#note this applies to yuskeiko as a pairing as well. don’t get it twisted it may not be my cup for tea but it’s still a perfectly fine ship

[supa-kuwameshi-bros]

team urameshi’s moral alignments, and how that impacts the kuwameshi dynamic (and also some stuff about hiei)

not quite the promised narrative parallels follow up just yet, but hopefully this is good enough in the meantime!

given yusuke and kuwabara’s nature as rivals first and foremost, i’ve found their dynamic at its core is largely defined by their contrasting values/moral codes (or lack thereof.) these differences, i believe, are a key factor in why they make such a good duo, both romantically and otherwise.

something i’ve always really loved about kuwabara, for instance, is how he is constantly a tether to yusuke’s humanity, showing how kuwabara is willing to challenge him not only physically, but philosophically. and yes ik that’s likely a needlessly fancy way of phrasing it but hear me out, right?

i’ve found that team urameshi exists on a scale of humanitarianism: the left side being where hiei resides, and the right, kuwabara. kurama exists somewhere between the middle and left, still compassionate enough to seek out mercy wherever viable, but willing to get his hands dirty if the situation demands it. i believe yusuke exists in the exact middle of this scale, which reflects his status as a half-demon, allowing him to swing one way or the other depending on the situation. spontaneous as always!

i actually went ahead and made a little visual accompaniment to better illustrate what i’m talking abt here, bc im a goddamn nerd

it’s very rough looking but whatever it’s a tumblr post. would very much like to know any greater thoughts anyone has on the placements made here, particularly kurama bc he is easily the most morally layered out of these four. i live for the discussion aspect of these things hehehehehe

ANYWAY back to the aforementioned twink (more of a twunk, really.) the interesting part about this application of the scale metaphor is that it more or less visualizes hiei and kuwabara as the theoretical devil and angel on yusuke's shoulders, which may not be too far off from the roles they play in yusuke's life, something we see most often shown in the dark tournament.

for hiei, this manifests as him often being the one to push yusuke to finish things quickly, without consideration for greater consequence because either it’s more efficient or “it must be done.” hell, most of the time he goes beyond that and just. does it himself. bc he’s hiei and yk what we love him for that. this attitude fed into yusuke’s affinity for doing things the easy way, rather than the “right” or most traditionally morally upright way, which one could argue only further chipped away at yusuke’s already fraying tether to his humanity.

in particular, i think of the moments just before kuwabara vs. risho, where yusuke and hiei had more or less decided they were just gonna blow the whole stadium sky-high when faced with possible disqualification.

in response to yusuke’s increasing anger, hiei — being the absolute anarchist he is — is quick to suggest they do away with the tournament as a whole, securing themselves a victory by relying on survival of the fittest, something hiei is quite familiar with given his hephaestus trauma and general upbringing in makai. basically, “fuck that noise, this shit is rigged anyway. lets pop SEVERAL caps in their asses and be done with it.”

and of course, given his temperament and previously stated leanings, yusuke is quick to concede to hiei’s point regardless of the fact it would be endangering literally everyone in the vicinity including their allies in the stands. but neither of them consider that— or perhaps, they just don’t care in this moment. which could honestly lead me into a whole other analysis of how fundamentally similar yusuke and hiei are, BUT THATS FOR ANOTHER DAY….

either way, yusuke definitely would’ve gone through with this plan if not for kuwabara volunteering himself for the round in spite of his debilitating injuries, which leads me to kuwabara’s opposing force, and (finally,) the kuwameshi aspect to all of this.

kuwabara’s a character known for his strict moral code, and he’s no stranger to preaching openly to others about said “honor code.” and of course, as his rival, yusuke is far from an exception to this. at multiple points throughout the series he can be seen lambasting yusuke’s amoral behavior, such as what is seen in the build up to kuwabara v. risho.

it’s common knowledge to anyone who’s read/watched yu yu hakusho that yusuke is a character who behaves almost entirely upon impulse; it’s something established as early as chapter 15!

as a consequence, he’s extremely reckless; one could even say inconsiderate or hedonistic. it’s one of the fundamentals of his character! he’s incredibly flawed, and his morality is painted in shades of grey as a direct result. and here, we see kuwabara challenging this directly. it’s done in a way that speaks volumes to what these two mean to each other, as well, given the fact that shortly after, we see that yusuke has allowed kuwabara to step up to the plate.

