The Elephants in the Room

Usually, when someone is against the idea of Bankotsu/Jakotsu being a couple, it’s because they believe Bankotsu is strictly heterosexual, that it ‘wasn’t like that’ or that they’re actually brothers or see each other as such.

In the interest of not repeating myself, I’ll link my relevant analyses:

Does Bankotsu Like Women?

Jakotsu’s Type 

Bankotsu Doesn’t Know Jakotsu’s Type

And an explanation of why they’re provably not brothers right here.

Manga

It’s a well-known fact that the anime adaptation of InuYasha, like many other adaptations, deviates from the source material in several ways. The Band of Seven is no exception to that; however, the core aspects still remain.

As the manga is the source material, it’s only right to discuss it first.

Prior to Chapter 250, there’s almost no mention of Bankotsu by any of the members. He’s hinted at, but remains unnamed until his debut. 

A core of writing a good romance means distinguishing how they treat their love interest as opposed to how they treat their friends, specifically in a way meant to establish importance, i.e Inuyasha consistently referring to his friends as ‘Kagome and the others’, therefore other-ing their relationship as something more.

This is something that is done with Bankotsu and Jakotsu’s relationship from the get-go. There is a clear difference in the closeness of their relationship when compared to their relationship with their other friends.

In our first interaction, we’re shown Jakotsu waving to him and excitedly calling his name, while Renkotsu greets him in a more stoic and professional manner. 

The only other character Jakotsu waves to in this manner (in the manga) is Inuyasha, and the level of excitement he displays is similar.

Which suggests that, romantically or otherwise, he enjoys Bankotsu’s company as much as he enjoys fighting Inuyasha— a high compliment.

Jakotsu is given a lot of dialogue compared to some of the other members, and is the one to say, “We’re going for revenge?” after Bankotsu instructs Renkotsu to write a threatening message.

This scene only lasts about four pages, but serves as a good introduction to their relationship.

After the Band of Seven take their aforementioned revenge on the castle, we get a 5-page interaction between Bankotsu and Jakotsu in Chapter 251. 

Immediately, this stands out, because Jakotsu is the only member of the Band of Seven who is drinking with Bankotsu. A fact that seems to have been Bankotsu’s suggestion, based on Jakotsu’s laments that it’s hardly the time for such a thing.

Suikotsu is standing guard at one gate, and Renkotsu seems to be guarding the other— sentry duty. We could assume they both merely chose to abstain from having a drink, but I’m not positive they’re confident enough in their position to reject a direct invitation. They probably all drink occasionally, and Renkotsu doesn’t seem one to turn down personal time with the Boss.

Which means that as far as we know, Bankotsu invited Jakotsu— and only Jakotsu— to drink with him directly. On top of that, the sake bucket is positioned beside Bankotsu rather than in-between them.

If it were in-between them, it’d serve as a separator, making their positioning less intimate. As it is, its proximity to Bankotsu and the ladle he holds and his complaining about the lack of women to pour sake suggests that Bankotsu was the one who poured both their drinks.

Bankotsu also seeks Jakotsu’s counsel on whether or not they can trust Naraku, to which Jakotsu says there’s no point asking him when he hasn’t met Naraku.

Chapter 253 “Retreat” jumps into action with Inuyasha using the Wind Scar against Bankotsu, picking up where Chapter 252 left off. 

During this attack, Jakotsu turns away from his battle to call out for Bankotsu in concern.

While the two less relevant members also glance to check on their leader, Jakotsu is the only one to react this way— verbally expressing what can only be concerned, whereas Suikotsu seems confused and Renkotsu feels exclamation-mark.

Turning away from your battle to cry out in concern for someone else is both a trope in Inuyasha (and other animes) and also something that Bankotsu criticized Inuyasha for in Chapter 252, the one right before this.

A word of advice, Inuyasha— you should really be more focused on yourself!

Which draws a parallel between the two adjacent scenes, and with the nature of Inuyasha’s feelings for Kagome being romantic, it potentially adds that same undertone.

