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ship_manifestoTitle: Where Your Hands, Voice or Eyes Can Find Me
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
radio_nurse
Fandom: Nabari no Ou (manga only)
Pairing: Raikou/Gau
Word Count: Roughly 5000
Spoilers: For the entire manga.
Notes: All names are written in their original order (last name, first name). Quotations come from official translations when I've been able to use them, and otherwise have come from scanlations which I have checked against raws when possible. Also, warning for discussions/images of violence involving youths. All images linked are to be read right to left.
Where Your Hands, Voice or Eyes Can Find Me
A Raikou/Gau Manifesto
(alternative/rejected titles: Matching Sweaters, Boyfriend in a Coma)
The Story
In modern-day Japan, a hidden world exists beneath the surface: the world of Nabari. It's a cruel and violent world in which people are fighting to obtain the Shinrabanshou, which grants its users god-like powers. Unfortunately, the Shinrabanshou currently exists inside of Rokujou Miharu, who would rather have nothing to do with it. As time goes on, he becomes caught between his friends in Banten, a village lead by his idealistic teacher Tobari, who want to prevent the Shinrabanshou from being used, and Kairoushuu, a group that intends to use the Shinrabanshou to change the world into what they believe would be a better place.
Or at least it starts that way – many things complicate and change with each new chapter, and the manga entirely avoids becoming the typical action story its premise suggests. Instead Nabari no Ou focuses intensely on certain characters who inhabit its world and how they affect each other, with a strong focus on conflicts that arise between ideologies and personal relationships, the meaning of family, and how these characters deal with their often unpleasant pasts.
Shimizu Raikou
“Let me be the one to swallow all these filthy things!” (ch. 25, vol. 5)
Shimizu Raikou is not your average samurai. He's 20 years-old, has terrible fashion sense, dyes his hair bright pink, and has a part-time job making paper for when he isn't working as a member of Wakachi. Wakachi is the team that deals with individuals within Kairoushuu who are acting against its ideals, typically by using their powers and connections for personal gain in the surface world. Of this, Raikou says: “I think this job has a lot of meaning to it. I've always... wanted to do a job like this” (ch. 23, vol. 5.) And why has he always wanted to do a job like this? As with most parts of who Raikou is, the explanation lies in his past.
The Shimizu were a family of samurai that act as the watchdogs of the world of Nabari and devote themselves to maintaining balance – ideals Raikou began to disagree with when he was fifteen and his friend's parents were killed. Raikou asked his mother Kourin, the head of their family, if there was anything they could do to assist her in seeking revenge or to protect. Kourin refused, as this would upset the balance between Nabari and the surface world. She told him, “A sword is meant to kill. Never think it can save people” (ch. 24, vol. 5.) Raikou's friend was then found dead, and he began to hate his mother.
Soon after this happened, Raikou's uncle Iroku started speaking to him about disagreeing with how their family was being run and of overthrowing Kourin. Iroku promises it will be a peaceful rebellion, and manipulates Raikou's feelings about his friend's death to get Raikou on his side. However, when a group of Shimizu family members confronted Kourin, Iroku was revealed to have been power-hungry, and was trying to overthrow Kourin for personal reasons. When told his by his brother, Raikou's father, Iroku lashed out and killed him. A fight broke out and Iroku, mad with anger, went after Raikou. Kourin took a blow meant for Raikou and died in front of him, but not before telling him to take up Shirogamon, one of the twin swords of the family that had been left to Raikou and his younger sister Raimei. These blades are wielded by the “watchers” of the family itself and are used to strike down rebels, thus functioning as a symbol of neutrality.
Raimei came upon the scene just as Raikou was killing Iroku. Overcome with guilt and grief over the fact that her world has just been destroyed, Raikou kills everyone else remaining and decides to shoulder the blame and guilt of the entire night himself, hoping Raimei will hate him and not have to know the unfortunate truth about the family she loved so much. He tells her he is going to join Kairoushuu, and leaves.
At fifteen, Raikou's innocence was lost and his mind was heavily damaged. In the five years that have passed he does not seem to have healed at all, and suffers from occasional nightmares and hallucinations of his family's massacre. Although he puts on a calm and cheery demeanor, he is not shown to be close to anyone save Gau, and even then he attempts to maintain a distance. He is filled with guilt and self-loathing for what happened to his family, and as a result he has made himself a martyr for Kairoushuu. He is strongly devoted to creating a better world, though he seems intent on destroying himself in the process.
Meguro Gau
“I believe the world can be saved by using the Shinrabanshou!” (ch. 19, vol. 4)
Meguro Gau did not begin his life in the world of Nabari. He was drawn into it when he was sixteen years old, by Shimizu Raikou. Gau's mother, his only living relative, had been murdered three years earlier and the man responsible had not been charged. This prompted Gau to take justice his own hands and seek revenge. He almost died in the process, but luckily Raikou was passing by and saved Gau's life by killing the man. As a result, Gau ended up working in the world of Nabari alongside Raikou. Unfortunately, canon only gives us the sparest of details about how this came to happen, so the hows and whys of all this can only be explained with speculation.
Gau's past has caused him to feel very strongly about how the world is being run, and he believes it is corrupt and needs to be changed. Thus he is very dedicated to his involvement with Kairoushuu, despite how morally questionable the work he and Raikou do is. He also shows a strong devotion to Raikou himself, even going as far as to get mad at people who he feels are being impolite to Raikou. This is also a sign of Gau's fiery temper, which is reflected by his nickname Tenpa-kun. A pun, the Japanese tenpa (テンパ) refers to the English “temper” and the Japanese verb tenparu, "to be about to blow a fuse." As Gau is not at all afraid to speak his mind, his temper often gets him into arguments with other characters.
In Wakachi, Gau's role is an intellectual one more than a physical one. He is responsible for research and organization, and doing clean-up after their missions. It is noted on his profile that cleaning and organizing is something that he likes, which is reflected in the professional-looking clothing he tends to wear. Although his temper and extremism of belief show him to be somewhat immature and naive, he is well-intentioned and hard-working, and does grow as the series progresses.
Text and Subtext
With the amount of time they spend protecting each other, promising to stay with each other and worrying about each other, there's no denying that the bond between Raikou and Gau is a canon part of Nabari no Ou. However, the nature of that bond is left ambiguous, and it's ultimately up to the reader to decide how far they want to read into it. Between the text and the subtext, it's possible to interpret elements of their relationship as romantic rather than platonic or to at least acknowledge the potential of their relationship to grow into that. In this manifesto I intend to explore that interpretation, why it works, and what it means to me on a personal level.
