~mandatory warning: bsd manga spoilers
Tecchou is one of the characters (along with Teruko) who intrigued me the most in the entire DoA arc. Despite having multiple chapters dedicated to him (and the HD), we know very little about his character. I thought it would be fun to try and dissect Tecchou's morality a bit :D
Firstly, his introduction panel.
Tecchou is the strongest Hunting Dog in combat if we don't take into account their abilities.
Maybe Tecchou is more of a threat than we give him credit for.
Next, we have the line 'steel in body and mind' - it's likely that Tecchou is incredibly rooted in his ideals kunikida manifested and in 'goodness' Despite his eccentricities, Tecchou is actually an extremely determined and strong-minded character. The 'meteoric slash' is something I'll come back to later.
At first glance, this is just Jouno and Tecchou quipping at each other- but look at Tecchou's expression. His eyes are closed (almost reverently and in respect of something) like he's talking about something that's inherently true to him. While he and Jouno treat it as a joke in the next panel - it's still clear that Tecchou believes in some kind of 'truth' of this world. I can't begin to guess at what it is - but clearly, it's something that matters a lot to him.
It's clear to anyone, bright as day, that Jouno doesn't particularly like Tecchou. And in this panel, we can genuinely see Tecchou's slight confusion at realising that Jouno hated him. This happens on numerous occasions where Tecchou is seemingly 'oblivious' to the feelings and things happening around him. (It could be that he's just unobservant owo)
Tecchou gets A LOT of tunnel vision.
When Tecchou is incredibly focused on something, he forgets that everything/everyone else around him exists.
And this reflects when he's attacking people too.
While Jouno is gloating talking, Tecchou doesn't even bother truly 'looking' at his enemies. He's just entirely focused on killing them. He didn't seem to care that he was attacking a literal child.
Next, look at these panels.
Tecchou looks like a monster.
His hair covers either his entire face or covers an eye. I think it's incredibly reminiscent of 'blinding' yourself. Tecchou is so incredibly driven and has a needle-point's intensity that his 'virtues' and 'goodness' that he fights for blind him from the truth, simply because he doesn't look at the bigger picture - goodness and badness are not something that intersects for him.
But that doesn't mean he doesn't have virtues and morals - he does, more so than anyone.
He believes so much in the intrinsic goodness of the world and people in it, and beyond anything, he simply wants to protect the it and keep it safe for innocent people.
To finally finish this (incredibly long) analysis - I think this truly sums up Tecchou better than anything else.
He believes that it is his job to punish the wrongdoers, to bring criminals to justice and that his sword is a method of doing so. For him, there is no grey morality. If you commit evil, you deserve the appropriate punishment, no matter your reasons. But this mindset is what genuinely blinds him from the messy reality of the world - and the way his own morality turns him into a 'monster' in the pursuit of justice.
Finally, (I swear this is the end), while I couldn't read the IRL Suehiro-sensei's Plum Blossoms in Snow, a common symbolism of plum blossoms is 'preserving the sanctity of life' and in Confucianism, plum blossoms also stood for 'principles and the value of virtues.' Sounds like someone we know :D
And now I'm going to get poetic, simply because I can. The 'meteoric slash' likely refers to the way his blade flashes in the air when he fights with it. Much like how evilness is often associated with darkness, its Tecchou's blade that streaks across it like a meteor slash and brings light to them.
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