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MORE THAN A STONE

This is not such an extensive topic (or at least that's what I thought when I started), but I found it interesting enough to comment on it.

Rewatching Bucchigiri, I eventually came across the scene in which Arajin offers the "love forever stone" to Mahoro and although the tone with which everything happens is comedy, you can tell that they were already sending us a message with this, because It's not only about Mahoro's rejection, but also what that stone symbolized.

These stones have a special meaning for Arajin, we know that it's something that he only shares with those who are special to him, and it's no coincidence, stones and rocks are usually associated with durability and resistance over time. In this case, the stone represents the love he says he feels for her and the desire for it to last.

But the moment Mahoro receives the stone she immediately drops it, making it VERY clear that she's not interested, not only that, the stone is completely shattered to the point of being irreparable, and although this may seem to be intended to be a comic effect (which it is), it could also be a "clue" disguised as a joke, representing that in reality Arajin's feelings are not strong enough, or as genuine as they seem (and it's not the only occasion in which that this is pointed out)

It's no coincidence that this occurs in the same episode that we see Matakara's "best friend stone", being a complete contrast with Mahoro, not only because of the great happiness that he evidently felt at the moment he received it, but also because it's an object which he has treasured for years with great affection, being one of his most valuable possessions, which helps him feel safe in difficult times.

In addition, there is another key element here, we already said that the stone for Mahoro is not supported (so to speak) by a strong feeling, in the case of Matakara, we are talking about affection, a promise between the two. In addition, Arajin also has his, which we eventually found out about, was significant enough that even after having distanced himself, Arajin doesn't dare to get rid of it, even despite being part of a past that he prefers to leave behind. To this we must also add that the fact that each one has a stone tells us about a shared feeling, so in this case, the affection is not unilateral.

This is something that continues to be pointed out during the second half. In episode 9, Arajin is preparing a new stone for Mahoro, and he doesn't know how to give it to her. Senya demeans the value of the gift, asking him who would want something like that, to which Arajin immediately thinks of Matakara. Considering how the situation was at this point, I think it was about making it clear that even when Matakara idealized Arajin, his feelings were always sincere, something that was also alluded to before in the Nyan Nyaight Love segment, making a clear parallel with the situation between Arajin and Matakara.

And this escalates to a new level in the final episode....

Despite his efforts, Matakara begins to be slowly consumed by the shadows, accompanied only by his most valuable treasures. The photo with his brother and his stone, both broken, completely alone and abandoned by his two most loved people, even after having gained the strength he so desperately sought, showing us how until what seemed like his last moments, Arajin was still important to him, despite everything that had happened.

Fortunately, what we have all been waiting for arrives, Arajin finally fills up the courage to save his friend. Let's get to the point...

The anime had already shown us previously through Mahoro that being Honki it was never about strength, at least not in a physical sense, although I do believe that it's something that each person manages to achieve in their own way, because it should be noted that Arajin doesn't becomes a Honki person when he decides to save Matakara, it happens when he recognize not only how he really felt, but also accepts that he hurt Matakara, and it's from there that his honest desire to face and fixing what he had been running from all this time manifests in the form of the stone seal on Arajin's hand to deliver the final blow, because again, it's not just the stone itself, it's what it represents, because the bond they share transcends the object. Closing with a flourish when Arajin reaffirms the promise between the two, and he does it with HIS stone, the one that even Matakara himself was sure he no longer had, showing that no matter how hard he tried, Arajin (ironically?) was never able to leave his memory behind, no longer with ink, but with blood, symbolizing that their bond will only get stronger from now on.