I think chapter 2 is a special case since it was the first time Yukio confirmed Rin can stay conscious when using blue flame. What Yukio was saying until Kraken arc is pretty normal to me. He meant they don't really know the mechanism of Rin's flame and how (or whether) it's going to affect Rin's mind. Moreover he thought Rin didn't take it seriously. Tbh, he wasn't wrong. (And I think Shura actually thought of the same things, but as an adult, Shura knew they can't escape from the problems and Rin has to master his skills by practicing.) Yukio didn't take it too far like Rin should never use his flame, for example Yukio asked Rin to help him in chapter 3, and he didn't complain when Rin used blue flame to fought Naberuis. He only became unsettled after Rin went berserk in the forest and Rin punched Bon in Kyoto.
From what you wrote, it seems to me you do agree Yukio thought Rin was dangerous (because of his flames and because of his behavior) since the beginning and until a certain point.
Which I think certainly made him "unsettled", uneasy, troubled, worried, wary, etc, since the beginning and until a certain point.
What I mean is, after chapter 2 Yukio temporarily agreed Mephisto's "testing Rin's power" training (and I believe it's because he witness Rin fluently use the flame to attack hobgoblin), but after some time he regretted, as he explicitly stated
here (a little earlier than I thought in previous post). Therefore they had the argument in Kraken arc.
she already knew Yukio isn't perfect in Kraken arc.
she had the same realization about Rin too, didn't she? I don't know why many people keep mentioning Shiemi is looking up to Yukio, while ignoring she's also looking up to Rin and the others.
But then she specifically thought Yukio isn't perfect either, so I think that's the most important thing Kato intended to show us there.
If we talk about that scene in the kraken arc, she did specifically think Yukio isn't perfect either. But that's because she had already realized the others weren't perfect.
But she had seen Rin arguing with Bon many times before, so what really trigged her there should be mostly Yukio's part. I think her perfect first impression on Yukio played an important part in her cognition of the outside world, so she saw everyone perfect. Until she realized he isn't perfect, she suddenly realized no one is perfect.
I regard Renzou's part (introducing him to his brothers and planning to invite girls to swimming) played a less significant role in how Rin regained confidence.
I know Rin doesn't know about Koneko's conversation with Renzou. I mentioned it to emphasize how much Koneko wasn't helping Rin to regain his confidence.
I think acting normal with someone who is being ostracized is way more helpful than actively ostracizing them and apologizing only after being confronted by many people.
To me it's the opposite. Because Koneko is the most obvious one who first scared of Rin but changed his mind after Rin's effort, it's very meaningful in Rin's mind. It proves Rin can change how other people view him.
(Though I do think it means something that Rin's attitude to Renzou is kind of weird throughout the story. I might elaborate it later)
I'm not sure what you mean exactly. Your phrasing is a little off. And, like you said, you didn't complete your thought. But anyway...
I think Rin's attitude towards Renzou is not that weird. And I think Rin did start to think better of Renzou after that time at the start of the kyoto arc where Renzou acted normal with him despite what the others were doing.
That's much out of topic since it's neither about shipping nor shounen ai, and are all very small things, so I'll only roughly state some "inconsistency" between them :
- When Rin blocked Renzou's attack in the forest camp, he should feel that Renzou's strength is surprisingly larger than expected, but he didn't ask anything.
- Also in the camp he said something like "you'd feel better if you pee your pants" with an expression which isn't like joking. Really, at that time were they already so familiar that Rin would say such joke?
- Then this was more likely to really be a joke, but makes you wonder "Misjudge? So how did he judge him before?"
- He had a good question here : "Why don't you ask for my permission too?"
- It's not the only time he's ignored by Rin. On the train to Kyoto, Rin met the trio the first time after the court, then he talked to Bon and then to Koneko despite they didn't respond, but he didn't talk to Renzou. Similar thing happened at the end of the IK battle when he reunited with them. The recent birthday party suggestion is like an example too.
- After they arrived at Kyoto, Rin was depressed that all his friends (except Izumo) were avoiding him, and it seems like Rin and Renzou had a "reconciliation" after Rin drunk. However, because Renzou wasn't really scared (he just felt trouble), before the "reconciliation" he accidentally started talking to Rin 3 times, while Rin didn't have any special reaction as if never paid attention to him.
