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oatmealcrisp-freak · 2 years

Text

The pattern to who saiki kusuo beats up is either

A) self defense

B) theyre in the wrong in some other way

C) an accident he seems to feel guilty for or the narrative would need to find another reason why this hasn't come up before besides, "I didn't want to remember that"

D) self defence but also that's just the way that power works for some reason

Which means that the narrative has likely chosen to make him likeable by making him morally correct, and a server of justice. Part of the comedy is him giving people their just desserts. A bulk of the remaining comedy is him either getting unlucky (ie putting him in situations that conflict with his goals) or getting his own just desserts for being an asshole himself, because narratives often seek ways to make overpowered characters likeable by bringing them down in some way.

Saiki kicking Toritsuka’s ass would work a lot less if Toritsuka wasnt Like That. Saiki kicking his brothers ass to the point Kusuke is bloody and swollen would work a lot less if Kusuke didn't attack first. Same with Kuniharu. The narrative is structuring these characters for a reason. A big part of the reason appears to clue the audience in on who we're allowed to smack.

Let's look at a joke in the first episode

Kuniharu is locked out of the house by his wife.

Kuniharu tells his son to commit crimes.

Kuniharu picks a fight with his wife.

Kuniharu is served a shoe for dinner.

The pattern implies the shoe is punishment for Kuniharus behaviour.

The narrative puts Kurumi in the position of morally correct by having her kid credit her as the reason he hasn't gone rogue, and then with her encouraging him to do good. The narrative puts Kuniharu in the position of the morally incorrect because. Well. Encouraging your kid to rob banks usually isn't considered upright behaviour. Also his eyes are censored by the text in one of the first scenes he's in?¿?? Usually thats felon treatment akdjwh

Compare to how the narrative introduces kusuo saiki himself. The first time we see him is after he saved a dogs life. It's standard shorthand for, "this is a good guy who you're supposed to like" and since he's the POV character introducing everyone, he's also the one introducing everyone. He's our key informant. How the narrative seeks to use that information matters.

How a character is introduced matters a lot. It sets the stage for them. The story then has the option to, usually, follow through on that, build on that, or subvert that. Some things end up getting subverted along the way but for the most part, Kusuos introductions stay on lock. Everyone stays pretty true to how he introduces them. Example, teruhashi is universally acknowledged to be the perfect pretty girl, therefore saikis not into it. They toy with that concept but teruhashi never wins him as her romantic partner. She is the perfect pretty girl, therefore saikis not into it. Even being in her presence is in direct conflict with his goals of not being the center of attention. Toritsuka introduces himself. He's a monk and he has a cool design with pure eyes. Turns out he's a pervert.

Then he gets his ass beat on. Kusuke is introduced spying on his family without their apparent knowledge in an ominous dark room, then he gets his ass beat on. Kuniharu is introduced as a pathetic and lazy dad, then he gets his ass beat on. Nendo is introduced as a well meaning idiot who Kusuo wants to kill and.....doesn't beat on. Kaidou is introduced as a chuuni who has an inner strength who Kusuo....doesn't beat on (well he slaps him one time in the time loop but tbh that oocness is part of what makes its so funny tbh asfgiduaushs). Hairo is introduced as a pushy but upright guy, Kusuo sorta threatens to murder him, but doesn't. A guy pickpockets a bunch of people at a festival, including Kusuo, gets his ass served to him and turned into the police. Some yakuza try to kidnap him, they're traumatized for life. Some thugs corner him and Kaidou, he curses them. Some thugs try to sneak up on them and mug them in endsville? Put through a wall. Chono is a smug street performer, doesn't get beaten. Everyone hates Matsuzaki, he doesn't get beaten. Kurumi doesn't get her ass kicked by him. He rolls the gang who tried to kidnap Aiura into a ball. A guy takes advantage of Kaidou and then he screams and then there's an ominous hole in the wall and the room is trashed so he probs got his ass, like, str8 up nuked LMAO

Ysee where I'm going with this?

Kusuo beats up the nasties, not the goodies, unless you're akechi one time by accident and then hes traumatized forever. Ergo...

