Official Shipping Discussion | ships ahoy | sharing is caring: fan creations (fic, art, etc.)

[Idreamaboutcats]

Voted for romantic, but for very different reasons. I was thinking of SoKai when I was voting, so this doesn't affect my opinion on other ships. Two factors led me to vote for romantic.

The first is the new art for Melody of Memory. The way Sora looked at Kairi from the frames was just too cute, especially his KH2 picture. It practically screams of "boy in love".

The second is an ideal romantic relationship also goes hand in hand with friendship, and looking back, when Sora despaired at the first time when they were all killed at the Graveyard, it just made me think how 'wow, he didn't even grow as a person on his own. His friends are his power, fine, but this is just complete dependence if this is how helpless he is if they were taken away.' The only one who managed to keep him tied down from dispersing pass the Final World was Kairi. I kept thinking, maybe he needs a new avenue of support besides friendship, hopefully one that will actually encourage his independence, and while I'm not sure how Nomura will write out that scenario, if he does decide on it, I'm kind of excited to see it.

Plus, the main Disney studio has ignored any romance in their feature films lately. Frozen, BH6, Zootopia, Moana. (Yes, Frozen still counts when the showcase is two sisters running amok while belting out songs rather than, you know, the actual romance with what's essentially a tritagonist.) The latest romance I can recall was not a main studio film, and it was just sooo badly written, not that I ever liked Star Wars to begin with. We're overdue for a good romance, even if it has to come from a video game.

 

[MATGSY]

I'm starting to suspect there's a reason the other bad guys let her boss them around.

 

[Hedginka]

I'm curious to see whether Melody of Memory will shift opinion on SoKai one way or the other.

I'm pretty sure everyone who loves or hates it has vowed to take their takes to the grave by now and that goes for me as well. KH3 had quite a few shippy moments from them, but I don't think perception from both sides altered much at all. Though KH3's scenes with them were pretty clunky, so that isn't surprising.

For Sokai, I think so. Just as long as they don't pull a Next Generations story after the Foreteller Saga

"Eraqus Xehanort, you were named after 2 of the bravest men I ever knew."

 

[Elysium]

I guess I'm for the friendship ending.

Genuinely surprised Sokai won the poll myself. That ship was never that popular on Khinsider, lol

I was more surprised that it was as close as it was, really. Ultimately, SoRiku is a noncanon LGBT ship. I always think of those as the fringe considering LGBT are a very small minority. Versus the main pairing of the franchise? In the gamerverse, that is already known for its hatred of things like worlds based on perceived "girly" movies? I would've thought it would be 5 v. 24 or something.

 

[*TwilightNight*]

Sora/Kairi winning is definitely more surprising by far. In comparison to Sora/Riku, which is constantly praised here and elsewhere, the vitriol and hate SoKai gets for being undeveloped in comparison should have made them bottom tier. That 5 v. 24 would have been SoRiku coming out victorious.

Which means that, as much as some might hate accepting it, Sora/Kairi isn't as hated or rejected for being bad and having no chemistry as others would have you think.

I remember mentioning it once a hundred years ago post KH2 on KHUltimania and somebody told me I was delusional even though all I said was that I liked their interaction in KH2 and wished for more because I shipped them more than SoKai (which I had went from loving in KH1 to disliking in KH2) 8D Let go of it after that.



Agreed. They have great chemistry for what little interaction they had. I always felt things would have been better had they been given the chance to interact. Perhaps Kairi would not be so Sora-driven and would have gained a bit more personality because they would have played off of each other well.

Honestly, this was what I was hoping for out of a Kairi-Axel/Lea friendship, too. All of these spunky and sassy characters interact but never get to be spunky and sassy with each other because the story pulls them right back into their blander stories.

To me, Kairi and Sora are like...flat soda when you put them together. There is no edge or spark. It's just two vanilla characters.

It's why I enjoy other pairings more for them. Kairi's spunk isn't drawn out unless she is around more snarky/sassy characters. Sora's happy-go-lucky attitude is better paired with a character that has some edge or mystique to them.

It's why I prefer literally every other character with Sora over Sora and Kairi together. Sora and Namine was intriguing. Sora and Riku have a rocky past and they've worked at fixing their relationship which feels so natural. Sora and even like Xion would have more pizzaz because there would be some angst there (I don't like that pairing, though).

