just read a couple things online…that's all. (He has multiple books and a plethora of notes)
Kureha + Mogi
Wish I’d see more discussion regarding these two, they are reeeeally funny. Yeah yeah, I know Mogi only shows up a whopping one time but Christ, thinking about him and Kureha’s…quite abnormal friendship is real fun.
Not sure if this was a translation blunder or actually what he calls him, but something about Mogi calling Kureha, Kure, instead of Shinogi-san or something of the like is pretty telling on how close they are. This neuroscientist guy who shows up one time just to be like “Woah, holy shit. Demon brain.” actually adds a lot to a character who hasn’t really done anything since the 90’s. …If you…think about it like I do.
I dunno, just the thought that Kureha has an actual friend who also happens to work with him is cool as shit. I really like to think Mogi is one of the only people Kureha really gets comfortable around. He forgets that stupid high-class attitude and just…exists.
We all know Kureha is a very cunning and smug fellow, but even worse than that he’s a total fake. His ‘kindness’ tends to be…often going beyond kindness and more into passive aggressive territory. Not just that, but I think he definitely has this real harmful outlook on himself and his social performance.
He puts up this fake, almost cartoonish and unrealistic embodiment of a suave, flawless and powerful doctor, to make himself seem more appealing to others. On the inside though, he knows he’s an absolute mess. He forces himself not to think about that though, lying to yourself is the best medicine until you’ve achieved perfection, is it not?
I feel like at the beginning, Mogi fell into believing that seemingly mystical Dr. Shinogi persona he puts on that everybody else around is sucked into too. The Dr. Shinogi, huh? A guy with some of the most desired medical talents and a…strangely beautiful face. But somehow an even more beautiful physique. Probably tons of women on the side. From where I am, he seems almost untouchable. Uh, insert Mogi thought bubble. There’s something funny about Mogi being one of the most renowned neuroscientists in Japan, but becoming such a way when people are more popular or desired than him. I’m getting off topic here, huh?
As I said, Mogi was easily fooled by the mask Kureha presents to others. Well, that was up until he actually started getting ‘closer’ to him. I feel like Mogi and Kureha are both very interested in each other. Okay, well, not like that. Get your head out of the gutter, man. But interested in the way that they are really intrigued on the way the other works and functions. Mogi is a neuroscientist afterall, I imagine the more he started to notice little things that contradicted Kureha’s perfect doctor image, the more interested he became in him. I mean just who is this guy really? Sort of the same thing with Kureha, I think he’s really fascinated by Mogi’s somewhat uncaring and laidback attitude toward him. It’s something he doesn’t experience from others often. I feel like one of the best things for Kureha is someone who can psychoanalyze him as much as he psychoanalyzes them.
I love thinking about the two drinking together after a long work day. Of course, Kureha’s comparably more exhausted than Mogi but they’re both pretty worn out. I think it's funny Kureha just ordering a drink at a bar with his homie beside him and then just letting out the most drained, sharp sigh imaginable. He doesn’t have to work up this ‘perfect’ personality anymore, he can just complain and complain all he wants. Mogi’s not too opposed to listening, in fact, he quite enjoys it. He looks forward to listening to this disaster of a guy complain about the incompetent new intern that has zero clue what he’s doing, I mean, zero clue.
I like to think Mogi himself is also a sorta cynical guy, he often has really interesting/funny input on Kureha’s stressed out ramblings. He’s a great guy to vent to, and not really in the way that he tries to comfort you or reassure you, but he helps you cope with it in a chill way. Gives input here and there, makes some stupid jokes and whatnot. He listens and just speaks his mind. A perfect drinking buddy for Kureha, in my opinion.
Terada + Katsumi
I really enjoy this dynamic and I’m surprised it’s not capitalized on as much as it is, which is basically not at all. Especially Terada himself, a push-over dojo errand boy character has so much potential for funny ideas. I also really like that he looks like that. Why are you so sad, guy? You’re only one of the most trusted students of the Shinshin- ooooh, there's the problem. I pray everyone suffering in that school finds retribution. Except Kiyosumi. Kiyosumi can suffer. Helps build character. What am I talking about?
I love the thought that this seemingly ‘random’ student does more practical work then the current grandmaster. And, yeah, we really haven’t seen enough of Terada to really come to that conclusion indefinitely, but I think he certainly seems like the type. Workaholic who needs to do things for others to feel as if he has purpose. “Don’t worry, Kanchou…I-I got this.” Terada is now drowning in seven skyhigh stacks of paperwork because he can’t pace himself. The price to pay when your grandmaster is that mentally ill. Maybe we should explode that school one last time, really get that place out of the picture. What the fuck am I talking about?
But in all seriousness, these two really interest me. Terada’s sorta, and listen. Terada is sorta Katsumi’s suicide watch. I think about that scene where Katsumi uses mach in the dojo for the first time, breaking all the windows and shit. And you see Terada absolutely fucking, leap up the stairs to check up on him. Terada was so close for a reason is all I’m saying.
