#PS Makoto could defeat Goku

[caffernnn]

Let me just add something my makoto-rin ask.

A similar trend actually appears in fics where if rin seems to be in awe of makoto's mind-bending abilities, sousuke almost always notices makoto's physical prowess and unpleasant??? emotions. This is usually present in old soumako fics, where sousuke is almost always the target of makoto's contempt, disdain, or anger; or is always subjected to makoto's accidental physical attacks, like a punch here, or a kick there, or an elbow. It is also usually sousuke who seems to discover makoto's competitiveness, particularly in video games, or stubbornness, when they bicker whether to adapt a dog or a cat. I think this is what soumako fans see about the appeal of the ship- aside from their similarity as the caring and nurturing friend, they also get to showcase a different personality towards each other from the one they show to their other friends, namely makoto abandoning his levelheaded nature and sousuke his stoic, grumpy nature, since they have no established role yet in each other's life. Also, i like how this is an extension of the idea that no one can resist tachibana makoto when he puts his foot down, that event the yamazaki sousuke relents to his wishes. Also, sousuke seems to compliment makoto's physical strength, such as when he refuted rei's claim that makoto is gentle, and sousuke says that a makoto seems more power-hungry (or smth like that), or when he commended makoto's wrestling, or even when he complimented makoto's marksmanship in the ova, along with his hidden personality in rw. He even expressed shock that makoto could crush napa cabbage with his bare hands (or was that rin? I'm not sure). It's fun to see how makoto and sousuke are presented as a challenge to each other's physical strength, and how in fics they are portrayed to be roughhousing each other without anyone complaining about their ridiculous strength, as described by haru.

Which, as much as i don't want to, opens to another discussion. How strong is makoto??? if he can crush vegetables just by handling them. I mean, he threw an experienced sumo wrestler who seems more heavily built than him down to the floor. So yeah...how much raw strength is tachibana makoto possessing???

Makoto getting hit by a car in Final Stroke: “call an ambulance!! but not for me 😈”

Jokes aside, that’s one of the cool things about seeing Makoto and Sousuke interact, especially in fics. Both of them are used to being the biggest ones in the room, drawing attention to themselves without meaning to, and have subtly found ways to minimize themselves for their own comfort (Makoto tries to soften his edges; Sousuke is often aloof). I don’t usually read romantic soumako content, but one of the things I enjoy about their dynamic (familiar, platonic, otherwise) is that Makoto gets a unique opportunity around Sousuke to lean into his stubbornness, competitive nature, or physical strength with less restraint because he knows Sousuke 1) is strong enough to deal with it, and 2) can understand the complicated relationship Makoto has with those parts of himself. It’s cool to hear that that’s further explored in soumako stories: the mutual understanding that they both are more complex than the gruff expectations forced onto them, being larger men, and that remains true even when they have parts of them that do lean into those expectations. I’m excited to see more of their friendship bloom in the movies now that it sounds like they’re spending more time together, because it’s a unique avenue of mutual understanding we haven’t seen fully explored.

I’d love if we could see more interactions between Makoto, Sousuke, Hiyori, and Nao, for similar reasons. I wouldn’t play into the whole “Makoto and inferior copies of Makoto” generalizations I’ve seen circulate in the past, but they do all share similar motivations and character traits that make their interactions hold more weight and potential for character growth. Like, there’s a reason that Nao can cut straight into Makoto’s repressed internal conflicts at a moment’s notice. They’re all people-watchers who put all of their energy into analyzing and reacting to their environments, so one of the only ways you’ll get them to slow down and lend some time/effort to their own issues is to throw a mirror character in their way that’s just a little too much like them.

Aaanyways, I love strong Makoto and want to see him become more comfortable with that side of himself. He’s jacked and underestimates his physical strength on so many occasions (leading to those conversations about him having clumsy/careless/ridiculous strength), but he deserves to celebrate it more?? He can be a force that demands attention in the water, powerful, but he can also throw around his siblings or carry extra bags or give the biggest all-encompassing hugs -- just as powerful.