Shipping meme answers
As promised, the answers to the pairings meme!
I took a cue from stunt_muppet and did this the long, verbose way. Hence, this thing is HUGE and probably one of the longest posts I've written up in a while.
From fardell24:
Doctor Who
OTP:
Ian/Barbara
The oldest Who pairing and the best, bitches! One of precious few pairings I have actually written something akin to sap for. I LOVE THEM THAT MUCH. XD *prods the_chestertons with her shoe*
Runner-up:
Ten/Donna
The only New Who ship that really grabbed my attention. David Tennant and Catherine Tate have such stunning on-screen chemistry. Funny and emotional, sometimes simultaneously. I was quite sad to see Donna go. :(
Mel/Ace, Peri/Erimem and Tegan/Nyssa
I am very much of the opinion that all the 80s era females were much more interested in shagging each other than the Doctor. Yes.
Honorable mention(s):
Five/Tegan
One of my first ships ever. I shipped them hard at age 11-12, well before I even knew what shipping was. Though I don't actively ship it now as an adult, I still have a strong soft spot for them.
Companions/guest characters
Guilty pleasure. I love hooking companions up with supporting serial characters, heh. Barbara/Sir William is a strong favorite of mine. And then there's Mel and her long string of boyfriends-of-the-month...
Crack pairing(s):
Valeyard/Mel
IT'S ALL GARY RUSSEL'S FAULT, I TELL YOU. Stupid He Jests at Scars audio... Yes, it's just plain WRONG and on insane amounts of crack, but God help me I love it so
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Ten/Rose
ARGH! ENOUGH ALREADY. X_X
From yukinoomoni:
Shadow Raiders
OTP:
Jade/Graveheart
What can I say? Competent adults, mutual trust and accountability, complimentary personalities, tons of unspoken communication, and a female with a strong, terse personality that the male isn't the slightest bit threatened by... of course I'm going to ship them like crazy! XD
"Ascension". Just... just "Ascension". GUH.
Runner-up:
Jade/Tekla
An interesting, somewhat complex and strained relationship between two strikingly different women. And the conflict is not over a fucking guy HOORAY. A platonic OTP, however. Mainly because one is a cyborg princess and the other is from a race made of living stone, and you are going to have to get me REALLY bloody drunk before I am willing to freely contemplate how that's going to work...
Honorable mention(s):
Cryos/Tekla
Annnnd the token non-canon OTP, because I always have at least one. I'm just a bit in love with the idea that these two were carrying on a quiet, private romance during season 2 while everyone else was distracted by Jade and Graveheart's more obvious UST. That and Cryos's reserved, cautious nature would be a good balance to Tekla's empathy and naivete.
Graveheart/Cryos/Jade
Mah beloved platonic OT3! Graveheart, Cryos and Jade... also known as Team YOU ARE PWNED.
Crack pairing(s):
Sternum/Jewelia
Because I can't help but have the assumption that this was once a very passionate relationship that went very, very wrong. These two had a resentment for each other on-screen that went far beyond mere professional rivalry. It had to be personal...
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Pyrus/Zera
It's not that I don't like them. The banter is hella cute. But I'm just not as enamored of them as the rest of the now dead fandom seems to be. Maybe it's because I got into the show as an adult... and therefore identified much more strongly with Graveheart and Jade's relationship as a result.
Also from yukinoomoni:
The Slayers
OTP:
Zelgadis/Amelia
Let's get one thing straight here... when I say Zel/Amelia, I mean the cute, bantery, awesomesauce battle couple Zel/Amelia. And not the super-duper, extra large EMO FEST that seems to infect fanfic all the time. I love them, I think they're great together. But seriously, the amount of times the fic has made me facepalm...
Runner-up:
Lina/Gourry
Because you just can't dislike them, ya know? :)
Honorable mention(s):
Xellos/Filia
They're just too amusing to not get a mention. MARRIED MUCH?
Crack pairing(s):
Xellos/Amelia, for the lulz. Amelia would give him total hell and I'd be cheering her on every step of the way, bwahaha. XD Also, Amelia/Human!Pakota for TEH CUTE.
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Most of the alt Lina pairings, such as Lina/Xellos or Lina/Zel. Not that I really have any strong dislike for them per se... just totally uninterested and indifferent.
From stunt_muppet:
ReBoot
OTP:
Bob/Dot
Another on-screen couple... Mainframe Entertainment actually has a fairly good track record of creating official couples I like, so good job them. Um, more seasons 1 and 2 Bob/Dot though, because the dynamic was adorable and far, far more subtle. One of my biggest complaints with season 4 was all the relationship angst they dragged the poor pair through...
