i just wanted to say that i really like your analysis of zaimokumatsu, it's very well thought out and i definitely think they're the most interesting pair because theres so little interaction between them. but like, the interactions they DO have say so much.
i don't 100% agree that totty HATES karamatsu, but I definitely think their relationship is the most strained by far. that being said, they do have very interesting moments in official content.
for example, in the 2019 anan movie book karamatsu says something along the lines of "the other day, totty told me "you've become a lot more honest" that's strange, i don't lie at all" in the same book, todo says that kara is the brother he admires the most because he never fights back after being beaten up.
according to people on jp twitter who went to an event for the movie, there was a cut scene where karamatsu felt like he was causing trouble for his bros and decides to go back to the past (ig the plot was different) and todomatsu says something along the lines of "tell me what you really think!"
i think it's their distance that allows todomatsu to really look at karamatsu with more clarity than the other duos, which gives rise to his complicated feelings towards him. on the other hand, kara kinda just lets his bros do whatever they want and lets things go really easily, but in return he closes himself off and doesn't really listen to them. i think karamatsu is just really distant from his brothers in general, so he doesn't have any specific complaints about anyone (todo included) besides osomatsu
ANYWAYS, sorry i just wanted to say as someone who is new to the fandom and a very passionate karamatsu stan that you cooked and i like the way you think
Ooh this is very interesting! I love the additional context you've added too bc i didnt know about the deleted movie scene.
This has me thinking, but I also like to point out that some of these moments are pre-s3e5! Which aired...god nov 10th, 2020. Its been four damn years 😭😭😭
I dont think karamatsu has any real localized animosity towards any of them, he doesnt hate ichimatsu, he doesn't even typically react to 110's physical bullying, the only one he tends to throw barbs at is Osomatsu, and sometimes he says a backhanded compliment to Choromatsu (i think kara just enjoys teasing him) but with 110, especially Totty there was never any like. Direct. Resentment.
Even when Todomatsu criticizes him, in many of the games Karamatsu is in friendly competition, or is just silly with him. There audio drama with Totoko is a good example of zaimoku's competition, as well as the one where Karamatsu is making excuses on why he cant talk to a girl.
I think Totty feels a lot of resentment towards Karamatsu bc he's authentically himself. Imo the read of Karamatsu secretly being super shy is kinda true, he def is timid but I think how he projects himself is how he truly is, and hes sick of hiding himself behind anxiety like in high school. However! Todomatsu isn’t ever himself, he isn't ever honest, and he tries very very hard to not be weird, be kind, be nonthreatening, be better than the rest of them, and despite Karamatsu often losing in canon due to his eccentricities he still beats Todomatsu. Because Todomatsu deserves to win, but ties.
In the host drama CD, Totty scored many points over but ended up tying, in the manga chapter where Osomatsu ranks their fashion I think either the same or Karamatsu wins for being interesting despite being dressed as a flower.
Even with the cashier, despite Todomatsu having more substantial reasons why he liked her, and the fact hes still pissed off about it being the biggest reason he bullies Karamatsu, they both got rejected. Imo, as a Totty fan, and knowing Todomatsu loses because he doesn't win, its very hard to watch. Todomatsu doesn't even get the added bonus of being more popular in real life.
I think for a long time Todomatsu respected Karamatsu for his resiliency and easy going nature, but personally I think his situation is a lot more sympathetic as someone who was told his entire life that he was Abel, and realized he was Cain.
Even other duos don't have the same mutual disinterest in each other. Osomatsu and Choromatsu default to each other, especially when they're both relaxed. Suuji has no real tension with each other aside from some brief friendly fire.
But Karamatsu doesn't seek out reconciliation with Todomatsu, and Todomatsu doesn't look for it either. I think their relationship had been strained since s1, but i wouldnt even consider them friends at this point. Theres the valentines skits from a few years back where Karamatsu was being very kind and a nice big brother towards Totty, who was so happy he was completely unguarded
But at this point, thats an anomaly of behavior. I think Todomatsu hates him because he should be better, seen as more attractive, smarter, cooler, harder working, more interesting and most importantly more popular than Karamatsu in every way. And he's not. In any way. He wins technically, he wins by his actions. And his victory is split in half because of Karamatsu's authenticity and charisma that others find literally annoying.
Imo its a very realistic development for someone like Totty who judges himself completely based on how others perceive him, and Karamatsu who has overcome the need for any one specific person's approval.
Its like seeing someone who rejected everything you learnt to not be, and seeing him succeed where you're failing.
