In defense of Kokomi Teruhashi.
She's part of the infinite sea of female characters bashed for being unlikeable when your hot (male) fave can murder a puppy and no one is going to run and comment "_____ no one can make me like you" in random fan edits of said character. Fans should rlly stop doing that, why are you making your fandom an annoying place to be in?
I'll just get to it.
Arrogant or just aware? The double standard.
Kokomi Teruhashi, even the name comes with some kind of weight. Her brother is a movie star, who's just as obsessed with her as any Kokomi is.
Remember the Kokominzu? Her fan club that, besides of being made of many boys from her school, includes powerful men like goverment officials. She cant walk the street looking for a school friend without men she doesn't know trying to shoot their shot (I always thought the man in the street that went up to her when she was analyzing all three looked way too old to be highschool age).
She is God's favorite, there's nothing she cant do or cant get, we're shown this in "Who will win?! The fateful grouping."
All I see is someone who knows their own power, impossible not to when everyone around her makes her constantly aware of it. Even her rivals, I was surprised to see a lot of the fandom characterized Aiura as hostile towards Teruhashi when she acknowledges her beauty several times in the canon.
When she asks to see her rival for Saiki's heart, Teruhashi's face shows up on her crystal ball. She calls her "the fairest of them all".
When she was taking a look at everyone's auras, she was mesmerized at hers. She did make note that there were some black feathers among the angelic glow.
Even Saiki admitted that if she looks perfect, acts perfect and makes every effort to be seen as perfect, she must be.
And Imu.. Should I even mention Imu? Her "rival" turned admirer who the only man she's ever loved was Kokomi in drag? And her debute in the show, where we're shown she makes people fight but Teruhashi makes peace?
The worst thing a woman can do in your eyes is being too sure of herself, too confident, too vain. A narcissist. Calling herself a 10 in a tiktok interview where a frat bro chased her for miles to get her to participate in to have a hundred clones of him hate her for being "a 5 at best". "What a stuck up bitch, she's not even all that." But if a man does it, no drama, no problem. He's just being funny.
Canonically glows btw.
Exhibit A:
Saiki Kusuo.
Had a freak out over getting his wallet stolen because according to him, he shouldn't be so easily tricked as the rest of the puny mortals.
Exhibit B:
Tamaki Suoh
It's his whole personality and he was still made into Haruhi's endgame because of how popular he was with the fanbase.
Exhibit C:
Gojo Satoru.
No one plays about this one, another fan favorite, Gojo fans are the best fed. And his ship, which is also the most popular in the series, is the number one most visited in the fanships wiki.
But his case is logical, just like Saiki's, since their powers back up their claims and thoughts. But again, doesn't Teruhashi's whole life also do?
Kinder than she should, kinder than anyone would be.
When she got a cold, everyone mourned her like she was already gone. Even Hairo, not at all romantically interested, walked out to the rain, even with people that aren't all that attracted to her adore her. Because she's kind and helpful and amazing at everything. Because she passes out in the middle of the hallway from pulling all nighters memorizing names, birthdays and smell. Because she accepts hang outs with the known losers even if she knows she'll get gawked at all day even if all she wants is to be close to her first crush.
I wonder if she had a crush before Saiki, like a celebrity or a simple school crush before she realized why everyone worshipped the ground she walked on. Though it's up to debate whether she actually likes him or is just curious and immediately drawn to the first person to not see her as a subject of attraction, Lord knows not even the doctor who delivered her or her own brother could grant her that. Or maybe she always knew she'd never be able to have a normal life and that there was no point in liking anyone when she's under the firm belief that a war would break out and that person would be destroyed.
I personally believe she doesn't actually like Saiki, just feels the way I just mentioned, but no hate to TeruSai shippers, I heard the sigh in the Teruhashi Vs. Aiura episode, you have good arguments. You too, Aiuraiki shippers, I have eyes for that hug and her prophecy. I personally believe soulmates aren't always romantic, but I love the trope soo.
Now getting to the title and the St. Valentine's episode..
She's nicer than I would be in her place, if we take in account that she cant give a chocolate to a boy she likes without rumours of it going around the school and every boy chasing her until she locks herself in the girls bathroom.
Then she got stuck in an island, just to finally get back home and have rumours spread about the only boy who doesn't see her as an object of attraction having photos of her going to the bathroom, and oh surprise, all the boys want to see them. Then she has to deny it even HAPPENED because to stay standing in the pedestal she's in, she has to deny all her human functions and needs, and of course, instead of worrying they cheer for her because "she's not like average humans".
Her and Kusuo.
I think they're not as opposite as everyone says they are. I think they're actually similar to eachother in a lot of aspects.
They're both too powerful in their own ways to ever be able to have normal lives, Teruhashi is too perfect and charming to ever lead a life without constant persuing. Whe even had to teach herself how to difference the sound of steps and amount of people, I'm guessing that wasn't the first time she was followed home.
Saiki's case is self explanatory, he is powerful in a supernatural way and naturally attracts all the chaos and extraordinary people around him.
They both desire normal lives, even if in Teruhashi's case it's not as noticeable as Saiki's. She complains about the boys that chased her and found out about the chocolate she bought. She has to be perfect always for the cameras that might be behind her. She cant openly dislike someone. She cant be with someone. She cant have unpretty needs. She cant watch the flowers bloom without being crowded by men. She cant be at peace at home because her brother holds desire for her. Nowhere is safe, nowhere is quiet. Her life is full of unspoken prohibitions for her safety and her own reputation, since she links her worth directly to her beauty and perfect reputation.
Like Saiki wishes for a normal, preferably quiet life where he can feel surprise, the rewarding feeling of victory he earned himself, looking at someone for more than 10 seconds without seeing their guts. Teruhashi cant keep her gaze on anyone alone for 10 seconds without her fan club kidnapping them, fan club full of stydents she knows and politicians who can watch her from anywhere at anytime. That also canonically police amd supervise whoever wants to talk to her.
Neither will never be normal, and ironically, neither TRULY wants to be. If Saiki was normal, he wouldn't br able to stop the disasters that threaten the world or do most things he's accostumed to doing. If she was normal, all the self esteem she's built around being exactly what people think of her, would fall immediately because she no longer would have the validation that has always sorrounded her life.
They'll never be fully normal human beings, but he'll be pitied for that and she'll be bashed to the moon and back and pitted against other characters as the superior love interests.
And it doesn't bother me, because live and let live, but the frequent mischaracterization is wild considering they make her act absolutely OOC, because she would never voice her dislike towards anyone, not even scowl. And I like to analyse.
Also, now that we're talking about that. People only hate her because we hear her thoughts, her private thoughts, the only place she gets to be herself, flawed and express her distaste. I think that's why they sound so much worse than they would be, she has no outlet, nothing to ease the stress and frustration of being in a pedestal that's too small to sit down. Since no one, not even her closest friends can see her acting anything but pleasing and charming. Everything goes to her head, that's why her thoughts make everyone think she's so mind blowingly awful. Even if I personally think they're not even all that bad. And most of the time, they're true.
Every thought she ever had of Saiki being surely inlove with her was backed up by all the knowledge she has about men, that they all unquestionably desire her. It's all she's ever known.