Runner-up:
Mouse/Dot
Platonic OTP, because I like Bob/Dot and Mouse/Ray too much to break them up. But seriously, can we say BADASS BFFS? XD I just love the opening of "Daemon Rising", with Dot and Mouse efficiently running the War Room together like they've done it all their lives. What a fantastic double act!
Enzo/AndrAIa (young)
TEH CUTENESS OMG. So adorable you'll just feel your teeth rot. Dude.
Honorable mention(s):
Mouse/Ray
I was quite intrigued/amused when they hooked up, could have been a very fun dynamic. Pity they barely got any screen time though...
Crack pairing(s):
Megabyte/Dot
I like the idea of them being intellectual rivals and wish they would have played around with that more in the first arc of season three. I would have loved a battle of wits episode with the two of them, they would have rocked ass! (Unfortunately, we got the Kiss of Highly Uncomfortable Subtext in season 4 instead... :/)
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Matrix/AndrAIa
Don't throw things at me, plz! *preemptive ducking* It's not that I dislike them or anything... I just preferred the dynamic they had when they were children.
From biichan, and seconded by pextheunalive:
Sailormoon (Anime and PGSM, since those are what I'm most familiar with. It's been ages since I've read the manga...)
OTP:
Makoto/Matoki (PGSM)
Another of those rare, rare instances where a relationship on-screen will play out to my liking. I strongly identified with the PGSM version of Makoto (I sort of look like her too... but more Italian and less Asian. And add glasses) and Matoki is admittedly the type of guy I usually go for in RL: dorky and laid back. They are completely adorable and I thought inverting the relationship from the anime/manga so initially he had a crush on her (basically combining his character with that of Umino) was a clever touch.
Runner-up:
Ami/Ryo (anime):
The Senshi and the psychic! XD These two were just too adorable for words and even now, years later, I'm still a bit peeved that Ryo was only in two episodes. Bah.
Honorable mention(s):
Haruka/Michiru (anime/manga)
We need more openly lesbian couples that actually stay together throughout the whole series on TV like this, plz.
Crack pairing(s):
N/A I haven't thought about this fandom in ages, so...
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Usagi/Mamoru
Another for the "parade the ship in front of morgeil ad nausem on-screen enough and she will just yawn and go ship something else" category. Because I'm a rebel like that.
From urania_calliope
The Chronicles of Narnia
OTP:
Jill/Eustace
Jill is my favorite Narnia girl, which has a lot to do with this. The BBC adaption of The Silver Chair (my personal favorite of the BBC Narnia adaptions) and the excellent rapport between the two young actors has a bit to do with it as well. An underrated duo.
Runner-up:
Shasta/Aravis
Aravis is quite nearly tied with Jill for favorite Narnia girl, btw. Her dynamic with Shasta was pretty fun, from what I remember. Though to be honest, the books are long overdue for a re-read...
Honorable mention(s):
Polly/Digory
I love The Magician's Nephew! Why these two didn't become a crack team of married detectives or something is beyond me...
Crack pairing(s):
N/A. I haven't re-read the books in a while. When I do, I'm sure I'll come up with some. :P
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Pevensie siblings paired with each other. Not sure how popular it is exactly, but I've seen it around... just not into incest, sorry.
From tao_of_tenchi:
Tenchi Muyo:
OTP:
Washu/Yume (manga)
Because Yume is one of very, very few in the entire TM universe that is on Washu's level. They're equals, they have sharply contrasting personalities (I love how Washu just casually shrugs off Yume's temper, bwaha) and - most of all - they're fun.
Tenchi/Everyone (Platonic)
I am a total sap for teh Masaki family!love. The snowball fight at the end of the Washu novel made me flail around with a stupid grin more than any sexual TM pairing ever could.
Runner-up:
Washu/Daimon
This is cheating a bit, because it's from Sasami Magical Girls Club... but lookie! A heterosexual Washu pairing I actually like! *boggles* They're just too cute, I can't help it. (See, if the Tenchi/Washu relationship was executed more like this, I wouldn't be complaining so much...)
Hishima/Minagi (manga again)
Because I'm just a bit in love with the idea. The two have so much in common, when you think about it and Hishima would make an awesome partner for her. You know he would.
Honorable mention(s):
N/A I have too few TM pairings to really have an honorable mention. :P
Crack pairing(s):
Tenchi/Mihoshi
Crack in that I ship it just to annoy people. I don't have a favorite Tenchi pairing, but if I get bugged about it enough I'll say I ship Tenchi/Mihoshi for the lulz. That and I just like Mihoshi.
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Any Tenchi pairing
Yes, I am quite aware that this makes me a freak. And I am very secure with my bizarre abnormality.
