#kaitomc

Just to preface, I think they are absolutely adorable and deserve the world. I'm a sucker for underdogs together, and their mannerisms are so similar sometimes (Toku also has a habit of repeating something he might have said earlier as her own thing later on it's super cute). I've noticed that her dialogue options get looser around the one's she's most comfortable with and it's only fitting one of them is Kaito!

Sky (and other things) symbolism:

Both Toku and Kaito have a lot of connections to the sky, or stars in general. Toku's english given name is Luna, and Kaito seeks inspiration from stars and is very knowledgeable in constellations. Kaito's action is often prompted by "taking destiny" into his own hands, and so is Toku's with trying to take her life back into her own hands away from her curse, because they both are characters who suffer from confiscation of autonomy and an inherent unwanted burden they have to solve. They are both underdogs who try their best to fit in but often stick out without wanting to, and are pushed around by higher authority and easy to silence which makes it easy for them to find comfort in each other.

On a cuter note Kaito's pfp is an astronaut!! Aww!! He's looking for his moon in space!!

They both also have a piece of jewelery that shapes their narrative and at times guarantees their survival, Sage ring for Toku and the necklace for Kaito. (it also gets them harassed a lot LMAO).

Thinking back to Season 1 where they first meet in the closet, Kaito immediately develops an attachment to her asking to be her knight in shining armor which gets a little sad considering he's titled a pawn (more on that later). Replaying the story I noticed the exact moment where he first expresses the said attachment to her is after he calls her "really nice". Kaito up till this point in the story, is implied to have little to no friendships in his house due to a variety of reasons, his status, wealth, and general students seem to avoid him either because he's a ghoul and or the above reasons. An act of forgiveness from Toku should have been something trivial, but it means a great deal to him considering it's not him immediately being shunned. I think that's the reason he hides that he's a ghoul from her for a while into the prologue as well only because that hasn't fared well for him in the past and also why he's generally reluctant to embrace that side of himself in the story. It's also the reason he agrees to help her very readily, because he's willing to take any chance he can get at building a genuine connection with someone else. I think why his attachment style takes the form of a relationship is because his idea of normalcy is shaped by what he thinks is socially acceptable. He isn't trying to stick out in any sense, so I may or may not be saying he has a problem with heteronormativity, but that's another tangent of his character, and maybe even an elaboration of frostheim's gender roles which I saw another really interesting post about!

(S 1 EP 20 SPOILERS BELOW)

He is one of the ghouls that are more empathetic towards her feelings in the sense that he actually takes action towards helping her act on them. He's in support of her running away in the prologue and going back home which makes sense when we see his backstory. Considering his deep regret of not cherishing a 'normal life' when he had it, and also that his only relative forgot him, it's only natural that he wants Toku to lead a normal life if she is able to, one with her family. Even later on, a lot of the normality he wishes for himself is something he hopes to be able to achieve through Toku, living through her essentially. Deep down he develops a hope of eventually being able to share "normal happiness" with her, living out a past that was never really there for him, and becomes the main reason why he pursues her so much in the story. Another reason I think he relays his story to Toku, is that he hopes he can overcome his guilt by someone else being willing to trust in him, and she does! Only, I'm guessing his secret hope is being able to live with himself after someone else is able to know his flaws and not leave his side like he expects them to.

(S 1 EP 24 SPOILERS BELOW) ‼

Obviously a lot of this crumbles taken into consideration how scared Kaito is of change- of embracing this side of himself that he accidentally created out of a wish he made on a whim. But he tries, most of the time, for the sake of becoming better. He expresses multiple times he wants to change, and I think a lot of that change is driven by wanting Toku to lead a normal life. Which is why I think the "knight in shining armor" sentiment is so interesting, because a pawn can become one at the end of the chessboard. (It also parallels his envy towards Luca's role as the knight and his buried wish to be more like him, but that's a whole another thing). So when Kaito uses the monkey's paw to break Toku's curse, there are a few things I think are super important:

he is aware of the fact that her being a civillian most likely prompts the erasure of her memories. Erasure of memories, of him and everything that happened to even get them close in the first place. Keep in mind, this is the same person who is permanently scarred by his dying grandmother forgetting him until her last breath.

So the sentiment of living a normal life through her arises again. The same 'eye for an eye', he didn't appreciate his 'normal life' so he can help someone else lead theirs.

It's ironic, that one life begets one death. He's basically doomed to not being able to share her happiness even for a moment. Nor is Toku finally able to live happily, because of this transfer of guilt for the action Kaito took (not to mention the consequences of it..whole school burning...sigh my kids can't catch a break)

It's very romeo and juliet esque I would say except Toku doesn't literally die although I'm not sure she survived either, running through the halls wracked with an insurmountable amount of guilt. An instituiton getting in the way of their happiness is very fitting. Kaito really is a fortune's fool 😔

Toku's Side:

(S 2 EP 1 SPOILERS BELOW)

So where does this leave her?

Well, to start off, Kaito is the first ghoul or even person that didn't attack or kidnap her, leave her questions unanswered. Even among moments of strife, she's able to be at ease around him, finds herself smiling and laughing whenever Luca and him are fighting and she's often able to feel some sort of glimpse into a regular life around him, example the crepes and more importantly the concert in season 2 ep 1, which was an obvious callback to the last thing she had for herself before her curse. I don't think she sees him as a romantic interest, but that goes for any of the ghouls, partly because of her curse and how she's constantly telling herself the time at the academy is temporary, but I do think she loves him regardless. She expresses her belief in him, and they are implied to make a lot of plans offscreen, such as baking together, going out together, which again the instituition gets in the way of. They have study dates!!! And Kaito actually passes because she encourages him!!!

At the end of ep 24, there is an obvious transfer of guilt from lack of action to guilt surrounding an action. She's not able to feel even an ounce of relief at her curse being broken, rather blames herself for Kaito's death and wonders where she went wrong. I think I would be safe to assume she wanted to spend her freedom with the person who helped her most along the path.

Once again, a parallel of helplessness is drawn between them. Kaito and Toku suffer in both action and inaction, and seem to be permanently cursed to not spend any ordinary happiness together.