The Division 1 Poker Scene
This is one of my favorite artwork pieces from the series, and not just because of what we get to witness between Kogami and Akane. Setting the scene here, it looks as if Division 1 has taken time out for some quality teambuilding (we love to see it) and the party is in full swing. Gino, Masoaka and Shion are deep into their game here, with all eyes on their respective hands. It seems as if they have not noticed Akane's entrance at this point... something to take note of.
Just behind our poker players, we have Kagari and Yayoi keeping each other company. Kagari takes home the blue ribbon in this scene for doing EXACTLY what I would be doing ( I.e happily digging into the food), the tie tucked out of the way is hilarious...here is a guy serious about his food...is what I am assuming Yayoi is thinking while bearing witness to Kagari's plate of goodies. It seems like they have also not noticed Akane's appearance in this scene. Once again, we see others in Division 1 focused on their interactions amongst each other. Each interaction so far has been friendly and not romantic in the slightlest. This all changes when we get to Akane and Kogami.
There is ONE member of Division 1 that has noticed Akane's entrance and the entirety of his attention is being taken up by her. Of course I am referring to Kogami, with there being quite a lot to take away from here considering his position, expression and actions. Kogami could have been, quite literally , ANYWHERE in this scene. Watching the poker game, commenting on Kagari's food...they could have even kept true to Kogami's "lone wolf" tendencies and had him in a more solitary position like perhaps, leaning against a wall or even standing out on the balcony (also pictured in the scene) enjoying a ciggarette. In my opinion, all of these things would have rang true to his character.
We do not see Kogami doing any of this... instead we have Kogami posed by the entrance with his hand extended to assist Akane with the last few steps down. The implications here are DECADENT. Kogami's positioning here could possibly be explained away by stating that near the entrance would be the most convenient way to see EVERYONE. I'd agree that it's a fair argument. Kogami has been shown positioning himself during meetings in such a way that guarantees a visual on all bodies in the room. I've noticed this in many scenes featuring Kogami and others. However, my counter to this arguement is while that may be true, Kogami's proximity to the entrance itself is more telling than anything else. Ko could just as easily been shown leaning against the pillar a few feet further away, a similar position that Kagari has taken up. Kogami's proximity to the entrance reads to me as anticipation. Kogami has been WAITING on Akane to appear and judging by the look on his face, we can assume that he considers that wait to have been worth it.
Akane has not entered the room yet and is still on the stairs making her way down. She looks lovely of course and the expression on Akane's face as Kogami helps her sets the stage for another detail I noticed between these two. Akane's expression is open and content while she stares down directly as Kogami. She is appreciative of his attention but not flustered. Used to this kind of treatment are we? Well...not quite, we can see some tension in Akane's hands, both of them technically but it is far more noticable in her right hand. So...flustered a bit, but that is minor compared to the other emotions she radiates in this scene. Back to Kogami and his expression/body language and we see his tension displayed differently. Take a close look at Kogami's face. Call me crazy but it does not seem like Kogami is looking at Akane's face here. His gaze seems to be focused slightly lower...it's almost as if Kogami is struggling to look Akane in the eye or at the very least her face. Despite that, his posture remains relaxed with only one other exception.... the hand reaching out to Akane. Kogami's hand isn't offering much surface area here and that is mostly due to how tense it is. His fingers curl up towards Akane's hand as opposed to unfurling outward. The anticipation I mentioned earlier is showcased here along with that tension. Looking at hands seems a bit odd but we can actually read more into what's happening with the other characters as well based on their hand placement. Gino for example, is fairly tense with his hands tucked away under crossed arms while he wears the world's worst poker face to date. This round may not be going too well for him. His father, Masoaka, is a lot better at hiding it but you can still see the tension in the hand slightly curled inward on top of his leg. Shion appears to be having a good time, as well as Yayoi and Kagari in the background. Their postures and hand placement tell us that they are at ease in this scene.
So what did all these artistic decisions convey to this particular member of the audience ( i.e me)? That even when surrounded by other members of Division 1 in a relaxed setting, Kogami is still thinking of, and looking out for, Akane. A poker game, good food, better company, a balcony for solitude or a smoke break....Kogami has everything he could want in this scene but none of those things can hold his attention. What DOES hold his attention we see also causes some measure of discomfort ,but on an primal level Kogami can't resist it's pull. Ko most likely reached out instinctively for Akane, just like how he instinctively shielded her back in Providence. These actions had similar turnouts when it came to Kogami dealing with the aftermath of it all. ...the internal struggle to face Akane in the wake of that instinct. I feel like I could go on about this particular piece but I'll let it rest for now lmao
