Takimaru: Why is he the only Knight with a nickname?
Ever noticed how the Gourmet Knights talk about each other?
It doesn't take a Japanese linguist to know that using full names + -san is a polite, more formal way of addressing someone. These guys spend every waking hour with each other, obviously living and hunting together. It seems overly formal for such a close-knit group, but it's obvious the Knights live by a classically knightly code of being formal, polite, and respectful.
But... hold on...
In this flashback, Aimaru is scolding a younger Takimaru for losing concentration. And calls him... Taki? No honourific, not even a full name.
And this is... a recurring thing I've noticed. Takimaru seems weirdly talked down to by the other Knights.
There it is again: "Taki".
Now, I have two theories as to why this is:
It's because they're scolding him. Notice how in both these situations, Takimaru is being absconded for acting out (in the first one, he wasn't focused enough in training, in the second one, he's butting heads with Aimaru and being told to stop).
Takimaru is the "baby" of the Knights. And they either aren't giving him the same respect the others get because he's the youngest and newest, or because they've had him around since he was a kid.
Let's break these down.
1. They call him "Taki" when scolding him.
When Aimaru speaks about Takimaru, he refers to him as "Takimaru", his full name. This is seen in the Eco Nori episode, when Aimaru and Toriko mention Ice Hell and Takimaru's subsequent growth:
But this is when he speaks about Takimaru, not to him. Which tells us a few things:
Aimaru does, actually, respect Takimaru. He doesn't want Takimaru to look bad in front of others. Sure, in that second screenshot Aimaru is warning Toriko that Takimaru is new and not to be overestimated, but he's still indicating that Takimaru deserves respect.
Calling him "Taki" is not a force of habit, but a conscious choice.
Furthermore, Takimaru doesn't react differently to the different names. So it doesn't take him by surprise to be nicknamed or not. Obviously, then, this isn't upsetting to him.
So possibly this is because they're absconding him, and he knows it. He's been raised and kinda parent-ed by the Knights, so it would make sense they'd call him a diminutive name. Which ties into the second point:
2. Taki is the "baby" of the Knights
It's possible there's some kind of 'child-like' connotation here. Perhaps, since he was taken in by the Knights at such a young age, they nicknamed him 'Taki' because he was a little kid, and the nickname comes back when they remind him he's behaving childishly, or in an un-knightly fashion.
Perhaps it's even a sort of denial in the other Knights themselves, especially when it's because Takimaru is pleading for Aimaru to take the medication. Like they still want to see him as a little kid who needs Aimaru instead of an adult. But that's entirely speculation.
Also, I think both theories can exist simultaneously but don't necessarily rely on each other. Realistically, we don't have enough screen time of these guys to be sure.
What I DON'T think it indicates:
They don't respect him / are 'hazing the new guy': Their whole schtick is to be knightly; respectful, polite, kind. I really don't think the Knights are going to be hazing a child they rescued from being, y'know, literally cursed and abandoned.
That Takimaru is viewed as more of a 'friend' than a fellow Knight: Although there is one other instance of a Knight going by a nickname (Toriko refers to Aimaru as just 'Ai'), this is because Toriko and Aimaru have been friends for years, and also see each other as equals. Obviously Takimaru is not viewed as an equal to the other Knights (see above: Aimaru telling Toriko that Takimaru is a novice and very green compared to the other Knights, also being the lowest in rank based on their tattoos). It's possible he gets called 'Taki' because they see him as the group baby, but I doubt it's because they're all particularly close with him. IF it was only Aimaru who did it, I would argue that it might be because Takimaru is Aimaru's disciple and likely much closer with him than the others. But since other Knights do it too... I'm not so sure.