Raikou and Gau first appear in chapter nineteen of volume four. We see them on a mission, taking out a member of Kairoushuu who has been committing crimes in the surface world. Raikou then leaves a red spider-lily on the body. In the second half of this chapter, Raimei sees the news report about this, and understands Raikou must have left the flower as a way of calling her out. She believes that he was responsible for the massacre of her family, and is now calling her out because he wants to kill her too.
On the day that marks the fifth anniversary of their family's death Raikou and Raimei meet again at the Shimizu compound, which is overgrown with corpse flowers. The two begin to fight against each other, using the twin swords their mother left them. Raimei intends to deliver judgement to her brother for his actions and refuses to ask him questions, although he offered to answer them. During their fight, Raikou criticizes her for her naivete and her “rejection of knowledge.” After slashing her across the chest, he takes her sword and tells her: “Get out. Don't ever get involved with the world of Nabari again” (ch. 21, vol. 4.)
Despite his sister's defeat, Raikou's mental state does not seem to have improved. While eating lunch with other members of Kairoushuu and Gau, he speaks very highly of the work Kairoushuu is doing, but leaves abruptly when he is reminded of his sister. When another character, Yukimi, asks Gau about it, Gau says, “Even though I know it's not my place to interfere, I'm still worried” (ch. 23, vol. 5.) Yukimi dismisses this, and encourages Gau to talk to Raikou.
This sticks in Gau's mind as he and Raikou go on another mission. While Raikou fights, he wonders: “Can I become your strength? If I take that first step, will you tell me to turn back? I've always admired you. You said before, that to bring the truth to light is an exhausting task. Now it's as if Raikou-san is no longer doing his work, but rather being crushed by the 'truth'”* (ch. 23, vol. 5)
While fighting, Raikou is distracted by a hallucination of his dead family, causing him to be caught off-guard and injured. Gau steps in, attempting to help Raikou, but is injured himself. Seeing Gau in danger prompts a violent rage from Raikou, and he violently slaughters their targets.
In the next chapter, Gau goes to a hospital searching for Raimei, intending to tell her the truth of what happened to the Shimizu family. It is revealed slightly later through flashback that he finally did confront Raikou. Raikou, looking physically pained over the fact that it was his fault Gau got hurt on their previous mission, finally tells Gau the truth of his past. Before Gau is able to tell Raimei any of this, she asks for proof. He tells her that he has none, and instead draws a knife and holds it to his neck, saying, “I'll let my death prove the truth" (ch. 24, vol. 5.) He then shares with Raimei everything: the death of Raikou's friend, Iroku's murder of his brother and sister-in-law, and why Raikou had Raimei believe he was the one responsible. After hearing all this, Raimei dashes out to find Raikou. Gau then reveals Raikou told him all this on the condition that Gau would tell no one, and if Gau breaks that condition Raikou will “raise [his] sword against him” (ch. 25, vol. 5.)
Back at the Shimizu compound, Raimei confronts Raikou for a second time and asks for her sword back. As they fight, she expresses her anger at him for lying to her and shouldering all the blame to make her hate him, because as much as she loved the rest of her family, she loved him as well. She asks him to come back, but Raikou refuses because of both the blood on his hands and because of his belief in Kairoushuu. He prepares a finishing blow for Raimei, but Gau steps in front of her and takes it instead, intending to “receive his punishment” for telling Raimei (ch. 26, vol.5). He urges the two to stop hating each other and reminds them that they're family. He passes out and is taken to a hospital, where he remains in a coma for a next few volumes.
At this point in the series, Gau's actions and thoughts make it clear he cares deeply for Raikou. He expresses concern when Raikou seems upset, and is willing to give up his own life for Raikou's state of well-being out of devotion to him, not just because Raikou saved his life previously. Whether these feelings are platonic or romantic is not explicitly stated, but there's definitely hints of it being the latter. One of the largest hints is a small daydream Gau has when waiting for Raikou to return from fighting Raimei, which would feel more in place were Gau the heroine of a shoujo manga. Although it's not explicit enough to be considered canon, the way Gau expresses his feelings towards Raikou can definitely allows for them to be read as romantic.
Yes, this is canon.
Although Gau and Raikou do seem close from the beginning, Raikou's feelings aren't really expanded on until after Gau ends up in a coma. Raikou does seem to care about Gau, but these feelings are complicated by his self-loathing and need to act as a martyr. Outside Gau's hospital room, Raikou admits to Raimei that in saving Gau's life when he had, he was making up for not being able to save his friend years ago. “By saving Gau,” he says, “ I was saving my own weak, past self. I finally managed to surpass my mother's shadow” (ch.26 , vol. 5.) Unfortunately, the fact that Gau ultimately ended up hurt makes his mother's words seem to ring true: “A sword is meant to kill. Never think it can save people.” Raimei attempts to remain positive, saying Gau would have been dead if Raikou hadn't joined Kairoushuu and saved him in the first place. Unfortunately Raikou still seems consumed by self-hatred and the belief that Gau will despise him upon waking, to the point of shedding tears. The two siblings part ways, both choosing to remain in the world of Nabari because of their own beliefs rather than out of a sense of duty to the Shimizu family.
While Gau remains in a coma, Raikou is sent on another mission as part of Kairoushuu. He is to infiltrate the school in the village of Kouga alongside Yukimi, Yoite and Miharu (who has at this point switched sides) and obtain their forbidden art, Daya, which is able to cure almost anything. Although Gau is not physically present in this arc, Raikou is still shown to be struggling to cope with what happened to them. While preparing for their mission, Miharu asks Raikou about Gau's condition. Although Gau's body is healing, he hasn't woken up; Raikou speculates that it's because Gau doesn't want to see him. Miharu disagrees because of the conversations he has had with Gau, and offers to try and save Gau with the Shinrabanshou. Raikou refuses, saying: “I have to suffer. Because I absolutely don't want to lose him” (ch. 29, vol. 6) Clearly, Raikou's self-hatred is now affecting his relationship with Gau as well. Although he cares about Gau, he doesn't believe he's worthy of being close to Gau unless he punishes himself or suffers for it. It is also later revealed that Raikou had come on the mission considering using Daya to save Gau – however, once learning that the main ingredient in making Daya work is the bodies of children, Raikou decides against it.
