30 Days of Anime: Day 8

Bienvenue from Paris! I’m finally back safe and sound in my apartment, catching up on all the shows from Winter 2018. Expect a review of Devilman: Crybaby and some First Impressions posts soon! Now, onto Day 8…

DAY 8 – FAVOURITE ANIME COUPLE

I made a note earlier of all the anime couples I love and…it was long. There’s definitely going to be some honorable mentions at the end of this post. After some deliberation and thinking, I finally went for a couple that I adore, but got 0 attention due to the anime flopping.

SETAGAWA MASAHIRO AND OOSHIBA KOUSUKE (Hitorijime My Hero)

God damn, I loved Hitorijime my Hero so much. Overlooked due to lack of hype, and for being a yaoi, but it was really well done. The relationship between Kousuke and Setagawa was very fluffy and lovely to watch blossom, despite the circumstances.

What circumstances, you ask? Well, I mean. Kousuke was Setagawa’s teacher, as well as the older brother of Setagawa’s best friend, Kensuke. Off the bat, you can tell that Kousuke and Setagawa’s relationship is pretty taboo, which makes the choice kind of controversial. But execution is important, and I think the show did a great job of letting the relationship form in a natural and healthy way as opposed some awful power moves.

I love the characters as individuals also, which is probably why I’m crazy about them together. Setagawa is honestly like a little lost kitten for the entire show, despite being part of a ‘tough guy’ gang; whereas Kousuke is fearless, known as the ‘Bear Killer’ due to his reputation for roughing up bad guys, yet he’s actually a total softie. The real characters vs the facade they hold up for others is super endearing, and it’s also lovely to see both characters drop the facade for each other. Kousuke is aware of Setagawa’s anxious disposition, whereas Setagawa knows that Kousuke is the kindest, and they work to build each other’s flaws.

 

I also liked that the relationship was somewhat taboo, and yet was treated respectfully and carefully. Both parties were very aware of the consequences, and there was no ‘throw this away for me’ or ‘I will drop everything for you’ due to strong feelings. It was realistic, and everyone acted in a realistic and mature manner, a nice change for a romance in a high-school setting. The relationship matured naturally, and did not shy away from the two bumping heads either – again, only making it appear more real. But when the relationship did get into the swing of things, if you’d just excuse me a minute: sdfghjhgfesgjtjrdgec it’s so cute! Their alone time was very bashful and sweet (even from a mid-20’s man), and of course when they were intimate it was also very sweet. I appreciated that the anime avoided the forced trope that we so often see in yaoi, and left us with a fluffy, consensual romance between two individuals who just needed their own hero.

Can someone please start translating the manga again? I’m starving here.

Who do you guys rate as a couple? Any more taboo couples done well? Let me know!

Until next time!