#niibashi juuya

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#niibashi juuya #tashiro gonzaburou #tashibashi #i think they would work together idk why #you get me #cryn rambles

Sat, 14 May 2022 12:11:30

For those wondering why this analysis in ch.5+6, it’s because I wanted to analyze Niibashi’s role in the story and I can do that better if I talk about both Niibashi and Kagiura’s conversation over the phone before the Christmas party (ch.5) and their conversation in the sweets cafe (ch.6). I will still come with a ch.6 analysis.

Anyway, I consider Niibashi to be the, mostly romantic, common sense of H&K. Which is sorely needed as our main characters are Hirano I-have-no-idea-how-going-above-and-beyond-for-my-roommate-can-be-seen-as-romantic Taiga and Kagiura I’m-skipping-wanting-to-date-my-roommate-to-wanting-to-marry-him Akira. Though obviously Niibashi is only playing the common sense to Kagiura as he’s Kagiura’s best friend and has barely ever interacted with Hirano.

Before talking about how exactly Niibashi is the romantic common sense, I want to real quick talk about why Hirano doesn’t have a designated romantic common sense. Because Hirano is close with Hanzawa who gave Miyano romantic advice. Two reasons why Hanzawa can’t. Firstly, Hirano barely ever reflects on his own feelings, let alone talk to others about it. Secondly, Hanzawa didn’t get over his “I won’t sabotage it, but I’d rather that my friends NOT be gay” before December in his third year. If we’re lucky Hirano and Hanzawa will talk about kagihira’s romantic entanglements when they’re in their last semester of high school, but until then, Hanzawa won’t be told about the explicitly romantic parts of kagihira’s relationship.

Sasaki just isn’t the type to probe into people’s business unless that person is Miyano.

Anyway, back to Niibashi and the chapter. Niibashi mainly has three jobs as the romantic common sense.

1) Point out the ways kagihira’s relationship isn’t normal

Now, Hirano’s classmates also do this. However, Niibashi is much more privy to what’s going on so he gets to react to pretty much all of it. The fandom is also pretty quick to point out all the ways Hirano acts like more than just a roommate to Kagiura. Still, it’s nice to have the story confirm that Hirano’s actions are unusual.

2) Try to interpret Hirano through common romantic wisdom

Now, I don’t think that Niibashi is always right in his deductions or that the readers should always agree with him - he tells Kagiura that he should rely on Hirano less when we as readers know that Hirano LOVES taking care of Kagiura - since he doesn’t actually know Hirano and mostly just points out the most reasonable explanations based on what most people with some knowledge of romance would come up with.

I do, however, think that there is a point to him pointing these things out. Most people reading H&K will at least have some romance trope knowledge, even if it’s through BL. However, neither Hirano nor Kagiura has any of that. Kagiura would be spending a LONG time wondering about why Hirano doesn’t get his confession without Niibashi giving an explanation. It helps move the plot along in a deliciously frustrating slow burn way rather than an annoying slog by skipping some of the frustrating parts.

3) Prod at Kagiura’s feelings

When I first read ch.6 I thought, “Wait, I thought this was pining x oblivious, but it was actually oblivious x oblivious the whole time?!?” Thanks to Niibashi’s prodding, though, H&K turns into a proper “pining x oblivious” story.

TL;DR, Niibashi is a big part in moving kagihira along by adding a bit of romantic common sense into the mix in various ways.