The Bath Scene: Eye Candy or Something Else?

After all, in the grad scheme of things, it wasn�t necessary for the scene to be set there. So why the hell do we need to see Treize Khushrenada in the bath? Anyone�s initial response to this question is probably and immediate and whole-hearted exclamation of "Eye candy!" But when you think about that, it doesn�t really make sense. If they were doing it for fan service, it wouldn�t make sense for it to be Treize. One of the Gundam pilots or Relena would make sense. After all, they�re the main characters of the show; Treize is just a very important supporting character.

So we�ve eliminated fan service as the reason, or at least as the main reason. What is the reason then? Personality, perhaps. The scene does show a lot of Treize and what makes him tick. [Insert your favorite naughty joke about the scene here.] Well, besides showing that Treize ticks very well physically, it also gives the viewer some of their first clues about his personality. It shows that he is very confident for one thing. Lady Une is standing right there and he doesn�t so much as bat an eyelash. Most people mind a bit when there are people of the opposite gender standing around when they are in the bath. So, he�s confident and self-assured, which in turn shows that he is probably a good leader. The scene also shows off the fact that Treize is very particular in his tastes, and perhaps a bit hedonistic too. Yep, he really does enjoy his bath. (He looks particularly pleased when he is talking about Zechs. Makes you wonder, doesn�t it? �But that�s neither here nor there.)

Okay, so we�ve established that the bath scene shows us a bit of Treize�s character. What more could there be to it? Actually, I believe that at least part of the reason for the scene was to make Treize seem more human. Think about it. Treize is one of the most difficult of the characters to understand and he often seems rather removed and not really human because of that. At first glance Treize doesn�t seem to have any weaknesses; that doesn�t mean that they aren�t there but they aren�t glaringly obvious unless you go looking for them. Compare him that to Heero, who is obviously about as messed up as they come. Heck, look at just about any one of the characters and it�s pretty obvious that they all have their problems and weaknesses. Then you have Treize, a man who is more often than not five steps ahead of the game and confusing as all hell because of that. How do you get viewers to sympathize with a character like that? How do you show that Treize is human and that he isn�t evil? Simple: strip him naked and plunk him in a bathtub for the all the world to see. It shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that Treize is human and than he is, underneath it all, just another human being like every other person in the world. They pull the same trick in reverse with Heero when he is in the hospital. Normally when a person is in the hospital you do not leave them in the dirty clothing they came in. However, stripping Heero of his customary tank top and spandex would have made him seem even more vulnerable and weak. Heero is already in need of a hug and good psychiatrist and everyone knows it. Thus, his clothing is left on to help counter-act that.

And thus ends my semi-intelligent ramble about the nature of life, the universe, and everything. (Commonly known as Treize, or sometimes 42.)

Back