What we consider to be “normal” people possess a sense of cooperation and the desire to help others, but not to the ends that Taichi displays consistently throughout the show. Not only did his altruism prove to be reckless and dangerous to himself, but he failed to realize how damaging it would be for Iori as well. But would Iori really be herself if she was forced to live with Taichi’s body and the burden of his sacrifice? Taichi did not even view the situation objectively and rushed to save Iori no matter the consequences of his decision. He was willing to compromise both his own life AND Iori’s so that he could at least save her with his own body. Kokoroco first highlighted the extent of Taichi’s altruism in the fifth episode, where he was willing to sacrifice his own soul in order to save Iori from dying. There are times when I’m too busy with my own problems.” “Not everyone puts other people before themselves the way you do. But why is it that we often fail to notice that even altruism is as destructive and radical as the selfishness we so vehemently oppose? In society, we observe selflessness and altruism as good things and selfishness and egotism as bad things. The negative repercussions of a kind and selfless main character are highly overlooked. However, most shows of this type avoid delving into the psyche of the main protagonist so deeply. The nature of these shows is that the guy lead cannot (initially) choose between his potential love interests, as he values all of them equally. A comparison could be drawn to many other shows featuring a harem, where the male lead turns out to be one who tries to please everyone else in the end. He is what Inaba dubs a “selfless freak,” someone who tries to satisfy the needs of others and aide them without heed for his own wants. Regardless, one of Kokoroco‘s main focuses is the subject of altruism, represented by the character of Taichi Yaegashi. Is it that desire forms the basis for our personality, which in turn constructs our identity? Or is it that instead our identity guides us into choosing what our wishes are? From here, we can think of this in several different perspectives. After all, what one desires is a huge part of one’s identity, and how they respond to said desires can be thought of to be their personality. What constitutes a person’s identity? Is it merely that the physical body itself determines and proves one’s existence to others, or is there something else that composes what exactly a person is? The body swapping gimmick establishes these essential questions, but the new gimmick of unleashed desires in the most recent episodes continues to posit a new-found relationship with these questions. The first five episodes delighted the show in dabbling with the themes of identity and personality. As of now, Kokoro Connect is clearly developing into a show that masterfully balances unabashed comedy with insightful drama.