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.
