#from rain | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

stormyrainyday · 1 month ago

Text

How to Read MFB Like a Professor: Chapter 2

Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion

Key concept: Eating together is an act of community, and characters' behavior during meal scenes can reveal a lot about their relationships.

What's this? Read the series intro post.

I'm going to preface this post with the fact that I was not raised Catholic, or even Christian. The closest thing in my upbringing to communion was starting and breaking the fasts in the month of Ramadan, and though I still spend that time with my family, they've taken on a distinctly new meaning as I grew older. That, however, is an essay for another day. As a result, though, this post will focus primarily on the act of eating together, instead of trying to dissect all the religious connotations that comes with communion.

Eating together is an act of trust, friendship, and community. Sharing food is an inherently vulnerable and intimate act, as food is something you put directly into your body. This is why meeting someone over a meal is a pretty common way to start a (hopefully) lasting connection, be it a date, a business proposal, or simply a friendship.

These inherent interpersonal undertones are, however, why it's very important that dinner conventions are not violated. Leaving mid-meal, not finishing the food, getting in an argument-- these are all incredibly disrespectful and can worsen the relationship between the people dining. Paying special attention to behavior during mealtimes, then, gives insight on the current and future relationships between characters.

There are, surprisingly, not a lot of scenes in Beyblade in which the characters eat; if they do, like in the image above, the meal is usually between people who are already friends and does little to further the plot. That being said, for this chapter I've managed to pick 3 instances in which characters eat together (or, in one, where they don't eat) to analyze what it means for their relationships.

Meal 1: The Beautiful Eagle (Ep. 24)

This episode features a meal between Gingka and Tsubasa, whom Gingka meets at the beginning of this episode. It's quite short, taking up only a few minutes, but in that time, it does a good job establishing the sense of camaraderie underscored by distrust that marks the beginning of their relationship.

For context, prior to the meal Gingka and Tsubasa meet for the first time, when Tsubasa saves an unsuspecting Gingka from an ambush. They then spend some time together, with Tsubasa teaching Gingka to catch fish, and finally sit down and cook the food they caught together and share it.

From the very start of their shared meal, it's immediately obvious that Gingka has grown comfortable with Tsubasa, despite only knowing him for a day. They sit on the same side of the fire (as opposed to across from each other) which shows a literal closeness as they eat together. In the shot, you can see their poses mirror each other: they sit cross legged and their bodies are turned towards each other, with their bags standing up at their sides. The food they eat is also food they both had a hand in preparing-- Tsubasa in teaching Gingka how to acquire it, and Gingka in actually cooking; ingesting this food is, symbolically, taking a piece of each other into them. It's obvious from this shot, before even speaking a word, that they have become friends and that a level of mutual trust has been established.

More concrete proof of their companionship is shown in the dialogue where Gingka opens up about the friends he made in the city, even going so far as to show Tsubasa a photo of all of them together. Notably, Gingka shares far more about himself and his friends than Tsubasa does-- Tsubasa only concedes in this conversation that his eagle is very close to him. Still, their meal is pleasant and enjoyable with a clearly relaxed ambience.

(Contrast it with this shot from Run, Gingka!, which mirrors the scene from above: Tsubasa and Phoenix are sitting across from each other so they can keep each other in sight, and there is a clear tension between them. Phoenix's identity is rudely hidden, both by his mask and because he did not bother to introduce himself after saving Tsubasa from the Dark Nebula. In this scene, they don't eat together, and the conversation ends with Tsubasa arguing with Phoenix, and him walking away. Despite Phoenix also saving Tsubasa as Tsubasa had Gingka, no friendship or trust is earned here.)

Returning to The Beautiful Eagle: Despite the established trust, the meal ends rather abruptly and reveals the cracks in Gingka and Tsubasa's friendship. Gingka decides to test the waters of his newfound trust by asking Tsubasa for clarification on something he'd said earlier. He hands Tsubasa a drink in a mug as he speaks, demonstrating that he means no aggression with the question. Gingka, however, does not sip the drink himself, and lets it sit in his lap as he watches Tsubasa for an answer.

