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Kindred (adj.) Having a similar or related origin, nature, or character: kindred emotions.

In the eight years since Seishirou-san's betrayal and the death of his sister, Subaru has lived a lonely existence, abandoning a connection with others in favour of making his one true desire come true.

However, in the year 1999, Subaru finally meets someone he feels he can trust and depend upon: Kamui, the leader of the Dragons of Heaven and the boy he is destined to protect.

Subaru’s friendship with Kamui is one of understanding, caring and kindredship. They connect on an intimate level, and accept each other's feelings in respect to those they love without even questioning their reasons.

Saviour
Subaru and Kamui first met after the leader of the Seals saw the girl he loved murdered by his best friend; the boy is in a state of catatonia, clutching the head of Kotori. Having felt this same pain before in his own life - losing one he cared deeply for to someone he loved equally - Subaru knows that, if possible, he must prevent Kamui from becoming what he himself is.

Using the secret art of the Sumeragis, whereby one can enter another's mind, Subaru tries to convince Kamui to come out of his trance. At first the boy resists, injuring Subaru, but when he is able to reach him, Subaru pours his heart out.

He describes in detail how he had been betrayed by the one he considered 'special', how he had endured the same pain and what it did to him. Subaru even shows Kamui a vision of Hokuto's death regardless of how deeply it pains him to relive the event. If it would make him truly happy, Kamui can stay within himself forever; however, that would mean that there would be no beginnings, nor endings, and that he would just relive those painful events over and over again. Subaru himself came back to make his wish reality, even if it would cause sadness to those who loved him, and now Kamui himself has the chance to do the same. Kamui correctly guesses that Subaru wants to live on as the one 'special' to him is still alive.

Kamui decides not to stay within his own mind. He couldn't protect Kotori, but there is still hope for Fuuma and his wish is to bring him back. Subaru explains to him how, just like his own wish, their may be pain to endure to make it come true: if Fuuma remembers killing his own sister, Kamui must be willing to take the blame for Kotori's death; and even if no one understands the path he has taken or his heart's true wish, he must preserve. Agreeing to create the future he desires, Kamui pulls himself out of catatonia.

Back in the real world, Kamui awakens to Subaru starting into his eyes, before the Onmyoji faints due to exhaustion. Hugging the unconscious older man, Kamui thanks him for bringing him home.

Due to this event, Subaru and Kamui have an instant trust and understanding of one another, something that only becomes stronger as the months pass by.

Deep Connection
Subaru's fast-found friendship with Kamui is strengthened by the amount of time the two begin to spend together. Despite never having finished high school, Subaru begins to help Kamui with his studies. Kamui is embarrassed as to how much help he requires due to the amount of school he has missed, but as Subaru is only at CLAMP Campus as a convenience and not to learn, it isn't a bother to him.

During one session, Kamui brings up the fact that Subaru smokes a lot, though every time he seems to have a different brand. He worries that it could limit Subaru's powers, but Subaru tells him it actually seems to enhance them, helping his concentration. Aware of what is happening between Subaru and the Sakurazukamori, Kamui asks if Subaru is doing it for him, and Subaru tells him that every little bit of strength counts. But when Kamui says that it’s still bad for him regardless, Subaru stubs out the cigarette.

As lunch time approaches, Kamui leaves the gazebo with a classmate, Keiichi. It is evident from their chat afterwards, when Keiichi calls Subaru “handsome”, that Kamui has a bit of a crush on his older friend.

When Kamui becomes involved in a battle against both ‘Kamui’, Dragon of Earth, and Nataku, another Angel, Subaru comes to his aid. To keep Kamui from interfering, the Angels hold the Seal back with restraints. But despite the injuries his struggle against these cause, Kamui still fights to free himself so he can help his friend; he doesn’t want another person to get hurt without being able to do anything to prevent it.

He is able to break free and force the Angels to leave, but not before Subaru has been seriously injured. As Subaru’s kekkai falls, Kamui cries, telling the unconscious man how sorry he is for Subaru getting so badly hurt while protecting him.

As Subaru is rushed into surgery at Shinjuku Hospital, Kamui is still apologising to him. Kamui is in such a state that Subaru’s tells the medical staff to stop his stretcher just so he can attempt to convince Kamui that it was his own wish for this to happen and that he is not to fault. But before he is able to do so, he passes out once more and is rushed into the operating room. As Kamui loses sight of his friend, he stands by the door of the O.R., broken in grief and guilt 1.

