#orion101fan

[imitationpersonne]

@orion101fan (not sure why it’s not letting me @ you, but welp) asked:

I just wanted to ask your opinion on Monoma's relationship with Tetsutetsu.  You can reply back in the blog.  Hori seems to establish a friendship between the 2 as he goes out of his way to include a panel where the 2 say there will be no hard feelings to each other during the cavalry battle.

It’s true, Hori does seem to put Monoma and Tetsutetsu together more often than baseline coincidence. Including the light novel instances (visiting class A’s dorm, the stage play, and probably more I’m forgetting), it seems Monoma and Tetsu (along with Kendou and Pony) might be particularly close friends within the class.

I’m glad that Hori decided to write at least one classmate who seems to have an uncomplicated positive regard for Monoma. (Pony technically also counts, but her being a girl and a transfer student makes the vibe rather different.) Making Tetsutetsu that person fits pretty well, considering he tends to have uncomplicated opinions about most things. In my view of Monoma’s perspective, Tetsutetsu’s straightforwardness could be considered a breath of fresh air, not to mention useful. Ability-wise, they compliment each other as opposites, Monoma being notably pretty physically weak yet highly cunning, versus Tetsu’s brawn but lack of tactical skill. Interacting together, Monoma may find Tetsutetsu’s motivations easy to anticipate, so it’s easy to know what to say to him or to prepare accordingly for his next actions. If that sounds a little manipulative--listen. LISTEN. ...Yes, but it’s amicably manipulative, so it’s okay! (Being tongue-in-cheek here--but really, this is Monoma we’re talking about.) To rephrase the previous in a less utilitarian way, Tetsu’s simplicity in behavior and opinion makes him easier to navigate socially.

Furthermore, they have their enthusiasm for class B to connect with. Early in the year, when both of them felt as if their class was being looked-down-on, Tetsutetsu approved of Monoma standing up for them and against class A. So even though he wasn’t keen on participating in pretending to be lesser (by coming in lower-ranked in the sports fest race on purpose) to play their cards right and surprise the opposition for underestimating them, both still supported each other in their end goal (and same for the cavalry battle). And I’d say Monoma potentially wasn’t surprised by his refusal, given Tetsu’s boldness and pride for his strength. Later, when they had more opportunity to get to know class A and Tetsutetsu made friends particularly with Kirishima, his opinion of the other class seems to have turned positive. However, he still loves a good competition and proving his abilities, so I don’t see him disliking Monoma for his continued rivalry with them as a whole. I don’t think he really approves of Monoma’s over-the-top antagonism of the other class at this point, but he’s not quite as judgmental or nosy as some of Monoma’s other friends. I can see Monoma appreciating that as well.

Overall, I think Tetsutetsu makes a good friend for Monoma, because they can bond over shared passion while tolerating, respecting, or even broadening each other’s horizons with their differences.

[imitationpersonne]

I was wondering if you remembered the last message I sent you a while back about Monoma and Kendou. You may have forgotten or were busy and didn't notice it.

Hey, yeah. Sorry, I got your messages, but I kept procrastinating on responding and then forgetting. Procrastinating especially because I’ve kind of barely been able to write anything lately, with a downturn of mood and inspiration and now school. Plus, I think I mentioned before, I’m not a translator and barely feel equipped to figure out even single words in Japanese. I happen to also be interested in what that sketch says, but unfortunately, I can’t make heads or tails of it with my extremely limited abilities and resources.

This is the image in question, if anybody else happens to want to take a whack at translating it.

What I really like about this [manga scan of Monoma teasing Kendou in her beauty contest dress] is that it implies that despite being annoyed by him Kendou seems to enjoy Monoma’s company. The relationship(just for the record a relationship does not necessarily mean a romantic one) between these two is one of my favorite in the series.  Based on some of these scenes they seem to like taking shots/poking fun at each other but not in a mean spirited way.

First of all, I’ll note that I agree with you that I like Monoma and Kendou’s seeming comfort with each other, and their potential dynamics and rapport interest me. But I’m going to play the devil’s advocate for a second, because that’s my specialty, and I’d probably be robbing people of the expected experience if I didn’t whip that ability out.

It’s actually kind of hard to tell with concrete certainty exactly how much actual affection and esteem Monoma and Kendou hold for each other, just judging by the scenes containing them as evidence. Almost every time we see Monoma and Kendou together or one mentioning the other, they are in some form of opposition to each other. Usually it’s Monoma being controversial and Kendou getting on his case for it; sometimes it’s Kendou complaining/remarking about Monoma’s bad behavior; and other times it’s Monoma firing back at her with teasing/reproach of his own. We just don’t factually know what goes on behind the scenes or how deep their opposition really runs.

It is apparent that one of the main reasons Kendou often interacts with Monoma is because she feels it is her responsibility to keep him from causing trouble and tarnishing public relations with the other hero class. Theoretically, that could even be the initial reason she started interacting with him a lot in the first place. However, damage control did not necessarily have to stay the only reason they gave each other the time of day. It could be that the close proximity necessary for keeping an eye on him facilitated a growing bond between them and actual comfort and enjoyment in each other’s company.

