HRKG Ch. 24 Analysis (I'm late and I never posted it)
Note that I know a lot of this has already been said but wanted to put this out there. Also Buckle Up this is a bit long
in order to properly analyze this chapter as part of a standalone series (meaning I won't bring up sasamiya in it), I reread every other chapter leading up to this one.
I'm not gonna analyze previous chapters in reference to 24 but vice versa. Or I'll try. In other words, I want to explain what's going on in ch. 24 referencing past chapters. And not explaining past chapters referencing 24, if that makes sense?
(Also I'm using the scans as I can view it page by page and flip between chapters on the site and use it in screenshots).
Starting with in the splash art, Kagiura and Hirano are "walking" somewhere, it seems, and I'm noting that it's saying "I want to walk in step with you" (side by side) and Kagiura is in front of him, looking back as Hirano walks toward him. Hmmm. Almost like Hirano is going to catch up, going to walk to his side and they will walk together, in step. This to me is only proof of this chapter's huge theme, of Hirano beginning the process of falling in love for real.
Now it's obvious to me that he started this process a long damn time ago, but from this moment forward, it is ridiculously important. And I think I may be able to draw some comparisons to earlier chapters. Again, not analyzing those chapters, but using them to analyze this chapter.
24 starts with Kagiura, who is regretting what he did in ch. 23, jumping to the conclusion that Hirano wants to stop trying to see him romantically, and ends up pushing him to keep trying, and also pushing the physical boundary. And he also says he cheated (ch. 22 head on shoulder thing, then holding hirano's hand against his chest, same day). At everything, Niibashi mentions how there has been progress, and that maybe, like Kagiura had, Hirano is going through the process of falling in love. So, what does that look like? We will see!
Kagiura and Niibashi plan to go watch the basketball game before Kagiura's dodgeball game. The meet-up with Hirano and Sasaki is like a clash in each other's school lives. Hirano with his classmate/friend, and Kagiura with his. Hence, both of them see a side of each other they rarely ever see (though this is Kagiura’s perspective so emphasis is placed on how he sees this side of Hirano). And we know by now that Kagiura is a jealous person, which I think partly comes from insecurity, but I digress. And in this sequence, he realizes just how much Sasaki has influenced Hirano, to the point where Kagiura himself feels the effects of said influence. And he feels jealous of it. But that's because Kagiura is HIMSELF, and sometimes you don't notice the effects of your own influence. Hirano tells him this, he reassures him.
First of all, can I talk about how refreshing this was? Kagiura was jealous and felt a tad upset and removed himself from making a scene in any way. He walked it off, really. And Hirano went to ask about it (and he *sensed* that there was a problem. He sensed this and told Sasaki he would be late to the game. Mind you, he scolded sasaki earlier for being late. Hypocrite...). Anyway, Hirano asked about it and Kagiura was honest! And they immediately talked about it and cleared it up! Ch 14 anyone...
Also, Hirano reassured Kagiura of his influence on him, but can we talk about that too? Hirano knows of Kagiura’s romantic feelings toward him. He knows that Kagiura loves him which is why he's jealous of how close Hirano is with Sasaki. So Hirano tells Kagiura not to worry because it's YOU who has influenced me the most without a doubt. Hirano was reassuring Kagiura’s love for him, and his love for Kagiura (i mean really!) To me, that was Hirano's way of saying, "It's you that I'm open to, that I'm after". That reassurance was confirmation that Hirano WANTS it to be Kagiura. If that's not progress from 14, the jealousy Hirano faced before by basically brushing it off, I don't know what is. And he uses that opportunity as well to do the ten seconds because he told Kagiura they wouldn't stop, and they agreed they could both use it. So to reassure him in his own way, he indulges in the agreement they made. He's showing Kagiura he's serious about it.
So Kagiura feels it all, Hirano's statement and Hirano's touch and he runs to the gym to watch his game. Because Hirano told him to hurry if he's gonna watch the game. Watch how your influence is paying off. CATCH UP. And guess what? This is where this chapter's theme reaches its critical point and really, really shines.
Let it be known that this is a whole chapter in Kagiura’s perspective. And I'd like to point out now that I believe this chapter parallels chapter one, an important aspect of what the theme of this chapter is (Hirano's road to falling in love). The parallels start right here, when Kagiura goes to watch Hirano's game.
He walks into the gym, view from the top, late.
He watches him play and thinks about the time they have spent together.
The game ends, and he looks up at the stands...
The roles have quite literally reversed. A whole half-page for each of them, of the smile and the reaction to it??? COME. ON.
But listen when I say this. Kagiura sat there and watched Hirano play and realized it was his influence. It's something he was able to do that changed Hirano, even just a little—it helped him put up a fight in a basketball game. He didn't win, no, but later he wants to see a game of someone his height winning. He wants to see someone like him SUCCEED. Do you see what I'm getting at. (And he didn't even have to win because it's a team sport and it's no use if your teammates aren't working just as hard. I mean... there's a lot to get from this. Do you know what else takes effort from another person...)
Let me summarize. Hirano is playing an unfamiliar game but he's playing it and doing so, so well with Kagiura’s influence. And he sees Kagiura watching him and he smiles, just like he had with Kagiura back in chapter one. And if basketball is love in this instance then where does that leave them? Where does that leave Hirano?
He's working for it. He's working TO it!
