Seiya storms the barricades as we open Blue Flag’s fourth quantity, first difficult his brother Touma on his reckless actions, then turning his barrels in the direction of our different leads. As in his first look, Seiya cuts by all this adolescent nervousness like a scorching knife by butter, casually dragging Taichi apart and difficult Futaba on her relationship with the pair of them in a single simple gesture. When highschool dramas solely characteristic excessive schoolers, their perspective can get a bit myopic, naturally embracing the sense of consequence and finality that attends untested adolescent feelings. Rising from childhood into anxious self-awareness, adolescents can naturally really feel overwhelmed or paralyzed by the alternatives earlier than them, seeing in every alternative made an countless corridor of potential doorways which have all slammed painfully, completely shut.
That is comprehensible; not solely are they excited about how their presentation and actions have an effect on others’ impressions of them for principally the primary time, they’re combining that understanding with the pure nervousness of highschool, the primary time in most of their lives the place the stage after this one isn’t identified or assured. So that they actually do have the possibility to screw up their lives in lasting, consequential methods, making it all of the more durable to make any key choices.
The one antidote to this sense of paralysis is expertise – making decisions, seeing how they prove, and realizing you continue to have the chance to make extra decisions afterwards. As irritating as it’s, the one reply to missing confidence in your choices is taking motion, screwing up, and realizing life nonetheless goes on. And this “recommendation” is so trite it’s hardly recommendation in any respect, as each the peril and revenue of embracing your probabilities can be completely different for each single individual. However fortuitously, folks like Seiya are keen to push these anxious teenagers ahead, to throw them within the pool and survey their makes an attempt at swimming, ensuring to increase an arm if it appears anybody’s prone to drown. Although all three of our leads concern breaking their fragile mutual bond, the one various to progress is stasis; what they’ve can’t final, but when they’re courageous, they might completely make one thing lasting out of it.
By the way, Seiya’s dialog with our leads additionally presents a fantastic demonstration of Kaito’s visible strengths; how they will stability life like character appearing with cartoonish superdeformed gildings to evoke the precise tone of a second, the stability of energy between people, or how a dialog is perceived from one aspect versus the opposite. One of many very first issues that stood out to me about Blue Flag was how a lot care Kaito took in how garments grasp on the human physique, whether or not a given character is actually comfy in their very own uniform, or in the event that they really feel both constrained or shapeless inside their garments.
Right here, Seiya demonstrates confidence and maturity in his loose-fitting polo T, whereas Taichi and Futaba have been lowered to wilting, superdeformed blob folks. The dynamic is evident: our youthful two really feel like they’re getting a lecture from an grownup, contracting into shapeless kinds that appear like an inherent apology, like they’re preemptively cringing towards no matter “hassle” they’re about to get in. Touma’s brother is inviting them to be frank with him, however they will’t match his confidence – as an alternative, they default to the posture you’d see from note-passers being known as to the principal’s workplace.
Afterward, Kaito makes use of character blocking and panel positioning to perform an identical impact to the brother’s posture earlier. His flip to their real matter of debate is illustrated by a panel the place his black polo completely dominates the composition, his physique curving up and round his two companions, their heads at such a distance that it seems they might simply be sitting in his lap. This show of visible aggression, this play of visually dominating the scene, is additional amplified by the next panel, a closeup shot of Seiya that concurrently makes him really feel large and too shut, a large determine getting proper up in your nostril. By way of these paneling decisions, Kaito instantly shifts the tone of their encounter from a fond assembly with an older relative to an interrogation, our two leads completely dwarfed by Seiya’s presence.
Taichi’s response is charming. He principally has to assemble all his braveness to ask Seiya the identical query he requested, which solely type of annoys Seiya, however for Taichi embodies his recent willingness to problem Touma on his decisions, to be the lively good friend and caretaker to Touma that Touma has been to him. This is a crucial emotional breakthrough for Taichi, nevertheless it’s of no use in any respect to Seiya – an offhand demonstration of one among this manga’s common skills, its understanding of the huge gulfs separating our expertise and notion of the exact same occasions. Seiya’s issues are legitimate – Touma’s baseball profession is over, his option to get a job instantly after highschool appears ill-considered, and the time to make such decisions is swiftly passing. However he’s working from a chicken’s eye view, not taking Touma’s quick emotions under consideration. Of their incapacity to attach, the problem of true frequent understanding is made viscerally clear.
