Tag: magic kaito

(Hmm… I know I don’t talk much about characters other than Kaito, for obvious reasons. Mostly because I can’t actually play them myself and tend to leave things to people who can… But I do have some thoughts on Aoko. Mostly in relation to Kaito, for the same obvious reasons, though some other ways that I saw.)

(Aside from the math example showing she’s smart (something I actually have read people forgetting… even saying she’s bad at math, which I had to kind of back up a second when I saw that, no), she really is important to Kaito. Not even romantically, just on the whole. Kaito likes to mess and poke fun at people, and acts out in a group, but when he’s alone, he really doesn’t stand out much. And his pulling pranks can push other people away, so having someone who sticks with him, and even tries to get him to stop is good for him.

But funny thing… Kaito’s associated with being extroverted, life of the party type of person. He’s not. Aoko invited him to hers, made him promise to come. She’s the one who pulled Kaito into helping with the Christmas party. She’s the one who asks Kaito to go places. Aoko is who makes Kaito social. 

It might be left over from when Toichi died, say Kaito becoming more withdrawn, but that’s more into pure headcanon territory. Kaito, even as a child, really has only been shown interacting with random people on the street if they caught his interest, whether from suspicion or they seemed sad.  Kaito’s friendly, yes, but not social. He hadn’t even heard about Kid before, so he clearly never spoke with other classmates often, when the word was going all throughout school, and the news. Have to wonder if he stopped looking at news when his dad died, to not see the return of a magician thief everywhere.

And for general things I won’t point out every instance of: Trusts and is honest with Kaito about most things. She tends to not say things she feels would do more harm than good for everyone. Fiercely defensive of her dad and worries about him, even when said dad doesn’t always pay attention to important things with her. Is probably one of the few people who don’t fall into being a fan of Kid and will constantly remind people he is a criminal. Most likely because of her dad, but still, nice change from literally everyone else. (Inspector is oftentimes happy to see Kid, Hakuba isn’t as dead set in getting him outside of heists, Akako doesn’t want him caught by anyone but her, and then most everyone else is a Kid fangirl or is decently neutral when dealing with him. Outside of other police and people he’s stealing from.)

Ch 1: Aoko told him about Kid, went to see him at home despite the usual harassment of flipped skirts and revealed underwear colour. Did learn about his weakness and checked it to make sure it worked.

Ch 2: Nothing too important… But she did tell Kaito she was worried about her dad. Don’t know if that would have made a difference in whether Kaito tried to later cheer the inspector up, but…

Ch 3: Minor: Asked if anything was wrong when Kaito hadn’t showed up at school the previous day. (Something she noticed, though it makes me wonder if she checked at his house. If Chikage was there, she probably said Kaito was out because of a Kid heist, so she held onto the question until school the next day? Maybe hadn’t wanted to tell Chikage Kaito hadn’t been at school, since she wouldn’t have seemed concerned. …Robo Kaito makes me question a lot of what must have happened behind the scenes, really…)

Ch 4: Immediately reacted to defend Kaito and went through with a plan to prove his innocence, despite any doubts that came up because his default when interacting with others in a ‘friendly’ way is to poke fun and act kinda jerkish. Started to treat him special, but he actually encouraged her to put him in place because that’s what felt normal. Push back at him.

Ch 5: Was the one who invited him out to scuba dive. To help him get over his fear of fish.

 Tried to keep Kaito from fighting with Silver, and showed she was pretty adventurous and curious. She seemed excited at finding the submarine until… y’know, skeletons.

Ch 6: Tried to tell Kaito about Valentines, even if it was embarrassing the heck out of her. V: And regardless of anime cutsyness, she didn’t plan on keeping it and possibly give it to him late, since it wouldn’t have the same meaning.

Ch 7: Despite being seen as popular because he can ski, Kaito actually wasn’t interacting with many people. Just shared skeevy mindedness over mixed bathing information, but he only actively interacted with Aoko when he saw her. Acknowledges Kaito hates looking bad (*cough*putsupanacttolookgoodmostofthetimeandshowoff*cough*), and was willing to leave him alone so she wouldn’t bring him down with how bad she was at skiing. Also tried helping Fujie not feel bad because Akako wouldn’t give him the time of day. Still tried to encourage Kaito even when she thought he was with Akako instead.