I’m also quite interested in how trusted of a member Terada really is, specifically how Katsumi sees him in particular. I mean, to bring in a student to help with an illegal capturing and essentially torture session of a wanted criminal (Doyle) is already insane as it is, but bringing in Terada specifically…its interesting to wonder why. Although, I’d say it's pretty obvious why Katsumi chose him out of anyone else. He’s obedient. He won’t complain. He’d keep his mouth shut, especially for his beloved Kanchou. I feel like Katsumi knew all of this when choosing somebody. Much intention in that pick.
Man, I think I’m really missing out on the “friendship” part of these two…uh. Gimme a sec guys let me think.
Been about…two days. I’ve come back with a conclusion. They are technically friends but not actually. Well, at least…not anymore. While it sucks to say they can’t mesh because of a power imbalance, that is only half of the reason. Okay, well maybe most of the reason.
I really think the inherent hierarchy of this Dojo is what destroys a lot of relationships residing within it. Such a big fuss on strength and dan level, it’s inevitable.
But let me take you back to the days of Yor for a moment, If I shall. I imagine these two talented Karate fellows once stood side by side as best pals. Okay, yeah I’ll stop talking like that.
We know Katsumi is a very…unpredictable guy, but what I think really exemplifies that is his circumstances. I can really see the Baki parallels when I think about his past. He was essentially born into an industry, he was working at just five and making money for his family without going to school. Well to be fair, that’s a speculation, since it’s implied his family moved around a lot if I correctly recall. But nevertheless, he was born directly into doing services for other people. Like Baki, but perhaps less harshly, he was pushed into a lifestyle he didn’t really have a choice in. And what do you know, he grows up with self esteem issues. Big whoop. But this in particular is what I think made Terada and him drift apart so suddenly.
I imagine they often shared interests when they were younger teens, tv shows and books and whatnot. They were both sorta awkward but would ramble when it comes to the things they like, they unsurprisingly hit it off pretty well. While yeah, Katsumi was definitely held in very high regard in the dojo even as a child, he was so young and still just learning as everybody else his age was. It wasn’t madly difficult to make and keep friends in that position. Ya’ know what they say, it’s lonely at the top. But unfortunately…that's where the sad part happens.
I think Katsumi’s fake smug demeanor started to grow (along with his shame) as he grew higher in rank. I’m specifically thinking of Maximum tournament Katsumi right now, by the way. He suddenly felt he had to almost whip himself into shape. Wouldn’t let himself show even a slight bit of weakness. Make Dad proud, make everybody proud. Funnily, he comes last on his own priority list. …Is that funny?
All of a sudden, Katsumi wasn’t really engaging with Terada in the same way he did before. He didn’t really…treat him like a friend anymore, more like just somebody he works alongside. Katsumi no longer had the self-confidence to let himself have those childish, energetic rambles about things anymore. As Katsumi felt lonelier and more isolated with all the outward expectations and his unrealistic need to please others, he ended up pushing away people that were important to him. He couldn’t have any more faults. At least that anyone could see.
For Terada, Katsumi drifting away only exemplified his unhealthy view on himself and others. When you put so much value into how much you do for other people, you don’t just forget yourself but you harm yourself simultaneously. I feel like both him and Katsumi felt the same way for a while, even while apart. Terada started to push the very things that made him, well, him, to the very back of his mind. Only ever focusing on doing the best he could for others and upholding his strength was a depressing drag. I feel he didn’t properly realize that when he was going through it, though. It’s always the people who suffer the worst mentally that don’t realize something's wrong.
Hey hey, hold your horses now, I’ve thought of a happy resolution to this sad ended friendship. There’s something I purposely hadn’t mentioned about this Dojo and the people inside of it.
They are all connected as one. They all share an inescapable fire in their souls. That place bonds you to it, ya’ know? Hell, it even had someone as mean and stubborn as Katou come crawling back to it. It’s a place that puts a warm unifying feeling inside of you. I think this bond and this warmth strengthened itself incredibly after Katsumi’s metamorphosis and fight with Pickle. Katsumi realized a lot of things then, didn’t he? I feel this cracking of his harmful shell naturally made him reconnect with some particular things and some particular people. Katsumi started opening up more, and because of that, the relationship between him and Terada was seeing some brighter skies.
After all, they’re like the closest thing to non-yakuza oath brothers, just by being in the Shinshinkai together. They’d have less professional conversations more often but when it did come to business, Katsumi was happy to help Terada with important things that happened to come up. He wouldn’t help him as a boss anymore though, he’d help him as a friend.
The moral of the story is that the Shinshinkai prevails everytime itagaki please bring back shinshinkai i know katou is about to do some shit next chapter and im SO excited but for the love of god i need to see the shinshinkai again im pathetic i know