Seeing solely two boys who’re playing with their futures for unsure acquire, Seiya leaves Taichi with one closing, slicing piece of recommendation: “Sacrificing your self shouldn’t be the way you present sincerity.” His phrases fly above the performative sacrifices of adolescence, emphasizing the give-and-take of real, significant relationships. You don’t show the legitimacy or depth of your emotions by hurting your self, by sacrificing your individual happiness for the sake of one other. That’s frankly extra for your self than for anybody else, a means of convincing your self or assuaging your guilt or in any other case paying penance in your actions. If you happen to actually, sincerely wish to assist others, you could handle your self as nicely, and decide to changing into the best attainable model of your self, somebody who can really shoulder the load you propose to with out collapsing beneath it. You could show a dedication to the longer term you propose to construct – in any other case, self-destruction is simply one other methodology of working away.
With each the sincerity and efficacy of their mutual self-sacrificing in query, our solid pack in for yet one more awkward celebration: Touma’s hospital launch get together. The journey over to Touma’s presents a captivating demonstration of the simultaneous complexity and ease of social drama, the theater of managing the varied expectations, rivalries, and even hatreds throughout a bigger group of teenagers. A lot animosity and resentment, but Futaba is ready to calm everybody with the easy gesture of a bit of onerous sweet to take pleasure in on the highway. At occasions it may seem to be our emotions are impossibly far aside, however as this story persistently demonstrates, a little bit bravery and a little bit kindness can go additional than anybody may anticipate. Futaba has been practising being courageous all all through this manga, and at this level that follow has led her to be the one who’s usually holding this group collectively.
Although Taichi arrives at this get together with a mission from Seiya to find Touma’s true intentions, he’s sadly incapable of deciphering the related clues. Sneaking into Touma’s room, Taichi and his teammates uncover a do-it-yourself board sport locked in a puzzle field, a field that solely Taichi is aware of learn how to open. A transparent metaphor that speaks to each their lengthy mutual understanding and Touma’s hidden emotions – solely Taichi can unlock Touma’s coronary heart, and the key hidden inside is a talisman of their friendship, the particular bond solely they’ve shared.
The three tumble over one another in Touma’s rush to safe the boardgame, leaving all of them mendacity in a heap. Glancing up in the direction of Futaba, Taichi is completely dazzled by her, Kaito’s artwork paying far larger consideration to the pursing of her lips and shine of her eyes than normal, emphasizing the place Taichi’s personal consideration is drawn. The portrait presents a snapshot of their present emotions – Futaba absolutely in love with Taichi, and Taichi recalling how absolutely he was entranced by Futaba from the beginning. However the place does Touma match into this image? Mentioning the boardgame himself after the get together, Touma’s intent to regain his authentic closeness with Taichi is evident. However as at all times, Taichi can’t assign himself sufficient worth to finish the image.
With the get together concluded, the subsequent chapter opens with a key reminiscence of Taichi’s, one whose significance he’s solely absolutely coming to know on reflection. Again when Touma was a latchkey child being quasi-raised by his distracted brother, it was his stepsister Akiko who raised his spirits relating to his residence life, main them by a house-cleaning tour that returned consolation and management to his life. Now, within the wake of the get together, Taichi sees that Touma has gone on one other home cleansing storm, making the place spotless as a result of it’s all he can do. He can’t return certainty to his life, however he can preserve peace in his residence – and to the ever-watchful Taichi, it’s clear that this ritual displays each his highly effective emotions in the direction of Akiko and his striving in the direction of a way of normalcy and routine which may now be eternally out of attain.
We then attain a scene that would probably use one other Futaba onerous sweet intervention, as Taichi makes an attempt to broach the subject of Touma’s post-school plans. The allegedly informal nature of their dialog appears to solely make elevating the topic tougher; as Taichi stops and begins, his physique language tucked-in and defensive at the same time as Touma makes an attempt to lighten the temper, you possibly can virtually see the membrane he’s pushing towards, the guard rails he’s established to keep away from rocking the boat along with his one irreplaceable good friend. Kaito has a knack for each naturalistic dialogue and subtly expressive character appearing, and each are put to dramatic work in articulating the invisible strain factors of those relationships.
The 2 maneuver round one another fastidiously, Touma probing for a way a lot Taichi understands, Taichi hesitantly throwing out questions relating to Touma’s ambitions and romantic emotions. What most strikes me about this dialog is how logical but restricted every of their views is; how their assumptions about one another are primarily based on wildly incomplete data, and the way that creates speedbumps in a dialog even when each of them are simply attempting to be frank with one another. Many writers tend to equip all of their characters with a point of “authorial voice,” a typical understanding that facilitates sleek storytelling. Kaito goes in the wrong way, stranding every of his characters on separate islands of data, equipping every of them with insufficient instruments for coming to know one another, after which constructing pure drama out of the friction that inherent scenario creates.
