Part 2 - Kurogane

[chidorinokoe]

Warning: Some spoilers.

Comments

[vinval]

he’s the only person in the group who accepts the real Syaoran for who he truly is. i'm glad i'm not the only one that noticed that Kurogane doesn't see r!Syaoran reflected against c!Syaoran. maybe because he's the only one that really saw Syaoran in the first place, and recognizes his true "heart"; just like he did with piffle!Tomoyo, even if they're separate people.

the Kurogane/Syaoran dynamic is the main reason i stuck with Tsubasa, i will admit. there are points were Kurogane just watches Syaoran with awe, and even in his harshness with him, he does it with all the best of intentions, because he trusts that Syaoran can take it. Kurogane, i've noticed, is never harsh for the sake of being harsh. i think Syaoran is a huge part of Kurogane's growth. he's discovering that strength needs to be fostered, not achieved, because of a boy with sincerety and determination. the mentor learns just as much from his student as he teaches, i suppose.

i loved little!Kuro too! it was great to see all the little ways he hadn't changed at all, and then contrast that against who he is at that point in the series... that arc, though, made me think: neither Kurogane or Fai are forthcoming about their pasts, and at first i thought, doesn't that make Kuro a little... hypocritical? and then i thought about it, and realized it didn't, even before i learned Fai's past could put everyone else in danger. because that's just part of who Kurogane is - he wouldn't flaunt a traumatic past, because it's over and gone. he's not going to waste time with regrets or what-ifs. but i was a little surprised by his reaction. but then again, it was Syaoran, and that changes things. had it been Sakura or Fai that saw that book, he would've been angrier and less accepting of their sympathy.

that's the main reason i love both Kurogane and Doumeki - it is or it isn't. everything else can wait.

[chidorinokoe]

Kurogane seems like one of those fathers who would throw his son into a serious situation, where he has to choose right or wrong, because he trusts that he'll make the best decision. That makes me also think that he's learning just as much as his student is.

And another wonderful thing about Kurogane is just as you said. Yes, he had a sad, traumatic past. Yes, he was just as hurt as the others when clone-Syaoran betrayed them. But he doesn't let it get him down. He doesn't dwell on thoughts like "What if I had done this-..." or "If only I had done that-..." He cries, he treats his wounds, but he keeps moving forward and gets strong as he does so.

I think that's why he gets frustrated with Fai so much. It's like he wants to just grab the magician by the shoulders and shout, "Grow a spine, face your fears, and do something about them! No more running away."

...He's alot like Doumeki, in many ways.

[vinval]

i loved that part in Acid Tokyo when he says to Fai, "Don't think i'm letting you distract me. I'm not." and later, the "quit screwing and a toughen up already". he was really, really starting to get short with him - and then all that clone crap blew it right back out of the water. i was like, WHY? i wanted to see Kurogane lay it out for Fai... hopefully this will happen in the near future.

[chidorinokoe]

Kurogane and Fai have an interesting dynamic. ...I think I'm going to rant about that soon too.