#'this is the point where he goes completely crazy' [significant look at newt]

[unnonexistence]

hermann thoughts: if i discredit newton and his approach enough, the martial won't give him the equipment for his kaiju drift, and i can protect him from himself. if he despises me for it, so be it. there is little i wouldn't sacrifice to see him safe.

newt thoughts: this is a Best Science competition and i have to Win

[moonlitkilljoy]

OKAY SO I SLEPT AND NOW IT'S THE NEXT DAY AND I THINK I CAN FINALLY ARTICULATE MY THOUGHTS ON THIS EFFECTIVELY. OP YOU'RE SO ABSOLUTELY RIGHT ABOUT THIS.

There's a very casual, yet emotionally and tangibly important, intimacy woven into their every interaction; i have a lot of little examples of this so bear with me.

You have the extended version of the elevator scene where newt argues with raleigh and then ushers hermann back into the elevator, where the physical touch accompanying the action was entirely unnecessary. You have the scene where newts explaining his theory about the kaiju and is about to segue into the possibility of drifting with one, in which hermann prefaces it with "and this is the point where he goes completely crazy." Which, to me, shows that they've had this conversation tens of times, maybe even hundreds. Though, he's still willing to let him have his go and present it; he probably could've just talked over him or talked pentecost out of even hearing newt out for the sake of listening to only his theory. But he doesnt. I've talked about this before in regards to The Venture Bros. and pete and billy, but it's the unvoiced assurance that these are two characters who spend all their time together and know eachother deeply and completely that really gets to me. You could probably argue that the scene where newts dictating notes and gives the unscientific aside directed towards hermann adds to this— they've argued about this exact scenario COUNTLESS times before. Because, ultimately, they care about eachother. Additionally, you have the scene where hermann finds newt after he's drifted with the kaiju for the first time and his first instinct isn't to call out for help or get someone else to do something, no, he practically drops his fucking cane in his haste to get to newt (AND KNEELS BESIDE HIM. WHICH I DO NOT WANT TO DIMINISH THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RE: HIS BAD LEG) and reaches out towards him (first his leg, the part of newt thats easiest to reach at his current moment, then his face— which he reached out to BEFORE he even gets the drifting mechanism off of newt). Not to mention the extended version of the scene where they just. desperately cling to eachother for a moment. i could probably keep dissecting every single little interaction like this, but that'd make this post a mile long and i'm not sure if thats an efficient use of space or time so i'll just hop ahead and mention the moment after they drift with baby otachi. First off, newt is NOT the type of person to carry a hankerchief around so i'm 100% certain hermann gave it to him at some point (possibly after the first drift). Secondly, we start to see this sort of unspoken communication going on between them— hermann holds his hand out to newt for the hankerchief knowing he still has it and that he's close enough to give it to him and that he'll understand what that hand gesture means. maybe they've been in similarly emetophobic situations before and just know eachother well enough to go through the actions seamlessly or maybe its ghost drift, in the end it doesnt matter because it's not even an interaction that you'd question (or was probably even intended to be questioned? i may be losing my mind over nothing over here) because they've been acting so familiar towards eachother for the whole movie. like i said, its about the casual intimacy and understanding of eachother.

They argue and clash A LOT, but in the end they're still the only person who can match the other on an intellectual level— the only person who can properly keep up with the other in an argument, conversation, discussion, or whatever else you want to call it. Them drifting just provides an extension of that— a natural progression. In their last scene, where newt puts his arm around hermanns shoulders, they look at eachother for what is pretty much just one second and it's like an entire unspoken conversation passes between them. here, i've created and attached a gif as example!!!!

anyway, this post got a little bit out of hand but i cannot agree with you enough!!!!! their every interaction IS filled with care concern and love!!!!!!

going insane over the fact that happiness and care and concern and love is underneath every interaction between newt and hermann in pacific rim