Chapter 254 contains one of the most unique interactions between Bankotsu and Jakotsu, in the sense that the anime adapted it quite differently. 

After threatening Renkotsu regarding his secret shards, Bankotsu starts to give his men directions.

Initially, he singles out Suikotsu. Suikotsu gets his own panel, and one with a special background. This puts the emphasis on Suikotsu being selected and suggests a brief pause in Bankotsu’s speech before he adds that Jakotsu is also meant to go.

The emphasis on Suikotsu could either be because Suikotsu will perish in that fight, or to make the ‘and Jakotsu’ feel like something of an afterthought; perhaps a more casual thing.

Or, it could have other implications.

Because the next page has these two panels, where Jakotsu continues his protest. He is distressed, fists clenched and teary eyes. Bankotsu has a very neutral, detail-less expression that reads with ambiguity. Until the panel below it, that is,

Where Bankotsu’s expression seems, at the least, unamused. His wording here is harsh, often translated along the lines of, “Anyhow, it’s an unrequited love. Give it up.”

This phrasing sounds almost uncharacteristically harsh. The word used for ‘Give it up’ is “あきらめな” or “akiramena” which means “to give up/to abandon (hope, plans), to resign oneself (to)” 

There’s emphasis put on these words, with Bankotsu shattering the glass jar with his hand. 

Where you put emphasis matters and can change the meaning drastically, such as with the sentence ‘I didn’t kill 10 people’ — so having the point he emphasizes be that Jakotsu should get over his unrequited love for Inuyasha seems to imply jealousy.

As a comparison, the anime actually moves the jar-shattering moment to be earlier in that scene, directly after Bankotsu threatens Bankotsu, and it’s used instead to emphasize Bankotsu’s point of ‘Do not betray me’ instead.

Either way, this scene gains an additional meaning due to a moment in an earlier chapter — one of the Suikotsu ones — where Jakotsu equates Renkotsu’s constant Inuyasha-hogging to him possibly harbouring affections of his own for Inuyasha.

It’s debatable how much Rumiko Takahashi intended when writing InuYasha when it comes to these types of parallels, or if she just did whatever felt ‘right’ to her at the time, so take it with a grain of salt, but…

When the text establishes personal feelings as a potential motivation to deprive Jakotsu of Inuyasha, it’s not far-fetched to assume it applies to Bankotsu, although in this case the personal feelings would be towards Jakotsu rather than Inuyasha.

(As Bankotsu strictly wants to kill Inuyasha and nothing more.)

Combining that potential factor with Bankotsu’s jealousy and Jakotsu’s inclusion on the Sesshōmaru mission being something of an afterthought, it almost seems like Bankotsu might’ve done so with the purpose of keeping Jakotsu away from his puppy love and occupied.

Finally, what is largely considered to be their ‘big’ moment— Chapter 267.

Due to his clothes being destroyed, Jakotsu seeks to replace them. While he’s getting dressed, his name is called— Bankotsu has sought Jakotsu out specifically.

Prior to this, Renkotsu had run into Bankotsu after his failed attempt at the river of flames, with the implication Bankotsu may have sought him out as well. Their greeting has a morose tone, with the recent demise of Ginkotsu and Suikotsu and Renkotsu’s imminent betrayal hanging overhead.

As a contrast, Bankotsu explicitly approached Jakotsu and his greeting was cheerful.

Next, we jump to them sitting on a porch, sitting side-by-side.

When it comes to the visual positioning of Bankotsu and Renkotsu, we see that Renkotsu gets positioned behind Bankotsu, i.e Bankotsu is his superior; he leads and Renkotsu follows. (In this case, resentfully.)

But Bankotsu and Jakotsu are only ever positioned as equals in the manga. Sitting or standing side-by-side.

To be more specific, Jakotsu is consistently positioned on Bankotsu’s right-hand side. 

It could be argued that Jakotsu is just a friendlier person than Renkotsu, and that he doesn’t really follow those types of boundaries— but he does, with Renkotsu.