Same would go for Kairi. I thought Kairi and Seifer just based on the manga was a cuter pairing. (And I imagine that was because Kairi is rather similar to Rinoa). Kairi and Hayner would be cooler. Kairi and Olette would be beyond cute.

But circling back to Kairi and Roxas, they just seem like they'd be better suited to each other's personalities.

Keep in mind, I don't think they have chemistry in canon. The only time they ever spoke was via Roxas calling out for Naminé but got redirected to her original self instead (Kairi)...in which Roxas basically confirmed Kairi was the girl Sora likes. Nonetheless, it doesn't stop the dynamic that both their personalities would have brought forth. That's why I tended to like the idea. I liked it more than Sora/Naminè really (which I find rather vanilla, personally speaking, I feel they would put me to sleep). Roxas/Kairi is more...exciting, dealing with two strong attitudes.

Better suited though? That's questionable too. Roxas/Kairi would be a fun, snarky couple, but overall, with Roxas' underlying temper and how he gets when others challenge him, I feel he needs someone level headed and calmer to ground him and sort of knock sense into him. Not in a way that gets him defensive, but stops him enough to think "...fack, she's right".

With you mentioning Lea and Kairi, I feel if Roxas/Kairi had a chance, it wouldn't reach what it could be canonically. This is where the line thins on whether one would prefer the fanon over the canon. I don't even want to get into Lea and Kairi. KHIII, as I mentioned heavily before, failed in all aspects of interpersonal interactions with other characters all because...trios.

Xion was sort of a Kairi expy in a way and people tend to ship her with Roxas in part because of that. There are other factors, of course, but it's like looking at an edgy Sora and Kairi visually.

I guess, but I don't see it. Xion is more like Kairi than Naminè is (well, KHI/KHII Kairi, not this KHIII declawed Kairi), but the sass level isn't fully there. Which was the appeal [to me].

I actually miss shade throwing Kairi. Haters gave her shit for it to no end, but she was at least mildly interesting and Aerith-esque.

Reminds me of why I used to hate Riku/Xion. Now that was the most blatant example of, ‘pair the spares’ at the time, performing a rather blatant disservice to both involved. I’m sure there are people who legitimately ship it for entirely different and valid reasons and good for them, but they appeared as few and far between back then.

I did find it kinda funny that Riku apparently cares more about Mickey and Namine than Sora. That may be daft, but it’s the perfect shipping fuel for me, so I’mma take it.

And yeah, go figure how Tetsuya altered the one part of KH3’s finale that I liked. Oh well, too little too late now. He can’t go back and alter the 10,000 tumblr gifsets that were created.

I don't recall Riku/Xion being romantically linked? Rather, they didn't make that much noise. Unless, of course, the fact that they went hopping off together for days on end and he brushed her bangs away is to be taken that way. He definitely has more of a "connection" with Xion than Naminé though, by far. I can dig it if they set it up well and develop it in some form depending that that's what they're going for. But it'll always feel to me like Xion would be Riku's pseudo Sora really, being his opposite sex clone. In itself it may be even kind of insulting...can't have him be with Sora, yet it's okay to push him to his (and Roxas') replica because she reflects a girl. That's also his other best friend.

The angst would be A+, I have to say. Spanish soap opera dramatic angst to be honest. I would have loved to tackle it in fanfiction.

It's funny, but Riku doesn't care about Mickey and Naminè more than Sora in the actual narrative (okay, Mickey can give him a run...maybe). Everything he's done in his journey was to make it up to Sora. Everything. I'm not even implying romance here, that's just fact in terms of motivation.

It's the most laziest crap I've ever seen honestly, they just don't make sense. He just took reused merch artwork based on the game covers and called it a day, rendering the meaning of the Stations completely null and void. It was ridiculous. Which means that if Xion's was shown, it would have had Saïx and Xemnas on it, with the ones making the most sense being Axel and Sora.

Riku should not be in Roxas' Station...whatsoever. What the even fuck. Might as well have Diz in there.

MX should be replaced by Eraqus in Aqua's.

Memorial Stained Glass Clock

The Memorial Stained Glass Clock is a large clock displayed at Shinjuku Station's Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line Metro Promenade from January 9 to January 15, 2017, in commemoration of the fifteenth anniversary of the Kingdom Hearts series.

www.khwiki.com

 

[Elysium]

Sora/Kairi winning is definitely more surprising by far. In comparison to Sora/Riku, which is constantly praised here and elsewhere, the vitriol and hate SoKai gets for being undeveloped in comparison should have made them bottom tier. That 5 v. 24 would have been SoRiku coming out victorious.

