Bucchigiri?! / YMMV

Alternate Character Interpretation:
- What exactly is Marito's stance towards his little sister constantly obsessing over him? Is he genuinely oblivious to her romantic displays and brushes them off like it's no big deal while he manages his gang affairs? Or is he actually creeped out by Mahoro's behavior and tries to keep his distance from her while displaying a serious, offputting demeanor whenever they interact?
- The Reveal of Akutaro being fused with Ichiya the Blue Genie brings a lot of his eccentricities and sadistic tendencies into question. How much of his actions are his own or was it all from the influence of the Genie within him?
- In Episode 5, Arajin undergoes a power boost and punches Akutaro after he suggests turning Mahoro into a Sex Slave once they vanquish her older brother. Did he obtain that power boost because he was repulsed by the idea of Mahoro being used as a trophy whore by the NG Emperor? Was he hostile towards Akutaro for having perverted thoughts of his prized Love Interest? Or was it because the idea of Mahoro becoming a Sex Slave who would be forced to pleasure him "excited him" on another level?
Base-Breaking Character:
- For some fans, opinion of Arajin would make or break their enjoyment of the show. Some like him as a throwback to the Unsympathetic Comedy Protagonists of yesteryear, and his staunch rejection of getting into any fights felt refreshing as a main character type in a delinquent series. For the critics, those same traits are detriments, as they dislike Arajin being a poor friend and son to Matakara and his mom and his refusal to pay attention to anything but Mahoro (who explicitly rejects him several times across the series) or engage with the ongoing plot make him frustrating to watch. On the other hand, some view his unwillingness to deal with Matakara as realistic, as they hadn't had contact for years and he isn't obligated to continue being his friend or live up to Matakara's ideals. The breaking point for a lot of people was Episode 6, where he fails to react to any of his gang mates being brutalized, but only starts fighting back when Mahoro is in danger.
- The same also applies to Mahoro when it comes to giving the show a chance. There are fans who enjoy her because of her tough personality behind her cute appearance and how she's able to defend herself against delinquents and perverts without flinching. Others find her to be insufferable because of her Big Brother Attraction and how almost every scene has her perving over Marito which many fans find to be uncomfortable, stale and hypocritical, especially since it's Played for Laughs.
- Matakara fares much better than Arajin and Mahoro, but his devotion to him despite the fact that their friendship is all but gone now is understandable since he has no one else left from his younger years and wants to preserve one of the ones he has left, or it makes him look desperate and sad in the same way Arajin's pursuit of Mahoro is.
Esoteric Happy Ending: One of the segments featured in Episode 12's happy ending sequence is Akutaro being welcomed back into the NG Boys as it's Emperor. It's never explained on how he was able to return as its leader despite everyone hating him for his mistreatment of them; not to mention there's no guarantee that he won't abuse them all over again. But his return to power also guarantees that he'll have the manpower to carry out his future revenge schemes against Kenichirou whom he still hates.
Fan Fic Fuel:
- Ever since the anime was announced, people expected an "Arabian Nights" Days Alternate Universe Fic avalanche. Once the ending theme dropped, which was not only based around the idea, but also provided the Fan Fic writers and fan artists with finished designs for most of the cast in such setting, it only added fuel to the fire. Furthermore, as each of the boys is wearing a distinct style of clothing (seemingly based on real life different West and Central Asian cultures), it sparked the idea of each of the boys being princes/envoys/assassins/merchants/[insert role/profession here] hailing from different countries.
- The concept of Honki People along with the possibility of there being others around the world/Japan apart from Senya and Ichiya.
- Word of God confirming that the teenage cast have parents and siblings. With none of them being shown or even alluded in the series, this made perfect fuel for fans to fill in the blanks for the personalities of the family members, their relationships with the delinquents and how they feel about their sons/brothers (and daughter) being involved in the bancho lifestyle.
Fan Nickname: Matakara has been christened as "puppy boy" for his sweet and adorable nature. It helps that Marito calls him a "doggie" in the Pro Wrestling Episode.
Fan-Preferred Couple: Naturally, the fandom latched on to Arajin x Matakara as their favorite ship.
Friendly Fandoms:
- Fans of Sk8 the Infinity gravitated quite quickly to this anime due to sharing a lot of DNA like interesting animation, bight colors, and Cast Full of Pretty Boys. A particular subset of Matcha Blossom shippers took to joking about Jin being their secret son.
- There's also been good relations with the Revolutionary Girl Utena fandom thanks to the shows LGBTQ+ themes with their character dynamics, the boys and Mahoro having parallels with the Utena cast, and its usage of Fairy Tale Motifs.
