nintama

While the younger Komatsuda brother often gets his chance to shine, Komatsuda Yuusaku's status as a side character means he often gets overlooked - but not by me! This will be a combo of straight squee + meta and personal fanon. Just kind of a whole mix of things I want to talk about broken up into arbitrary sections.

This is a repost from Tumblr, where I had an extra section on his appearance as well as plenty of pictures, but I thought it'd be nice to have it here as well (and people don't have to try to comment entirely through tags like on Tumblr lol).

I wrote this with the assumption that people who read it will have a basic familiarity with Yuusaku. If you want to learn more about Yuusaku, I've got a post going over his appearances in the manga, and I recommend checking out episodes 13-05, 16-97, 20-37, 28-48 (subbed by the lovely Tasogaredokijou team!), and 31-30 (also subbed).

Personality

As someone who grew up helping with the business and primed to take over as head of the household, he's learned how to be tactful and well-spoken. He always uses proper language when speaking with everyone other than his brother. When he's continually interrupted at the beginning of volume 65, he doesn't yell "Will you listen to me?!" like so many other characters do when interrupted; he simply tries to speak again. This also shows him with a fair amount of patience - something you'd probably have to develop if you lived with Komatsuda.

Despite being more level-headed and responsible than his brother, he's still a Komatsuda at heart, and goes at his own pace. He follows a whimsy and declares he's going to study to be a swordsman and leave the store to Komatsuda. He cheerfully reads out letters where Komatsuda relays being yelled at and smacked around by Yoshino, and is happy his brother is learning to use difficult kanji like "property damage" and "indemnification." He has a calm, serious discussion with his little brother when the two of them are sitting there tied up by Dokutake ninja. Sometimes you can see this more Komatsuda-esque side in how he talks. When he's going to see Komatsuda in the school infirmary, for example, he announces to the world, "Komatsuda Yuusaku is headed straight for the infirmary!" (vol 65, pg 63).

You can also extrapolate some of Yuusaku's personality from how Komatsuda acts. Komatsuda constantly takes things in stride and doesn't see people as having bad intentions, traits which he might have picked up from watching his brother. For example, sometimes Komatsuda messes up so much that someone might think he's purposely trying to annoy them; if that was also the case when he was a child, he may have heard his brother talking a lot with others about how his little brother wasn't doing anything bad on purpose, that Komatsuda didn't have bad intentions, and so now Komatsuda takes that same attitude toward others.

When Komatsuda screws up his rescue of Yuusaku in episode 28-48, Yuusaku almost talks around being rude to or blaming him, using softer language and reminding Komatsuda of how he should act, rather than berating him or getting fed up with him. This sort of focus on what to do going forward is likely what's led to Komatsuda's current resilience. Unrelated, but with the way Yuusaku speaks in this scene, I like to think Komatsuda has spoken about being a ninja so much that Yuusaku has unintentionally absorbed a lot of the rhetoric, which is why the Dokutake ninja say that Yuusaku's words reminds them of what Happousai always tells them.

Despite receiving letters from Komatsuda that detail the ups and many, many downs of his job, Yuusaku always says that his brother does excellent work as a clerk. While he's sweet on his brother and might overlook some of Komatsuda's flaws, I don't believe Yuusaku has ever literally believed that Komatsuda does excellent clerical work. When talking with Yoshino, he specifically mentions that he's glad that Komatsuda has become such an excellent clerk because his brother had always done things "in half-measures" (vol 35, pg 47). In other words, he believes Komatsuda is an excellent clerk not because of how good a job he does, but because Komatsuda is putting his all into it. He seems to measure people not by their output but by what they put into their efforts in the first place; he measures people only against themselves.

Growing up with Komatsuda

As the big brother, it was likely Yuusaku spent a lot of his childhood caring for Komatsuda while their parents and other family were working, especially since I can see Komatsuda getting into a lot of… well, trouble is too strong a word. Let's just say I can see trying to work and take care of Komatsuda at the same time being more difficult than it would be with the average child. A lot of Yuusaku's childhood was likely spent apologizing on Komatsuda's behalf, a reflex which seems to have followed him into adulthood; his immediate response to Shinbei describing an incident Komatsuda caused in episode 16-97 is to tell him sorry. I wouldn't be surprised if Yuusaku's role as big brother had him essentially raising Komatsuda at times. I see this reflected in the present with the parental tone he'll sometimes take with Komatsuda as well as the way Yuusaku is invested in Komatsuda's future.

