𝕗𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕙 𝕕𝕚𝕔𝕜𝕚𝕖𝕤

So in flashbacks, Kaiser's drawn as a quiet child with a soft, muted expression and wide, attentive eyes. The manga canon establishes this visual, and basically every doujinshi depicting him as a child carries on with this recursive imagery. Through the lens of fanworks [which, granted, are made by Kaiser fans, so I'm acknowledging that there was likely a positive bias towards him even before they were introduced to him as a child in the manga] you can tell that this depiction is received as one of an incredibly cute, pitiable child that people feel drawn towards, usually with the impulse to soothe and protect him. We don't actually see anyone reach out to him as a lonely, isolated, ignored and abused child, but isn't that hard to imagine when you look at him? You couldn't scream 'helpless stray puppy' any louder, visually. I love Don Lorenzo, but the way that he's drawn during the time that he was an impoverished, desperate child - swarming with flies, frighteningly gaunt, toothless - gives us a [painful, shallow,] clearly visible reason WHY strangers might have been wary to approach him. But not Kaiser.

Then as a teen freshly recruited by Ray Dark, we see that while he has that same guarded, quiet expression, the very first thing his new team mates do is greet him warmly and try to befriend him. He doesn't know how to react to this, of course, so he defaults to violence as the only kind of human interaction he's comfortable with. But the fact remains that when they first saw him, they were immediately drawn to him and ready to receive him with kindness. It's less likely that they found him magnetic for his looks, and more likely that they were intrigued by the promise and mystery of his soccer talent, but still- there they are, flocking in anyway, warm and open to getting to know him.

And then Kaiser cultivates this ruthless showman persona, gets tattoos and bulks up and devotes himself to being as cruel and destructive towards others as he possibly can. But even at his worst, he STILL has Ness ready and eager to follow him, and fans looking genuinely thrilled whenever he enters the pitch or scores a goal. Even at his most repellant, there are still people all around who beam at him and cheer him on.

So like... I don't know where I'm going with this, really. But I feel that on a certain level, Kaiser is [and I mean STILL is, even with his much harder, haughtier, nastier persona on full display] someone that a lot of people feel naturally compelled to love? Here he's been yearning for love ever since he was a small, lonely child, and yet it's all around him, constantly. He just may have never learned how to see it, much less open up to and accept the free-flowing, ambient love all around him. It's really fascinating and sad to me that he so clearly thinks he needs to do something to earn love; needs to figure out the complicated formula or perform the necessary ritual in order to invoke love. But it's right there! It's all around you!

I find it really compelling, that's all.