I took a cue from stunt_muppet and did this the long, verbose way. Hence, this thing is HUGE and probably one of the longest posts I've written up in a while.
From fardell24:
Doctor Who
OTP:
Ian/Barbara
The oldest Who pairing and the best, bitches! One of precious few pairings I have actually written something akin to sap for. I LOVE THEM THAT MUCH. XD *prods the_chestertons with her shoe*
Runner-up:
Ten/Donna
The only New Who ship that really grabbed my attention. David Tennant and Catherine Tate have such stunning on-screen chemistry. Funny and emotional, sometimes simultaneously. I was quite sad to see Donna go. :(
Mel/Ace, Peri/Erimem and Tegan/Nyssa
I am very much of the opinion that all the 80s era females were much more interested in shagging each other than the Doctor. Yes.
Honorable mention(s):
Five/Tegan
One of my first ships ever. I shipped them hard at age 11-12, well before I even knew what shipping was. Though I don't actively ship it now as an adult, I still have a strong soft spot for them.
Companions/guest characters
Guilty pleasure. I love hooking companions up with supporting serial characters, heh. Barbara/Sir William is a strong favorite of mine. And then there's Mel and her long string of boyfriends-of-the-month...
Crack pairing(s):
Valeyard/Mel
IT'S ALL GARY RUSSEL'S FAULT, I TELL YOU. Stupid He Jests at Scars audio... Yes, it's just plain WRONG and on insane amounts of crack, but God help me I love it so
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Ten/Rose
ARGH! ENOUGH ALREADY. X_X
From yukinoomoni:
Shadow Raiders
OTP:
Jade/Graveheart
What can I say? Competent adults, mutual trust and accountability, complimentary personalities, tons of unspoken communication, and a female with a strong, terse personality that the male isn't the slightest bit threatened by... of course I'm going to ship them like crazy! XD
"Ascension". Just... just "Ascension". GUH.
Runner-up:
Jade/Tekla
An interesting, somewhat complex and strained relationship between two strikingly different women. And the conflict is not over a fucking guy HOORAY. A platonic OTP, however. Mainly because one is a cyborg princess and the other is from a race made of living stone, and you are going to have to get me REALLY bloody drunk before I am willing to freely contemplate how that's going to work...
Honorable mention(s):
Cryos/Tekla
Annnnd the token non-canon OTP, because I always have at least one. I'm just a bit in love with the idea that these two were carrying on a quiet, private romance during season 2 while everyone else was distracted by Jade and Graveheart's more obvious UST. That and Cryos's reserved, cautious nature would be a good balance to Tekla's empathy and naivete.
Graveheart/Cryos/Jade
Mah beloved platonic OT3! Graveheart, Cryos and Jade... also known as Team YOU ARE PWNED.
Crack pairing(s):
Sternum/Jewelia
Because I can't help but have the assumption that this was once a very passionate relationship that went very, very wrong. These two had a resentment for each other on-screen that went far beyond mere professional rivalry. It had to be personal...
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Pyrus/Zera
It's not that I don't like them. The banter is hella cute. But I'm just not as enamored of them as the rest of the now dead fandom seems to be. Maybe it's because I got into the show as an adult... and therefore identified much more strongly with Graveheart and Jade's relationship as a result.
Also from yukinoomoni:
The Slayers
OTP:
Zelgadis/Amelia
Let's get one thing straight here... when I say Zel/Amelia, I mean the cute, bantery, awesomesauce battle couple Zel/Amelia. And not the super-duper, extra large EMO FEST that seems to infect fanfic all the time. I love them, I think they're great together. But seriously, the amount of times the fic has made me facepalm...
Runner-up:
Lina/Gourry
Because you just can't dislike them, ya know? :)
Honorable mention(s):
Xellos/Filia
They're just too amusing to not get a mention. MARRIED MUCH?
Crack pairing(s):
Xellos/Amelia, for the lulz. Amelia would give him total hell and I'd be cheering her on every step of the way, bwahaha. XD Also, Amelia/Human!Pakota for TEH CUTE.
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Most of the alt Lina pairings, such as Lina/Xellos or Lina/Zel. Not that I really have any strong dislike for them per se... just totally uninterested and indifferent.
From stunt_muppet:
ReBoot
OTP:
Bob/Dot
Another on-screen couple... Mainframe Entertainment actually has a fairly good track record of creating official couples I like, so good job them. Um, more seasons 1 and 2 Bob/Dot though, because the dynamic was adorable and far, far more subtle. One of my biggest complaints with season 4 was all the relationship angst they dragged the poor pair through...