Raikou returns home once the mission is completed, only to find Gau still hasn't woken from his coma. However, his group is quickly given another assignment. When Yukimi, Miharu and Yoite tell Raikou about this he seems reluctant to come along. Over a sparring match, Raikou tells Yukimi how guilty he feels about how he's affected Gau's life: “I dragged the heart of pure, noble Gau into the bloody stench of the world of Nabari. . . I blame myself for why Gau won't open his eyes. And I think that means he won't want to come back to me” (ch. 42, vol. 8.) Again, he remembers what his mother told him about being unable to save anyone with his sword. Although his feelings are clearly being distorted by his own self-hatred, Raikou also seems to be genuinely afraid that he's going to lose Gau.
Miharu disagrees once more, telling Raikou that Gau would smile if he woke up and saw Raikou again, but Raikou thinks Gau will definitely hate him. At this point Yoite steps in, urging Raikou to just help Gau if that's what he wants to do. The two argue, and Raikou is knocked unconscious. Yukimi takes him to the hospital when he wakes up, and Raikou rushes to Gau's room. Gau is awake, having been brought out of his coma by Yoite using his Kira technique on him (the exact details of which aren't entirely relevant and won't be explored here). Seeing Raikou, Gau beings to talk about how he doesn't regret anything that he's done as part of Kairoushuu. Raikou inwardly begs Gau to hate him and to leave him. Gau reveals did not give up the will to live while in his coma because he wanted to see Raikou again and wants to stay by his side (ch. 42, vol. 8.) He smiles, as Miharu predicted, and Raikou bursts into tears.
In the next few chapters, tension builds within Kairoushuu because Yoite and Miharu have defected. This makes things difficult for Gau, who expresses a want to help Yoite as repayment for saving him as well as wanting to stay by Raikou in Kairoushuu. Sensing that Yukimi might also be thinking of defecting, Raikou and Gau confront him. Raikou says he won't allow Yukimi to defect, and the two begin fighting. While they do this, Yukimi explains that although he has faith in Kairoushuu, Yoite himself has become more important to him. In other words, a person he cares about has become more important than Yukimi's ideals. This causes Raikou to question his own ideals: “There is someone who cares this much about Yoite, who saved Gau. And I was trying to stop him. Is this... the right thing to do?” (ch 48, vol. 10.)
Yukimi gains the upper hand in their fight and Raikou finds himself staring down the barrel of his gun. Gau reacts by throwing his notebook at Yukimi's head and taking up Raikou's sword, tears streaming down his cheeks. Raikou is moved by this, and remembers Gau's declarations of both wanting to be at his side, and wanting to save Yoite. At this point, Raikou realizes exactly what it was Yoite did for him. There are parallels between Yoite and Raikou, in how their self-hatred and need to destroy themselves has pushed them to a certain point. While Yoite is at a point where he physically cannot escape that, Raikou can. In waking up Gau and forcing Raikou to confront him, Yoite saved Raikou as well (ch. 48, vol. 10.) Understanding this, Raikou lets Yukimi win their fight and tells him where Yoite and Miharu have headed.
Raikou then turns to Gau, admitting “I've paid no attention to your feelings.” He asks Gau if he wants to help Yoite, which he does, and if he wants to leave Kairoushuu or Raikou, which he doesn't. Raikou too still believes in Hattori, but also wants Gau to stay with him. He acknowledges his own feelings for Gau at this point, thinking 'If I let you leave, I cannot protect you from Kasa...' He decides to stay with Kairoushuu and try to help Yoite and Miharu, and then tells Gau to stay by his side as well. “I will be somewhere where your hands, voice or eyes can find me. So you mustn't leave.” Gau looks overjoyed at this, and blushes (ch. 48, vol. 10.)
This chapter is one of the strongest in displaying the relationship Raikou and Gau have, and also in showing the development of it. Because Raikou gains new insight about himself, he finds the courage to actually tell Gau to stay with him instead of keeping Gau at a distance in fear that one or both of them will end up hurt. This, alongside Raikou's reactions when Gau risks his life for Raikou yet again, makes it clear that Raikou does care about Gau as well. Again, the extent of this is never clarified and the wording is ambiguous, so it allows for multiple interpretations.
Yoite dies a few chapters later and Miharu uses the Shinrabanshou to erase all memories of Yoite from the world. As a result of the confusing and chaotic situation, the characters scatter. Raikou and Gau go into hiding on their own. Unfortunately, the fact that their memories of Yoite have been erased also means their memories of everything that has happened since Gau went into his coma, meaning most of their development, has been blurred in their minds. Kamatani never tells us what exactly happened in the months they spent in hiding, but when we encounter them again they seem as close and devoted to each other as they were right before Yoite's death. Their memories may have been erased, but their emotions have not. Furthermore, they've taken up residence in a tent at the Shimizu compound, and reveal to Raimei that they intend to re-establish the Shimizu family together.
Hold on a minute, Gau isn't part of the Shimizu family. I guess he's joining it then. And when people usually join a family, they do so through adoption or marriage... yeah, that piece of subtext really speaks for itself, and it isn't uncommon in the Nabari fandom to refer to the two as “basically married.”
At this point in the manga, Raikou and Gau have pretty much reached the end of their development, and everything we see afterwards either reinforces what we already know or provides more subtext. From the chapters we've covered so far, it's undeniable that Gau and Raikou care about each other a lot, to the point of risking their lives for each other, and with the declaration of wanting to re-establish the Shimizu family together, they're committing to each other in one sense or another. It's up to the reader how far they want to read into the emotions behind this. Although these life-risking acts of devotion and declarations of wanting to be by each other's side are telling on their own, a romantic reading of the pairing is largely enhanced by the smaller details that provide a good deal of subtext.
The subtext between Raikou and Gau is mostly delivered in details Kamatani has included in her artwork when the two interact. It is worth noting that in a culture that generally does not participate in casual physical contact, Gau and Raikou spend a lot of time touching each other. In the beginning, this is often because Raikou is fond of hitting Gau to calm his temper, but he's also often seen with his hand on Gau's shoulder. This escalates after Gau and Raikou decide to rebuild the Shimizu family together, and these touches begin to convey what feels to me like a sense of intimacy. Gau also has a habit of clinging to Raikou to support him when he's injured.
Intimacy is also shown through instances of Gau wearing Raikou's clothing, or two of them wearing matching sweaters. We've had at least one instance of Gau wearing a coat Raikou had been wearing earlier in the chapter, and two instances of them wearing matching sweaters. Although these are extremely small things, they are also things associated with intimacy. The last panel the manga shows of Gau and Raikou is one I consider quite intimate. Once again, they're wearing matching sweaters and interacting in a way which suggests an intense closeness. The fact that Kamatani leaves us with this closing images of them makes me think she was fully aware of the romantic implications between the two.
