Per troping policy, all spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.
At the right times, the character interactions in Sakana can be just as heartwarming as they are hilarious. There's something really touching about an Ensemble Cast of Loser Protagonists of all varieties coming together.
Comic
- Taisei doesn't seem the slightest bit put down by Yuudai's prickly exterior, and immediately thinks of him as a friend. Yuudai is understandably confused by this, though. Because seriously, Yuudai is always such a Jerkass to everyone, that he really doesn't have any friends.
- Taisei doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon, either. Once they're left alone,
Taisei is still relentlessly cheerful and upbeat around Yuudai, even when talking about something as simple as his hair. Although, this doubles as a Tearjerker when Yuudai ends up snapping at him, mostly because his reaction heavily implies that people usually aren't this nice to him - not unless they have their own motives, anyway.Yuudai: I bet you've been playing dumb this whole time!! They probably talk all kinds of shit about me at home! About how I'm mean and difficult and annoying. ...Well?Yuudai: W-Well, why then? Why are you being so nice to me?! What do you want?!Taisei: Nothing! I'm not even sure what you're talking about!Yuudai: *blushing* ''Wait... you... You...Oh. Oh. Oh, uh... S-Shit, I didn't...Uh... I mean, I'm so...
- Taisei doesn't seem to be stopping any time soon, either. Once they're left alone,
- Genji apologizing (after Taro already left, but still), after he had taken some money from Taro in a very unfriendly fashion, which showed that he really isn't such a bad guy after all, that he didn't lie about being in money trouble, and that he does feel genuinely sorry. After all, Taro already left and nobody would have heard him anyways, which makes it kind of a What You Are in the Dark moment.
- Cutest strip ever or cutest strip ever? Made especially heartwarming due to Jiro's general bad luck with girls. You just want the guy to finally get lucky.
- Also counts as a Moment of Awesome, but Jiro standing up to Arata and telling him that he should leave the stall. And he's doing this for Yuudai, too. The guy's never been exactly easy to work with, and he's noted to have a special kind of hatred for Jiro, but Jiro himself knows that nobody should have to deal with someone like that.
- The fact that he also checks up on Yuudai afterwards, and takes the time to hear him out and talk about what happened. This also doubles as a Tearjerker, however, since Yuudai initially thinks that Jiro only followed him to make fun of him.
- And then when Jiro ends up falling down a ladder after Yuudai manages to weasel out of the conversation and gets hurt, Yuudai begrudgingly tells him to wait while he gets a med kit, showing that he's already begun to care about Jiro in return... although this gets interrupted when Taro walks in, sees Jiro with a bloody nose and a black eye with Yuudai standing next to him, immediately comes to the worst possible conclusion, and reacts accordingly.
- And then when Jiro ends up falling down a ladder after Yuudai manages to weasel out of the conversation and gets hurt, Yuudai begrudgingly tells him to wait while he gets a med kit,
- The fact that he also checks up on Yuudai afterwards, and takes the time to hear him out and talk about what happened. This also doubles as a Tearjerker, however, since Yuudai initially thinks that Jiro only followed him to make fun of him.
- When Yuudai asks Jiro why he's so insistent on trying to see if he'd be at least good friends with Taisei after he learns that Yuudai has a crush on him, Jiro gives a surprisingly profound answer.Jiro: I mean, you like him. The big, loud, excitable version of him.
Yuudai: I don't get it.
Jiro: Well... he only ever gets asked out at work, but he acts really different there. And then when the person realizes he's this huge bundle of energy, and not Mr. Business all the time, things tend to, uh... end. I don't think he's ever dated someone outside of work, but you like that Taisei, so... - And this exchange from just a few pages earlier certainly counts. It's a bit more subtle than other examples, but as one commentator states, the fact that Jiro can recognize these qualities in someone who had been treating him like dirt for years has melted at least a couple of readers' hearts.Jiro: But you like him!
Yuudai: Yeah. I liked Arata too. So... I don't think my vote counts for much.
Jiro: Liking a shitty person doesn't automatically make you shitty.
Yuudai: Oh? So you'd say I've been a generous and good-natured person to work with, right?
Jiro: Uh... No, I wouldn't use those exact words... But you are a hard worker. And you really care about your job. And those are qualities that appeal to Taisei.- We get this page in chapter 15. It doesn't totally succeed in cheering Taisei up, but it's obvious Jiro is being sincere, and it's the thought that counts.
- We get this page
- Yuudai trying his damnedest to make it up to Jiro after his Heel Realization in chapter 19; he does things like lie to his boss' face just to give Jiro time to calm down, admits to Chie that he's trying to be nicer to Jiro of his own volition and tells her she doesn't have anything to worry about when it comes to way she treats Jiro (albeit he said that because she asked him if she was any better than Yuudai's ex, and he wanted her to go away) and even manages to call Taisei despite barely being able to get out more than two words to him at first, since he knows that he's someone Jiro can trust.
- And he does all of this not because he thinks Jiro should just suck it up and leave him alone, but because he's finally been hit with the full weight of what a shitty person he's become since Arata and knows that Jiro deserves better than being his punching bag, especially since, as Yuudai himself puts it, "Jiro's the only person who ever stood up for [him]!" They even hug it out!
- And he does all of this not because he thinks Jiro should just suck it up and leave him alone, but because he's finally been hit with the full weight of what a shitty person he's become since Arata and knows that Jiro deserves better than being his punching bag, especially since, as Yuudai himself puts it, "Jiro's the only person who ever stood up for [him]!" They even hug it out!
- How Taisei handles the whole thing when he gets there is also pretty sweet, even aside from the fact that he's the one giving Jiro a second, hopefully less disastrous haircut, - he reassures Jiro he doesn't have to tell him why he never told him about the group date (despite being pretty torn up about it when he found out from Yuudai) cracks a few dumb jokes to cheer him up, and does his best to be encouraging despite having a few misgivings about how Jiro reacts to even minor changes. Not to mention this is the first time they've physically been in the same scene in a while, and it doesn't take very long for the audience to be reminded that they've been best friends for over 10 years.
- After more than 8 years in real time, Yuudai finally manages to ask Taisei out. Albeit just to hang out, since while they both have a crush on each other, they've only actually known each other for a few days, and they just barely manage to squeeze it into Taisei's schedule, but given how hard it is to achieve anything in this comic (and also the ridiculous amounts of buildup ever since it was revealed Yuudai liked Taisei) this ends up being a huge moment for both of them.
- On the aquarium date in Chapter 23, Jiro mentions that he really wants to hold Chie's hand, but thinks that doing so with sweaty hands would be too gross. Chie's response?Chie: Jiro, we're both up to our armpits in fish guts all day, every day. I think I can handle a sweaty palm.Jiro: Oh... when you put it that way...
- Shigeru tries giving Jiro advice via an extended metaphor, but it doesn't quite land the first time around. The second time, however, is more successful.
- Shigeru tries giving Jiro advice via an extended metaphor, but it doesn't quite land the first time around. The second time, however, is more successful.