Which means that, as much as some might hate accepting it, Sora/Kairi isn't as hated or rejected for being bad and having no chemistry as others would have you think.

I couldn't help hearing Kellyanne Conway as I read this.

 

[*TwilightNight*]

I couldn't help hearing Kellyanne Conway as I read this.

Who's that?

 

[Absent]

Who's that?

Nobody with a capital N.

 

[KudoTsurugi]

Voted 'Romantic' for the new poll, but I'm also Team 'Por que no los dos'.

 

[welken]

Riku/Sora is all that matters to me, really. They're just... bros being dudes... the eternal struggle of passion between rivals... the bondage of men... I love this kind of romance. I also favor Riku getting what he wants, and I think Sora's his favorite. I don't mind the ambiguity myself. I trust my BL senses. I see you, Nomura.

I don't have a problem with Sora/Kairi because... of course Sora loves Kairi. He's gonna marry her and they'll be be king and queen. But hey, that doesn't mean Riku's out of the picture. Give Kairi some credit. She probably sees how they look at each other. If her heart is so pure, then she can't be the jealous type then can she! So maybe Riku and King Sora can have their gummi ship fishing trips. Maybe she's even more open-minded than that.
But I also don't really care, lol. I have a complete yaoi bias, so. I don't really care what the girls do. I wish them luck, though. Get it girls.

- I also really like Roxas/Hayner. Hayner's little crush on Roxas is so cute... even if it technically hasn't happened yet!
- Axel/Roxas and Isa/Axel are cool too, no reason Axel should have to limit himself, nor Roxas since he has a few female options too. The guy didn't even get a childhood. He can do what he wants.
- Cloud/Leon is pretty hot. Why not. It wouldn't be a serious thing, maybe just one rough night or two.
- They haven't interacted yet in the series, but Zack/Cloud is a natural pairing should they ever. Cloud loves Zack.
- I like the idea of some kind of Ansem/Terra or ideally, young adult Xehanort/Terra, but of course that's hypothetical, as we really haven't had any moments of that nature. Xehanort probably did like Terra's body though, the old pervert.
- Ansem/Riku is kind of a cool idea too, in a creepy way. Darkness naturally would have some connection to sexuality, a wellspring of shame and pain for all the good it brings. So perhaps the dark imprint on Riku, imbued with such a personal touch as possession by Ansem, left him haunted with lust towards his adonic possessor, who forever lingers in the dark from whence he can always be summoned, at least for a few hours or so.
- Dilan is so hot, but Aeleus isn't quite there for me, so... Beast? jk (...unless?) There's really no one right for him as things stand. Same for Luxord.
- Assuming the passionate beefcake Aced is hot without the mask, why not he and Ira? Or The Master/Aced? Now I'm really grasping.

As far as the topic at hand, I voted romantic. This is indeed a romance.
But. You think friendship and romance are so different? In this Kingdom Hearts?? I think the love all bleeds into each other in this series. They're basically all in love with each other. Everything's like a date with these kids. It's always a sentimental moment, looking into each other's eyes and laughing at each other's bad jokes. I think any possible pairing or inkling of romantic spark between any two characters which any given person could perceive, is probably by design. They know what they're doing. KH runs on unquenched tension. It's a funny mix of a fixation on affection played against a constant theme of separation, distance. It's always a struggle. Love is a struggle, I guess that's the message. Because Kingdom Hearts is all about love when it comes down to it. What is of the heart, but love? And love is love is love. When you break it down, and KH is all about stripping it down to the root dynamics of human existence, it's the same light. The differences between anything is simply how it's coded with darkness, which is probably another kind of light, if not the original, anyway.

Mark my words, it's going to get very weird once family starts becoming a prominent theme in the story, as I believe it will should the series soldier on through the coming years.

 

[Eonstar890]

I voted for friendship because ultimately that’s what KH has always been about, but I would be happy with some romance as well.
I don’t want to get my hopes up, but the cover art for MoM got me feeling some type of way about Sora and Kairi so I’m low key excited to see how their relationships develops in this game. Even if that development is one sided on Kairis side that’s still be great since the opposite was true for oh idk... every other entry ever.
I must say I am slightly scared for a pairing to become canon purely because it’s never been done before and I worry about the execution of it. I can easily see ppl hating it even if it was a pairing they shipped because it didn’t happen the way they wanted it to or whatever.
Either way I’ll enjoy eating my popcorn and reading the forums responses to the game.