So there you have it. In the Nabari no Ou manga, Raikou and Gau clearly have a strong bond that is expressed in their actions, interactions, thoughts and words. The nature of this relationship and what they feel for each other is not explicitly stated, but there's enough subtext that it's reasonable to see hints of romance. The extent to which the reader takes those hints is up to personal interpretation.
Personal Interpretation
I chose to write this manifesto because in the (almost) two years I have spent as a fan of Nabari, I have spent most of that time feeling very strongly towards this pairing and hoping the two of them would get a relatively happy ending. There are quite a few reasons I personally ended up attached to this pairing. I find the characters easy to relate to, as I personally share a decent amount of traits with both them. I also just find the parts of the story with them in it the most entertaining. The arc in which Raikou and Gau are introduced is the point when the art and plot of Nabari no Ou really start to improve. The characters create great moments of both comedy and tragedy that, in my readings of the manga, really helped to carry things along. This also carries over to the pairing itself: shipping them can lend itself well to fluff and romance, angst and tragedy, and the sadomasochism lends itself well to erotica, if that's your thing.
Raikou and Gau also illustrate one of what I find to be one of the most important themes within the manga: the conflict that often builds between personal relationships and ideals, and how one is supposed to reconcile that. This can be seen in chapter 42, when Raikou struggles with wanting to have Gau with him again and also feeling a large amount of guilt and self-hatred for what has happened to Gau because Raikou brought him into the world of Nabari. Raikou is a character who tries to maintain his ideals of justice and make himself a martyr for it, but the bond between him and Gau complicates this. This comes up again in later chapters, when Gau expresses a want to help Yoite despite the fact that it goes against their orders. I find the development the characters go through in the process of trying to work out both their need to be together and their own beliefs and morals interesting. This aspect of their story is also satisfying because they are one of the two hinted/established couples in Nabari no Ou who actually do get a happy ending.
There's also the fact that Raikou and Gau simply have all the makings of what I enjoy in a ship. Both are well-written and dimensional characters. Furthermore, while canon does establish that Raikou and Gau do care a lot about each other the extent of it up to the reader. It is possible to read their story as a romance that lacks a lot of the typical “romantic” elements that turn me off of a lot of ships and stories. A notable difference is they do not fit into the seme/uke roles so often seen in anime and manga, which to me often come across unrealistic and heterosexist. Although Raikou is taller and physically stronger, and Gau smaller and physically weaker, their emotional strengths are the opposite. Although in their general interactions with other characters Gau is much more emotional, he seems to have a strong hold of them and is a lot better at expressing them than Raikou, who tends to bottle things up and is a lot more unstable. Although Raikou tends to protect Gau physically, Gau is the one who tries to protect Raikou emotionally, the largest example of this being when Gau takes the blow meant for Raimei in an attempt to help the two siblings reconcile. What all this really means is that there is a balance to their relationship that I find refreshing and interesting, and which really makes them appeal to me.
Another draw is the sadomasochist elements of Raikou and Gau's personalities (spoofed by the author here), which I do find really interesting and opens up possibilities of ways to explore their relationship, because there is a lot to explore! Nabari no Ou is written in a way that leaves a lot of their story off-screen, including how exactly their first meeting played out and how they first interacted, what their homelife is like, and what they were doing in those two months they spent in hiding, part of which was spent camping together in a very small tent where there wouldn't have been a lot of room for personal space, and- well, you can see where this is going. I see this is as a pairing with a ton of potential, which unfortunately has not been fully explored by its rather small fandom.
These are a lot of the reasons this pairing made its way into my heart and has managed to stay there for so long. Even if they do slip my mind for a few months I always end up falling in love with them again, which I definitely did while writing this manifesto. I would be lying if I said their relationship didn't mean a lot to me. Despite the fact that it's never stated outright, I think Raikou and Gau are in love on some level or another, and that there is a lot to be explored in their relationship on regards to both that and on a thematic level. I didn't get to it, and don't think it really has a place in this manifesto, but I have a fairly extensive headcanon that will hopefully become fanfiction someday.
So, should you ship them? If any of the things I've talked about here have caught your interest, definitely, although I'd rather you just check out Nabari no Ou as a whole. I could have written a manifesto twice as long, but I don't think I'll ever be able to properly express the emotional satisfaction I get from reading this manga, especially the scenes with Raikou and Gau. The first four volumes hover around average but the series really picks up and takes full advantage of its story and characters after that, and Kamatani's art improves to match it. The potential offered up by Raikou and Gau's relationship is really just one solid part of what is already a great series.
Fandom
The amount of fanwork for this pairing is small due to the size of the fandom and how spread out it is. However, there is some good work out there and the fandom on livejournal is quite friendly, if you feel like stopping by.
Nabari no Ou's Wikipedia Article: For more general information on the series.
Stream the Anime (subtitled): While I personally recommend the manga, especially if you're a fan of Raikou and Gau, Funimation does have the entire anime up for free streaming as well. Unfortunately, its story takes a very different turn after Alya and Raikou and Gau aren't given as much development from then on. However, the casting and soundtrack music are excellent – for this reason you should also check out the second drama CD, which elaborates on Gau and Raikou's relationship in the anime.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
nabari_no_ou: The main lj comm. Fanfiction, fanart, and a doujinshi can be found if you can and go through the tags.
raikougau: The pairing's lj comm: it doesn't have a lot of activity anymore, but there's a handful of fanfiction there.
Pixiv Tags: Raikou, Gau . For fanart (requires registration.)
Kamatani's blog: Just sticking this in here because I adore the author, Kamatani Yuhki, and you can find some cute extra illustrations in her blog.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed your read, whether you're a fan of this pairing or not.
Sources and a Lonely Footnote
All images used are from Nabari no Ou, by Kamatani Yuhki. Text from volume 4 was taken from Yen Press' official English language edition. Other translations and images used are from various scanlation groups – I was going to list which groups I have for which chapters, but there are so many that this seems impractical. However, I will provide credit/sources upon request.
* As you can see, the text in my manifesto does not match the text in the image. I was unsatisfied with the translation as it was and corrected it to the best of my ability.
Author:
radio_nurseFandom: Nabari no Ou (manga only)
Pairing: Raikou/Gau
Word Count: Roughly 5000
Spoilers: For the entire manga.