Here the first unspoken rule of dinner is broken: Do not refuse parts to eat or drink. Gingka holding the cup but not drinking is a subtle indication of his trust in Tsubasa faltering. Tsubasa, however, sips away even as he dodges the question. His sly smile indicates that he knows more than he lets on, but he continues to accept Gingka's hospitality and attempts to maintain the status quo they had set. For reasons still unknown to the audience, Tsubasa desires Gingka's goodwill, so he continue to act normally. It's only when Gingka presses the issue that Tsubasa breaks convention himself: he changes the subject and abruptly sets down his drink, rudely cutting both the meal and the conversation short.

The slights are small but speak volumes about the pair. It's painfully clear that they are friendly, but wary of each other. They still attend the tournament together the next day, showing the strength of the connection they formed, but the sense of distrust follows Gingka through the battle, so much so he figures out that Tsubasa was merely testing him all along. While the meal itself is not the cause of the distrust, the details of their interaction within it highlight every other thing we learn about these characters over the course of the episode.

Meal 2: The Mysterious Hyoma (Ep. 15)

This meal conveys many similar ideas as the one between Gingka and Tsubasa, so I'll keep this short. This meal with Kenta, Madoka, and Hyoma takes place after Hyoma saves the pair from falling off of a cliff (similar to how Tsubasa helps Gingka with the ambush). Notable differences are as follows:

Kenta and Madoka are truly dependent on Hyoma: They had no way of surviving the fall, cannot navigate the area, and have no ability to gather or cook for themselves. This forces them in a position in which they must trust Hyoma, despite their obvious misgivings

Hyoma plays up his suspicious nature as much as he can. He helps the pair, but makes it obvious that he is not trustworthy (this is so he can test how far they are willing to go to reach Koma Village and help Gingka)

Thus the dynamic is less 'new friends who are wary' and more 'strangers who are forced to trust despite their better judgement'. The meal they share reflects this.

Hyoma gathers the fish for this meal alone, by means unknown to Madoka and Kenta. Even this small detail overwhelms them with doubt: when Hyoma goes to fish, he doesn't tell them where his is going, and is gone for so long that Madoka and Kenta voice concern; then, at the end of the meal when they become brave enough to press him on where he got the fish, he intimidates them into dropping the subject. These actions are intended to sow distrust in Madoka and Kenta, and they are stunningly effective.

Furthermore, at the end of their meal, note that while Madoka and Kenta have eaten their fill, Hyoma's portion sits untouched, despite having hosted them and prepared the food himself. This, too, is incredibly suspicious behavior-- in other media, I would even suspect that the food has been tampered with in some way, like with poison.

Finally, though it's a small detail, Hyoma's position and posture also reveals more about the power dynamics at play. He sits across from Madoka and Kenta, in a good position to watch them closely. His posture is slouched, but he leans forward and has his legs spread-- though he is relaxed, his position is still one that takes up space and conveys power, observation, and intimidation. What's more is that while Madoka and Kenta sat on the ground for the meal, Hyoma is perched on a rock, a seat that elevates him (literally and figuratively) above his companions. It's obvious that he holds the power in this group, even without the additional context of the rest of the episode.

Still, some element of trust is established between the group. Kenta opens up to Hyoma regarding their goal to help Gingka (although this can also be attributed in part to Kenta's naivete). Notably, later on when Hyoma is exposed for lying to the group, it is Kyoya who calls him out. No meal was shared with Kyoya, and the foundation of trust has not been laid out (and, of course, Kyoya is the most astute of the party; if anyone were to notice, it would be him, meal or no meal).

As with Tsubasa, many factors in the episode were at play to establish the characters' dynamics; however, the meal they shared is a microcosm of the greater nature of their relationship.

(Non) Meal 3: Infiltrate the Dark Nebula's Castle!

This final example is a little different. As the subheading implies, no meal is shared between the participants, Gingka and Doji, in this episode. Still, the conversation they have takes place in a formal dining hall, with the clear intent on Doji's part to sit down and discuss over a formal dinner-type situation. Of course, that doesn't happen, and several small facets of the encounter reveal the intensity of the vitriol between the two of them.