While Subaru is in recovery, Kamui stays by his bedside, holding his hand. Even with the Onmyoji’s efforts, he still feels as if he is to blame for his friend’s injuries. When Sorata and Arashi come to visit at the hospital, Subaru is able to get their support in convincing Kamui to go back to CLAMP Campus; Subaru fears that Kamui hasn’t been taking care of himself since his admission and is worried by how the boy still feels guilty. But he promises Kamui that he can come and visit anytime he wishes. Although he doesn’t want to leave Subaru alone, he agrees. Before parting, Subaru gently touches Kamui’s cheek to reassure him. As he retracts his hand, Kamui grabs it and holds it to his face a little longer before letting go.

Only a short time later is Subaru able to provide the same form of comfort and support to Kamui, after the boy is badly injured in another fight with his opposite. Unconscious in his room at CLAMP Campus, Kamui’s hand is held within Subaru’s. The first thing he sees when he wakes is Subaru’s smiling face.

Kamui tells Subaru that, even though he feels responsible for Subaru losing sight in his eye, he can't give up on Fuuma. Subaru is glad about this. His sister believed that what one fights for defines who they are, and that making one's wish a reality is the only path to a happy life. Everyone classifies happiness differently and Kamui should continue in his own quest for that. Kamui correctly guesses that the only one who can make Subaru truly happy is the Sakurazukamori as he is the one who has the power to make Subaru's own wish come true. Kamui's understanding of his situation gives Subaru the piece of mind to reveal what his true wish is. However, before he is able to utter the words, Sorata and Arashi interrupt the pair.

Kamui decides to go back to school when his wounds have healed somewhat, but when he is unable to fasten his own tie, Subaru affectionately tends to the piece of clothing himself. Keiichi, a classmate of Kamui's, has been asking after the boy since his absence and Subaru is delighted to see that Kamui has such a close friend at the school.

A tragic event, however, splits the pair apart: Subaru’s final confrontation with the Sakurazukamori.

Kamui senses the battle Subaru is engaged in at Rainbow Bridge and is frightened to see that his friend’s opponent is none other than the man from Subaru's tragic past. Without the slightest hesitation, Kamui heads to Tokyo Bay in hopes of helping the Onmyoji. However, as he travels, he sees Subaru's kekkai crumble.

Fearing the worst, he is shocked by the sight that greets him: Subaru's hand embedded in the Sakurazukamori's chest. From afar he watches as Subaru cries and grips onto the man who has been his enemy for years.

A jolt of rejection flows through him, for the first time seeing how deeply his friend loved the Sakurazukamori, but it is joined by understanding and acceptance of what Subaru's true desire was.

The bridge begins to collapse and Kamui pulls his friend out of the scene. He knows that Subaru would rather have died there along with the Sakurazukamori, but Kamui can’t bear the thought of losing someone he cares so deeply for.

Later, after they arrive back at CLAMP Campus, Kamui comes to see Subaru in his room to apologise for bringing him out against his wishes. Kneeling by Subaru, his hands and head resting in the man’s lap, he tells Subaru that he doesn’t understand why, if his desire been to die by the Sakurazukamori's hand, he did things like smoke in an attempt to strengthen his powers.

Subaru explains to him that he had thought the Sakurazukamori hadn’t killed him before, despite the fact he was marked by the assassin’s symbol, as he wasn’t worth the effort. Subaru felt if he could strengthen himself enough to become an annoyance to the Sakurazukamori, he would then give the Onmyoji a death by his hand. Subaru felt that if he could spend his last minutes with the one he loved, he could find some measure of peace.

But with Seishirou-san’s last words and due to his sister’s spell, Subaru realises the true reason the assassin never came after him. He implores Kamui to never give up on his wish, and when Kamui worries it may make others sad (as Subaru’s wish would have caused Kamui pain if it had been granted) Subaru tells him that there is no one path to make everyone happy.

Worrying about how weary his friend looks, Subaru tells Kamui to get some rest, before leaving his friend’s day to day life.

Betrayal?
After the death of the Sakurazukamori, Subaru leaves the sanctuary of CLAMP Campus. As time passes, he is never far from Kamui's thoughts; he desperately wants to search for Subaru, but isn't sure if Subaru would want him to even look.

Subaru inherits the powers of the Sakurazukamori and becomes a Dragon of Earth. However, he doesn’t have any allegiance to his new “comrades”, and although he tells ‘Kamui’, Dragon of Earth, that he will play no part in the apocalypse, he still cares deeply for his old leader.