Notes: All names are written in their original order (last name, first name). Quotations come from official translations when I've been able to use them, and otherwise have come from scanlations which I have checked against raws when possible. Also, warning for discussions/images of violence involving youths. All images linked are to be read right to left.
A Raikou/Gau Manifesto
(alternative/rejected titles: Matching Sweaters, Boyfriend in a Coma)
The Story
In modern-day Japan, a hidden world exists beneath the surface: the world of Nabari. It's a cruel and violent world in which people are fighting to obtain the Shinrabanshou, which grants its users god-like powers. Unfortunately, the Shinrabanshou currently exists inside of Rokujou Miharu, who would rather have nothing to do with it. As time goes on, he becomes caught between his friends in Banten, a village lead by his idealistic teacher Tobari, who want to prevent the Shinrabanshou from being used, and Kairoushuu, a group that intends to use the Shinrabanshou to change the world into what they believe would be a better place.
Or at least it starts that way – many things complicate and change with each new chapter, and the manga entirely avoids becoming the typical action story its premise suggests. Instead Nabari no Ou focuses intensely on certain characters who inhabit its world and how they affect each other, with a strong focus on conflicts that arise between ideologies and personal relationships, the meaning of family, and how these characters deal with their often unpleasant pasts.
Shimizu Raikou
“Let me be the one to swallow all these filthy things!” (ch. 25, vol. 5)
Shimizu Raikou is not your average samurai. He's 20 years-old, has terrible fashion sense, dyes his hair bright pink, and has a part-time job making paper for when he isn't working as a member of Wakachi. Wakachi is the team that deals with individuals within Kairoushuu who are acting against its ideals, typically by using their powers and connections for personal gain in the surface world. Of this, Raikou says: “I think this job has a lot of meaning to it. I've always... wanted to do a job like this” (ch. 23, vol. 5.) And why has he always wanted to do a job like this? As with most parts of who Raikou is, the explanation lies in his past.
The Shimizu were a family of samurai that act as the watchdogs of the world of Nabari and devote themselves to maintaining balance – ideals Raikou began to disagree with when he was fifteen and his friend's parents were killed. Raikou asked his mother Kourin, the head of their family, if there was anything they could do to assist her in seeking revenge or to protect. Kourin refused, as this would upset the balance between Nabari and the surface world. She told him, “A sword is meant to kill. Never think it can save people” (ch. 24, vol. 5.) Raikou's friend was then found dead, and he began to hate his mother.
Soon after this happened, Raikou's uncle Iroku started speaking to him about disagreeing with how their family was being run and of overthrowing Kourin. Iroku promises it will be a peaceful rebellion, and manipulates Raikou's feelings about his friend's death to get Raikou on his side. However, when a group of Shimizu family members confronted Kourin, Iroku was revealed to have been power-hungry, and was trying to overthrow Kourin for personal reasons. When told his by his brother, Raikou's father, Iroku lashed out and killed him. A fight broke out and Iroku, mad with anger, went after Raikou. Kourin took a blow meant for Raikou and died in front of him, but not before telling him to take up Shirogamon, one of the twin swords of the family that had been left to Raikou and his younger sister Raimei. These blades are wielded by the “watchers” of the family itself and are used to strike down rebels, thus functioning as a symbol of neutrality.
Raimei came upon the scene just as Raikou was killing Iroku. Overcome with guilt and grief over the fact that her world has just been destroyed, Raikou kills everyone else remaining and decides to shoulder the blame and guilt of the entire night himself, hoping Raimei will hate him and not have to know the unfortunate truth about the family she loved so much. He tells her he is going to join Kairoushuu, and leaves.
At fifteen, Raikou's innocence was lost and his mind was heavily damaged. In the five years that have passed he does not seem to have healed at all, and suffers from occasional nightmares and hallucinations of his family's massacre. Although he puts on a calm and cheery demeanor, he is not shown to be close to anyone save Gau, and even then he attempts to maintain a distance. He is filled with guilt and self-loathing for what happened to his family, and as a result he has made himself a martyr for Kairoushuu. He is strongly devoted to creating a better world, though he seems intent on destroying himself in the process.
Meguro Gau
“I believe the world can be saved by using the Shinrabanshou!” (ch. 19, vol. 4)
Meguro Gau did not begin his life in the world of Nabari. He was drawn into it when he was sixteen years old, by Shimizu Raikou. Gau's mother, his only living relative, had been murdered three years earlier and the man responsible had not been charged. This prompted Gau to take justice his own hands and seek revenge. He almost died in the process, but luckily Raikou was passing by and saved Gau's life by killing the man. As a result, Gau ended up working in the world of Nabari alongside Raikou. Unfortunately, canon only gives us the sparest of details about how this came to happen, so the hows and whys of all this can only be explained with speculation.
Gau's past has caused him to feel very strongly about how the world is being run, and he believes it is corrupt and needs to be changed. Thus he is very dedicated to his involvement with Kairoushuu, despite how morally questionable the work he and Raikou do is. He also shows a strong devotion to Raikou himself, even going as far as to get mad at people who he feels are being impolite to Raikou. This is also a sign of Gau's fiery temper, which is reflected by his nickname Tenpa-kun. A pun, the Japanese tenpa (テンパ) refers to the English “temper” and the Japanese verb tenparu, "to be about to blow a fuse." As Gau is not at all afraid to speak his mind, his temper often gets him into arguments with other characters.
In Wakachi, Gau's role is an intellectual one more than a physical one. He is responsible for research and organization, and doing clean-up after their missions. It is noted on his profile that cleaning and organizing is something that he likes, which is reflected in the professional-looking clothing he tends to wear. Although his temper and extremism of belief show him to be somewhat immature and naive, he is well-intentioned and hard-working, and does grow as the series progresses.
Text and Subtext
With the amount of time they spend protecting each other, promising to stay with each other and worrying about each other, there's no denying that the bond between Raikou and Gau is a canon part of Nabari no Ou. However, the nature of that bond is left ambiguous, and it's ultimately up to the reader to decide how far they want to read into it. Between the text and the subtext, it's possible to interpret elements of their relationship as romantic rather than platonic or to at least acknowledge the potential of their relationship to grow into that. In this manifesto I intend to explore that interpretation, why it works, and what it means to me on a personal level.
Raikou and Gau first appear in chapter nineteen of volume four. We see them on a mission, taking out a member of Kairoushuu who has been committing crimes in the surface world. Raikou then leaves a red spider-lily on the body. In the second half of this chapter, Raimei sees the news report about this, and understands Raikou must have left the flower as a way of calling her out. She believes that he was responsible for the massacre of her family, and is now calling her out because he wants to kill her too.
