SouHaru (Newly Founded OTP)
When did I start to pair this ship seriously!! It’s against my own policy not to ship anything from Free! Fandom *sigh* I admit all the character are generously charming and handsome to the point of gayness. Everyone started to pair the obvious pair in the series (or you may call the mainstream one). Makoharu, Rinharu, Reigisa. Like other sport gay anime, I ‘eat up’ EVERYTHING the fandom had to offer (doujinshi in this matter) as long as it’s included some pretty drawing and shameless smut. But speak off preferences Reigisa is out of my reach because seriously, Rei-chan is megane-kun and because of that reason I can’t stand it.
The season two started and I’m still perturbing why I can’t pair those crazy gay groups. Hey, every fujoshi in this business already hippies about merry go round with their ship, and starting canon ship war thingy between them. I’m just sitting around eat up whatever the scanlations group throwing at me. But not until the gorgeous one walking into my sight…Yamazaki Sousuke, the epitome of my wet dream and ideal hotness for my type of seme. Plus, his seiyuu adding charm point to the character. (I eargasm every time I heard Hosoyan growling or scoffing). It decided then I like Sousuke (finally I have favorite chara to brag about!). The problem is despite my liking to Sousuke it’s somewhat not enough… I have a dirty fujoshi mind, so when I like some character I must see them doing gay thing, its unspoken rules. I’m not satisfied with the canon has to offer. I've read SouRin stuff, albeit the art and really good, I can’t stand Rin (here finally I said it). I know they have some chemistry of rival and jealous angsty protective childhood friend vibe to give some muses to the author or doujinka to work on some dirty mind. But for me I can’t really find the chemistry between them since I cannot feel the ‘aww’ moment when I read doujinshi moreover trying to read fanfiction.
And then that fated day approach at the random way as always. I stumble upon livejournal and find some Free! doujinshi available to download. The pairing was so rare in my opinion, I never thought there’s such a pairing before, it never crossed my mind. The pairing duo is Sousuke x Haru or Souharu for short. Hell I was so confused at first, how and which aspect that someone want to pair them. There’re no relation and correlation between these two. Um, I’m pretty know the base of their relationship is love hate but it’s just mesmerizing me that this pairing is somewhat exist. I salute to you whose pair this people out there!
The doujinshi I have read was short story and really portrait YAOI (Yamanashi, Otonashi, Iminashi) in good and straightforward way. I really like the drawing style (gosh Sousuke is so handsome and Haru is sexy!!!!) There’s tiny bit of spark ‘aww’ moment when read those. It’s purely physical and eye candy and I really like it and read it over and over again.
Still truly entrapped by the how handsome and really good looking Souharu pair was after reading those doujinshi and artwork. I went to Comifuro (doujin local event) for the first time. There I met someone who pair Souharu too and shamelessly she made standing banner featuring Sousuke and Haru. Just Awesome I thought, the creator is brave enough to be out of the box and dare to swim against the current stream (mainstream I mean). Another plus point is the art is really good. I debated should I buy the 60k doujinshi or just walking away pretend I didn’t see anything (save for my wallet condition). But in the end I lost against devil in my head. I borrowed my friend petty money to buy and satisfied my clench lust for some good art and pretty drawing. I just want to praise the god that the author has some skill good enough to gain my acknowledgement.
I’m happy to bring that doujin home and start to contemplate afterward. Seriously this pair must have some small yet though base out of there, like this particular person I met at Comifuro. I started from tumblr to investigate and to answer my big question ‘what’s the trigger and based on what this pairing is paired by people out there’. After searching and trashing and coiling around tumblr I came to short conclusion base on what this pairing is made: RIVALMANCE or Rival Romance (I acknowledge this term after hours of playing DA:II). Start from enemy to friend to lover pattern. I kind of understand that chemistry and I APPROVED that! From the beginning I much approve Sousuke character. Who denied the handsomeness in him! I just don’t know whom I supposed to pairing him with. With Rin? The answer is ‘maybe’. But with Haru? Sudden realization hit me that I can easily picture them together despite the awkwardness and the oddness aura between them. I can also easily portray how they struggle with the progress of their relationship to each other and much more very easy for me to picturing them having smutty activities (you know what I mean...) .
After that realization I’m starting to read ‘good source reading material’ containing two of them. Surprisingly their fanfiction is SO good (well written, well angst, well smutty much wow /applause to the author), I didn’t expect it at first. This pair makes me giddy and squeally all of sudden at attempt to read fluff. I already ‘came’ thrice in one day just from reading Souharu E rating fanfiction! But I don’t want to rush thing to declare and announce publicly there’re my truly OTP. I feel insecure about this since once again my preference in homo pair is rather ‘hipster’, ‘rare’ or’ minority’ you may say. I fell down in despair because there’s not much doujinshi material to find, sobs. As always I’m minority shipper here comparing to major or canon pairing out of there... *crying*