kuwabara holds a unique position when it comes to yusuke in the sense that he remains a constant tether to yusuke’s morality. granted, keiko also holds a similar position, but while her tether to his humanity is more physical, given her role as the “girl at home,” kuwabara’s is an ethical one, in how his philosophy has shaped yusuke and pushes him to do better. though granted, they’re both emotional tethers to yusuke’s humanity. keiko and kuwabara stop paralleling each other challenge. it’s rlly not helping yusuke beat the bisexual allegations.

either way, kuwabara’s bullheaded determination to go the straight and narrow no matter the seeming futility of it is something that has left a noticeable mark on yusuke, enough so that when he sees that effort be tossed aside or taken for granted, yusuke— for lack of a better term— crashes the fuck out.

it means a lot to him! that fundamental goodness in kuwabara that yusuke didn’t even see himself, until chapter 7 showed him plain and simple that kuwabara’s genuinely just a great guy. and so even though yusuke’s own internal philosophy tends to align more with hiei’s “survival of the fittest” outlook on the world, he still finds real value in kuwabara’s beliefs, remaining fiercely protective of those ideals and the boy that holds them. enter the eternal cycle of: kuwabara tries to do heroic shit, gets absolutely blasted, yusuke has a full on fucking crash out, powers up, wins, repeat. still, kuwabara will always challenge yusuke in this way, and yusuke will in turn always challenge him. it’s what makes their bond so special, because really, all yusuke wants is someone who can match his pace and shove back when he pushes. and luckily for him, while yusuke’s certainly stubborn, kuwabara may be even more so.

it harkens back to the earliest days of their relationship, the quintessential example of unstoppable force (kuwabara) vs. immovable object (yusuke.) only now, while he has yet to overcome yusuke physically, kuwabara (likely without even realizing it himself) has earned yusuke’s respect enough that when he tells yusuke that winning the tournament the clean way is the best route, yusuke listens— which, getting yusuke to listen to ANYONE other than himself is a goddamn miracle. he won’t even listen to KEIKO, and that girl’s got him wrapped around her finger approx. 13 times over.

kuwabara pushes yusuke to be better, basically, and yusuke is receptive to that because he genuinely respects kuwabara’s input in spite of all the ribbing they engage in (though i do maintain that he definitely has some… thoughts on kuwabara’s methods. cough cough ichigaki.) im contrasting this aspect of kuwabara with hiei, here, but really, a much more explicitly kuwameshi adjacent parallel that makes me even crazier is kuwabara and itsuki, but that could be a whole post on its own.

this is something the source material (IN THE DUB) may have acknowledged, too, with genkai’s parting words to kuwabara before her demise at the hands of toguro. she tells kuwabara, “You have a gentle heart. Use it.” what exactly this could be referring to specifically remains ambiguous (likely bc it’s a dub specific piece of dialogue), but given how the line is framed by genkai requesting kuwabara tell yusuke not to follow her, and the camera panning to yusuke’s sleeping face to conclude the scene, i’d figure it involves him. in specific, i believe this is in reference to the crux of this analysis: kuwabara’s influence over yusuke’s moral decisions. perhaps she felt kuwabara may have been able to sway yusuke, or at the very least hold him off from doing something too rash and marching right into death. who knows? this line doesn’t even rlly matter anyway bc it’s not even present in the original translation but WTVR my analysis my rules.

overall, this is just one example of how yusuke and kuwabara make up for one another’s individual shortcomings/blind spots to create a better whole. in soso many ways, they make each other better!! but they can also make each other worse, and i’m not just talking about the insane codependency that kuwabara develops by the time three kings begins. ALAS, i have not the time to divulge right now. either way, these two mean so much to each other, and honestly, i think they should kiss about it. hold hands, maybe. i know their asses were cuddling during the dark tournament. they should get married but instead of kissing after their “i do”s they punch each other in the mouth.

that’s pretty much all i’ve gotta say on this subject as of right now. this ended up way longer than i anticipated uhhh whoops. tune in next time for how yusuke’s negative traits rub off on kuwabara, as opposed to kuwabara’s positive traits rubbing off on yusuke and HOPEFULLY that plot analysis that’ll give more context to what i’m talking about here. do hope this was more kuwameshi specific than my last little analysis bc it was. barely shippy at all. forgive me.

OH YEAH ALSO if any of yall have any thoughts on this, whether it be adding onto this analysis or even pointing out something you personally disagree with, i’d love to hear your input!! discussion makes me go YIPPIE and i’d love to engage :D