The Archetype of Scaring the Significant Other

Granted, it's a cute scene.

It's Halloween! So I am going to address the archetype of fear as a courtship tool. The idea of fear drawing people together--the frightened girl or boy clutching their beloved--is quite common, across the board. (One could argue that Midsummer's Night Dream is one long spoof of the idea.) 

I don't really get it. It's not quite on par with using April Fool's Day as some kind of social bonding exercise (rather than the reality, an opportunity to bully). But it's close. 

In His Favorite, for instance, Sato likes it when Yoshida--who hates all things supernatural--gets scared but then Sato is somewhat sadistic (it's part of the character's personality). When a "nice" significant-other relies on fear to pursue someone, I start having doubts about the relationship. 

In sum, I generally roll my eyes over "spooky kids" or "spooky high school" or "amusement park haunted house" story lines and move on to something else.

However, there is one particular story line in His Favorite that amuses me. 

A few of the female students decide to get back at Yoshida for monopolizing Sato. They ask Yoshida to help them with club supplies, then pretend not to see a "ghost" (one of them dressed up as a petrifying predator poltergeist). Yoshida sees her, of course, and is totally freaked out!!

The "teach Yoshida a lesson" performance backfires, however, when Yoshida faints and Sato comes to his rescue.  

Sato is pleased!