- Rin seems not interested in Renzou's affair at all. For example in chapter 45, he was like "let it go" when Koneko was worrying again about Renzou's chosen meister, and he didn't ask detail after hearing Koneko's infamous "He has talent".
- During and after the "betrayal" or the spy identity revealed, there is other thing seems a bit off between them, although people just interpret it as Rin being too careless, but maybe not just that.
While Rin stated that it was thanks to everyone that they managed to defeat the Impure King (as I'm gonna assume this is what you're referring to)
I can't speak for tandem, but I wasn't talking about Rin's control over his flames. When I was talking about Rin regaining his self confidence, I meant him not feeling awkward around his friends anymore and start acting like his usual self again.
I was referring to how Rin could stay conscious when he and Ucchusma were attacking IK because Rin remembered everyone trusted him. (not referring to how the other exwires fought IK, which Rin doesn't even know except Bon's part)
Moreover, despite it seems like RinShi make each other better while YukiShi do not, and even Yukio might think so, I actually disagree. Shiemi's improvement is a combined effect of Rin, Yukio, and even Izumo. Rin regains confidence not only because Shiemi, but also because Izumo, Bon, and especially Koneko. When looking at RinShi alone, I actually feel their relation stuck
While Rin stated that it was thanks to everyone that they managed to defeat the Impure King (as I'm gonna assume this is what you're referring to), he specifically stated that thinking of Shiemi gave him encouragement, and we even saw that she was in Ch. 33. That in and of itself holds more weight than the others collectively helping him, because she was the catalyst.
I can't agree with their relationship being stuck. Not when they've been significant forces in each other's lives that helped pushed them to where they are now as individuals.
Yes, Shiemi is definitely the most important part of it. I just want to say she's not the only part, so I disagree the idea that they should be together because they're so unique to each other. I do think right now they have the highest possibility to end up together among all shipping pairs, and if I have to predict the ending I'll bet on them too, but it's not endgame yet (at chapter 99).
By stuck I just mean recently (after the school festival I guess) their relation doesn't improve much, unlike before. Though they're still ahead other potential pairs
Honestly, I think Shiemi will eventually pair up with one of the twins. As of right now, I would say it'd be Rin. But she'll definitely get more development with Yukio in the future, and maybe something will come of it.
At this point in time, I see Rin being fine with Yukio having Shiemi in order to keep the peace between them. Yukio, however, I don't think would be able to stand seeing Shiemi together with Rin.
I feel the same about this. At this point, I don't even think of it in terms of who's best suited for who anymore, because it's a never-ending argument. It really all boils down to who Shiemi chooses to be with, since it's already been established that both Rin and Yukio have feelings for her. I do believe that she has romantic feelings for Rin. Nothing about her rejecting him made me think she doesn't.
I wonder if Yukio will ever confess. I hope he does, so that if she does reject him, he can move on. But really, I want Yukio to be more open about his feelings, and his feelings towards Shiemi is definitely one of them. As for Katou concluding the romance, I think it'd be bad writing on her part not to do anything with it, after she's developed it since Ch. 3. It wouldn't make a lick of sense.
I can't see Yukio actually confessing, but I could see Shiemi realizing that Yukio has feelings for her by someone bringing it up, partically someone like Shima. "Wow, Moriyama san, Sensei sure does a lot for you, doesn't he?", or something like that.
I wonder whether he knows or not. I mean, for the exwires it's not really that obvious. While all of the exwires (except Takara) have said something about the RinShie paring, none of them ever mentioned anything about YukiShie
he'll say it in response to some "I care about you" by going "you care about Rin! I've watched it! And I know damn well that you love him, and that I've never had a chance, that's just how it is!" Then realizes he just revealed more about himself than he intended.
I expect something more calm like "Do you want to join the Illuminati? They have better workplace gender equality here."
About Shiemi rejecting Rin though, didn't she do it because she wasn't his equal or something and not because she didn't like him? I don't remember the exact word, but I find it kinda difficult for her to be his equal in power especially now that Rin's got his full power. Unless she didn't mean equal in power per say, but social standing.
^I think power isn't so much important to Shiemi, you're right, it's about social standing.
I might read too much into it, but chapter 82 gave me a strong feeling of the "women choosing between careers versus family" topic. Shiemi's vague "catch up with everyone" sounds pretty like a reminiscent of "delay marriage/pregnancy for a better career path", which might be an emerging topic in Japan.
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