20 days shoujo challenge, day 16
Day 16: Favorite Shoujo Couple
Hey! Let’s start with a glaring proof that loving a ship doesn’t mean I want to live anything close to it.
Sakurazuka Seishirou/Sumeragi Subaru (Tokyo Babylon/X)
I just love tragedy a lot. Betrayal, obsessions, cruelty, longing. Love that is maybe not one-sided but even if it wasn’t it would fix nothing. All of it not written like a series of bad choices and miscommunications, but like a necessity. Because if they didn’t do these choices, they wouldn’t be themselves. And it would certainly be better for them. But also, in a way, it would be worse.
I love the narrative symmetry between Subaru who has too much empathy and Seishirou who has absolutely none. I love how Seishirou carved marks into Subaru’s flesh, more than once, but finally - probably - was touched too. I love how this symmetry ends in yet another mirror play, with Seishirou’s death and Subaru’s fate.
Let’s have something more wholesome!
Miyazawa Yukino/Arima Soichirou (KareKano)
A very different kind of symmetry, where the first impression they have of each other is “oh, this one is actually a good person! Not like me, who’s pretending!” And where their relation only becomes stronger as they’re learning more about each other and the illusion disappears.
It’s a nice concept, but it’s possible to do it wrong. I just really love how this author writes slice of life, the everyday conversations that are not important but are still funny, heartful, and make you feel that they’re happy dating each other, rather than saying it.
(So many writers only like to write the UST and either are bad with the relationship once they get together, either don’t want to show it at all. This is the exact opposite)
An you know? In addition, you get my favourite ship that didn’t become canon even if it was m/f in a shoujo. It’s so weird. Even when you’re rooting for the het ship sometimes you lose.
Fakir/Ahiru (Princess Tutu)
Unlike the two others, I didn’t ship them from the start. I knew it was a popular pairing! But when I started the show, i was like “oh no people are shipping the asshole guy with the cute girl again”, and also “if anything they both like the same guy”.
It took me time, but in the end, I was as convinced as the other fans. :P
You know, maybe the fact the show didn’t make it 100% canon is why I ship it. Not because I love to suffer (well, not this way), but because it took time to explore their relationship as a guy who takes care of a duck he doesn’t recognize. As forced allies for a common goal. As friends then, as people trying to find their place between their choices as people and their fairy tale archetypes.
(I will still read post-canon romance though)
Cette entrée a été crosspostée au https://flo-nelja.dreamwidth.org/701361.html. Commentez où vous voulez.
Hey! Let’s start with a glaring proof that loving a ship doesn’t mean I want to live anything close to it.
Sakurazuka Seishirou/Sumeragi Subaru (Tokyo Babylon/X)
I just love tragedy a lot. Betrayal, obsessions, cruelty, longing. Love that is maybe not one-sided but even if it wasn’t it would fix nothing. All of it not written like a series of bad choices and miscommunications, but like a necessity. Because if they didn’t do these choices, they wouldn’t be themselves. And it would certainly be better for them. But also, in a way, it would be worse.
I love the narrative symmetry between Subaru who has too much empathy and Seishirou who has absolutely none. I love how Seishirou carved marks into Subaru’s flesh, more than once, but finally - probably - was touched too. I love how this symmetry ends in yet another mirror play, with Seishirou’s death and Subaru’s fate.
Let’s have something more wholesome!
Miyazawa Yukino/Arima Soichirou (KareKano)
A very different kind of symmetry, where the first impression they have of each other is “oh, this one is actually a good person! Not like me, who’s pretending!” And where their relation only becomes stronger as they’re learning more about each other and the illusion disappears.
It’s a nice concept, but it’s possible to do it wrong. I just really love how this author writes slice of life, the everyday conversations that are not important but are still funny, heartful, and make you feel that they’re happy dating each other, rather than saying it.
(So many writers only like to write the UST and either are bad with the relationship once they get together, either don’t want to show it at all. This is the exact opposite)
An you know? In addition, you get my favourite ship that didn’t become canon even if it was m/f in a shoujo. It’s so weird. Even when you’re rooting for the het ship sometimes you lose.
Fakir/Ahiru (Princess Tutu)
Unlike the two others, I didn’t ship them from the start. I knew it was a popular pairing! But when I started the show, i was like “oh no people are shipping the asshole guy with the cute girl again”, and also “if anything they both like the same guy”.
It took me time, but in the end, I was as convinced as the other fans. :P
You know, maybe the fact the show didn’t make it 100% canon is why I ship it. Not because I love to suffer (well, not this way), but because it took time to explore their relationship as a guy who takes care of a duck he doesn’t recognize. As forced allies for a common goal. As friends then, as people trying to find their place between their choices as people and their fairy tale archetypes.
(I will still read post-canon romance though)
Cette entrée a été crosspostée au https://flo-nelja.dreamwidth.org/701361.html. Commentez où vous voulez.