Renkotsu and Jakotsu do not sit side-by-side. Jakotsu sits across from Renkotsu, because he is reporting to Renkotsu, his superior. 

Even when they go to pick up Suikotsu, Renkotsu is standing while Jakotsu sits, making Jakotsu visibly lower and serving a similar function in positioning Renkotsu as the one in charge. His authority is clear.

No one else is positioned beside Bankotsu like this, and Jakotsu is not positioned this way with anyone else; it is unique to their dynamic and suggests that above all else, they are friends first.

Keeping in mind that within the manga, there is no backstory for their relationship, even if Rumiko does “agree” they were likely the first members, so it wasn’t explicitly written as familiarity, but I digress.

Jakotsu gives Bankotsu the shard before Bankotsu has a chance to ask about it, and Bankotsu is… surprised by this.

It makes sense. A single jewel shard brought them back to life, and that’s incredible power, so it makes sense for anyone to covet it so. But Jakotsu doesn’t even for a moment consider keeping it for himself.

In fact, he’s confused by Bankotsu being surprised, and reiterates that Bankotsu told them all to give him a shard if they got one. To Bankotsu, this is practically a display of Jakotsu valuing Bankotsu’s words over power, and by extension to a degree— life.

It’s a display of loyalty, and one Bankotsu is grateful for. He embraces Jakotsu and expresses as such,

*Point of Interest: In the VIZ translation, the sfx for the ‘tug’ is put as ‘SKWEEZ’ — which was used just previously to describe Kōga pulling Kagome close to him when Inuyasha was ‘trusting’ him with her.

The last notable Bankotsu/Jakotsu moment from the manga is one that Jakotsu isn’t actually there for: Bankotsu’s confrontation with Renkotsu.

Bankotsu is sitting close to the cave that Renkotsu and Jakotsu were in, seemingly waiting for Renkotsu to emerge. He greets Renkotsu somewhat casually, but his expression is morose. He is not happy to kill a friend, no matter the circumstances — and I do believe his sorrow in this scene is heavily related to that — but that’s not the end of it.

Bankotsu holds up and stares at Jakotsu’s hairpin, which the Saimyōshō brought in place of a shard, but not necessarily because there was no shard; the same was true for Ginkotsu and Bankotsu did not hold any mementos from that departed friend.

Which separates Jakotsu’s second death as something potentially more personally devastating for him, and the memento he holds being Jakotsu’s hairpin is both fitting but has some interesting symbolism.

Hair and kanzashi have some attached symbolism by themselves, and the butterfly motif of his hairpin has its own potentially-attached symbolism. Taking into consideration both those things, Jakotsu’s hairpin is definitely something that is meant to be deeply symbolic of him.

His dialogue is in two separate bubbles rather than a conjoined bubble, and that separation is interesting. 

Renkotsu asks if Bankotsu’s going to kill him. Bankotsu says that Renkotsu killed Jakotsu in his first speech bubble, and in the second one he mentions it was because Renkotsu wanted the shard. 

Due to the separation and the fact Bankotsu isn’t looking at Renkotsu, but at Jakotsu’s hairpin — it’s an extremely personal betrayal, because it resulted in Jakotsu’s death, and his closeness with Jakotsu makes it all the more so.

More so, I would say, than if it had been any other member of the Band of Seven that Renkotsu had pilfered the shard from.

Bankotsu kills Renkotsu and expresses that he would never betray his friends, all while still holding Jakotsu’s hairpin, and then expresses his loneliness.

Anime

The anime made many adjustments to this arc, all of which I really have no complaints about. These changes brought a new emphasis to Bankotsu and Jakotsu’s relationship.

Starting with their reunion. Jakotsu waves as he did in the manga, still displaying a similar level of excitement as he did to Inuyasha — but in the anime adaptation, Bankotsu throws his hand up to wave back, brush and all. 