Thus we get spreads like this dramatic problem right here, the place Taichi asks if Touma has a crush on Aki-san. Taichi’s guess is true on the cash when it comes to what would work for who Touma was once, and what would facilitate correctly melodramatic motion, however his failure in assigning his personal flattering picture of Touma and unflattering picture of himself to his assumptions relating to Touma’s emotions means he’s completely blind to what Touma is definitely battling. Their moods ebb and move, with Touma shifting from amusement at Taichi’s false impression, to disappointment relating to how little his good friend understands him, to suspicion relating to his brother’s position in all this, if Taichi goes as far as to lift these clearly unfaithful hypotheses.
When requested what he actually desires, Touma says he “desires to be free” – an comprehensible want, given the course of his life thus far. His brother labored onerous to assist him, and he doesn’t wish to be a burden on him any longer, so him getting a job instantly would basically free each of them. He’s bored with the expectations of baseball, and looks as if he was partially partaking within the sport merely to have a transparent path and apparent technique to excel, alongside allaying the questions of others relating to his emotions or ambitions. He desires to proceed being near Taichi, despite the fact that he assumes they’re as shut as they’ll ever be, and having an area job would probably preserve them collectively. He desires a lot he can’t have, and so he takes management of what he can, cleansing the home and trying to make his personal means professionally.
When requested if he’s not free now, and if there’s something he actually desires, we get one other of these uncommon photographs absolutely from his perspective, revealing Taichi simply the best way Touma sees him. However how can he share these emotions with Taichi, when Taichi’s simply being his normal supportive self, and couldn’t probably know the way Touma feels? For each characters, this dialog is outlined by an invisible wall they appear unable to avoid
For now, Taichi’s assist is sufficient. However wanting down at their outdated board sport after Taichi has left, Touma can’t assist however replicate that there isn’t any technique to make everybody completely happy.
The story then turns again to Futaba, her entrance introduced by the opening line of “I like flowers” set towards a large open composition, with solely Futaba in the end interrupting the body. This system creates a way of stillness and silence, and naturally frames Futaba as an intruder, not eager to take up house, however nonetheless accepting she can be an imposition. Within the context of her household, we will see why she’d undertake this poise; she is talked round and disrespected, handled like a dependent or pet whereas she shrinks within the compositions, taking over as little house as attainable. The flowers are mild and quiet, like her; along with her complete posture, she makes an attempt to apologize for her presence, to be like them.
Futaba’s reflections at a bookstore emphasize the reciprocal constructive suggestions loop shared by her and Taichi. Neither of them imagine themselves to be courageous, however every is impressed by the bravery displayed by the opposite, which pushes them in flip to hunt what they really care about. Whereas Touma sees Taichi as his beloved, comfy previous, Taichi and Futaba are pushing one another in the direction of the longer term. It’s about the perfect factor a lover can give you: a dizzying peak to succeed in for, solely to look apart and see you’re inspiring your lover to larger heights of their very own.
Bumping into Touma, Futaba once more demonstrates that she is each bolder and stronger than she realizes. As is continuously the case, she finally ends up main from the rear, proving herself the anchor of those friendships as she suggests they maintain a celebration for Taichi, and all go to the fireworks competition collectively. Although she doesn’t imagine in her personal energy, she is commonly the primary to interrupt the ice, forcing herself to be courageous slightly than settle for a well mannered misunderstanding or disagreement. And in her factor, she shines just like the brightest flower, fortunately bonding with Touma over their shared love of Taichi. Futaba is the truth is so disarming that she prompts Touma to immediately ask the query of “are you in love?” And presumably in a wildly misguided effort to interrupt the stress, he clarifies himself, asking if she’s in love with Taichi or him.
It is extremely a lot consistent with Blue Flag’s naturalistic, melodrama-averse storytelling that Touma would simply unintentionally pop the query as a joke right here, and that the reply to that query wouldn’t be any type of conclusion, however merely yet one more step alongside their mutual journey. Romantic drama doesn’t stop in the mean time you admit to your emotions – that’s actually extra the place to begin, the inspiration from which one thing mutually significant can hopefully be constructed. Love is easy and pure as an abstraction, and way more complicated as an precise dedication.