 

[*TwilightNight*]

Nobody with a capital N.

Real life version of Naminè then, gotcha.

But. You think friendship and romance are so different? In this Kingdom Hearts??

Nomura blurs the lines, because the cliques, I mean, sorry, "trios", all show physical affection, and/or are open to showing they care.

For example, people with shipping colored glasses would think that Riku holding out a hand for Naminè to touch fingers with is romantic, but a SoRiku fan as a joke actually found that Sora did the same with Pooh Bear.



And it did so, literally, in the exact same way, in the exact same matter, copy and paste. You have to see it in motion. So while it's "played for laughs", you have to reevaluate the intention.

Same thing when Saïx was dying in Lea's arms as he faded away. Shippers of the pair found it romantic when it happened to Roxas and Xion (it wasn't to me, go figure), but now you have these two friends doing a similar, emotional act and then you have to reevaluate. Either it's platonic, or Lea and Isa are actually gay if you think Roxas' and Xion's was romantic. You can't pick and choose cause of heteronormativity.

Another example that I can think of is the opening when it comes to Aqua:



The only reason why people wouldn't find it romantic is because it's actually Aqua reaching out for Sora's outstretched hand. Sora has been hinted with Kairi and then you have Aqua with Terra or Ven. But imagine if it was Kairi there. Or hell, even Riku. Or a random girl's hand. Everyone will be singing a different tune. Right? You know it's true.

If Axel wasn't in his mid-20s, and was the same age as Roxas, what would his and Xion's scenes be regarded like? More than likely different, let's be real here. But not, oh, not if he's a grown adult. It's not romantic then.

All in all, majority of the shippers tend to go with confirmation bias. If it fits the narrative they want, they'll regard it as such. Doesn't matter if one is a clone of Roxas/Sora the same way Riku Replica is to Riku, it's a black haired looking female, so it must be romantic.

The only one that's slated as romance is Sora and Kairi, and that's merely because their scenes are framed differently and in a meta sense (this is important, the META, because the implications can also be outside the narrative game/story via official art, merch, etc.), you see them as the main couple of the series. We know that's the intention, it's legit shoved into your throat whether you like it or not. And that's due to the presentation and what they've build up upon. Not just acts of affection given to those they care about, because that's not only for romantic love.

Look at the entirety of the 2.8. credits where the relationship of characters are broken into separate sections and what's shown. It goes:

• OG characters' friendships with Disney characters as well as the Disney's characters respective Disney friends.
• The next section blends in and they start mixing in the KH characters' friendship with KH characters (which are basically just the trios)
• It then goes to emotional/suffering/tragic moments, so you're gonna see the characters being sad or whatever.
• KH characters connections to other KH characters but now in the positive sense (physical presentation of how they care in particular, so I guess everyone in general just wants to screw each other's brains out if we take the shipper mentality, cool, the best ending)
• AND THEN....oh, ohhhh. Starts Disney couples and other couples, so this is the romantic section. You'll notice because the first thing you see is kissing. Then SoKai just hogs the entirety of it near the end because main couple rights or something I guess.

So everyone needs to differentiate. Which makes the current poll even more interesting.

 

[palizinhas]

I honestly wish Riku/Riku Replica was a more popular ship. Their interactions in KH3 are the only times where Riku actually feels like an actual character and not a Sora cheerleader in that game. Sure, they look exactly alike, but who cares!

 

[*TwilightNight*]

I honestly wish Riku/Riku Replica was a more popular ship. Their interactions in KH3 are the only times where Riku actually feels like an actual character and not a Sora cheerleader in that game. Sure, they look exactly alike, but who cares!

He doesn't look like a girl, therefore it's not valid by shipping standards.

Riku/Repliku's relationship is pretty neat though, and they made it develop well. It was the best part for Riku in KHIII, for sure.

 

[Elysium]

I've definitely read fics of those. To me, Riku/Repliku and Riku/Roxas are ships that are too sad for me to think about. Repliku would be pining to be real with Riku, whereas the latter is Riku pining for Sora yet not being able to have the real thing...

@welken: Wow, I'm right there with almost all the pairings you listed. If I didn't love Belle, I'd totally ship Beast (in human form) with Dilan, lol... It would have the potential to be a great story in the right hands, too, if set during the Days time period. Xaldin's interactions with Beast would trigger the re-growing of his heart (literally) while Beast re-grows his heart (metaphorically).