(Granted, this is seemingly directed to all his friends, but Jakotsu being the one to wave first means he is also technically returning the wave.)

The anime puts emphasis on Renkotsu kneeling to the seated Bankotsu while Jakotsu and Suikotsu kneel off-camera. Unlike in the manga, Ginkotsu is included in this shot.

Bankotsu has Renkotsu write the letter and tells him what he loosely wants it to say. Jakotsu says “We’re going for revenge? / Do we get to kill people?”

Bankotsu says yes, and points out the castle in the distance, and then it transitions into a flashback of the Band of Seven getting hired by that castle. When it transitions out, Jakotsu is no longer kneeling and has moved to stand behind Bankotsu.

Jakotsu expresses that he’s glad the castle hasn’t been wiped out over the years and Bankotsu agrees, saying that his companion (相棒  “Aibō) is still there, to which Jakotsu seems surprised by.

Renkotsu approaches Bankotsu to give him the finished letter, and he sends it off. Among other things.

This is another instance of Jakotsu’s relationship with Bankotsu being different from his relationship with the other members. Jakotsu easily takes a position closer to Bankotsu during this meeting as a natural thing to do, overlooking the castle alongside him.

Meanwhile, when Renkotsu approaches him, it’s with a purpose. Jakotsu doesn’t feel any need for such things.

The next scene we get is them on their way to the castle, all riding Ginkotsu together. Bankotsu reflects on the day they were betrayed. 

Bankotsu: Okay this is it, men! Don’t fail.

Jakotsu: Come on! I’d never lose in a REAL battle!

Bankotsu: Well, you better not. 

I’m certainly not the authority on the original Japanese, but at least in the English dub, this interaction seems quite playful. Jakotsu’s tone has a slight ‘how could you even think I’d lose’ whine to it, which seems more purely confident in the Japanese.

The next interaction between them is one of my favourites, because it’s such a small thing but makes all the difference.

Jakotsu: Ooh! It just got fun again! / Reinforcements have arrived

Suikotsu: Heh. I guess it’s time for the next round. / Want to go for another round?

Bankotsu: You two, step aside. / You guys, move aside.

Jakotsu & Suikotsu: Huh? [Turn]

Jakotsu: Oh-ho-ho! You got your ‘companion’ back! / Hey, you got it back, Aniki!

Bankotsu: Yep. And it’s time to test it out. / This will be a good warm-up.

Jakotsu isn’t disappointed that he doesn’t get to kill the reinforcements, or any such thing— but he’s excited and happy for Bankotsu that he got Banryū back. (In direct contrast, Renkotsu will later desire to separate Bankotsu and Banryū.)

Bankotsu kills the reinforcements, and the next scene of them is the one where they’re drinking. It plays out very similarly to the manga.

They are still sitting close, and the bucket of sake is still on Bankotsu’s side. Instead of a ladle, Bankotsu is scooping it out with his cup and lightly scolding Jakotsu for killing everyone in the castle. The dialogue is the same, but where it starts to deviate is after Renkotsu assures Jakotsu that Inuyasha will come to them.

Renkotsu starts to ask Bankotsu about Naraku. 

Renkotsu: Big brother (Oo-aniki)

Bankotsu: Hmm?

Renkotsu: Are you not worried about Naraku?

Bankotsu: What about him? 

Renkotsu: Why do you think he brought us back from the dead?

Bankotsu: To help him get rid of his enemies, such as the ones named Inuyasha and Kōga, that’s why.

Renkotsu: Big brother, you’re the only one of the Band of Seven who’s met Naraku. Do you think you could tell us a little bit more about what he’s actually like?

Bankotsu: (Small pause)

Bankotsu: Listen, Renkotsu. We’ve been resurrected and we can wreak havoc, just like the good old days— isn’t that good enough for you?

Renkotsu: Yes…

Approximately 31 seconds later, this interaction occurs.

Kōga: So tell me where he is.

Bankotsu: Gee, it seems that this Naraku character has made enemies of a lot of people. (Scratching his head)

Kōga: Tell me where he is!