Notice how easily Monoma ribs Kendou and compare that to the often more subtle or emotionally-collected ways in which he scolds or teases other class (B) mates (suggesting a potentially more distant, delicate, or formal rapport). Likewise notice the level of bluntness in Kendou’s tactics that she doesn’t use on anybody else in the class. The distinct lack of formality between them suggests that much comfort in expression and interaction, and one could argue the knowledge of each other’s boundaries and how far they can push each other indicates a close relationship.

The devil’s advocate could argue that they annoy each other, but circumstantially, neither can escape the other’s company (like cops and robbers). That they limit their enmity to just teasing because Japanese culture encourages greater politeness and cooperation (compared to the expectations in Western culture), and they don’t want to deal with the drama of displaying their dislike of each other outright.

But I don’t argue that. To me, it seems more like an ornery affectionate sibling-like rapport, close enough to get on each other’s case but still appreciating each other for their positive qualities and who they are. That’s what I’d like to think, and that’s what I tend to see. (The “sibling” comparison is not to say they couldn’t develop a romantic relationship, and I think in such a case, their close friendship would be a boon and not a detractor.) I like it. I like this. I like them.

[imitationpersonne]

I wanted to know your opinions on some things, in the recent translation over at scum`s blog it said that Kodai hates Monoma. This seemed odd to me as Monoma seemed well-liked by the girls of class 1B, we saw in the manga that Setsuna holds him in high regard and the light novels imply that both Kotori and Pony are attracted to him.

Thanks for asking this! I’ve been meaning to finish posting the rest of the Monoma scene light novel translations that I could find, but I’ve never gotten around to it. This gives me a good reason to, haha. (For reference, my reblogs of the light novel translation excerpts are in the tag “#BNHA Light Novels”.)

Here is the scene I believe you were talking about? (Volume 2 Chapter 4--I’ll be reblogging it just after I post this.):

“Compared to Mineta, anyone is better.” said Kendou as Ashido nodded in agreement as she wiped away happy tears.

“Is there a person like Mineta in B?”

“Nope, nope, our guys are pretty hard-headed, ah, actually we do have a Monoma though.” said Kendou as she looked like she was recalling some memories whilst fiddling her fingers.

Monoma is the person who opposes whatever A does, his soul is a little.. yeah he’s that kind of pupil.

“Monoma huh?”

“Yep.”

“Monoma..ha…”

Koudai just nods in agreement to whatever Yanagi was saying but it seems though Monoma was a bit strange, he was still accepted amongst them.

“He does have a pretty good looking face, but it’s a shame his insides are a bit!” said Hagakure.

So the only direct evidence we have of Kodai talking about Monoma is her agreeing that he’s kinda twisted. The generic bit about Monoma being accepted by his peers still works, because it’s not like the new information says she absolutely hates Monoma or rejects him formally. She just doesn’t seem to be a fan, apparently. And that’s fine; people are allowed to have their bad taste, hahahahahaha.

And I don’t know of any source whatsoever that says or shows that Pony or Komori (I assume that’s who you mean?) are attracted to him. Actually, I don’t believe it even ever gives Tokage’s opinion of Monoma officially; though it might be assumed she holds him in some sort of positive or neutral regard, given her interactions with him.

It seems to me to be just as that summarizing sentence said. Lots of classmates seem to be exasperated by his eccentricities (to name some off the top of my head...Kendou, Awase, Nirengeki, Kodai, Kaibara, Yanagi...), but they’ve come to accept him as one of their own regardless.

(I, uh, think “scum” goes by “Shimikonde”, by the way, hahah;; )

[imitationpersonne]

I just wanted to ask your opinion on Pony and Monoma's relationship since I liked how you summed up his relationship with Setsuna. I was especially curious since the databook came out and the official art drawn by Kubo on the covers of both the manga and light novels. It is especially funny since she seems to be the only one in class 1b who never had anything bad to say about him.

// Hey, I got your DM version of this yesterday, and I wasn’t ignoring it. I generally take a long time to respond to things, as my RP partners would know. Most of the content that’s been showing up on my blog is from my queue (which is set to be depleted at the very beginning of November), and aside from that, I’ve been having some health/mood problems for the past couple of weeks that’s made it harder to be productive. So yeah, I hope you weren’t getting anxious or anything, since it’s just been a day.

Considering how often Monoma and Pony are placed together in art and scenes, I can imagine they’re probably on the warmer side of Monoma’s relationships. I’m no expert on Pony, but taking this from Monoma’s perspective, I get the feeling he sees her as perhaps a little impressionable–trusting if not naive. In Pony’s Ultra Analysis page, he is described as her “Japanese teacher?” And judging from his suspect smirk in said excerpt, as well as the scene in which he tricks her into smack talking class A, his motives seem to be at least partially prank or amusement related. He might legitimately teach her good Japanese at times, but I can see him inserting his own agenda or at least messing with her because of her unsuspecting nature. I also expect he possibly likes the concept of taking her under his wing, being like a more knowledgeable senpai in matters of Japanese. Plus, given his tendency to enjoy Western aesthetic (French comics/food/dorm room style, Victorian hero costume), perhaps he is prone to taking a liking to Western foreigners, as well.