On the day that marks the fifth anniversary of their family's death Raikou and Raimei meet again at the Shimizu compound, which is overgrown with corpse flowers. The two begin to fight against each other, using the twin swords their mother left them. Raimei intends to deliver judgement to her brother for his actions and refuses to ask him questions, although he offered to answer them. During their fight, Raikou criticizes her for her naivete and her “rejection of knowledge.” After slashing her across the chest, he takes her sword and tells her: “Get out. Don't ever get involved with the world of Nabari again” (ch. 21, vol. 4.)
Despite his sister's defeat, Raikou's mental state does not seem to have improved. While eating lunch with other members of Kairoushuu and Gau, he speaks very highly of the work Kairoushuu is doing, but leaves abruptly when he is reminded of his sister. When another character, Yukimi, asks Gau about it, Gau says, “Even though I know it's not my place to interfere, I'm still worried” (ch. 23, vol. 5.) Yukimi dismisses this, and encourages Gau to talk to Raikou.
This sticks in Gau's mind as he and Raikou go on another mission. While Raikou fights, he wonders: “Can I become your strength? If I take that first step, will you tell me to turn back? I've always admired you. You said before, that to bring the truth to light is an exhausting task. Now it's as if Raikou-san is no longer doing his work, but rather being crushed by the 'truth'”* (ch. 23, vol. 5)
While fighting, Raikou is distracted by a hallucination of his dead family, causing him to be caught off-guard and injured. Gau steps in, attempting to help Raikou, but is injured himself. Seeing Gau in danger prompts a violent rage from Raikou, and he violently slaughters their targets.
In the next chapter, Gau goes to a hospital searching for Raimei, intending to tell her the truth of what happened to the Shimizu family. It is revealed slightly later through flashback that he finally did confront Raikou. Raikou, looking physically pained over the fact that it was his fault Gau got hurt on their previous mission, finally tells Gau the truth of his past. Before Gau is able to tell Raimei any of this, she asks for proof. He tells her that he has none, and instead draws a knife and holds it to his neck, saying, “I'll let my death prove the truth" (ch. 24, vol. 5.) He then shares with Raimei everything: the death of Raikou's friend, Iroku's murder of his brother and sister-in-law, and why Raikou had Raimei believe he was the one responsible. After hearing all this, Raimei dashes out to find Raikou. Gau then reveals Raikou told him all this on the condition that Gau would tell no one, and if Gau breaks that condition Raikou will “raise [his] sword against him” (ch. 25, vol. 5.)
Back at the Shimizu compound, Raimei confronts Raikou for a second time and asks for her sword back. As they fight, she expresses her anger at him for lying to her and shouldering all the blame to make her hate him, because as much as she loved the rest of her family, she loved him as well. She asks him to come back, but Raikou refuses because of both the blood on his hands and because of his belief in Kairoushuu. He prepares a finishing blow for Raimei, but Gau steps in front of her and takes it instead, intending to “receive his punishment” for telling Raimei (ch. 26, vol.5). He urges the two to stop hating each other and reminds them that they're family. He passes out and is taken to a hospital, where he remains in a coma for a next few volumes.
At this point in the series, Gau's actions and thoughts make it clear he cares deeply for Raikou. He expresses concern when Raikou seems upset, and is willing to give up his own life for Raikou's state of well-being out of devotion to him, not just because Raikou saved his life previously. Whether these feelings are platonic or romantic is not explicitly stated, but there's definitely hints of it being the latter. One of the largest hints is a small daydream Gau has when waiting for Raikou to return from fighting Raimei, which would feel more in place were Gau the heroine of a shoujo manga. Although it's not explicit enough to be considered canon, the way Gau expresses his feelings towards Raikou can definitely allows for them to be read as romantic.
Yes, this is canon.
Although Gau and Raikou do seem close from the beginning, Raikou's feelings aren't really expanded on until after Gau ends up in a coma. Raikou does seem to care about Gau, but these feelings are complicated by his self-loathing and need to act as a martyr. Outside Gau's hospital room, Raikou admits to Raimei that in saving Gau's life when he had, he was making up for not being able to save his friend years ago. “By saving Gau,” he says, “ I was saving my own weak, past self. I finally managed to surpass my mother's shadow” (ch.26 , vol. 5.) Unfortunately, the fact that Gau ultimately ended up hurt makes his mother's words seem to ring true: “A sword is meant to kill. Never think it can save people.” Raimei attempts to remain positive, saying Gau would have been dead if Raikou hadn't joined Kairoushuu and saved him in the first place. Unfortunately Raikou still seems consumed by self-hatred and the belief that Gau will despise him upon waking, to the point of shedding tears. The two siblings part ways, both choosing to remain in the world of Nabari because of their own beliefs rather than out of a sense of duty to the Shimizu family.
While Gau remains in a coma, Raikou is sent on another mission as part of Kairoushuu. He is to infiltrate the school in the village of Kouga alongside Yukimi, Yoite and Miharu (who has at this point switched sides) and obtain their forbidden art, Daya, which is able to cure almost anything. Although Gau is not physically present in this arc, Raikou is still shown to be struggling to cope with what happened to them. While preparing for their mission, Miharu asks Raikou about Gau's condition. Although Gau's body is healing, he hasn't woken up; Raikou speculates that it's because Gau doesn't want to see him. Miharu disagrees because of the conversations he has had with Gau, and offers to try and save Gau with the Shinrabanshou. Raikou refuses, saying: “I have to suffer. Because I absolutely don't want to lose him” (ch. 29, vol. 6) Clearly, Raikou's self-hatred is now affecting his relationship with Gau as well. Although he cares about Gau, he doesn't believe he's worthy of being close to Gau unless he punishes himself or suffers for it. It is also later revealed that Raikou had come on the mission considering using Daya to save Gau – however, once learning that the main ingredient in making Daya work is the bodies of children, Raikou decides against it.
Raikou returns home once the mission is completed, only to find Gau still hasn't woken from his coma. However, his group is quickly given another assignment. When Yukimi, Miharu and Yoite tell Raikou about this he seems reluctant to come along. Over a sparring match, Raikou tells Yukimi how guilty he feels about how he's affected Gau's life: “I dragged the heart of pure, noble Gau into the bloody stench of the world of Nabari. . . I blame myself for why Gau won't open his eyes. And I think that means he won't want to come back to me” (ch. 42, vol. 8.) Again, he remembers what his mother told him about being unable to save anyone with his sword. Although his feelings are clearly being distorted by his own self-hatred, Raikou also seems to be genuinely afraid that he's going to lose Gau.