Bankotsu: It really makes me wonder…

Bankotsu: (Turns to Jakotsu)

Bankotsu: Do you think he can be trusted?

Jakotsu: Why are you asking me? You’re the only one who’s met him, Bankotsu.

This interaction between Bankotsu and Jakotsu also occurs in the manga, like previously stated, but in the anime it gains a new and exciting new meaning— because Bankotsu had brushed off Renkotsu’s concerns not even a minute earlier, and then turned around and asked for Jakotsu’s opinion.

It should be noted that at this point in the anime, Renkotsu has not actually decided to betray Bankotsu. He never formally makes that decision until after using Ginkotsu’s shard— prior to that, he was just a concerned teammate growing uneasy with Bankotsu’s behavioural shift and secrecy who felt reluctant to give up all his cards. 

In both the anime and manga, Bankotsu will later express that he never trusted Naraku in the first place, so the reason why he’s asking Jakotsu is actually a very good question. Jakotsu is someone with good instincts, and who actually did express some concern about Naraku after he failed to mention Sesshōmaru.

Why is a complicated question. On a more cynical reading, we could interpret it as some sort of test to see how much Jakotsu trusts Bankotsu’s judgement, given that Bankotsu is still quite shaken up by the betrayal that led to their deaths. 

Or we could interpret it genuinely, as Bankotsu expressing his own doubts and trusting Jakotsu enough to express that to him and ask his opinion on the matter, and consequently as him valuing Jakotsu’s opinion over Renkotsu’s. 

Even if we take that cynical approach, Jakotsu would certainly have passed that test with flying colours. Due to Kōga’s interruption, we never see Bankotsu react to what Jakotsu says— unfortunate, as that could've made it less ambiguous.

And if we take the lighter approach, it serves as yet another example of how Jakotsu is treated less as a subordinate and more as an equal. To further that point,

The positioning of Bankotsu and Jakotsu in opposition to Renkotsu as Renkotsu brings up his concerns. Bankotsu and Jakotsu are both sitting and facing Renkotsu while Renkotsu is standing. Renkotsu’s hands are at his side, and Bankotsu and Jakotsu are relaxed and drinking.

This imagery sets Bankotsu and Jakotsu as something of a united front that Renkotsu is audience to. A king and queen, equal partners and leaders. Bankotsu is more centered in the frame, giving him the image of a ‘king’ while Jakotsu is right beside him. 

As the fight with Kōga begins, we get another frame of them standing together. 

This time, Jakotsu is to the left of Bankotsu and standing further behind him. Later, in the group shot of all five of them, Jakotsu will be in the same position, but RenGin will be visible on the right and Suikotsu will be further to Bankotsu’s left.

However, once Episode 111 starts, Jakotsu has moved closer to the front to greet Inuyasha and is now on Bankotsu’s right side, where he will remain when it comes to the next group shot of the ‘full’ team.

There are few notable differences in their interactions between Bankotsu and Jakotsu in this episode, but there is an added interaction between Jakotsu and Sango. 

Sango gets distracted by concern for Miroku during her fight with Jakotsu, to which Jakotsu reminds her to pay attention before attacking her with his sword, meaning both Bankotsu and Jakotsu have criticized their opponents for that behaviour during battle.

However, a little under a minute later, Jakotsu does the same thing.

Jakotsu turns away from his battle to call out for Bankotsu, just as he did in the manga — but with the anime’s addition of the scene with Sango, it means Jakotsu is directly a hypocrite rather than hypocrite-by-association like he was in the manga when only Bankotsu had criticized such actions.

Jakotsu has also prioritized the safety of someone he cares about over the battle he’s in, just as Inuyasha did, just as Sango did. And with the added parallel of Sango and Miroku, yet another couple, it adds another layer to the romantic undertones.

The last scene with the Bo7 of the episode is one that, as mentioned previously, the anime adapted quite differently.

We can see it now, Bankotsu. Mount Hakurei.