I found it interesting to notice she does make a rather disappointed face (not sure if in the manga; I’m too lazy to check) once when he was chopped for making a scene at the buses at the beginning of training camp.

So she’s not totally oblivious or dismissive of his inappropriate behavior. That being said, she’s not the only one to have never physically voiced protest against him. Of course, there are plenty of class B who haven’t talked about him at all (the curse of being minor characters with very few scenes). But of those he has interacted with/around… Correct me if I’m forgetting, but I don’t recall Tsuburaba, Tetsutetsu, Shiozaki, Shishida, Tokage, Komori…and probably more, ever speaking up. I vaguely recall maybe Tetsutetsu implied he’s a coward for backing out of the punishment game at the end in the light novels, so maybe that counts as something, just not the usual complaint. It’s really only a handful of people that have truly expressed being irked by his behavior, the most outspoken being Kendou, of course. Though he does get a bunch of tired/odd looks from others (including Pony).

And just to add in the end, because I suspect this might be part of your interest, I think Monoma and Pony could be a cute ship (Monotori? Ponoma? Poneito? Ponei? Mony? LOL, I’ll just call it MonoPony). Considering shonen series tend to conclude with a lot of heterosexual pairings, I don’t think I’d be disappointed if MonoPony were an aimed-for canon endgame relationship. In exploring the dynamic (which I doubt canon would really do), it would interest me to see the relationship develop from senpai-kohai into Monoma gaining more respect for her as an equal, or being impressed that she’s not as oblivious as he’d expected, if that makes sense? Not trying to say he disrespects her now, but he does have a bit of an ego. I personally tend to enjoy seeing that (gently!) put in check in a heterosexual relationship. Somebody has to be the one to nudge his moral compass in the right direction.

[imitationpersonne]

Thanms for replying to my ask. Also I was referring to the light novel translations that shimikonde has been doing about volume 4 in the chapter that covers 1B's play. That is the chapter that implies Pony and Komori are attracted to him. Funny a scene even had Shihai Kuroiro being salty over it. Also what is your opinion on Setsuna`s strange behaviour in Joint training. She walks right past her teacher and other classmates and goes straight to Monoma to apologize to him for losing.

Oh, I see what you might be referring to.

Komori Kinoko, dressed in frilly clothes and looking as if she might step onto the stage herself. She laughed innocently. “But Monoma looks great! He really turns into a fun guy when you put him in the spotlight!”

Here Komori just enjoys Monoma when he performs to the attention he craves.

Staring intently at Komori from the darkness, Kuroiro Shihai seemed as if he wanted to say something to her, but instead muttered softly to himself, “The eternal void of darkness is my stage…”

Though that is pretty funny that Kuroiro does seem a little jealous of the compliment; I don’t think I noticed that before!

Watching the two as they gazed into one another’s eyes from the wing, Tetsutetsu, mustering all of his strength to whisper, said, “Leave it to Monoma… I’m impressed he can say such an embarrassing line with a straight face…”

“Phew, it’s so romantic!” Komori sighed, standing beside him and watching on with rosy cheeks. Team Dragon Flight, having quietly returned, also gathered around.

.

Monoma wrapped Kodai in a sudden, tight hug. In the audience, the girls let out dreamy sighs, while jealous mutterings could be heard coming from the guys. There was even a commotion in the wings, where Pony and Komori amongst others squealed softly at the scene.

I think that’s just them reacting to the effect of the scene and possibly the character, the same way we can enjoy characters separate from the real life people who play them. Especially because it is repeatedly referenced that Monoma’s acting transformation is impressive, and he’s not so sweet and dreamy in real life, lol. Plus, if they were actually interested in Monoma, you wouldn’t think they’d squeal over a romantic scene involving him and somebody else. Yeah, I just take it to mean Pony and Komori (and “others”) like romantic themes.

As for Tokage, it seems she wants to impress Monoma, or at least avoid his blame or disappointment. Perhaps she is inspired by his competitive spirit and strove to do well herself, and losing let both her and him down? He did seem to take over the whole production, summarizing little tidbits in the middle of or after each match. I bet she likes certain things about his spirit, and I’m sure him being her hype man for match 4 wasn’t bad for her good graces, as well.

I don’t see any canon personal romantic subtext in any of these interactions (though I wouldn’t discourage shipping regardless, of course). It doesn’t have the same vibe that Kuroiro-to-Komori, Tsuburaba-to-Asui, etc. have.

[imitationpersonne]

Can you translate the section for Pony please.

// Oh, sorry, I’m not actually any kind of translator, haha.;; I just decided to try to translate the hero types, using just the internet (a wonderful resource here), because they are literally three single words, and even then it took like an hour and lots of help from my friend, LOL.

But, fortunately somebody else has already translated most of Pony’s page! Here you go: [oriigami’s translation]