Yk what fuck it, getting my thoughts about hanzawa out here I understand cultural and soc...

Yk what fuck it, getting my thoughts about hanzawa out here

I understand cultural and societal context of it being Japan, and also that Hanzawa's trauma witnessing his brother being battered, but I think we need to recall that his trauma was explained in a different series. This is not that series. So I am going to be exploring this with that in mind but not based on that because HtK doesnt require you to read StM, it is its own separate story.

Hanzawa picking on gay relationships (or, really, just closeness between men) reveals a homophobic bias specifically because heterosexual relationships in Japan and, well, everywhere, can be and have been abusive, and that is a well-known fact for anyone old enough. So you have one (albeit personal) run in with a sexual minority and it happens to be a bad one and suddenly he feels the need to project that onto every other relationship/dynamic he perceives homosexuality in... and I don't think he even realizes it. In fact, in his mind, it's just "men can be violent so when it's two men in a relationship it can be more violent" which in the surface is, understandable? But you look further into that and it reveals another layer of bias based solely on sexuality and physical stature. It's not just that they're men, but that they're gay, and any sort of difference in build or height poses a threat.

What got me with this chapter particularly is when and how he chose to go about talking to Hirano about his concerns. Don't get me wrong, Hanzawa is being a good friend by bringing up said concerns because he truly believes them. However, why did he choose to talk about this now? Well, he started off by asking Hirano what his and Kagiura's relationship is now, and that says it all, actually, because Hirano couldn't answer. Now, based on Hanzawa's own words, he is kind of implying that Hirano's feelings are not on the same wavelength as Kagiura's, and we know Hanzawa knows that Kagiura is/has been in love with Hirano. My issue comes when you realize that he's basing his assumptions on two things: the "fight" they had, and Kagiura himself.

Now of course the "fight" wasn't actually one, but he doesn't know that. But, he also doesn't know what happened or why. In fact, hrkg went back to acting normal after the fact and Hirano even encouraged Kagiura to say it was just a regular ol' fight and not that deep when asked about it, and they moved on. Hanzawa of course, did not. Now this guy is deeply empathetic and cares about his friends very much; however, here, he is probably not seeing what might have happened, but instead seeing what he fears—another situation with his brother.

And that folks is the problem. Because Hanzawa knows not a single thing that points to this being the case EXCEPT Kagiura himself. And that's because Kagiura is (don't even fight me on this) gay, and he has obviously liked Hirano for a while now, and Hanzawa takes that, and the fact that Kagiura is bigger and stronger than Hirano, and that makes him scared for Hirano. Does this make sense from an outsider POV based on his trauma? Yeah, sure i guess, but we, a reader only reading HtK, doesn't know about that yet, so brush that aside. Does this make sense from Hanzawa's POV as a friend...? Ehh. Definitely means well. Is this bigotry? Absolutely.

Hirano and Kagiura are best friends before they are anything. (Yes they're also boyfriends but Hanzawa doesn't quite know that either and their friendship is one of the most important things in this manga). They are very close. But they are also still senpai and kouhai, and Hirano has kinda blurred the lines of that dynamic because he wanted Kagiura to be as comfortable in the dorms as possible when he came in first year. Except that dynamic, as discussed in chapter 15, is not done out of obligation or some sense of responsibility and hasnt for a while. He does it because he enjoys it, he sees Kagiura happy and it makes him really happy in return.

Hanzawa doesn't know all this of course, but he has to make some pretty harsh assumptions in order to justify his words. Like, Hirano being overly accommodating all this time because he's being pushed to do so, and going as far to say that he's only roomed with Kagiura again for that reason (and Hanzawa emphasized back in chapter 11? 12? That Hirano could opt for his own room third year if he really wanted to, and Hirano got upset then too). Because Hanzawa is being a good friend by giving Hirano outs if he needs them, which is great, but his reasonings for doing so are based on... nothing, really. The reader knows that Kagiura is not violent or overwhelming, just a little whiny and naive, but he is very emotionally intelligent and he respects Hirano very much. Hell, when he found out he was attracted to Hirano, he felt guilty to the point of sickness and avoided the guy. And we know how THAT made Hirano feel (angry, both times, in ch. 8 and in ch. 16-20(?) When he avoided touching him).

All this to say, it's important to acknowledge what Hanzawa is trying to accomplish. He is being caring and considerate. Hell, I would rather make my friend a little annoyed at me for overstepping than to let it be and something be happening that shouldn't. But that "suspicion" should not be based on what you don't know. Hanzawa doesn't know their dynamic beyond what hr actually sees, and he SEES that they are very close. Everyone does. Ichinose had one conversation with Hirano in chapter 14 and Hirano got mad AGAIN at the idea that he wouldn't want to room with Kagiura, and Ichinose could tell Hirano really cared about him. Hanzawa is Hirano's friend, he is around hirakagi often, he should know that their dynamic is very friendly and close, Hirano threatens Kagiura sometimes lmao. He is right where he wants to be. Everything he mentioned in this chapter is him projecting his biases about gay people onto Kagiura, which is kinda sad and not good particularly because Hanzawa is in a position of authority over Kagiura by being dormhead and his senpai. In a way it replicates a system of oppression, in that any sort of ill-informedness about a certain group can affect said group when the person in "charge" can make certain things happen based on their ignorance. I mean, Hanzawa's little shit roommate Yashiro planted the homophobia roots some chapters ago to Ichinose and Kagiura (yk. The gay guy, who then was like, gotta hide this from Hanzawa then. Not great). (Also, HRKG light novel spoiler (the very first one) but even Hirano mentions Hanzawa has "homophobic tendencies" or something along those lines lolll this is not new. And its well known and acknowledged).

Anyway, be a good friend like Hanzawa, but don't be bigoted like him. I love him, btw, and this chapter didn't make me hate him or dislike him or anything. It kind of just proved that this was a problem of his. I would love to see him talk to Kagiura directly about it all. I do think Kagiura needs to reevaluate what it means to be in love and how there's not one way to express it (conversation for another time). For those that have read StM, we know he corrects this behavior, and I have a feeling hirakagi are (part of) why (=・ω・=)