 

[Clue.Less]

@welken: Wow, I'm right there with almost all the pairings you listed. If I didn't love Belle, I'd totally ship Beast (in human form) with Dilan, lol... It would have the potential to be a great story in the right hands, too, if set during the Days time period. Xaldin's interactions with Beast would trigger the re-growing of his heart (literally) while Beast re-grows his heart (metaphorically).

*reads this, pictures it, searches AO3, skims through the two fics about this ship*

... Alright. But this would have to be a big AU because Xaldin's manipulation of Beast in KH2 makes the ship dark and unhealthy as hell. Write it?

 

[Idreamaboutcats]

I’m surprised SoKai won the previous poll too. I could never tell if the favorability of SoRiku here was genuine praise for the way their chemistry was written or just, pardon my words, plain gay pandering. For the life of me I can’t see any single notion of romance in their dynamic except for the “Sound Idea” bit in DDD.

I guess, but I don't see it. Xion is more like Kairi than Naminè is (well, KHI/KHII Kairi, not this KHIII declawed Kairi), but the sass level isn't fully there. Which was the appeal [to me].

I actually miss shade throwing Kairi. Haters gave her shit for it to no end, but she was at least mildly interesting and Aerith-esque.

I kinda see it. Remember, Xion is the way Sora sees Kairi, his most important memory (though I don’t know where the eff that brunette hair came from). The Rokushi shippers probably connected the dots that since Roxas is half of Sora and Xion is the “idealized” Kairi the way Sora saw her, blah blah blah the rest is shipping history, and the whole “who else will I eat ice cream with?” Speaking of, wasn’t there a line in the novel where he used the word “love” to refer to a girl? I just can’t remember WHICH girl he’s talking about.

I miss that Kairi too. Dang her KH1 iteration was probably the last decent writing she had, and that was as a damsel in distress. KH2 was okay but lacking in that je ne sais quoi, then it all went downhill from there.

Mark my words, it's going to get very weird once family starts becoming a prominent theme in the story, as I believe it will should the series soldier on through the coming years.

I’m still waiting for Sora to eat the dinner his mom made, or her to freak out that her son disappeared for a year, and then disappeared again for another year after having him back for, I dunno, a week?

Real life version of Naminè then, gotcha.

Mmm, not a good comparison unless you’re into red baseball caps and being ruled over by a cheese puff.

I honestly wish Riku/Riku Replica was a more popular ship. Their interactions in KH3 are the only times where Riku actually feels like an actual character and not a Sora cheerleader in that game. Sure, they look exactly alike, but who cares!

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

The vote wasn’t that far apart between SoKai and SoRiku, guys. And it was from less than 50 votes. I really don’t think that is a great sample size for votes and the poll wasn’t made to be a serious end-all debate thing. It certainly wouldn’t indicate anything like intent, “gay pandering”, or anything else that you guys want to use to disprove or prove your side of the debate. It’s a silly, fun poll.

 

[Hedginka]

I think David Gallagher would agree the only person pretty enough for Riku is Riku.

For example, people with shipping colored glasses would think that Riku holding out a hand for Naminè to touch fingers with is romantic, but a SoRiku fan as a joke actually found that Sora did the same with Pooh Bear.

Hey, if Sora and Pooh's hand holding scene featured flower petals spinning around them with added slow motion, I'd declare myself captain of the Poora armada.

 

[Idreamaboutcats]

The vote wasn’t that far apart between SoKai and SoRiku, guys. And it was from less than 50 votes. I really don’t think that is a great sample size for votes and the poll wasn’t made to be a serious end-all debate thing. It certainly wouldn’t indicate anything like intent, “gay pandering”, or anything else that you guys want to use to disprove or prove your side of the debate. It’s a silly, fun poll.

Sorry about that. What I meant wasn’t anything against or for any ship, but rather trying to figure out what it is others see that’s romantic in a particular ship, in this case, Sora and Riku, since I don’t understand it. Certainly nothing malicious, and I think a lot of ships are fun and/or funny, though I carefully try to keep restrained on that kind of thing.

I have to admit that I am a little wary of pandering though, since the disaster that is Voltron and its really gross and obsessed shipping fandom. I’ll try to be a lot less severe and pessimistic about these things.