#i think i'll just stick to tumblr for my big essays... but eyy if i didn't write this for twitter it'd be a million times longer so...

[marshmallowgoop]

Whenever I interact with popular Kill la Kill discussions, I'm always reminded of how I took something totally different away from the show.

And that's fine! Everyone's entitled to their own interpretations of a work, and all works will be uniquely meaningful to someone; that's the beauty of art. I'm not at all about telling folks that they "didn't get it" because they responded to a text in a way that I didn't.

But at the same time, I also feel that what I got out of Kill la Kill is a crucial, commendable element of the piece that deserves far more recognition. The friendship between Ryuko and Senketsu—and its underlying message of love overcoming prejudice—is a sweet, wonderful thing.

That's right: though it was severely toned down in the final version, the heavy emphasis on Senketsu's marginalization in an early draft strongly indicates that what is there in the actual series is definitely not accidental nor an overreading.

And it's good! Here's somebody who decides that it doesn't matter what others say, and it doesn't matter how "bad" this person makes her look; she knows he's a kind, loving individual, and she wants to be by his side.

Even if he's unfairly characterized as a monster because of his physical appearance, and even if she's mocked and ridiculed for even speaking to him, she'll protect him with her life. She knows he's worth it. She knows the bond they share is worth it.

Tsumugu: Now, then. Let go of it [Senketsu].

Ryuko: You’ll have to pry him out of my cold, dead hands!

And it's important to note again: she wants to be by his side. She doesn't ever stick with him because someone else forced her to. Their meeting was out of her control, yes, but she stays because it's her choice to—because she loves who he is, not what he can do for her.

Ryuko: We need to get stronger. I know we can, as long as we’re together.

Senketsu: Together... I guess you have no choice, since you have no other clothes.

Ryuko: That’s not why... 

Ryuko: We’ll stick together because we’re friends.

Senketsu: !!! 

Senketsu: Yeah... I suppose so.

After all, there's a reason that Ryuko pushes aside her goal of avenging her father's death in order to heal Senketsu when he's injured. There's a reason that she's so determined to save him that she becomes far more powerful.

Ryuko: I’m getting stronger?

Mako: It’s because what you desire is almost in reach! You’re so desperate ‘cause you’re fixated on your desire to get Senketsu back to normal.

There's a reason that she brutally, violently tears away something that's just like him, nearly killing herself in the process, proclaiming that it's all so she can reunite with the one she truly loves again.

Ryuko: I’d rather be dead! I have to take this off even if I die! Because if I don’t... I won’t be able to wear Senketsu again!

And the same goes for Senketsu, too, of course. He saves Ryuko from passing out...

Satsuki: The Kamui saved you from passing out from blood loss?

...helps her get to school on time...

...does everything in his power to bring her to safety when she's hurt... 

...and begs her not to wear him when he fears he'll put her in danger...

Senketsu: If you do not wear me, he has no reason to come after you.

...because he loves her for her.

These two spend nearly an entire series getting harassed and shamed. Ryuko's told that Senketsu will be the end of her. Satsuki turns her nose up at the mere idea that they could ever be good for each other. 

"A fairy tale," she says. 

Satsuki: Implying that you’ve formed a symbiotic relationship with the Life Fibers? That is a fairy tale.

But Ryuko and Senketsu prove all the naysayers wrong. They are good together. They bring out the best in each other. Their friendship is what literally saves the entire world.

So, talk of Kill la Kill being a bildungsroman, or all about conquering fascism, or focused on becoming comfortable in the skin you're in... they're all fair, valid readings. I don't mean to discount that.

But I also wish that there was more praise for Ryuko and Senketsu. They are, arguably, the entire heart and soul of Kill la Kill.

After all, there's a reason that the two wrapped in a tender embrace—presumably about to Synchronize and become one—serves as the cover art for the show's final volume. There's a reason that the series wants you to take that away from its 25 episodes, more than anything else.

There's a reason that scriptwriter Kazuki Nakashima expresses in The Complete Script Book that he felt Kill la Kill had to end with Ryuko and Senketsu saying goodbye because it began with the two saying hello.

There's a reason that Nakashima stressed at Kill la Kill's Anime Expo panel in 2014 that he "wanted to make a form of intimacy that transcends love and species."

There's a reason that an interviewer for Newtype magazine outright stated, "When you watch through to the last episode, you keenly feel that Kill la Kill is a story about the relationship between Ryuko and Senketsu."

And there's a reason that Ami Koshimizu, Ryuko's voice actress, answered, when asked about her thoughts on the bond between the two, "Senketsu and Ryuko are like family, like friends, like lovers, are in a very comfortable/close-fitting relationship. Had they both been human, it would not have been possible for them to have this relationship. I think that is what this wonderful work depicted."

There's been increased interest in Kill la Kill as of late due to the video game releasing in only a matter of a few weeks, and I've been very heartened by the attention Senketsu has received. He's the narrator of the game, and the fact that he's Ryuko's battle partner is never forgotten. She constantly talks to him while fighting, and in their dual-wielding state, the introductory and victory cutscenes always include long lines from him. 

Ryuko: Beating you was about the easiest thing ever! Right, Senketsu?

Senketsu: It means we’re stronger now. Much stronger than before.

More than that, Senketsu's eye and eyepatch even feature on the cover of the game's box art:

And the story mode—from Satsuki's perspective!—keeps him in mind, too. There's something especially charming about how Ryuko drops her tough-girl rage to whisper, "Senketsu, let's go!" as they flee a fight.

Ryuko: We can’t stop now, Senketsu. Let’s go!

Ryuko: Senketsu, let’s go!

So, I'm hopeful. I'm hopeful that the game will bring more love and appreciation for Ryuko and Senketsu. 

Because they're good, y'all. To feel worthless, to be hated, demonized, and to then find someone who says no, they're wrong, you're my friend, you matter to me... it's good.