Kuroko: How long have you been sleeping with Takao-kun?
Midorima: That’s disgusting. And wrong. I’ve never had sex with anyone, anywhere. It’s none of your… you have the nerve, the audacity… Takao is my partner, technically, and he is terrible, face-wise. And how… how… do I know, frankly, that you’re not sleeping with him? Maybe you are. Maybe you’re trying to throw me off. Hmm? Check and mate! This is an outrage! Who do I call?

miyajikiyoshi:

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH MIDORIMA PROBABLY HAS THOSE SHOUJO MANGA MOMENTS ABOUT TAKAO A LOT LIKE HE DOES NOT REALIZE HE’S  IN LOVE AND HE JUST SITS IN HIS ROM LISTENING TO LOVE SONGS AND THINKING “WHAT IS THIS FEELING IN MY CHEST” AND BLUSHES AND PUTS HIS FOREHEAD TO HIS KNEES AND HE DOESN’T GET IT!! HE’S AN AWKWARD PRINCE

hello there!!! im rewatching knb S2 and its seirin vs shuutoku. and like its making me kinda sad to hear takao say things like “he’s weird and annoying, we’re not friends” about shin chan in a flashback. i know their relationship has changed so much haha but im still upset :( could you remind me of all canon midotaka stuff that’ll make me feel better

chocoboxnow:

Anon!! I feel you because I have such mixed feelings about that monologue. On the one hand, it’s super cute that Takao thinks Midorima hasn’t really changed. I mean, it’s clear that he has, but Takao knows his essential Midorimaness hasn’t changed, and I feel like you have to know someone really well to see something like that. On the other hand, jeez, go on long enough about how you don’t like Midorima much? (Is this a case of he “doth protest too much” maybe??)

I will say that at least part of the problem here is Crunchyroll’s translation…for instance, Takao doesn’t say “we’re not friends,” he says—well, first let me say that Japanese often doesn’t include the subject of a sentence. So when Takao goes off on this rant, it’s not entirely clear if this is how he, personally, feels about Midorima, or how he thinks the entire team feels about Midorima. It ends with him clearly saying that “everyone” can’t hate him, so maybe the whole speech is about Midorima’s relationship with the team, not Takao in particular? Anyway, back to “we’re not friends,” the original line is 仲良くなってなったわけじゃない which I would translate as “it’s not like we’ve become close.” This monologue started with the question of whether Midorima has changed or not, so this could just be read as a lack of change in the relationship. I think this (and Takao’s feeling at the beginning of the speech that Midorima hasn’t really changed) is at least partly because they’re so close and spend so much time together, it’s harder for Takao to see what has been a gradual change. “We’re not that close, really! We just…spend all of our time together, and…argue like an old married couple, and….okay, you have a point.”

By the way, when you ask for canon, are you including drama CDs?? Because the drama CD that goes along with this game is the one where Midorima spends an entire week worrying about Scorpio’s bad luck and getting lucky items for Takao (including one that cost $500(!), not to mention asking Kuroko and Riko for help), and offering to let Takao ride in the rear cart without doing rock paper scissors, AND at the end of this, Takao wants to spend the day with Midorima because Scorpio’s lucky item is a “precious friend”(!!!!). So, you know…that itself directly contradicts the translation of Takao’s line as “we’re not friends.”

OR, strictly canon scenes:

  • Takao tossing Midorima a roll of tape and Midorima smiling at him (he sometimes smiles “while he’s playing basketball,” hmmmm?)
  • Takao offering to skip rock paper scissors after they lose to Seirin
  • taking a bath together during training camp
  • also during training camp: Midorima knowing Takao is watching him with Kagami and telling him it’s time to go (he can’t just leave on his own??)
  • if I may use an example from Extra Game: when Takao first arrives to join Vorpal Swords, he says “thanks for taking care of our Shin-chan,” [a rote greeting you say regarding someone in your “in” group, usually family] which I feel is basically reminding everyone there that Midorima belongs to Shuutoku (and Takao), and Vorpal Swords is just borrowing him for a while
  • Sky Direct Three Point Shot (and basically all of episode 56)
  • in 75.5, Midorima asking Takao to get his lucky item, and Takao delivering him to practice
  • I already said episode 56, but: it’s canon that they’re the light and shadow of Shuutoku. The author of this series looked at Midorima and Takao’s relationship and equated it to the partnership that’s the focus of the entire series

I hope this helps, Anon! Don’t ever doubt that these two are inseparable partners.
(งロ-ロ)人(`ω´ )ง

thetox:

Shut up Takao, you know nothing. Your monolgue is delusional and you undervalue your own importance. Midorima will go back to practising all by himself? Sorry, but every time we see him practice you’re right there with him and in his future flashback it’s even implied that you always stay behind alongside him. And he’s irritating? You’re the one who keeps waiting for him and going to find him whenever you’re separated, and insists he spends more time with you. Though to be fair, that’s completely mutual.

You’re the one who’s always by his side and you’re the one who shows most understanding of who he is. You’re the one who’s always smiling around him and proving that you know what he’s really thinking when he’s being dishonest. You’re the one who respects his boundaries and you’re the one who knows when you can push more, and you’re the one who became his partner, and showed him what teamplay is all about. You’re the one whose passes always reaches him.

So stop with this nonsenses that Kuroko was the one to change Midorima. Without you it wouldn’t have happened even if he lost to teamwork. It was thanks to you that he could rely on his team mates and it was you who taught him trust.

You’re only fooling yourself with monologues like these.