Confronted by Touma’s blunt query, Futaba runs by a fast montage of her emotions for each of them. Piece by piece, these vignettes clearly show that whereas she admired Touma from afar, she loves the connection Taichi and herself have constructed collectively, and he or she has a a lot fuller appreciation for each side of his persona. Futaba didn’t want to be with Touma, she wished to be like Touma – to embody the braveness he as soon as supplied her, when he informed her that her finest good friend would at all times be herself, and thus she ought to attempt to be kinder to her finest good friend. A mild piece of recommendation that impacted her profoundly, and which introduced her to this second of returning the favor. Reflecting on her “allowed vary” of ambitions, Touma instantly sees himself in her phrases, struggling for the liberty to specific his emotions for Taichi. And thus he arrives at his personal elementary query, asking “what sort of me do I wish to be?”
Sadly, single emotional revelations can’t change the sluggish, regular work of constructing self-confidence, of being sort sufficient to your self to imagine within the kindness proven by others. Thus, although Taichi has modified to an extent, he nonetheless can’t imagine in his pals’ emotions in the direction of him, and as an alternative resentfully sees this complete fireworks expedition as a date between Touma and Futaba that he’s simply awkwardly third wheeling. With their understanding of one another’s emotions so wildly out of step, it falls to Masumi to attempt to pair them up accurately, and naturally she’s just about the final individual you’d flip to for tactful, sleek resolutions of social conflicts. Thus the easy act of selecting who’s to return for shaved ice turns into a sport of love-couple musical chairs, with Touma suggesting Masumi be a part of him, Masumi aggressively declining, and Futaba finally volunteering to go, after which Masumi berates Touma for not taking that chance himself.
It’s all a large number of tension and missed indicators framed across the allegedly pure, apparent romantic tropes of an occasion just like the summer season competition, and thru that messiness it demonstrates once more how highschool romances are usually a sort of efficiency, their members going by the motions they’ve internalized relating to intimacy and relationship improvement, and hoping to finally come by these motions naturally. It’s an anxious charade, however that doesn’t make it any much less actual, or out of step with the remainder of highschool. Adolescence is by and huge a interval of faking it till you make it, performing the self you imagine you wish to change into, and praying the insecurity of the act doesn’t leak by.
The hanging lanterns of the competition lead us away from Touma and Masumi, their lights guiding us on a path in the direction of Taichi as tightly stacked panels announce the competition’s bustling primary road. And on the subsequent web page, the stability of black and white does an identical job of clarifying the characters’ impression of the second. Amongst a sea of tightly stacked and equally thin-lined panels, the 2 specializing in Taichi’s pure-black strap stand out sharply, serving as a visible anchor for us simply as they function a bodily anchor for Futaba. Taichi could also be gloomy, however he’s her port within the storm – one thing she ultimately resolves to inform him, in a collection of descending panels that tumble like fall leaves in the direction of the bottom.
The background fades away fully as Futaba considers revealing the reality; nothing else is actual on this second aside from Taichi, and what he may say to her confession. As the 2 pairs categorical their emotions to their confidants, we’re gently carried from dialog to dialog each by the contrasting subjects and the visible framing of the pages, with incomplete panel traces and pans to the sky continuously main us from one area of battle to the opposite. By way of contrasting Touma and Futaba’s ideas on who they’re, who they love, and who they wish to change into, Kaito attracts an empathetic parallel between them, emphasizing how regardless of how misplaced, alone, and confused they really feel, these emotions are common, and nothing to be ashamed of.
Our leads’ cascading references to a “regular individual” spotlight their best level of commonality – their shared adolescent concern of bucking the pattern, of failing to mature into a traditional individual. What they can not perceive, significantly not at their younger age, is that each human being constructs their very own sense of regular, and that the one factor that actually issues is that your “regular” promotes happiness for you and the folks round you. Even Masumi shares this sentiment, questioning why she “should be so afraid of the prying eyes of others.” A concern with smart, tangible heft in a heteronormative society, the place expressing any type of queer emotion dangers not simply rejection, however social censure and even private hurt.
For her half, Futaba is so decided to articulate her emotions relating to Touma that she unintentionally lets slip how she really feels about Taichi. Within the warmth of the second, her tightly compartmentalized packing containers of fact jumble and fall, one revelation tumbling into one other as Masumi laments her personal emotions, the sorrow and disgrace, the conflicting want for Futaba to be completely happy and bitterness that Futaba’s happiness doesn’t embody her. It’s a painful second, but additionally a poignant and exquisite one; as Touma stares at her, he sees the complexity and the glory of her true nature. Blue Flag’s heroes attempt desperately to hide their emotions, ashamed of what they really want, afraid of what their treasured pals may say in response. However by Touma’s eyes, and captured by Kaito’s pen, it’s made clear that there’s nothing to be afraid of – that in these moments after we actually perceive one another, we’re most stunning of all.
This article was made attainable by reader assist. Thanks all for all that you simply do.