He also witnessed the difficulties that Komatsuda encountered. I can see Komatsuda trying to help around the store and failing, being sent out to other merchants as a potential apprentice and failing, sort of bumbling through life at his own slower pace that made Yuusaku worry about his future. So when Komatsuda expressed an interest and passion in becoming a ninja, Yuusaku might have seen that as a chance for Komatsuda to find something he enjoyed, that he could succeed in, which made him happy, and so paid his brother's way into the local ninjutsu school.

Later on in the manga, Yuusaku expresses concern when ninja come to scout Komatsuda and says that he knows that "the ninja world isn't lenient enough that you can become a professional with just a third-level ninjutsu certificate […]" (vol 65, pg 70). It might be that even if Yuusaku had concerns about Komatsuda becoming a ninja and entering a dangerous world, he soothed his nerves with the thought that Komatsuda would never reach the level where he would actually engage in ninja work.

Of course, Komatsuda did attempt to become a professional when he went looking for a job with Dokutake castle, and it'd be interesting to see Yuusaku's reaction to that. I can't imagine he didn't know; in the manga he mentions that he heard Dokutake castle pays well (vol 32, pg 37), which he likely learned when Komatsuda was looking for employment with them. After Yuusaku spent all that time paying for ninjutsu school and encouraging Komatsuda, he may have felt it wouldn't be fair of him to turn around and tell Komatsuda he shouldn't or can't try to fulfill his dreams. And what about after Komatsuda's stint as a Dokutake ninja failed? Did Komatsuda continue applying to other castles? Did he just go home? Yuusaku was probably relieved that nothing too bad came of the experience, but was worried that Komatsuda might just go back to his life of never committing or going through with anything.

We're not told why or how Komatsuda got his job as clerk; when he's reintroduced after his initial appearance, he simply says that he "apparently doesn't have the talent to become a ninja, so [he] got a job as clerk at Ninjutsu Academy instead" (vol 21, pg 211). The anime episode where he's reintroduced as clerk, isn't currently available to me, so perhaps it's explained there. Either way, I like to think Yuusaku was the one who encouraged Komatsuda to get a job with the school because he saw it as a way for Komatsuda to be relatively safe while still being close to the ninja world he aspires to be a part of.

Him and his little brother today

Such a strong brotherly relationship continues to the present - Komatsuda calls Yuusaku his "pride and joy," Yuusaku keeps all the letters Komatsuda sends him, they have a touching moment where each of them say they're looking out for each other. However, there can be friction in Yuusaku's relationship with his brother. He wants to keep Komatsuda safe and happy, but he knows that Komatsuda is also his own person with his own wants and goals that don't necessarily align with what Yuusaku hopes for him.

For example, in episode 16-97, Yuusaku has come to the school to take Komatsuda back to help with Komatsudaya. While hearing about all of Komatsuda's mishaps makes him start second-guessing the idea of bringing Komatsuda back, the final push comes when he overhears Komatsuda speaking with Yoshino about how kind everybody at the school is and how much he loves it there. This could also speak to friction between Yuusaku's role as head of Komatsudaya and his role as Komatsuda's big brother. Is it better to let Komatsuda go do his own thing even if it isn't what's best for the store or family?

In the end, I think Yuusaku appreciates the school as a place where Komatsuda's personality and character are appreciated despite his poor skills. The school sees Komatsuda's true strengths and doesn't immediately write him off. Throughout their time growing up together, Yuusaku taught Komatsuda to be accepting of others, but I imagine there were plenty of times when other people didn't extended the same courtesy to Komatsuda himself.

Related to the above is the push-pull between treating Komatsuda like a child and treating him autonomously. Komatsuda is sixteen and technically an adult, but his way of seeing and living in the world can be childish as times, putting him in an awkward position. You can sometimes see this push-pull in the way Yuusaku speaks with Komatsuda.

For example, there's the way he tells Komatsuda to remember to clean himself before coming in the house: "Ah, Shuusaku, before you come in the house, make sure you wash your hands and feet" (vol 35, pg 45). There's the fact that he still refers to himself as the more childish "onii-chan" when speaking with Komatsuda. There's the part in episode 16-97 where, when Komatsuda seemingly ignores him, Yuusaku scolds him by basically saying "you haven't seen your big brother in so long and you can't even greet him properly?" While Yuusaku knows that Komatsuda is growing up and leading his own life, he can't help but still see him as his kid brother.