Runner-up:
Mouse/Dot
Platonic OTP, because I like Bob/Dot and Mouse/Ray too much to break them up. But seriously, can we say BADASS BFFS? XD I just love the opening of "Daemon Rising", with Dot and Mouse efficiently running the War Room together like they've done it all their lives. What a fantastic double act!
Enzo/AndrAIa (young)
TEH CUTENESS OMG. So adorable you'll just feel your teeth rot. Dude.
Honorable mention(s):
Mouse/Ray
I was quite intrigued/amused when they hooked up, could have been a very fun dynamic. Pity they barely got any screen time though...
Crack pairing(s):
Megabyte/Dot
I like the idea of them being intellectual rivals and wish they would have played around with that more in the first arc of season three. I would have loved a battle of wits episode with the two of them, they would have rocked ass! (Unfortunately, we got the Kiss of Highly Uncomfortable Subtext in season 4 instead... :/)
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Matrix/AndrAIa
Don't throw things at me, plz! *preemptive ducking* It's not that I dislike them or anything... I just preferred the dynamic they had when they were children.
From biichan, and seconded by pextheunalive:
Sailormoon (Anime and PGSM, since those are what I'm most familiar with. It's been ages since I've read the manga...)
OTP:
Makoto/Matoki (PGSM)
Another of those rare, rare instances where a relationship on-screen will play out to my liking. I strongly identified with the PGSM version of Makoto (I sort of look like her too... but more Italian and less Asian. And add glasses) and Matoki is admittedly the type of guy I usually go for in RL: dorky and laid back. They are completely adorable and I thought inverting the relationship from the anime/manga so initially he had a crush on her (basically combining his character with that of Umino) was a clever touch.
Runner-up:
Ami/Ryo (anime):
The Senshi and the psychic! XD These two were just too adorable for words and even now, years later, I'm still a bit peeved that Ryo was only in two episodes. Bah.
Honorable mention(s):
Haruka/Michiru (anime/manga)
We need more openly lesbian couples that actually stay together throughout the whole series on TV like this, plz.
Crack pairing(s):
N/A I haven't thought about this fandom in ages, so...
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Usagi/Mamoru
Another for the "parade the ship in front of morgeil ad nausem on-screen enough and she will just yawn and go ship something else" category. Because I'm a rebel like that.
From urania_calliope
The Chronicles of Narnia
OTP:
Jill/Eustace
Jill is my favorite Narnia girl, which has a lot to do with this. The BBC adaption of The Silver Chair (my personal favorite of the BBC Narnia adaptions) and the excellent rapport between the two young actors has a bit to do with it as well. An underrated duo.
Runner-up:
Shasta/Aravis
Aravis is quite nearly tied with Jill for favorite Narnia girl, btw. Her dynamic with Shasta was pretty fun, from what I remember. Though to be honest, the books are long overdue for a re-read...
Honorable mention(s):
Polly/Digory
I love The Magician's Nephew! Why these two didn't become a crack team of married detectives or something is beyond me...
Crack pairing(s):
N/A. I haven't re-read the books in a while. When I do, I'm sure I'll come up with some. :P
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Pevensie siblings paired with each other. Not sure how popular it is exactly, but I've seen it around... just not into incest, sorry.
From tao_of_tenchi:
Tenchi Muyo:
OTP:
Washu/Yume (manga)
Because Yume is one of very, very few in the entire TM universe that is on Washu's level. They're equals, they have sharply contrasting personalities (I love how Washu just casually shrugs off Yume's temper, bwaha) and - most of all - they're fun.
Tenchi/Everyone (Platonic)
I am a total sap for teh Masaki family!love. The snowball fight at the end of the Washu novel made me flail around with a stupid grin more than any sexual TM pairing ever could.
Runner-up:
Washu/Daimon
This is cheating a bit, because it's from Sasami Magical Girls Club... but lookie! A heterosexual Washu pairing I actually like! *boggles* They're just too cute, I can't help it. (See, if the Tenchi/Washu relationship was executed more like this, I wouldn't be complaining so much...)
Hishima/Minagi (manga again)
Because I'm just a bit in love with the idea. The two have so much in common, when you think about it and Hishima would make an awesome partner for her. You know he would.
Honorable mention(s):
N/A I have too few TM pairings to really have an honorable mention. :P
Crack pairing(s):
Tenchi/Mihoshi
Crack in that I ship it just to annoy people. I don't have a favorite Tenchi pairing, but if I get bugged about it enough I'll say I ship Tenchi/Mihoshi for the lulz. That and I just like Mihoshi.
Ship everyone else seems to like, but I don't:
Any Tenchi pairing
Yes, I am quite aware that this makes me a freak. And I am very secure with my bizarre abnormality.