The first thing that obviously stands out is that Jakotsu is the only one other than Bankotsu who is walking, while Renkotsu and Suikotsu are riding on Ginkotsu. There is really no ‘need’ for this, because Renkotsu is technically the number-two guy and they’re not walking too ahead of the rest of them. 

It’s both unnecessary and also somewhat uncharacteristic of Jakotsu to seemingly choose to walk like this. Jakotsu isn’t exactly lazy, but he loves to relax. If he can be sitting down, even if it’s on a horse carcass. 

There’s even a hilarious part from Suikotsu’s flashback where the entirety of the Band of Seven is on a battlefield, and Jakotsu is the only one sitting down.

And yet, if it means walking with Bankotsu? He walks, even though he’s also complaining about how the air makes him sick.

When interacting with Kanna, Jakotsu remains close to Bankotsu. Crouches down to investigate the mirror. He’s still positioned on Bankotsu’s right-hand side as he stands.

Jakotsu is not pictured in frames after that to emphasize focus on Bankotsu and Renkotsu and their ongoing conflict, but returns again for the ‘unrequited love’ scene.

In the manga, Jakotsu had tears in his eyes and looked somewhat distraught at being denied Inuyasha once again. In the anime, he’s frustrated and expresses as such.

Jakotsu openly expresses his complaints, whereas just an episode earlier Renkotsu was tip-toeing around Bankotsu just to ask a question. Part of this is just how Jakotsu is — seemingly perpetually comfortable and confident enough he can defend himself is needed — but given how different his interactions are with Mukotsu, who he doesn’t trust, it serves as an example of their closeness.

Jakotsu also gives up easier than he did with Renkotsu, who he whined a bit more with and accused of being malicious. At the end of the day, he trusts Bankotsu’s judgement and trusts that he’s not trying to be hurtful or unfair. 

Whether or not that is true is even debatable, but Jakotsu does not attribute malice to his actions because he, quite simply, likes Bankotsu more.

Jakotsu is the only person Bankotsu can trust is a fact explicitly stated, but the same is true vice versa. Jakotsu only puts his full, unadulterated trust in Bankotsu’s hands. 

Even Renkotsu, who is the person he seems to trust most after Bankotsu, does not have that. Jakotsu doesn’t trust Renkotsu’s word that Inuyasha will be kept alive till he gets there, and whines about Renkotsu being ‘cruel’ to him. It’s different with Bankotsu.

When Kohaku and Kanna leave, it’s once again made obvious that Bankotsu and Jakotsu are the only ones standing (on the ground) In the group shot, Suikotsu isn’t even visible.

The two of them go off to fight Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru respectively, but they reunite in Episode 118 for their big moment. There isn’t a huge difference in how it plays out in the anime versus the manga.

Bankotsu still seeks Jakotsu out to reconnect and says he was looking for him. Unlike in the manga, Jakotsu is only holding the clothes he intends to wear instead of changing in the middle of the pathway, so there’s no chance Bankotsu saw his friend butt-ass naked in the distance. It transitions with a shot of the setting sun and a panning shot of them sitting.

During their moment, there’s more emphasis put on Bankotsu crying. After Jakotsu gives him the shard, Bankotsu ducks his head down in emotion.

Jakotsu is confused, and tilts his head towards Bankotsu. As he does this, he is illuminated in light from the setting sun.

When Bankotsu raises his head, we see his tears. He tugs Jakotsu close. In the manga, Bankotsu seemed like he was leaning more on Jakotsu’s shoulder, and in the anime he’s essentially pulled Jakotsu’s head onto his.

The way Jakotsu reacts to this affection from Bankotsu is also quite interesting, because you can see his eyes follow Bankotsu’s movement. He doesn’t move at all, not even to reciprocate this embrace. 

Jakotsu has no idea what brought this on, and quite possibly no idea why Bankotsu would pull him into such an intimate embrace. He makes a small noise of confusion, shortly before Bankotsu makes his big declaration.

