Anime Challenge #5: Favorite Male Character

There may come a day when I will chill la chill about Kill la Kill, but today is not that day, although I’ve already written the bulk of what I have to say about the series, so besides my most recent post from a couple weeks ago, I’m not sure when I’ll write another deep post about it.

Because Kill la Kill is my favorite anime, it’s only natural that my favorite male character would be from this series. It actually took me a long time to think of someone to write about for this post because I don’t take the label of “favorite” lightly. In fact, I was gonna skip over this one completely until I happened to think about this guy at work one day and realized that yes, he is my fave.

And that guy is Gamagoori Ira.

Lady Satsuki’s iron shield has no chill and that’s one of the greatest things about him. He’s the very first example of Kill la Kill’s over-the-top flair and is just the embodiment of extreme. However, as much machismo as he exemplifies, he has no qualms with acknowledging that Satsuki is the better fighter or being under her command. Furthermore, this strict allegiance to Satsuki doesn’t seem to come from romantic feelings (the only obvious romantic feelings he shows are for Mako). It could, of course, as I suggested here, but I think Gamagoori’s primary motivation is creating and maintaining justice. Plus, IIRC, Gamagoori might’ve been the one of the first to hear Satsuki’s full plan. I headcannon that Jakuzure knew about the abuse from the start, but I imagine her plan became more real once she got Gamagoori onboard and she might’ve told him about the abuse as well.

This may be one reason why Gamagoori is so fiercely loyal to Satsuki. He has a strong sense of justice no matter what, but Satsuki is someone who has defeated him and who he respects immensely. The knowledge of Ragyo’s abuse of her, then, must infuriate him and make him willing to do anything to right those wrongs. Therefore, he plays his role in Satsuki’s imitation of Ragyo’s system. Like Satsuki, everything he says and does publically needs to appear as if it furthers Ragyo’s mission. That includes his attempts to mold Ryuko into an ideal student during their fight and his hypocritical praise of Satsuki wearing a kamui while calling Ryuko a slut in hers. Ryuko retorts that what he’s saying is bullshit and he knows it.

But really, he probably does know it. He needs to keep up appearances, so he has to say things that enforce the nudity=shame mindset. He might not know that Satsuki is forming Ryuko into an ally, but he does know what’s needed to practice Satsuki’s way of covert resistance.

This is why I picked him as my favorite. Like everything in Kill la Kill, the meaning of everything Gamagoori says and does becomes more complex and intriguing given the plot in its entirety.

Next: anime that never gets old no matter how many times you’ve rewatched it. I promise it’s not Kill la Kill (although the statement applies).