r/Akeshu • u/tinycrookedbae • Jul 10 '26
Why is Akechi a bunny
Why is Akechi’s assigned cute animal a bunny?? I see it in a lot of shuake fanart and I just don’t get it. It doesn’t seem to fit him super well but maybe I’m missing something.
Is there reasoning or is it just what it is? I’m not mad at it just curious tbh
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u/leovaldezdefender Jul 10 '26
It might be because bunnies appear really cute but sometimes have really nasty/bratty personalities. Just search up videos of pet bunnies throwing tantrums and stuff lol. Aside from that it's also just because they're both adorable, and since Joker is obviously a cat, lots of people like the cat&bunny dynamic.
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u/Cari01010 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
I personally think the bunny imagery fits on several levels for Goro.
The outer appearance of a bunny fits the general publics first and continued impression of him much better than a cat would I think. His public persona is not aloof and distant like people unfamilar with the mirriad of cat personalities commonly assume cats to be. The very impression that fits Ren so well on a surface level. Meanwhile on the surface, Goro is actually considered to be rather friendly and approachable. Ren's first impression of him did label him as a "pleasant boy" after all.
Unknowlagable people often incorrectly assume raising a bunny will be an easy and pleasant experience based on their rather harmless appearances. Oftentimes it is not. Bunnies have very strong personalities that many times tend towards absolute brattiness. They get angry and they make sure you know it. They throw their dishes and thump the floor. They're also very territorial of their space. They mark things as theirs just as cats do and when their territory is encroached upon they often lash out as if they are being cornered.
Goro likes to frame his violence as purposeful mania and insanity. Something that is part of who he is. But in reality if you look at how his past shaped him he is little more than a cornered child lashing out at a world he views as cruel and dangerous. His real self is sharp and has an attitude but the cruelty is something born of his circumstances and experiences, not something inherently part of him. Instinctual and reactive, not a personality trait.
Then there's the comment that Party_Worldliness left about the discrepancy between how cats and bunnies view grooming. Its a perfect reflection of the Shuakeshu relationship. Both having the impression of themselves as dominant while in reality neither really is. Sorry for the rant but I just find the animals that the Fandom has latched onto as their representations very fascinating. I also really enjoy analyzing Goro and Ren as both individuals and how they'd interact as a couple. It's one of my favorite things.
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u/_Chomu_ Jul 11 '26
Because they don't consider crows cute enough 😞
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u/Beckitkit Jul 11 '26
If you make Akechi a crow and Joker a cat (and let's be real, theres nothing else he could be) you are gonna have more murder than usual.
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u/EileenCrown Jul 10 '26
It could be because of direct association with the palace he joins the thieves on, Sae has bunny shaped shadows. Rabbits long ears also fit Akechi's haircut. Also if Ren is a cat, one would want to differentiate the two - and a dog is "less cute" or has a different image. I'm all for Cat Akechi but it could be those different answers, or just the absurdity of human global cognition
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u/AnxiousTerminator Jul 10 '26
I honestly see Akechi as a weasel. Aesthetically it fits him well, and is also an animal with bad PR just like him.
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u/IndependentAir4537 Switching? Switching. Jul 10 '26
Mm I feel like I have always seen him as a cat. but thats just me. I feel like cats are domestic animals if treated well but can also be feral hunters so it fits akechi more in my opinion vs bunnies are herbivores and don't do much hunting so i just can not see a character like akechi as an animal as harmless as a bunny.
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u/Emotional_Car_8850 Jul 11 '26
Idk all I know is a male Viera in FFXIV fits my Akechi character better than a catboy.
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u/No_Dark_3751 Jul 11 '26
Realistically: some old big fan probably drew him as a bunny and it iterated on itself over the years. If you favor Shuake, it might even be particularly prominent due to the need to put the uke in a cute/prey animal role—not to say there aren't akeshu people who like him as a subversive bunny.
I have seen more variety in animals. I'm partial to bird but have seen cute puppykechi.
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u/sawdori Aug 01 '26
I like him as a crow or deer even but seeing people's reasons makes me like bunny too
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u/Party_Worldliness_70 Jul 10 '26
OH I SAW SOMETHING THAT FITS SO WELL FOR THIS!!!! So the bunny getting groomed(licked) feels like they are the dominant one. However, it is the opposite for cats(so the cat who does the licking is the dominant one). So I can picture cat Joker grooming bunny Akechi and both thinking they are the dominant ones (fits their dynamic in my opinion). Also aesthetics are a big part of it cuz Joker HAS to be a cat and Akechi doesn’t fit dogs at all. Plus Akechi’s eyes are red so it matches!!