Arajin Observation Notes So Far:

Well if you insist

mizuki mentality

✨🩵✨

I think it should be obvious, but Bucchigiri is an anime about bonds and relationships, with three different ways of approaching it, sex, fights and cooking.

Saying that Arajin only wants sex and losing his virginity is to stay with the most superficial aspect of his character. Because yes, that's what he says he wants, but there are signs that it's not what he really seeks, a meaningful bond/relationship with someone, surely in an attempt to fill the void of that friendship he lost when leaving Matakara behind, because if we look closely, despite what he says, every time Arajin fantasizes about Mahoro it's never in a sexual way, what we see are bonding moments.

And his rejection of fights doesn't seem like a simple coincidence, not only because it's a characteristic of his condition as an antihero (in the classic sense of the word). But it's important to remember that just like sex and cooking (for someone) they are ways of relating, I mean… it is a very common trope… "men understand each other in a fight" which is particularly important here because it's the main way in which the boys relate to each other. Seen this way, by rejecting fights Arajin not only rejects confrontation, but the possibility of relating to the other boys, because doing so means constantly facing his guilt of what happened with Matakara (which also left him with after-effects), because if you pay attention, you can see that Arajin does care about him, more than he is willing to admit.

Let's also add to that how important cooking is (which I already have an analysis on this), cooking is independence, maturity, the warmth of a home and above all affection. I never get tired of saying it, the food in Bucchigiri "speaks", the single scene where Arajin and Matakara cook together in episode 8 is simply beautiful and tells us several things about both characters, their backgrounds, the state of their relationship, how they have coped with their lives after separating. And not only that, but cooking is presented as a kind of "third way" with respect to the previous two, not for nothing the last scene that both friends share is precisely cooking together.

By the way, have you noticed that there is in fact a common idea between sex, fighting and cooking (especially between the first two)? They all involve in one way or another "give it your all" and in particular "being exposed" and therefore "being vulnerable" which ends up being part of the resolution of the conflict, because it is at the moment when Matakara admits his pain that Arajin is also able to accept not only his guilt but the damage he caused him, it is there that he is finally able to gain the determination necessary to become a honki person and save his friend.

Bucchigiri is a story about bonds, relationships, trauma, loneliness, but it doesn't throw all its cards on the table in one sitting, it's also a story told through the small details it wants you to notice, because there's a lot to see if you are willing to give it a chance, it's a unique experience, even touching, that despite its flaws (because it has them) gives off a lot of personality, charisma and especially soul.

This is for you. Give it here. That's so cool! It's a best friend stone! Let's become Honki People together! Yeah!

hate when a pause is pregnant. abort that thang

current bucchigiri fic ideas:

1. arajin helps zabu understand matakara better but zabu mostly ends up understanding arajin better and he hates this

2. zabu's (canon but unseen) older sister shows up and embarrasses him while flirting with her gf who is scarily similar to matakara

redraws of some old rosiemillas because ive been replaying styling star for the nth time and i remembered i love them. old ones under the cut!

Part 2 of the Bucchigiri feature in spoon.2Di vol. 107

Spreads are read from right to left and include an story review of episodes 1-6, an interview with Mahoro's VA (Anna Nagase), and interviews with Marito and Outa's VA's (Nozomu Sasaki and Ryouta Takeuchi).

kubrick stare syndrome