The stage set for Kuniharu is that of a pathetic and lazy man who relies on Kusuo for everything, and Kusuo says that he can't spoil him, making him sound like a dadlier figure than his dad. By and large, Kuniharus role in this show is not to subvert this standard. His appearances involve him meeting those standards, by and large. Him being a bad dad and getting just desserts is the point of his character.

If Kuniharu is a good dad, what the purpose? And how is he a good dad i want reciepts

It's either to lift up Kusuke (and then be the butt of the joke), or to teach his kid a lesson he wouldn't otherwise get. The latter happens, like, once, and it's the best way to do that story since it hinges on kuniharu, since it's using kuniharus birthday to set the conflict.

I mean I guess you could say he's a good dad in the non traditional role of serving his purpose in the narrative pretty well by being a bad dad but again

If he's a good dad, what's the story? For kusuo, all powerful psychic, who saved a dog in his introduction and is sad he doesn't know the joy of hard work, to kick the ass of a hard working provider for? No reason? Except a man punching you is a pretty good reason, like....idk how people say that's good dad behaviour...........the writing isn't even on the wall it's scene by scene

The exact opposite of saving an animal to show you're a good character the audience should like is to beat or kill an animal. We root for John Wick cus those motherfuckers killed his dog. A lot of us say we'd do the same. The next step up from there is usually to beat or kill a kid - double points if the kid is yours or otherwise in your care. Trunchbull is hella charismatic but that doesnt change the fact that shes one of the main antagonists whose public humiliation by the kids she abuses serves as a massive victory. A lot of anime plays by that rule too. If you're a protagonist and you have an abusive parent/caretaker they are probably gonna be canon fodder. Like. They're not gonna have a good end. Even that super grimdark happy sugar life show something killed or jailed or abused all the child abusers, including the ones who were legally still minors dhfahfshrs The only time this doesn't seem to be the case is when the narrative needs child soldiers sometimes which entails a level of neglect, or its WAY hella dark. Or you're Naruto, but the show doesn't pretend he's a good dad.

Child abuse is traditional bad guy territory. Understandably.

And u kno what?

Usually it's the same for people who beat their parents for 'no reason', from breaking bad, to that one show with the animal head mask death game where the first guy got killed cus he abused his mom, to Itachi, to lotsa others. So usually to make the kinda person who'd do that likeable, you gotta give them a reeaaaallly good reason. Itachi was sorta a victim of a coup and then he died. Guts's dad was a true piece of shit. Lelouch's parents are bad guys. Etcetc

Unless he's a cat and then it's an accident but known cat lover Kuniharu should know better than to get into a strange cat's face too tbh. Offer your hand first and ask permission :/

And thus, Kuniharu hits his kid with weapons, fists, and feet, and seeks to undercut Kusuo emotionally and otherwise to become The Bigger Man. Buddy even tries to steal his kids new years money. Kuniharu is not a good dad so morally upright by comparison Kusuo can punish him. Kuniharu needs to hit Kusuo first, or Kusuo can't hit him, and he canonically does, and then Kusuo canonically kicks his butt. If Kuniharu isnt actively taking joy in his kids suffering or beating him, Kusuo isnt picking fights with him. Kuniharu needs to be a prat so he can take prat falls. The narrative needs him to be a pathetic and lazy dad just like hes introduced as so it can punish him for it.

And how is he a good dad, I want reciepts, nobody ever brings me reciepts. You're allowed to have problematic faves you know your characters don't need to be paragons of purity for you to enjoy them in the story

This is all there in both the anime and the manga. The key difference in how this goes down is one scene with the shoulder massage. In the anime kuniharu stops hitting his kid for revenge after a pipe and wooden sword. In the manga he also gets some brass knuckles :)

#long post #freaks essays #sorry if this reads funky i wrote this on my phone #like he'll tease his dad but he wont get physical. like that note of 'amps' lol or pretending hes gonna flick him like he broke the wall #there could be others but i cant remember them off the top of my head rn #like kusuo is mean. but his dad sought to make him cry first. so. shrug! hes literally a victim and a minor im fine with that 💗#anyways im not shuichi asou obviously so this IS guess work but it doesnt feel far off from a story telling perspective based on what i #know about story telling and building narratives. it makes sense to me looking at the patterns in both the anime and manga

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