Ch 8: Can tell when Kaito’s upset over something, even if she doesn’t know what. She thought it might be from not being able to beat a game, so she looked at a guide for it and told him about where he was stuck.

Ch 9: Again noted Kaito wasn’t in class. Put up with creepy window watching while  bathing BS. (Kaito wth?)

Ch 10: (Not much, just noting that, if Aoko was trying to keep with the charm, did she want to become a little more mature?)

Ch 11: Another that’s more of a note, since she was really only shown walking with Kaito, but she did try to convince a boy Kid was a bad guy. While we, as Magic Kaito readers, know he’s not, it does still stand in universe that he’s only known as a thief. All the crimes Kid has done aren’t balanced out by known reasons or knowing Kaito’s character, so she’s in the right, trying to say someone shouldn’t call a thief an ally of justice. Same as: You can like a villain, but don’t erase the fact they are one for a reason.

Ch 12: Wanted to find out the truth behind a monster at the school to get justice for Keiko, who’d gotten so shocked she didn’t come to school. Immediately brightened up seeing the bathroom, and going to assume that’s because she knew she could stall for time. (Pun not intended, but kept anyway.) And even after being terrified, still woke up not going to allow Kaito to get away with anything.

Ch 13: Still holds knowledge of Kaito’s weakness, but really doesn’t actively use it. Instead, it’s her protection against skirt flips, and a very good one. V: And Aoko shows more knowledge about general local knowledge than Kaito does again, since she was the one who had heard of the place the Legendary cue was kept, and rules for getting in. And she did want to help Jii get it back and showed up. (And while she’s ignorant on some things, like what a martini is, she still showed quick and polite social skills to keep her dad and the other he was with from suspecting too much.) And supporting Kaito and trusting even when drunk. Also, openly showing her dislike of the guys who had just pulled guns out on them.

Ch 14: Worried that Kaito had a cold. But still asking him to help set up for a Christmas party, which she does every year from what Kaito said. And he called her a party animal, kinda implying he’s not one himself. :V 

Ch 15: Again, showing more knowledge of common information in knowing about Hakuba before Kaito. (Funny, Kaito did the inviting this time, but only to have a better excuse for going to the rink and spying on where the heist would be held… ‘undercover’. She did still come with him, though. Bet she was relived to know Kaito couldn’t skate, because doubt it was much fun to be invited someone by him for once and he just stays on the side.)

Ch 16: Again more social, as excited as she was to get band tickets, hanging out with her other friend aside from Kaito, and not bothered much when Hakuba offered to go to the concert with her. (Secret showing of preferring to go to the concert with Kaito in her sudden turn to supporting Kid winning at the heist Kaito and Hakuba made a bet on.)

Ch 17: Hmm mostly just showing more concern, when Kaito was sleeping in class and wandering off at the heist.

Ch 18: -Yaiba crossover, nothing much here-

Ch 19: Dad worries, shown questioning why Kid does what he does, was inviting Kaito to her birthday party and trusted he would up until it became very clear he wouldn’t. And the first time it’s really shown how much Kid and her dad’s absence affects her. (And still almost brutally honest with Kaito, when she called him out on not coming like he’d promised.)

Ch 20: (Kaito stop using her) She got tickets to the show from her dad, again because Kaito wanted to see it, and seemed excited to be there. Actually does tend to catch on to people with bad personalities. (Happened with the department store owner in Star War, though unnoted.) And we see a sourse of her great information skills: Reading magazines. :V

– (Really, have to make a side note now, she does this a lot. How rare had it been for Kaito to express interest in going somewhere before having reasons as Kid to tell Aoko about it so she would make it possible and go with him? Without questioning it? Just… ‘oh, Kaito actually wants to go somewhere, then yeah, let’s go’. Happens in the next chapter as well, for Crystal Mother, just to say here.)

Ch 21: Aside from the above, she went the extra step in getting them access to see the Queen and be in the dining car. So adding here that seems to know pretty well how to use connections. More friendly with Phillip than Kaito was until Kaito wanted to see something and try and collect information. Kaito was going to send him away, Aoko was the one who asked about how he felt and what brought out the story of his dad and feelings towards his mom. (And I know if it’s brought back against me, I’ll defend him, but gdi Kaito, she shouldn’t have to put up with you drugging her after all she does for you.)