Genius Bonus: The series is filled with references to the 1001 Nights and its adaptations.
Growing the Beard: A majority of the season has been considered okay or watchable by the fandom. But it isn't until Episode 8 where the fandom's interest spiked because of its mature themes and plot-changing events.
Harsher in Hindsight: In the early episodes, Arajin considered the possibility of Mahoro falling into depression after her big brother is beaten in battle which would give him a golden opportunity to sweep her off her feet. In Episode 11, Marito ends up in a coma after losing to Corrupt!Matakara and a grief-stricken Mahoro refuses to leave his bedside. Even more poignant is that Matakara experiences the same scenario, with him losing his mind after learning his brother got hospitalized immediately after his release, but unlike Mahoro he had forces manipulating him so that he wouldn't accept his friends' company.
Ho Yay: Given Utsumi's specialty when it comes to her shows, this was a given.
- You have childhood friends turned sweethearts Arajin and Matakara.
- Then there's Hagure and Nabashiri fitting the Sensitive Guy and Manly Man archetype.
- Outa and Marito is also popular because of how much the former cares for his leader.
It's Short, So It Sucks!: The general consensus is that the Gang War Arc finished too quickly and needed more time to properly flesh out the conflict between the rival gangs. The resolution doesn't help since it features the two gangs getting along really well in Episode 7 despite their rivalry that's lasted for years.
Just Here for Godzilla: There are very few fans who actually like Arajin or are rooting for him to lose his virginity. Most of the fanbase is more invested in the rest of the cast for their more admirable and cool personalities (Ex. Matakara, Senya) or for being entertaining villains (Ex. Mahiro, Akutaro). It also doesn't hurt that some are more appealing compared to Arajin.
Memetic Mutation:
- A common joke in the fandom is that, given he never specified with whom he wants to lose his virginity in his Bucchigiri wish and the increasingly obvious futility of his efforts to woo Mahoro, Arajin could/should just try doing it with Matakara as the easiest solution.
- The part in the ED where the boys are impacted by Mahoro's "love love" symbol has been used as a template by other artists to draw their favorite characters being swayed by their respective love interests.
Squick: Anytime Mahoro gushes over her older brother. It's worse when she immediately starts taking pictures of him whenever he's shirtless.
Stalking Is Funny if It Is Female After Male: There are fans who find Mahoro's bro-con tendencies to be amusing and think of her being a creep towards her brother to be cute and harmless. Compare that to Arajin who's universally hated for fawning over Mahoro and treating her the same way throughout the series.
They Wasted a Perfectly Good Character:
- For those that don't outright hate Arajin, he is this. The fact that his treatment of Matakara stems from incredible guilt for being unable to help him in his childhood, paired with his staunch attitude against getting involved in fights, would make for a pretty interesting character arc. He doesn't get any time to truly address his relationship with Matakara, and a lot of his screentime involves him actively evading the plot, being dragged back into it by circumstance or Mahoro talking sense into him, or his desperation to lose his virginity. The latter point isn't even resolved by the finale.
- Matakara's older brother not only was a strong fighter, but a pillar of support to the boy and a subject of intrigue. To say disappointment was awash in the viewership when he gets attacked and hospitalized offscreen just after leaving juvie and doesn't appear in person until the finale is an understatement.
Trans Audience Interpretation: Sakigake Komao has been headcanoned as being transgender by the fandom due to his feminine fashion choices and him wearing face paint that bring to mind the trans pride flag during the Pro Wrestling Episode.
The Woobie: Matakara Asamine. His Childhood Friend abandoned him when he was beat up by middle school brutes and believed for years onwards that Arajin left him because he was "too weak". Then his older brother was arrested and sent to juvenile hall; which is worse since it's implied that their parents aren't around to take care of him while he was away. Then Episode 8 comes in with a metal chair as his brother was stabbed and may not make it out alive, and on the day he was supposed to be released no less. What's worse is that Matakara learns that Arajin's supposed strength came from a true Honki person and that Arajin himself confesses that he's actually a cowardly loser who wants nothing to do with him. If that wasn't enough, this newfound despair makes him an easy pawn for Ichiya and Akutaro's revenge scheme.
- Potentially veers into Jerkass Woobie territory once his corruption inclines him to turn on his allies and close friends. The No-Holds-Barred Beatdown he gives to Zabu just because Zabu was trying to stop him from senselessly fighting Kenichiro was decidedly heartless and cruel, Ichiya's or the darkness's influence or not.

YMMV / Bucchigiri?!

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