Silence is Golden ☆ Gilded Surfaces ☆ Silver and Gold
Silver Leaf ☆ Gold Leaf ☆ Fool's Gold

Shin Kidou Senki Gundam W Manga:

The next manga to be looked into is the three-volume manga Shin Kidou Senki Gundam W.


Volume 1:

TCatherine's first appearance is in volume one, page ninety-seven. Trowa has known Catherine at least for over a month from what the manga can provide. The scene is very much like the one from the anime in episode 12.

In any case, it does show she is fond of Trowa in the last panel she appears in for the scene. She eyes the two boys with a warm expression on her face as she says what strange boys the two are. Nothing can be said in terms of how Trowa sees her.


Volume 2:

Catherine appears again in volume two on page 104. She is outside the circus tent handing out flyers. She looks up and her face brightens as well as shows surprise. She sees Trowa. She goes to him, exclaiming her shock to find him alive, indicating she heard he died or at least was missing after an explosion. She places her hand on his shoulder and shakes him gently as she says this. He finally speaks, repeating the name she called him and asks, "That's who I am? Who are you?"

Catherine can only be stunned. She looks at Trowa with concern, worry and loss. All she can say is, "Oh, god, Trowa..."

Pretty much, nothing can be picked up from this other than that she cares about him. Again, there is nothing to hint at romance from either of them.

The next time Catherine shows up is page 133. The scene was used by a supporter of the pairing of Trowa and Catherine as a speculatory reference of a possible kiss between them. On page 132 it starts off with Quatre finding Trowa alive at the circus. Trowa is decked out in his clown attire and doesn't recognize Quatre. Quatre understands this due to being informed by Noin of his amnesia. He tells Trowa he must come back with him and assures him he'll get his memory back.

Catherine comes in and yells no. She pushes Quatre away from him and tells him Trowa is her family now and she isn't letting him go anywhere with Quatre, certain he is one of the Gundam pilots. She addresses Trowa as her brother.

Hearing the familiar word "Gundam", Trowa decides to go with Quatre and believes he will indeed get his memories back. Catherine is still objectionable and tells him if he does such he will be alone again and close himself like the time they first met. He tells her more is at stake than just his state of mind and Catherine gives in. She places her hands on his shoulders and he does the same to hers. During this he drops his mask and the last panel on page 133 is of his mask landing on the ground beside their mirroring feet.

Looking at the layout, such an argument loses face, however. Why? Catherine addresses him as her brother and Trowa believes she is his real sister at the time. The speculatory proof was of symbolic gestures in old movies where they show two people's legs close together, mirroring. Usually something is dropped in the process like a hat or a purse. In such cases, yes there is an implication of a kiss occurring then.

This isn't an old Hollywood film though. I doubt so much symbolism was considered. At the same, it would be viewed as incest whether they are blood related or not because as far as Trowa knows they are siblings and Catherine is aware he views them as such right then.

So, unless Catherine somehow taught the vulnerable Trowa that brothers and sisters are supposed to be in a relation of incest... I highly doubt a romantic kiss was purged. If there was a kiss, it was likely a chaste kiss on the forehead from a brother trying to comfort his sister.


Volume 3:

In volume three, pages eighty-one and eighty-two shows the still amnesic Trowa out in space battling Mobile Dolls in space with the other Gundam Pilots. Eventually the Dolls start approaching the Colonies. Trowa recognizes one of them as the one Catherine is in. Automatically he blasts his Gundam over to protect it but soon finds himself surrounded.

Not much can be said on this. He still identifies Catherine as his sister, so pretty much he is thinking of her as his only family. Of course he's going to protect his "sibling" when danger is near. That is the last time she is seen.


In the end, I see no actual hints of romance here. The opinion of the "mask dropping" scene would have been something to consider slightly if the Trowa had his memories at the time, but he doesn't. Basically, they just seem like very close friends to the point of being like family. Catherine still seems to only see him as a younger brother. Trowa's view of her is still unknown other than that she is important to him.




Sources:
Trowa & Cathrine: The Promise of Love. Debunking Sibling Belief: Implied Kiss.

☆ Main Page
☆ Silver and Gold
☆ Catherine