Let Me Count The Ways
Why do I Love the Pillar Pair? Let me count the ways. Well, maybe not. Maybe I can but I just can’t quantify the feeling I get for this cool duo. Okay so maybe them having a relationship is close to paedophile. And maybe they both have the same love-to-hate personalities: what with both guys competitive, stubborn and uberly male. It’s also quite easy to imagine how a lover’s quarrel between them would be like (spell: cold shoulder). More so, it’s hard to imagine them whispering sweet nothings or cuddling (well not to me but i’m trying to be objective here). Considering what I just listed they would seem like such an unlikely pair. But I just love them.
Truly I do.
Though it’s hard to ignore the almost (i’m thinking of crossing out ‘almost’) blatant fact that Tezuka and Fuji are constantly thrown together; and i’m sure anyone who has watched the anime and OVA wouldn’t be able to help but agree (even the staunchest supporters of other pairings, albeit derisively). I mean c’mon! That episode between the long awaited match between Tezuka and Fuji (which by the way is simply a poor excuse to showcase the behind-the-scene relationship of the two if you haven’t realized it yet) totally reeks of YAOI. It’s an episode where the most important of matches actually becomes a filler to flashbacks, character POV’s and reminiscing.
And if you didn’t notice it too, i’ll lay down one of the most crucial yet painful facts in the animated series in black and white for you: it’s actually an episode where Tezuka Kunimitsu has spoken actual paragraphs. Like, real dialogues!
Fine! So I don’t have the numbers as to the average words per ep. that Tezuka actually utters. But if you have watched the whole series in marathon mode at least more than once you would be able to observe that Tezuka mostly: stands in the background, arms folded across his chest and have this keen ability to communicate his thoughts through his unflinching and rather emotionally-deprived gaze. Or maybe Seigaku regulars just all have ESP. And I suppose he sometimes gets bored doing the staring game episode after episode after…you catch my drift, so he would do little variations by: nodding (his ascent), closing his eyes (normally when he’s frustrated or when he’s in danger of showing emotion and he’s holding back – i.e. when he drank Inui juice by mistake and the New Year’s special when he lost to Eiji), grunting, assigning laps, checking his watch or turning his back on somebody.
Well i’m not saying that Tezuka’s character is totally limited; there were episodes wherein he actually does something different. Like, when he kept hanging up the phone on Inui (in true Tezuka style), or when he played cards on the train ride to see the sunset, or…shoot my mind went blank for 10minutes there. Seriously. Anyway, point is, though there were variations; they were still done in character.
However, if you watch THAT episode (can’t remember the exact episode number my dvd’s a bit messed up), Tezuka spoke quite a lot. A. LOT. Even if those were his thoughts spoken aloud for the benefit of the audience, it was still a lot. You don’t see an episode of Tezuka doing any soul-searching except then. What’s more, Tezuka spoke about a lot of things that doesn’t even involve tennis!
YOUCH!
Although he would talk to Oishi about dreams: these are dreams about the Nationals, about tennis. He talks to Echizen about increasing his potential – still tennis. But with Fuji, though there are parts about tennis, he actually speaks about…*gasp* feelings!
OH.EHM.GEE.
I think I want to go sit in a corner and cry now.
And again, if you noticed between their dialogues, Tezuka actually talks to Fuji like a normal human being. Not as a captain. And he actually answers Fuji’s questions; say, like going to Snow Mountain and stuff.
Of course not to be outdone, Fuji executes the perfect groupie-girlfriend role perfectly: Waiting for Tezuka at the clinic (Outside. Without Tezuka’s knowledge.), initiating the conversation (and acting cute while he’s at it), talking about girl-, i mean inane stuff (you know small talk just to keep your boyfriend/crush talking), subtly sharing his umbrella with Tezuka, etc.
Even in the OVA with his match against Niou (Rikkaidai), when Niou made the “mistake” of saying “Tezuka Kunimitsu was unexpectedly useless” — when his illusion didn’t win him the match against Fuji. Like a scorned girlfriend (or more like the girlfriend of the guy who was scorned), he launched into a verbal attack against Niou; telling him that his illusion wasn’t perfect because he could’ve used the zero-shiki drop but didn’t because he couldn’t, and in true bitch fashion ending it with a “You can’t hold a candle to Tezuka.” WHOAH. Take that, Niou!
To top it off, I just discovered that they have a duet! Ok so their Seiyuus are actually male (Tezuka) and female (Fuji) but that’s beside the point. If you look at the lyrics…well i’ll leave you to find it out for yourself. My heart is near bursting with pain right now. Honest! I remember when I was writing my fanfic and I was already at my 4th round of watching the POT series.
When I got to the Tezuka vs. Fuji episode, I skipped through it because I said I don’t want to lose faith in my fanfic pairing simply because: as much as I would vouch for them all the way, watching that ep. is an outright “In your face!”
You must be wondering: Wasn’t this supposed to be a drabble where I gush about the PillarPair and encourage everyone to support this pairing?
Well, I initially planned to do that, but true to my writing style, out of spontaneity it turned out like this. Now, don’t go thinking that i’ve suddenly switched allegiance to the TezuFuji group. I respect their “Perfect Pair”. And if Ryoma wasn’t there I would pledge my support to their cause.
But as much as I love Fuji too, well in my heart I still believe that the Pillar Pair will make it through! (That…sort of rhymed ^_^;)
It’s actually with that belief that I created the premises of two of my pending fanfiction that includes Fuji in it (yup it’s TezuRyoFuji). I might spend my vacation writing it. My notes have been sitting in the dark for almost a month now. I think i’ve had enough time to re-charge my creative juices for another round.
I Love Pillar Pair!