(And then when Kagiura is playing dodgeball, Hirano runs there, literally RUNS to catch up to him, to cheer him on, to tell him he's got this. And haven't we talked about how Hirano wants Kagiura to keep loving him? How he's cheering him on in all of his passions and he IS one of is passions? Remember? Kagiura gets a little too intense, realizes it, tones it down (sound familiar??) and wins. He wins. He literally does that! And when Kagiura wins, the first thing he wants to do, more than Hirano saying I love you, is to say I love you to Hirano. Hirano cheered him on and Kagiura wanted to tell him that it worked and keeps working. (Kagiura working hard made Hirano wanna work hard too. Is this relevant? Yes it is) Are you hearing this?!!!!)
I have to continue the chapter because it's literally so important. It connects. Please bear with me.
Back in the room, like I mentioned previously, Hirano learns that people his height and smaller are pretty damn good. And the ball games are over but he wants to see it because he still is interested and wants to learn URRRGGH.
Kagiura yawns and is ready to go to bed. I want you to look at a scene in chapter 1 from Kagiura’s perspective--
And then at 24 in his perspective.
First of all, this contrast is hilarious. We have a Kagiura that is sleeping (and needs to wake up) and is abruptly woken up by Hirano. Then we have a Hirano that is going to sleep and is abruptly STOPPED by Kagiura (because Hirano is clearly uneasy). Like, the guy that is always ready to go to sleep is suddenly wide awake, and he's the one keeping the guy that always wakes him up awake. Huh!
And why is Hirano uneasy?
I don't think I have much to say here except this one little detail: Hirano goes out of his way to wake Kagiura up every morning, which is why Kagiura has the thought that Hirano makes him not want to get up yet.
Here, Kagiura and Hirano have established a new routine of sorts. And that routine hadn't been fulfilled today. In other words, Kagiura made Hirano not want to sleep yet. Bro. BRO.
This point in the time-line has the luxury of Kagiura’s feelings being mostly (emphasis on mostly) sorted out. He knows he's in love with Hirano, and the whole routine they have is based around the idea of falling in love. So Kagiura views this and goes, whoa, wait. This isn't something Hirano would normally do, let alone be embarrassed about. Freaking chapter 16 has Hirano questioning what the significance of the touching even is, but now he's so committed to it that when it's missing he KNOWS it and it BOTHERS him (does this mean he was waiting for it to come all day and it never did? holy shit)
I'm still not sure if Hirano flinches up after confirming "those are MY ten seconds and not yours" because he realized what he said, or because Kagiura's expression. Maybe it's even both. But either way, I think Hirano realizes how wild this sounds which is why he doubles down and is like I'm not ASKING you to do it. But then he says that the reason he even thought this in the first place was because of yesterday, Kagiura touched him and then Hirano touched Kagiura. So in his mind, they separated then (ten seconds have become 20). Then he's regretting the whole thing because he sounds crazy overthinking this. Because he's becoming conscious of it.
And that whole convo still reminds me of chapter 1. Once again, the luxury of context; Hirano gets embarrassed about this and is like whoa whoa wait. He holds out his hand to Kagiura's face. He feels exposed... like this.
Kagiura offers that he has already spent his ten seconds, right? Because of the cheek pinch. Kinda like this:
Then Hirano is like, no? Because that was mine and this is YOURS. Uh, like this?
(Also, "that's your basis for nice" is literally what Niibashi says in this chapter. At least translated. Coincidence? Ha ha. **WRONG**)
But then Hirano shuts up. Like.... this?
Like, the same freaking framing with slightly different composition to match the different scenario?? Are you KIDDING me? (If what I mean is unclear, Chapter 1 Kagiura is a parallel of Chapter 24 Hirano, and Chapter 1 Hirano for Chapter 24 Kagiura)
If I view this entire chapter as the START for Hirano, the fact that it's in Kagiura’s perspective in both scenes makes so much sense. Because it's Kagiura who thinks he's recognizing (what Niibashi said) that Hirano may be where he was. Right now, it's not just a parallel. It's like his memory.
So this is where Hirano is. (And I cannot wait to see the next chapter of Hirano's perspective considering we haven't seen his FULL, unshared perspective of a scene since chapter 23a when he's thinking of Kagiura and literally blushing, then sees Kagiura and blushes again and says "that's not what's happening". Then the reader sits on that and reads chapter 24 in Kagiura’s perspective, when we cannot even see his thoughts and we all conclude that that IS what's happening). Hirano is really at the stage that Kagiura was at in chapter 1. And in chapter one we already know that Kagiura loves Hirano but no confirmation that it's even romantic until later. He is unaware of the true extent of his feelings yet. And this is where Hirano is right now. He just doesnt know. But readers, we are gonna watch him get there because ch 24 is where his "love story" begins. Do you know what I fucking mean???
ITS HIS TURN!!! ITS THE NARRATIVE SHIFT!! because these aren't mutually exclusive at all! This whole time, we have been getting the story of Kagiura’s love and their life together. But never have we been introduced to the story of Hirano's love until right now. This is historical. I'm gonna scream.
I don't have the mental capacity to dig into the last few pages of chapter 24, mostly because it focuses on a different aspect of the plot of this entire Manga, which is Hanzawa and his effect on their relationship. I think this sets up something for the future (future burry here: i was totally right). But right now. Man. Right now. I can look at chapter 24 and know that this is like the renaissance of the plot. This is the manifestation of Hirano's love. This is the beginning of his fall. And I cannot wait to see it.