After months of separation, the day of the final battle comes. As the two Kamuis confront one another, Kamui notices a cloaked figure behind his opposite. Looking closer at the figure he realises who the person is: Subaru.

Before he is able to uncover why Subaru seems to be with 'Kamui', the Onmyoji sadly tells him that the wish Kamui has carried for so long is not his true wish, and that there is another one deep inside him. Unless he can realise this true wish, nothing can change, and the Dragons of Heaven will lose the war. Despite the fact that Subaru, now fated to be a Dragon of Earth, still refuses to play any part in the battle, he is there trying to help his friend survive.

Parallels and Contrast
Subaru and Kamui are different in as many ways as they are similar. They have had contrary upbringings; whereas they were both born into spiritual families, Kamui's mother kept the boy from her clan, whereas Subaru was raised in the midst of tradition. Kamui doesn't seem to have much respect for society's hierarchy and is often rude, wheras Subaru holds fast to them and is polite to a fault. Whereas Kamui is often quick to anger, Subaru keeps a level head in most situations. In additional, while it was Kotori's death that forced Kamui into his catatonic state, it was the death of Hokuto-chan that pulled Subaru out of his own.

In addition, the Kamui/Subaru and Seishirou/Subaru relationships mirror one another in many ways. The most prominent is the age gap. Taking Seishirou-san’s false date of birth of 1st April, Subaru believed the man to be almost nine years his senior. When Subaru and Kamui first met, the Onmyoji was already 25 years of age whereas Kamui was either 15 or 16; once again this gives us an age gap of nine years.

Secondly the relationship between Subaru and Kamui, while on the surface so different, when boiled down to simple points, is very similar to the relationship between Subaru and Seishirou-san in Tokyo Babylon: an older man, who takes care of a young teenager and helps to guide him through difficult times with advice and affection, something that ultimately leads the younger to fall for their “mentor”.

On this note, as Kamui grows, his personality becomes less that of the rude-mouthed, defensive and violent boy he was in the first few volumes of the manga, and more like that of the younger Subaru, whereas Subaru takes on a little of the veterinarian personality the Sakurazukamori constructed to lure Subaru (though obviously without the flirtatious nature); and this fact is mirrored by his becoming the Sakurazukamori and a Dragon of Earth after the incident at Rainbow Bridge. There are even visual parallels. For instance Kamui's reaction at the surgery doors when Subaru loses his eye is almost identical to Subaru's when the same happen to Seishirou-san.

For another take upon Subaru-Kamui-Seishirou parallels, visit the Dream of Sakura X Shrine.

More than Friendship?
Subaru and Kamui are physically very comfortable with one another despite the fact Subaru has always been a little uncomfortable with physical affection; the only one he seemed truly relaxed with in this way was his twin. It even took Seishirou a while before he could hold the boy without Subaru feeling suffocated. However, with Kamui, he feels close enough to the boy to touch him in an intimate way, with a caress to the cheek or by holding his hand. And he doesn’t shy away when Kamui returns these embraces.

With Kamui’s obvious attraction to older man, his actions are understandable but Subaru’s are somewhat surprising; is he simply mirroring the same affection his sister gave him upon someone he thinks of as a younger brother? Or is there something more behind if, albeit unconscious?

After he loses the person he loves the most, Kamui is the only person left alive that Subaru deeply cares for. This fact is even recognised by ‘Kamui’, Dragon of Earth, a man able to see everyone’s secrets.

Although the Seishirou/Subaru relationship is undoubtedly the canon pairing in both Tokyo Babylon and X, and its depth is both fascinating and morbidly beautiful, it is sadly destined to have a devastating end. There is the hope that after the Promised Day the Onmyoji is able to continue on with life and be able to leave his heartache behind. With Subaru’s close connection to Kamui, many feel that this happy future would have a prominent place for the boy, giving Subaru someone to care for whom he does not need to worry about the possibility of betrayal.

Vampire Twins
For information about an alternative version of Subaru and Kamui, appearing in Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE, please see Profile > Alternative Realities.

NOTES
1. The panel of Kamui leaning against the door has the same composition as the image of Subaru in the last page of Tokyo Babylon GN. 5, after Seishirou-san has lost the sight in his right eye protecting Subaru. This is one of many parallels between Subaru's relationships with Seishirou and Kamui.

 

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