#Togame jo

[reaperfox]

HOW IS THIS NOT A BIGGER SHIP I am BEGGING the Wind Breaker fandom, we were handed this on a plate and NOBODY's partaking in the meal.

Thank you for protecting me.

[krayonela]

tired

[causticsodaa]

Sakura is an unintentional trigger for Togame’s development, but not the sole cause

In fact, it’s mainly Togame himself who inadvertently kickstarts his own change.

During the beginning of their fight, Sakura doesn’t make much of an effort to understand Togame (effectively disregarding Ume’s advice); to him, Togame is just a low-life loser who likes to pick on other people for the sake of it.

But when Togame says these particular words, it awakens something in Sakura—it’s stricken his nerves, and it reminds him all too much of his past. Sakura doesn’t want to be alone again, not when he’s found a place with the strong.

Because of this, Sakura starts to project his own personal feelings onto Togame. This will be a recurring theme throughout their fight.

Alongside the personal tangent, Sakura also agrees with Togame. Although, I speculate that Togame is just parroting Choji’s own beliefs on power (ie. strength = freedom, power solidarity and weak = shackled, useless, alone), and Sakura and Choji already share many parallels.

Sakura then proceeds to insult Shishitoren’s principles, criticizing Togame’s hypocrisy as well;

Which then leads to Togame snapping and saying this:

And Togame’s right. Sakura is an outsider; he knows nothing about Shishitoren, nor their background or it’s inner workings. Of course he’d get mad at the ‘cocky brat’ he’s facing is spewing things he doesn’t know, not when Togame cherished Shishitoren so much.

However, the fact that Sakura shares his own perspective as an outsider manages to work in Togame’s favor later on. Particularly within the next moment:

Before Sakura’s claim, Togame had no idea about Arima, Kanuma and Saruwatari picking on Sasaki, which caused Furin to get involved in the first place. Although Shishitoren was hacving internal problems, externalizing weakness (as bullying is commonly attributed to) on outsiders surely wouldn’t abide well with Shishitoren’s principles.

The next following moments where Togame beats Arima and Kanuma recontextualizes his character for both the audience and Sakura.

Togame showing slivers of compassion behind his intimidating exterior is further shown with how he approaches Sakura after this.

Even though Togame had brutually beaten one of his own, the intent behind it is much more understandable this time. Compared to when he hit Saruwatari during Shishitoren and Furin’s confrontation, there is much more context and reason for his ‘cruelty’, and his entire demeanor changes. He’s drawn in a more sympathetic light as well, having a much more ‘softer’ (as compared to his terrifying glares before) expression on his face while extending his arms out to Sakura—even going as far to apologize to Sakura when he’s done nothing but exchange aggressive quips with him up to that point.

Sakura is, understandably, confused by this. Because how could such a scummy guy switch up this quickly?

This prompts him to ask this question when he realizes that Togame isn’t fighting as earnestly as before, with the intent of wanting to understand him this time. Sakura clearly sees the change in him here.

But Togame doesn’t answer his question head on. In fact, he asks himself the same question.

By this point of time, the audience is shown Choji and Togame’s backstory, which recontextualizes Togames character COMPLETELY.

Every moment we’ve seen of him finally has some sort of substance. All he wants to do is protect Choji and Shishitoren, even if he has to play the bad guy for their sake.

Togame deeply treasures Choji, and he is easily influenced by him (given the power explanation he told Sakura earlier). He would do anything for him, because he was the one who has given Togame a place to belong when he had barely anyone in the past.

His cruel front is even shown with his design. Togame braids his hair which shows how he’s tied to Shishitoren. He also wears sunglasses to show how blind he is to how wrong Choji’s actions truly are (which is ironic, because sunglasses are meant to protect you from the sun). Sure, he knows that it’s all wrong, but his care and love for Choji as well as his desire to protect Shishitoren overturns his gut feeling—so he decides to do the dirty work for Choji, enabling him.

Because the sun must be loved by everybody, right? Togame is his second in command, he can’t afford to let himself be burned by Choji, much less have to leave the family he’s grown to love so much. He’s too in deep into the façade he’s had to put up now; he can’t stop even though its wrong—not until Sakura comes into the picture and makes him truly realize this, of course. (I’m just realizing that part this sounds too biased, but I want to emphasize how important Choji is to Togame in this section only because I cant fit it anywhere else please believe me)

Choji is the one person that has had the biggest impact on Togame in the long-term. Everything that Togame has done was for Choji.

But back to Sakura: he too impacts Togame, though on a more smaller scale. He is the catalyst that causes Togame to self-reflect; because it was him who felt so uneasy about Shishitoren’s changes.

Togame comes to this realization himself: Shsihitoren isn’t a bully club. Each of it’s members and the group as a whole has its own morals.

Yet, Sakura continues to retaliate.

Once again, Sakura is projecting his own personal feelings here. Though he addresses Togame’s true character and his faults, he immediately tries to hold Togame to his own standards (much like Suo does with his opponents): he needs to be ‘cool’, so Sakura would want to fight him. He’s indirectly telling Togame to not be a lowlife.

Togame calls Sakura selfish at that, which is an understandable sentiment because it’s Sakura’s own feelings, but he does end up following through his request during Noroshi, not only for Sakura, but for himself too.

Sakura continues to project his own personal feelings. At this point, his dialogue doesn’t have much to do with Togame—it’s about Sakura’s own beliefs now.

And it’s with an outsiders perspective that Togame properly realizes the errors of his ways.

He decides to take Sakura seriously, but ultimately lets him win at the end. Although Sakura technically didn’t win due to Togame’s concession, his views have won over Togame’s own; which is why he thanks Sakura at the end, despite the latter not directly trying to help him see the error of his ways, (unlike Ume who knew Choji prior and intentionally helped him realize his wrongdoings during their fight) going on personal tangents throughout their battle instead.

TLDR; Togame’s development during Shishitoren is mainly achieved by his own self-reflection. Sakura enables him to change himself, though indirectly and not with the intent of helping Togame as he is unaware of Shishitoren’s background and his need to protect Choji.

I wish I could’ve made this post longer as I believe there is much more to be said for Togame as a character and his relationships with Choji/Sakura/Shishitoren, but Tumblr won't let me embed any more images. Sigh.

[windbreakerdaily]

[laauranenn]

I'm never getting over how young Togame and Tomiyama look in the flashbacks in the manga :(

They look so so young compared to the anime!!

This is maybe the youngest they look in the anime... In the rest of the flashback scenes they don't look as tiny to me,,

[don-yxt]

They’re sooo cute!

Some my fanart cards! When I put them together in the cardholder, I’m sooooo happy!

[chosoette]

lowkey miss when togame was problematic

[nadaboodraws]

Giving Wind Breaker some love~

[nanakorobiyaokii]

LOOK AT MY MANNS FACE HE SO HAPPY TO SEE SAKURAー🥰❤️

[lightningstrikes-art]

[krayonela]

♀️🐢🌸 bodyguard/idol au (slightly 🔞)

no more skirt fixing.....

[faintrustle]

Rotten to the Core

[thecmaly]

sakura protection squad, assemble!!! 😡

[larasbek]

windbre

[cyanparadis]