Miharu disagrees once more, telling Raikou that Gau would smile if he woke up and saw Raikou again, but Raikou thinks Gau will definitely hate him. At this point Yoite steps in, urging Raikou to just help Gau if that's what he wants to do. The two argue, and Raikou is knocked unconscious. Yukimi takes him to the hospital when he wakes up, and Raikou rushes to Gau's room. Gau is awake, having been brought out of his coma by Yoite using his Kira technique on him (the exact details of which aren't entirely relevant and won't be explored here). Seeing Raikou, Gau beings to talk about how he doesn't regret anything that he's done as part of Kairoushuu. Raikou inwardly begs Gau to hate him and to leave him. Gau reveals did not give up the will to live while in his coma because he wanted to see Raikou again and wants to stay by his side (ch. 42, vol. 8.) He smiles, as Miharu predicted, and Raikou bursts into tears.
In the next few chapters, tension builds within Kairoushuu because Yoite and Miharu have defected. This makes things difficult for Gau, who expresses a want to help Yoite as repayment for saving him as well as wanting to stay by Raikou in Kairoushuu. Sensing that Yukimi might also be thinking of defecting, Raikou and Gau confront him. Raikou says he won't allow Yukimi to defect, and the two begin fighting. While they do this, Yukimi explains that although he has faith in Kairoushuu, Yoite himself has become more important to him. In other words, a person he cares about has become more important than Yukimi's ideals. This causes Raikou to question his own ideals: “There is someone who cares this much about Yoite, who saved Gau. And I was trying to stop him. Is this... the right thing to do?” (ch 48, vol. 10.)
Yukimi gains the upper hand in their fight and Raikou finds himself staring down the barrel of his gun. Gau reacts by throwing his notebook at Yukimi's head and taking up Raikou's sword, tears streaming down his cheeks. Raikou is moved by this, and remembers Gau's declarations of both wanting to be at his side, and wanting to save Yoite. At this point, Raikou realizes exactly what it was Yoite did for him. There are parallels between Yoite and Raikou, in how their self-hatred and need to destroy themselves has pushed them to a certain point. While Yoite is at a point where he physically cannot escape that, Raikou can. In waking up Gau and forcing Raikou to confront him, Yoite saved Raikou as well (ch. 48, vol. 10.) Understanding this, Raikou lets Yukimi win their fight and tells him where Yoite and Miharu have headed.
Raikou then turns to Gau, admitting “I've paid no attention to your feelings.” He asks Gau if he wants to help Yoite, which he does, and if he wants to leave Kairoushuu or Raikou, which he doesn't. Raikou too still believes in Hattori, but also wants Gau to stay with him. He acknowledges his own feelings for Gau at this point, thinking 'If I let you leave, I cannot protect you from Kasa...' He decides to stay with Kairoushuu and try to help Yoite and Miharu, and then tells Gau to stay by his side as well. “I will be somewhere where your hands, voice or eyes can find me. So you mustn't leave.” Gau looks overjoyed at this, and blushes (ch. 48, vol. 10.)
This chapter is one of the strongest in displaying the relationship Raikou and Gau have, and also in showing the development of it. Because Raikou gains new insight about himself, he finds the courage to actually tell Gau to stay with him instead of keeping Gau at a distance in fear that one or both of them will end up hurt. This, alongside Raikou's reactions when Gau risks his life for Raikou yet again, makes it clear that Raikou does care about Gau as well. Again, the extent of this is never clarified and the wording is ambiguous, so it allows for multiple interpretations.
Yoite dies a few chapters later and Miharu uses the Shinrabanshou to erase all memories of Yoite from the world. As a result of the confusing and chaotic situation, the characters scatter. Raikou and Gau go into hiding on their own. Unfortunately, the fact that their memories of Yoite have been erased also means their memories of everything that has happened since Gau went into his coma, meaning most of their development, has been blurred in their minds. Kamatani never tells us what exactly happened in the months they spent in hiding, but when we encounter them again they seem as close and devoted to each other as they were right before Yoite's death. Their memories may have been erased, but their emotions have not. Furthermore, they've taken up residence in a tent at the Shimizu compound, and reveal to Raimei that they intend to re-establish the Shimizu family together.
Hold on a minute, Gau isn't part of the Shimizu family. I guess he's joining it then. And when people usually join a family, they do so through adoption or marriage... yeah, that piece of subtext really speaks for itself, and it isn't uncommon in the Nabari fandom to refer to the two as “basically married.”
At this point in the manga, Raikou and Gau have pretty much reached the end of their development, and everything we see afterwards either reinforces what we already know or provides more subtext. From the chapters we've covered so far, it's undeniable that Gau and Raikou care about each other a lot, to the point of risking their lives for each other, and with the declaration of wanting to re-establish the Shimizu family together, they're committing to each other in one sense or another. It's up to the reader how far they want to read into the emotions behind this. Although these life-risking acts of devotion and declarations of wanting to be by each other's side are telling on their own, a romantic reading of the pairing is largely enhanced by the smaller details that provide a good deal of subtext.
The subtext between Raikou and Gau is mostly delivered in details Kamatani has included in her artwork when the two interact. It is worth noting that in a culture that generally does not participate in casual physical contact, Gau and Raikou spend a lot of time touching each other. In the beginning, this is often because Raikou is fond of hitting Gau to calm his temper, but he's also often seen with his hand on Gau's shoulder. This escalates after Gau and Raikou decide to rebuild the Shimizu family together, and these touches begin to convey what feels to me like a sense of intimacy. Gau also has a habit of clinging to Raikou to support him when he's injured.
Intimacy is also shown through instances of Gau wearing Raikou's clothing, or two of them wearing matching sweaters. We've had at least one instance of Gau wearing a coat Raikou had been wearing earlier in the chapter, and two instances of them wearing matching sweaters. Although these are extremely small things, they are also things associated with intimacy. The last panel the manga shows of Gau and Raikou is one I consider quite intimate. Once again, they're wearing matching sweaters and interacting in a way which suggests an intense closeness. The fact that Kamatani leaves us with this closing images of them makes me think she was fully aware of the romantic implications between the two.
So there you have it. In the Nabari no Ou manga, Raikou and Gau clearly have a strong bond that is expressed in their actions, interactions, thoughts and words. The nature of this relationship and what they feel for each other is not explicitly stated, but there's enough subtext that it's reasonable to see hints of romance. The extent to which the reader takes those hints is up to personal interpretation.