I mentioned before that Yuusaku likely has concerns about the danger being a ninja would put Komatsuda in. Episode 31-30 is especially interesting in this regard, as before this, Yuusaku had little problem with Komatsuda working at the school. Yuusaku specifically mentions that he's taking Komatsuda back home "for his own good," and he once again mentions that Komatsuda has a habit of doing everything in half-measures. He says he's deemed Komatsuda unfit to be a ninja and that's why he's taking him home. However, I think it's possible that Yuusaku came to get Komatsuda because he was afraid that if Komatsuda does the more dangerous duties of his job as half-heartedly as he's done other things, then he'll end up getting hurt or worse. By cloaking it in the language of Komatsuda's desire to be a ninja, he avoids speaking of his own fear, of being the reason that Komatsuda can't follow his dreams.

Related is a scene in volume 65 of the manga where everybody comes together to stop Komatsuda from going with one of the ninja who's come to scout him, not only because they don't want to see him go, but because they don't want to see him get hurt. Just being good at detecting intruders won't help you get out of a fight. "Exactly," Doi says, "You can lose your life in an instant" (pg 119). While Yuusaku doesn't speak, he has this weighty, knowing expression that still says a lot. It's a face that says he's thought of the reality of Komatsuda's dreams. It's the face of an older brother who's worried about his younger brother getting hurt or dying. All he can do is love Komatsuda and continue to be a part of his little brother's life.

Misc.

Other odds and ends that didn't fit elsewhere…

Yuusaku tends to interact mostly with Komatsuda and the school staff, but I'd love to see him with more people. For example, the way he acted with Makinosuke really showed off his more Komatsuda-esque eccentricities, so I'd love to watch his interactions with people who bring out that side more. It'd be fun to see him, Rikichi, and Komatsuda interacting - what happens when you get together someone who loves Komatsuda and someone who can barely stand him? Maybe he could hang out with the 1-Ha students' families. Komatsuda is, after all, at about the same level as 1-Ha when it comes to ninjutsu.

I've made no secret about liking both Yuusaku and Demo, and I think it would be interesting for both of their characters to see them interact more. Demo, in some ways, is similar to Komatsuda: they're headstrong, won't take no for an answer, try again and again, take pride in what they can do well. Where they differ, of course, is their personality and their relationships with other people. I think Yuusaku might see Demo as similar to, and perhaps might treat Demo similarly to, his little brother. Growing up with Komatsuda means that Yuusaku knows how to handle stubborn boys who cause problems.

Even characters who treat Demo with respect often do it in a way that aims to teach Demo, rather than accepting Demo as he is, flaws and all. Komatsuda, for all Demo hates him, treats Demo the nicest. Strip away the parts of Komatsuda that Demo can't stand and you'd likely get Yuusaku, as the Komatsuda brothers have a similar demeanor. Because of this, I think Demo and Yuusaku would get along well. Yuusaku would take Demo as he is, perhaps find some of his quirks endearing; Demo would appreciate Yuusaku's willingness to just let him be. In some ways, their personalities and goals are opposites. As the head of Komatsudaya, Yuusaku often thinks first of the store or family over his own wants, while Demo pursues things only for himself, and I think it'd be nice if they ended up influencing and learning from each other. I'll stop here before this turns into a different effortpost entirely…

Information about Yuusaku doesn't show up outside of the manga and anime, with one exception. According to tsudoi: "Komatsuda Yuusaku is not married. He really wants to marry, but he's still dealing with a recent heartbreak" (translated by another lovely fan). Yuusaku finds family to be very important, so it makes sense for him to want to marry and expand the Komatsuda family. If it was someone who he could potentially marry, what made them break up? The store is obviously successful and the Komatsuda family seems well-off, so it didn't have anything to do with the financial situation or Komatsudaya's standing. Incompatible personalities? Broken up with so she could get with someone else? Maybe she couldn't stand Komatsuda, and Yuusaku had to break it off for that reason.

Speaking of family, we're never explicitly shown the Komatsuda parents in canon. They could be one of the many people shown making fans in the backroom or selling fans in the store. Since Yuusaku has effectively taken over the business, they could've retired and so have no reason to be shown in Komatsudaya scenes. There's always the option of both of them having died, and that's another reason why Yuusaku sticks so close to his little brother.

Well, I think that's about all I've got to say at the moment. I just hope that I was able to convey at least some of Yuusaku's charm to everybody!