Bankotsu tells Jakotsu that he’s the only person in the world he can really trust/rely on, although he is ‘a little bit weird.’

(Which, as talked about in a previous analysis, isn’t even necessarily in reference to Jakotsu’s sexuality.)

Despite the fact Jakotsu is deeply confused by the nature of this embrace, this moment with Bankotsu is one he reflects back on later fondly. This moment was important to him, just as it was to Bankotsu.

The scene ends with the setting sun again, and transitions to night with the moon high in the sky, ending one scene and beginning another.

The next important scene for them is this one, after Jakotsu has been defeated by Inuyasha. 

Jakotsu is encased in rocks. After struggling in a futile attempt to get out and realizing the hopelessness of the situation, he chuckles sadly and resigns himself to his fate.

I guess this is it.

Then we go into a memory sequence, as Jakotsu reflects on his memories of his new life. Three of these memories are from his battles, two contain Inuyasha and three of them are just time he spent with Bankotsu. With six memories in total, that means half of what he reflected on was just time he spent with Bankotsu.

In one of the Bankotsu memories, the rest of the Band of Seven is also there, but the memory used specifically has Bankotsu speaking. 

What the heck… I did have a lot of fun.

That spells the end for Jakotsu’s appearance in the anime… Almost.

The anime adapted the final Bankotsu vs Renkotsu fight differently, most notably in that they extended it. Bankotsu does not stare longingly at Jakotsu’s hairpin, but he does throw it at Renkotsu and knock Ginkotsu’s shard out of him, which implies that he had kept it on his person during the fight rather than setting it on the rock he was sitting on or anything.

Using it to help finish off Renkotsu is a poetic move, and the involvement of the hairpin gives their final confrontation a very personal touch, whether manga or anime.

Episode 121 has one of the most fascinating scenes for them, though— a flashback predating the Band of Seven’s formation.

Bankotsu reflects on his first meeting with Naraku in this anime-exclusive scene, when Jakotsu calls out for him. Immediately, this is notable because despite the fact the Band of Seven has yet to form, Jakotsu greets him as Aniki.

Just Aniki, as he is oft to do.

Jakotsu is disappointed to see Bankotsu ‘already destroyed it’ and says it’d be nice if Bankotsu let him kill one every now and again. 

Later on, Bankotsu will reveal that the reason he was travelling in search of strong opponents was to power up Banryū, and the way Jakotsu talks about this is… very understanding, in a way that implies he knows why Bankotsu is taking most of the opponents, but he still thinks it’d be nice if Bankotsu left one for him every once in awhile.

Jakotsu doesn’t fret on it, or Bankotsu’s silence. He moves to stand next to Bankotsu.

And asks if Bankotsu is hungry. Bankotsu, however, has other things on his mind.

Bankotsu: Jakotsu, let’s… go to war.

Jakotsu: Huh? But what for? I thought you said you’d never take orders from a samurai.

Bankotsu: And I won’t. We’ll be mercenaries and slaughter everyone. The samurai won’t be able to complain to the leader of an elite band of mercenaries.

Jakotsu: Yes, but there’s only you and me. / Will it only be you and I?

Bankotsu realizes Jakotsu has a point and that they should recruit more comrades.

In a previous analysis, I’ve talked about how this idea wasn’t spur-of-the-moment; he had already been thinking about becoming mercenaries before this and his brief conversation with Naraku was the shove he needed to pursue it.

Meaning, Bankotsu had been thinking about them becoming mercenaries for a while before this, and hadn’t once considered it wouldn’t just be him and Jakotsu. In the English dub, he sighs when he begins walking away.

Jakotsu says that if Bankotsu is serious, he’ll go along. He suggests they get some good-looking guys for their band, which Bankotsu shoots down.

Bankotsu: Don’t be silly. What’s most important is that they’re strong.

Jakotsu: Huh? 

Jakotsu: Hmm, yeah, I guess you’re right. If we recruited good-looking warriors, I’d just wanna cut them up.

Speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

That aside, this anime-exclusive flashback contains some fascinating implications…

*Point of Interest: Aniki and Oo-aniki

In the Japanese audio, after the Samurai General reveals they’re betraying them, Jakotsu calls out for Bankotsu with a panicked “Aniki!” and Suikotsu calls out to him with an “Oo-aniki.”

In the English Dub, Jakotsu’s line is changed to “Oh no” and Suikotsu’s to “Brother Bankotsu”, likely to avoid repetition. However, it should be noted that among the Band of Seven — as far as I can tell, anyway — Jakotsu is the only one to address Bankotsu as “Aniki” rather than “Oo-aniki”

Renkotsu almost exclusively calls Bankotsu “Bankotsu no Oo-aniki” or “Oo-aniki”, even in his thoughts. Post-Ginkotsu, he occasionally drops the title. Jakotsu refers to Bankotsu as “Oo-aniki” only twice, both in Episode 118. Every other time he addresses him as “Bankotsu no Aniki” or simply “Aniki”

Because Bankotsu is the leader, and seemingly everyone else (Renkotsu and Suikotsu) refers to him as “Oo-aniki”, this is a more informal way to address him. 

In this flashback in Episode 121,  Jakotsu never once refers to Bankotsu as anything other than ‘Aniki’, not even his name, and Bankotsu and Jakotsu already have their face-paint/tattoos.

Which suggests that those things originated from Bankotsu and Jakotsu’s dynamic. Jakotsu is the one who coined ‘Aniki’ as a title for Bankotsu. 

Aniki literally means “older brother” (ani) plus a respectful ‘ki’ at the end, but can also be used to refer to a close male friend, or someone you respect as someone reliable. It also carries a criminal association because it’s used among gangs and the yakuza to refer to higher-ranking members. 

Note that Jakotsu does consistently refer to Renkotsu as his proper second-in-command title of “Renkotsu no Aniki” and occasionally shortens it to just “Aniki” (which Ginkotsu also does), so it’s not a matter of Jakotsu’s casual demeanour but rather an indicator of their closeness that he doesn’t call Bankotsu by his proper title as often.

If we assume Bankotsu is still named Bankotsu at this point, then all of those things— the matching names, the facepaint/tattoos, calling Bankotsu ‘Aniki’-- were just parts of Bankotsu and Jakotsu’s relationship that became integral to the Band of Seven as a whole.

In that way, the Band of Seven very much formed around the two. It’s no wonder Jakotsu is essentially the ‘true’ right-hand man: The Band of Seven is just as much his as it is Bankotsu’s.

Jakotsu: Wait up, Big Brother/Aniki. Are you serious?

Bankotsu: I wonder how many men we should have in our mercenary band.

This backstory of them being friends prior to the Band of Seven’s formation is a sweet addition by the anime that adds a brand new layer to their relationship, as well as showcasing that Jakotsu’s presence in his life is something he actively chose.

The other members had been sought out with the intention to recruit them, but there doesn’t seem to have been any ulterior motives when it comes to Jakotsu. They travelled together because they simply wanted to.

Jakotsu might even predate Banryū.

Last but not least:

Bankotsu’s death in the anime includes him being encased in rocks, much like Jakotsu. To that effect, putting them side-by-side,

Makes it appear as if they’re looking in each other’s direction, as an interesting little parallel. They both die entombed in a pile of rocks. That’s romantic. 

CONCLUSION

It’s clear to see that Bankotsu and Jakotsu’s relationship is unique among the Band of Seven. Before anything else, they’re friends, and clearly care about each other deeply. Jakotsu is, canonically, the most important person to Bankotsu— and I believe Bankotsu is  also the most important person to Jakotsu. 

Whether or not you personally read their interactions romantically, it’s undeniable they’re a great team. Even Rumiko thinks so.

They’re always paired together in merch, and they’re the only characters to get a proper duet in the Character Singles. It’s only with each other they can truly be their full selves. 

Tell me: is that not love?