God, I'm very sleep-deprived... But even so, I'm still here. Analyzing 8 old artworks at 3 a.m.
Reading comments on a forum, I learned that the images used for the Zettai BL Acrylic Stands (also posted on the author's Pixiv site) could have some hidden (or maybe not-so hidden) similarities among them. Like, how all the young students have teddies with blue and gray stripes and university students have plain orange ones, or them wearing black or white shirts.
But I noticed that, if we pair the characters together (like, if they were pair of cards), we will find they are natural opposites of each. Let me elaborate.
These two are the only ones holding one rose, instead of a full bouquet. And become obvious that the first difference between them is the bow on the flower (a tiny bow vs a long bow), but I also noticed how the poses in the illustration are facing in opposite ways, with Mind-reader guy facing to the left, and the mangaka's face directed to the right. These differences are equal to the two characters, making them easily paired.
When I realized this, I started looking for more differences in the other photos by separating the boys into pairs.
The obvious next choice was the main couple, Toujou and Ayato. These two have very much in common (long bow for their bouquet, and their faces close to the teddy's head) but they also complement on the differences, with Ayato hidding the flowers bouquet and Toujou exposing all the flowers to the viewer, and Toujou's bouquet bow with a lightly impressed roses while Ayato's is plain. Also, just as the previous pair, their faces are positioned to the right/left.
With these two I must admit that, at this point, I was starting to believe I was reading too much into this (like pulling out crazy shenanigans and seeing things that weren't there... damn all-nighters) but luckily for me I'm not a lost case... yet. Kansai boy and the MC's favorite underdog have an explicit difference, their height, and I realized the way they are holding the teddies enhance this difference. Having Yanagi hugging the teddy and almost hidding himself behind (kinda showing it's very big for such a small kid) and Misato easily carring the teddy on his shoulder, as if it's no big issue for him to hold it along with the bouquet. Regarding the bouquet, Yanagi's looks smaller than Misato's, and just as Toujou and Ayato, their bows have this difference in the color. But for them, one is brighter (maybe pointing out that Misato is quite loud) and Yanagi looks duller (as he normally doesn't stand out as much like the other boys).
Now, up to this point, I think the differences are more obvious and can be easily pointed out. However, with the two remaining characters, things get suspiciously more complicated.
At first, anyone can say it's easy. Like, MC is full displaying the teddy while Hatano's teddy is hidden, Hatano's bouquet has a long bow ribbon but MC's apparently not having one (maybe is just a smaller bow), or even with Hatano not showing the flowers but we can see MC's. But aren't these differences also shown in the other pairs? Like, both Misato and Hatano's teddies are behind them and MC and Yanagi are hugging the teddy (hiding themselves behind it), Mizumoto and Hatano's bouquet ties are long while Mayama and, probably, MC's having a very small tie that is a little hard to notice (maybe not so much for Mayama but surely for MC), and the display of the bouquet flowers being similar to Ayato and Toujou ones.
So, what's happening here? Why would they have some similarities to the other pairs, being apparently easy to exchange with, but impossible due to the other differences that these pairs only have between them?
Maybe it's only natural for MC and Hatano to be a pair as the others have already their clear partner that shares the equal opposites. But maybe, if I think a little more about it and try to interpret it, it's because in a world full of points easily to spot and pair (with MC escaping from them if he wants, as if he was just a false card to complete the pair), there's only one that can be full of them but it's hard to skip, as he always will find him in the end. Ironically, I believe that both having similar opposites with the other boys is the main similarity of their own pair.
I also like to think that (in my own interpretation of the illustration) their poses show how they interact together. With Hatano always presenting himself to MC and MC always hiding from him, Even trying to make another person or subject “say hello” and drawing his attention away from him... unsuccessfully. The last thing I'd like to point out is that Hatano's eye color is purple, so for this interpretation, I'd say his gaze will always be fixed on his "purple target," haha.
Maybe I am, in fact, reading too much into this. But as the night is long and my curiosity is annoying enough to let me sleep, I can't help myself but to stare directly at these photos trying to find any hidden message I was missing out. It's funny to me seeing how much I was able to find just now, even when I knew about this images for so long. Also, I'm still very very curious if this was actually intentional and if these pairs will become canon one day. Er, that's not me to decide but, to be honest, it would be very cool.
If anyone read this very very long analysis, thank you! And I apologize for any typo or wrong-word phrase that this sleep-deprived woman has commited without knowing (english is not my first language, so that's not helping me either lol). I hope anyone find this interesting or, at least, entretaining. ♥
