3719 SQUIDS

This above was the original post, but actually i decided to make it into a more developped observation of Byakuya and Senku relationship and why they have the best anime father-son bond ever.

I would like to remind that everything that is said is about two characters that have a completely different personality and way of handling things, and so the argument "they both love science" isn't enough to explain why they have a better bond than any other anime father-son, and why Byakuya is best father.

First of all and the one everyone knows, Byakuya always gave his support and sacrified for Senku. He takes his parent responsabilities to heart and never questions his son's path.

He knows Senku likes to make things by himself, that he enjoys learning by tests and errors, and he never tried to stop him. On the contrary, he sold his car to have money to prepare a whole laboratory for Senku. Of course not any family could afford selling their car, or lending freely all money amouts, but it's not a meaningless decision either. A whole laboratory, for his son, because he knew Senku wants to do it himself and Byakuya would rather let go of things he likes than seeing Senku being stopped in his passion.

After the first pretrification, Byakuya first goal was Senku (normal for a parent lol), but then his goal changed to helping Senku in every way possible for when he wakes up. Something that no one could be sure to happen.

He knows he'll die long before it could happens, so he created a village just so Senku could have people to help him. A whole VILLAGE that he made surviving with his stories of knowledge for THOUSANDS of years so Senku wouldn't be alone in his quest of reviving everyone and would get help. Oh and also made the people of the village transmit for generations a message for his son. All this time. That's crazy how he never gave up. He also spent the rest of his life collecting platinium, until he died there. He sacrified his health and life because that's his genius son and that's enough reasons for him. (It's actually crazy if you rewatch the anime you'll see everything he does is for his son)

Next point is the affection showed between them. Senku is Byakuya joy and pride, he never stopped telling it in his way to absolutely everyone. Senku is aware of the love Byakuya has for him, which is very important for a child growing up to know you have your dear ones that care and will care whatever happens.

He doesn't belittle his father emotions at all (Senku isn't the kind to not care about people feelings btw but that's another story). When the Jaxa was looking for astronauts again, he made a swimming costume because he knows his father isn't doing great, but more importantly he did it because he knew how much he was waiting for the opportunity to show up and how much it would mean to him to pass the test.

All this brings me to the next point, the unbreakable trust between them. If he wasted his life with labor work at collecting ore, if he made a village when he just could have waited death, if he made a recording of the last song of humanity, it was all because he trusted Senku to find it. He trusted his capacities, he trusted his hardworking mind, he trusted his cartesian brain to not give up. He based everything of the small chance that he'll wake up, but he knew that if he ever does, he would 100% find the remedy to the petrification.

And on Senku's side, he trusted Byakuya way of helping him. Of course he couldn't guess what he did for him at first. But the second he understood Byakuya came back alive from space and did something for him, he trusted that Byakuya wouldn't give up on him and would try his best.

Neither of them ever put in question their bond, they are father and son, whatever people say, whatever if they aren't blood-related, they are linked by the love and trust they hold for each other. They know and they agree to it completely.

What makes their relationship interesting is that not any of this is said directly/openly, because firstly they doesn't need to (with all that they did for each other) and also because Senku doesn't communicate this way at all. Actually Byakuya and Senku have a completely different love language : Byakuya is very open and outspoken, but Senku is the opposite, using actions as a way to express love. So Byakuya adapted and did things that shows to his son that he cares, like the laboratory or the years of work post petrification for exemple. He almost expressed his love on the song record, but he didn't because he knows Senku knows. They just know, they trust and they believe.

All that explain why they have the best relationship. Also this would explain why everyone seems attracted to Senku's science. There is passion in it. There is the love and care, there is the enjoyement of showing to others how science is cool. No wonder, that's what Byakuya did to Senku his whole life. Byakuya didn't teach him science, he taught him passion and perseverance.