From the outset, to call the arrangement Doji has set a "meal" is admittedly a bit of a stretch. The table and the hall are grand, that much is true. Gingka's dedicated seat is even at the head of the table's, a position that appears to give him equal power to Doji himself. This represents how Doji is attempting to manipulate Gingka into feeling that they are on equal footing. Doji uses this meeting to try and recruit Gingka to the Dark Nebula; he believes Gingka will be more compliant if he believes himself to be on the same level as Doji while negotiating, and thus uses this seating arrangement to superficially manufacture that feeling of power.

However, on closer inspection, Doji's facade falls apart. Firstly, he's seated Gingka as far away from himself as possible, which represents the breadth of distance between his viewpoints and Gingka's. He also does not bother to set out an actual meal for Gingka either; this could suggest that he knows the recruitment is doomed to fail, or perhaps he does not feel that Gingka is worth the time and effort-- regardless, it's a rude thing to do as a host. What food and drink he does set out is within his own reach, while being incredibly far away from his Gingka, his guest. This is also rude, of course, and further cements the clear dislike Doji has for Gingka, but the symbolism runs deeper. The fruit represent the profits or gains the Dark Nebula hope to achieve with Doji at the helm-- they are a stand in for the "fruits of their labor". These gains, however, are placed out of reach of Gingka's seat, while being within arm's length for Doji himself. This shows that while Doji is putting on an amicable front by attempting to recruit Gingka, he has no intentions of ever letting him reap the benefits at the end.

Despite the apparent formality of the dinner arrangements, Doji's demeanor is so casual as to almost be insulting in such a setting. He plays with his glass and takes his time explaining his motivations. Only after draining his drink does Doji and truly reveal what he wants with Gingka. Even then, he stands up to do so and points his glass downwards at Gingka, demonstrating once more that despite proposing a partnership, Doji is and has always looked down on Gingka.

This is supplemented by his dialogue, which reveals that whatever interest Doji has in Gingka is not rooted in respect; rather, Doji only wishes to partner with him as a means of controlling a perceived threat to his power.

All of this being said, Gingka also violates the sanctity of a dinner meeting. From the very start, he refuses to even sit down at the table with Doji, choosing instead to linger by the door in a visibly tense stance. He does not indulge Doji by listening to what he says either; immediately, he draws his bey (the equivalent of pointing a weapon at someone) and insists that there is nothing for the two of them to talk about. Such blatant hostility isn't befitting of dinner companions, and the fact that they were unable to even sit at the table together demonstrates that any potential partnership they may have had was dead on arrival.

Their fate is sealed when Gingka launches Pegasus and initiates battle with Doji. Violence to one's dinner partner is the utmost form of disrespect, and symbolizes the point of no return for Gingka and Doji. From here on out, they are adversaries, and nothing either party does can ever change that. Doji even laments this fact as he launches his own bey, as though he knows he is helping to place the last straw.

Doji throws the glass to the floor as the battle begins, and as it proceeds, the dinner table and its careful settings are beyond repair. The message is clear: any chance at reconciliation or partnership is doomed. They will make it their goal to destroy each other, or lose everything trying.

I had a hard time with this one! All the meals scenes are quite short and there aren't that many to begin with. In the planning bullet points for this essay I had far less to say. Once I started writing the actual essay, though I noticed more and more things. Some had to be cut in order to stay on the topic of meals, but some (like the parallels between Gingka and Tsubasa and Tsubasa and Phoenix's meetings) I couldn't help but keep in.

That being said, I have no idea what the next essay (vampirism) is going to look like. The low hanging fruit is Ryuga's dark move, of course, but we'll see more when it comes time to actually read the chapter.

Until then, thanks for reading!! It means more than you know.

#beyblade #beyblade metal fight #mfb #HTRMFBLAP #metal fight beyblade #beyblade metal fusion #beyblade metal saga #gingka hagane #tsubasa otori #kyoya tategami #hyoma beyblade #doji beyblade #beyblade analysis #from rain

40 notes · View notes