Ch 22: Went to bringing up Toichi with a famous magician, and Kaito was his son. Probably would have been a nice point of conversation to bring up and chat about that would have made Kaito feel nice, proud about his father as he is, but Jody not having the highest opinion on magic brought that down.. And Aoko seemed to try to bring it back, mentioning that Jody did magic. Just felt like she was trying to give Kaito a chance to talk about what he likes with someone who was the same and understood. (Also, had brought him out to go to the movies.) And she’d originally wanted Kaito to come to the magic show, and only brought her dad instead because Kaito said no. And was the one to actually ask about Jody, why she wasn’t performing and took interest in hearing her story. (Happy to see that Kaito may have actually seen the show at the end. From her perspective, Kaito must seem like a loner magician, criticizing other ones and mostly holding to what his father taught him. Seeing professional ones would have been good for him, even if he’s on a professional level already himself.)

Ch 23-24: Still trying to remind people Kid’s a criminal, and very protective of the place that holds sentimental value of when she first met Kaito. First time she’s shown actively protesting Kid in the middle of the Kid fans, when the thief was saying he’d take the clock tower than means a lot to her. (First Kid takes her dad, and Kaito’s admiration, now he wants to take more from her? (…Sorry Kaito, very easy to see why she despises your alter ego…))

Ch 25-26: First time shown supporting her dad by taking his lunch to him (at Kaito’s suggestion… >> Though pertty sure later times are on her own.). And who would root for either of the thieves, she’s rooting for the police, like any lawful person should. Didn’t hesitate to take the coin pouch to Jii as asked

Ch 27-28: I swear she does a better job actually chatting and making kids happy and  can convince them to do things better than Kaito sometimes… Or they’re both just as good in different ways, that works. Perfect with Kenta. Convincing him to leave to eat, but listening to him to let him follow a car thought to be his dad’s so he could tell him something important. (And… I can’t actually tell for sure from this, weird as the translation is worded… Is Hakuba using her too? Did he set up her being there to interfere with Kaito or such, because she was looking for him in the task force uniform and only brought it up again later, but said the email had been from Kaito? Is that supposed to be ‘for’ Kaito? Either way, did Hakuba set up for Aoko to stay there?? Or at least get a message to Kaito through her? Or was he trying to throw Nightmare off with her being there too, as Kaito picked up later?)

Ch 29-30: (Whole lot of: She’s been far too good to you to have to put up with all this shit, Kaito. Disguising as her and getting her put in danger by people who then thought ‘her’ returning jewels and connection to the Inspector led to them being Kid. *forehead flick to the thief*) Excited to have been invited to something special, too… (Yeah, when you look at things from Aoko’s perspective, Kaito, ilu, but you’re a total jerk even when it doesn’t seem like it. Neither of you two have it nice, but you’re not helping yourself with her.) Oh, and she referred to Akako as a friend, enough that she invited her somewhere. (Really Kaito, she’s better at making friends than you. You just win hearts.)

Ch 31-33: Information again, knowing about the magic critic. Deus ex Aoko for when Kaito needs information on people currently talked about, really (and later the hint to the trick only known because it affected her dad and she decided to share as well as pointing out the smudge Kaito got touching his face). (…And same applies to Kaito using her connection to her father for the tie pin camera, dammit Kaito. >:V ) 

And after going through them all, I do have to wonder how much Aoko is aware of. Or highly suspects. Her trust in Kaito might be letting her ignore signs, but sometimes it feels like she should know… And if she does, she’s a far better actress than Kaito is when it comes to not acting suspicious. (That Green Dream heist, when Kaito had to leave… there wasn’t a dummy there in the manga that I saw. It was just an empty seat. ??? Everything that went on at the Golden Eye heist, with Kaito suggesting the bento, suddenly ‘leaving’, ‘give this to Jii’, did she check inside that before just handing it over, or did she keep trust to not look?) Some things just scream ‘something’s up’, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she’s looked into things. Like people suspecting Ran might know, I honestly have to wonder about Aoko, and if what she says about Kid nowadays might be trying to guilt Kaito into saying something…)