Personal Interpretation
I chose to write this manifesto because in the (almost) two years I have spent as a fan of Nabari, I have spent most of that time feeling very strongly towards this pairing and hoping the two of them would get a relatively happy ending. There are quite a few reasons I personally ended up attached to this pairing. I find the characters easy to relate to, as I personally share a decent amount of traits with both them. I also just find the parts of the story with them in it the most entertaining. The arc in which Raikou and Gau are introduced is the point when the art and plot of Nabari no Ou really start to improve. The characters create great moments of both comedy and tragedy that, in my readings of the manga, really helped to carry things along. This also carries over to the pairing itself: shipping them can lend itself well to fluff and romance, angst and tragedy, and the sadomasochism lends itself well to erotica, if that's your thing.
Raikou and Gau also illustrate one of what I find to be one of the most important themes within the manga: the conflict that often builds between personal relationships and ideals, and how one is supposed to reconcile that. This can be seen in chapter 42, when Raikou struggles with wanting to have Gau with him again and also feeling a large amount of guilt and self-hatred for what has happened to Gau because Raikou brought him into the world of Nabari. Raikou is a character who tries to maintain his ideals of justice and make himself a martyr for it, but the bond between him and Gau complicates this. This comes up again in later chapters, when Gau expresses a want to help Yoite despite the fact that it goes against their orders. I find the development the characters go through in the process of trying to work out both their need to be together and their own beliefs and morals interesting. This aspect of their story is also satisfying because they are one of the two hinted/established couples in Nabari no Ou who actually do get a happy ending.
There's also the fact that Raikou and Gau simply have all the makings of what I enjoy in a ship. Both are well-written and dimensional characters. Furthermore, while canon does establish that Raikou and Gau do care a lot about each other the extent of it up to the reader. It is possible to read their story as a romance that lacks a lot of the typical “romantic” elements that turn me off of a lot of ships and stories. A notable difference is they do not fit into the seme/uke roles so often seen in anime and manga, which to me often come across unrealistic and heterosexist. Although Raikou is taller and physically stronger, and Gau smaller and physically weaker, their emotional strengths are the opposite. Although in their general interactions with other characters Gau is much more emotional, he seems to have a strong hold of them and is a lot better at expressing them than Raikou, who tends to bottle things up and is a lot more unstable. Although Raikou tends to protect Gau physically, Gau is the one who tries to protect Raikou emotionally, the largest example of this being when Gau takes the blow meant for Raimei in an attempt to help the two siblings reconcile. What all this really means is that there is a balance to their relationship that I find refreshing and interesting, and which really makes them appeal to me.
Another draw is the sadomasochist elements of Raikou and Gau's personalities (spoofed by the author here), which I do find really interesting and opens up possibilities of ways to explore their relationship, because there is a lot to explore! Nabari no Ou is written in a way that leaves a lot of their story off-screen, including how exactly their first meeting played out and how they first interacted, what their homelife is like, and what they were doing in those two months they spent in hiding, part of which was spent camping together in a very small tent where there wouldn't have been a lot of room for personal space, and- well, you can see where this is going. I see this is as a pairing with a ton of potential, which unfortunately has not been fully explored by its rather small fandom.
These are a lot of the reasons this pairing made its way into my heart and has managed to stay there for so long. Even if they do slip my mind for a few months I always end up falling in love with them again, which I definitely did while writing this manifesto. I would be lying if I said their relationship didn't mean a lot to me. Despite the fact that it's never stated outright, I think Raikou and Gau are in love on some level or another, and that there is a lot to be explored in their relationship on regards to both that and on a thematic level. I didn't get to it, and don't think it really has a place in this manifesto, but I have a fairly extensive headcanon that will hopefully become fanfiction someday.
So, should you ship them? If any of the things I've talked about here have caught your interest, definitely, although I'd rather you just check out Nabari no Ou as a whole. I could have written a manifesto twice as long, but I don't think I'll ever be able to properly express the emotional satisfaction I get from reading this manga, especially the scenes with Raikou and Gau. The first four volumes hover around average but the series really picks up and takes full advantage of its story and characters after that, and Kamatani's art improves to match it. The potential offered up by Raikou and Gau's relationship is really just one solid part of what is already a great series.
Fandom
The amount of fanwork for this pairing is small due to the size of the fandom and how spread out it is. However, there is some good work out there and the fandom on livejournal is quite friendly, if you feel like stopping by.
Nabari no Ou's Wikipedia Article: For more general information on the series.
Stream the Anime (subtitled): While I personally recommend the manga, especially if you're a fan of Raikou and Gau, Funimation does have the entire anime up for free streaming as well. Unfortunately, its story takes a very different turn after Alya and Raikou and Gau aren't given as much development from then on. However, the casting and soundtrack music are excellent – for this reason you should also check out the second drama CD, which elaborates on Gau and Raikou's relationship in the anime.
nabari_no_ou: The main lj comm. Fanfiction, fanart, and a doujinshi can be found if you can and go through the tags.raikougau: The pairing's lj comm: it doesn't have a lot of activity anymore, but there's a handful of fanfiction there.Pixiv Tags: Raikou, Gau . For fanart (requires registration.)
Kamatani's blog: Just sticking this in here because I adore the author, Kamatani Yuhki, and you can find some cute extra illustrations in her blog.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed your read, whether you're a fan of this pairing or not.
All images used are from Nabari no Ou, by Kamatani Yuhki. Text from volume 4 was taken from Yen Press' official English language edition. Other translations and images used are from various scanlation groups – I was going to list which groups I have for which chapters, but there are so many that this seems impractical. However, I will provide credit/sources upon request.
* As you can see, the text in my manifesto does not match the text in the image. I was unsatisfied with the translation as it was and corrected it to the best of my ability.
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Date: 2010-12-26 11:16 pm (UTC)Thank you for writing this. I was waiting for one for a long time!
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Date: 2011-05-22 08:53 am (UTC)When I finished this series I thought that the pairing had its hints but was still kept vague. But after reading your manifesto I honestly think that Kamatani did flesh out their relationship completely and meant for them to be together. I am now content ^_^. Thank you for the time you spent on this and sharing it.
Also a side tidbit, I just have to mention the scene where Raimei and the two boys were running from the enemy (insert bad memory here) and Raikou was actually carrying Gau as they were running. Absolutely adorable.
And now I'm done :p.