I've been into Manga/Anime for a long time, since the mid-90's. It is part of my life and i'm proud too be a nerd. I enjoy looking at it, reading it and even doing a few fanfics of it. But during my time in Manga/Anime i've have noticed a disturbing trend...... wars between supports of certain character couples or ships.
Now before i go on i will say i do support a few ships but not many. One is Hajiki Sanada X Arashi Ahinozuka from the anime Gad Guard. They may not always agree but in the end they do care for each other and support each other. At the very end of the last episode they share their first kiss. They are cute together, though the series does not have a sequel. But eh.... works for me. Another is from the same series, Takumi Kisaragi X Akio Mary Harmony. The only thing they have in common is that they are both rich, everything else is completely different. Aiko is quiet and Takumi is a loud mouth. But possibly do too Aikos kind and gentle personality or Takumi losing his Gad Takumi grows too Aiko. At one point Takumi blushes in her presences. This is old veteren of Manga/Anime knows what is going on, can't fool me. Shame the creators never further explored this. But oh well. Those too ships are about the only ones i'll hardcore ship. There are a few others but i can't remember them.
Now from my stand point Ships are harmless. Works of fiction are indeed harmless. Just words and/or pictures on paper. However a crusade of sorts has come out of the woodwork. A crusade of proving who is right or wrong by simply waiting on the whims of a writer. Fans wait eagerly too be proven right and rub it in the faces of losers. Fictional Couples are taken too war for whatever reason other then ego, ideology, social justice and well plain hate.
Two of the biggest wars that i have personally witnessed have been the manga Naruto and the manga Bleach. Naruto was created by Masashi Kishimoto and Bleach was created by Tite Kubo. Naruto ended in late 2014. At the end the Main Character and the name sake of the manga Naruto was shown married too a secondary character called Hinata. They have a son and daughter. When chapter 700 was released, certain people lost their collective shit. Those certain people were NS (NarutoXSakura) supporters and SN (SaskueXNaruto) supporters. Certain parts of the NS fandom were outraged that their chosen ship didn't happen. And did very well.... childish things in outrage like spamming the thank you page for Kishimoto with so much hate that one of his own assists had too reply in English saying "please respect his wishes and choices" (i'm paraphrasing it) and doing other things i have purposely forgotten because it was so immature. But worse yet some SN supporters were raging because their gay fantasy didn't happen. Besides the accidental kiss that happened between them was taken as a joke by most sane people. However the certain few acted out they thought they were in love. Now both relationships (NS and SN) were taken completely out of context by the certain few. NS is a teammate/friendship they was built up over the course of the series (i have problem with this but i digress). SN was written as a brotherly bond (i too have problems with this). In the end i have no problem either ship and if they were given romantic context, i'd be okay them. But they were never given any romantic context but misunderstood by those who only saw what they wanted too see because of ego, ideology, social justice and hate.
Bleach got done about 1-1/2 months ago. In the last chapter the main character Ichigo is shown too be married too Orihime. They have a son. Now certain members of the IR (IchigoXRukia) fandom lost their collective shit. From what i've seen from IH (IchigoXOrihime) shippers, select few have called Orihime/IH supports "Misogynists", "Origos" and called Orihime herself a "slut" and "whore." Much like Naruto, Bleach was around for 15 years. Select members of the IR fandom got so invested into their ship like much like NS and SN supporters toke Ichigos and Rukias relationship out of context. Kubo even said in an interview that Ichigo and Rukia were "close friends and that explains their relationship well." I've even seen IH supporters post what other IR supporters have said over the years.... i'm not posting quotes but it just involves pretty much what i said before.
As a neutral observer the amount of hurtful immature things said is sickening. I find it amazing that people can't admit too being wrong or in the very least lacking in reading comprehension but then again when you have invested so much into something and are so set on being proven by the writer that it is very hard too deflate your ego when the same writer proves you too be wrong.
Shipping wars have also become a sort ideology, much like politics. Ideology blinds you from seeing other things like reason, context and makes you twist what others say. And it makes the maturity level of a conversation drop quickly.
Social Justice comes into play when a guyxguy or girlxgirl pairing is brought up. I personally have no issues with any as long it is as romantic context. If it is just brought up because certain people proceieve it as such when most do not is when i have a problem with it. Especially when the guyxguy or girlxgirl relationship is family like or brother/sister.
More times then not hate is the reason why certain ships or characters are not liked. The reason is simple: it is easier too not like something then try too understand it. Ignorance is bliss after all. It takes a lot of work too do that you know. (sarcasm)
Shipping isn't what is used too be. For a time when i got into Manga/Anime. It was fun. People would post their fanficts, drawings and the like. It wasn't taken seriously. Have healthy debates and conversations. How it got too an ideological, social justice flustercuck is beyond my realm of thinking.
I'm also trying too figure out when a subplot such as romance is taken to forefront when it really has no barring on actually plot itself. In some genres romance is a very minor thing and is only brought up when the writer brings it up. It is because of such things like that i myself dislike romance in just about anything i watch or read.
I'm rather fed up with shipping wars in general. I pretty much given up on finding new anime and manga because of shipping wars. It is hard too ignore it when it is spammed in your face. I'll stick with some old school stuff i have bookmarked and know.
Thanks for reading.
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