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ship_manifesto2009-03-20 10:41 pm
x0whitelily0x.livejournal.com) wrote in ship_manifesto2009-03-20 10:41 pm
Entry tags:
So Much More than Worthless- Ritsuka x Yuiko Manifesto (Loveless)
Title: So Much More than Worthless
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
x0whitelily0x
Fandom: Loveless
Pairing: Ritsuka Aoyagi/Yuiko Hawatari
Spoilers: The manga up to volume 8.
Notes: Somewhat image heavy, but a little short on the text side.
Disclaimer: I do not own Loveless, and never have. It belongs to the amazing Yun Kouga.
Introduction
This is an in-depth look into one of the most ignored facets of the series Loveless- the relationship between the two pre-teens and classmates, Ritsuka and Yuiko. ‘Loveless’ itself is a story set in a world where all virgins have cat ears and tails, and special pairs fight together using ‘word spells’. The pairs are split into Fighters and Sacrifices- the Sacrifices take the damage while the Fighters attack. The plot revolves around Ritsuka trying to find whoever was responsible for his brother’s death, aided by Seimei’s former Fighter, Soubi.
Author:
x0whitelily0x Fandom: Loveless
Pairing: Ritsuka Aoyagi/Yuiko Hawatari
Spoilers: The manga up to volume 8.
Notes: Somewhat image heavy, but a little short on the text side.
Disclaimer: I do not own Loveless, and never have. It belongs to the amazing Yun Kouga.
Introduction
This is an in-depth look into one of the most ignored facets of the series Loveless- the relationship between the two pre-teens and classmates, Ritsuka and Yuiko. ‘Loveless’ itself is a story set in a world where all virgins have cat ears and tails, and special pairs fight together using ‘word spells’. The pairs are split into Fighters and Sacrifices- the Sacrifices take the damage while the Fighters attack. The plot revolves around Ritsuka trying to find whoever was responsible for his brother’s death, aided by Seimei’s former Fighter, Soubi.
Ritsuka Aoyagi
…he tells everyone a story, because he thinks his life is boring…
Ritsuka is a very mature twelve year old boy. When he was ten, he experienced sudden amnesia, and his personality changed completely. Whereas he used to be very social and not the best student, he became introverted and intelligent. It is unknown what happened to cause this transformation, but as a result of it his mother suffered a breakdown and abuses him often. His only solace was his big brother Seimei, who was murdered, after which he transferred schools and got dragged into the world of Fighters and Sacrifices that Seimei had been such an intricate part of. Discovering his ‘real name’, Loveless, and inheriting his brother’s Fighter, this should have spelled the end for anything resembling a childhood.
…he tells everyone a story, because he thinks his life is boring…
Ritsuka is a very mature twelve year old boy. When he was ten, he experienced sudden amnesia, and his personality changed completely. Whereas he used to be very social and not the best student, he became introverted and intelligent. It is unknown what happened to cause this transformation, but as a result of it his mother suffered a breakdown and abuses him often. His only solace was his big brother Seimei, who was murdered, after which he transferred schools and got dragged into the world of Fighters and Sacrifices that Seimei had been such an intricate part of. Discovering his ‘real name’, Loveless, and inheriting his brother’s Fighter, this should have spelled the end for anything resembling a childhood.
Yuiko Hawatari
…she’s fooled all of her friends into thinking she’s strong, but she still sleeps with the lights on…
Yuiko Hawatari is a sweet-as-sugar twelve year old girl. Because she grew much sooner than most of her classmates, she gets picked on and mistaken for a high school student. She became very submissive and obedient, always letting her friends take advantage of her kindness. Her parents work and she is often left alone at home, so she’s become very sensitive to other people’s pain and loneliness. She’s also quite intelligent- but she doesn’t always know how to show it, as everyone around her has made her whole-heartedly believe that she has very little worth outside of doing what other people tell her to.
The more time they spend together, the more Yuiko starts to care for Ritsuka. He stands up for her when her friends ruin the jam she made just for him, and it’s at that point that she realizes just how much she likes him. His encouragement makes her feel like she can do anything. She’d really do whatever he asked of her, even die if it came to that. She doesn’t even understand that she loves him, the feeling being too strong and confusing for her young age.
What she does realize is that Ritsuka has another life separate from her, and that no matter how hard she tries she can’t be a part of it. She is very receptive towards his feelings and can always tell when there’s a problem, no matter what he does to hide it. But no matter what he hides or how far away she goes, she doesn’t let anything keep her from loving him or trying to support him.
Ritsuka, on the other hand, did not have such a good first impression of Yuiko. In fact, all that he noticed were her breasts and that she looked stupid. He tried to push her away, not wanting to make friends- especially not with a girl who seemed to be such an idiotic victim. But when she wouldn’t let up, he eventually broke down a little. He revealed his true feelings to her, that he was tired of faking a smile all the time and trying to seem okay. And when she accepted that side of him, sharing her own fears and understanding of loneliness, he finally accepted that she wasn’t going away. He offered his friendship, on the condition that she would stop calling herself by her own name and upon seeing how eager she was to comply, he genuinely smiled at her for the first time.
After that, people started to notice how unusually close they were. They walked to class together, shared lunches and drink, and by the end of a few days everyone’s under the impression that they’re dating- even people who only know them briefly get that impression. And as time goes on, even though Yuiko isn’t aware of it, she becomes one of the most important people in his life. When he’s around her, he acts like the kid he really is, and is more genuinely cheerful than we ever see him. Even when all he does is think about her, he smiles.
Finally, when his mother has him trapped inside his own house, and Yuiko tries to visit, he comes to a realization of his own. She’s not going to forget him. No matter what happens- even if he disappears completely and there’s no proof he existed- she’ll remember him. And despite all that’s happened- all the weirdness and chaos and fear- he looks at the flowers she brought him and smiles.
Yuiko and Ritsuka both have other possible love interests vying for their attentions. In fact, the majority of the series revolves around Ritsuka’s relationship with the much older Soubi Agatsuma, his Fighter that Seimei left him. But although Ritsuka is obviously attracted to and cares about Soubi, their ‘love’ is still very questionable. Soubi became involved with Ritsuka solely because of Seimei’s orders, and it’s uncertain how much of his feelings are his own, or came about because of those orders. Ritsuka too is confused about his feelings towards Soubi. After all, who wouldn’t be confused when a man twice your age showers you will kisses and embraces, all the while proclaiming his love for you? But despite this, there is something important to consider. After the first volume, Ritsuka never smiles around Soubi. He blushes, gives him hugs, and even kisses him… but after those first few meetings, the smiles are completely gone. In fact, the only time he smiles while in Soubi’s presence is when he’s thinking about Yuiko.
As for Yuiko, there is Yayoi to consider. Yayoi is another student in the same year as Yuiko and Ritsuka, and has already confessed his love for Yuiko. But she turned him down, with the excuse that she was too young and she couldn’t date anyone shorter than her. Of course, her obvious feelings for Ritsuka make it clear that she was only making an excuse for rejecting Yayoi when she only likes him as a friend. What’s more, it’s unclear just why Yayoi loves her. He fell for her while she was the helpless, timid girl who spoke constantly in third person- not the stronger, brighter girl that she has become because of Ritsuka. In fact, it’s never told just why he liked her in the first place, and the development between them is almost nonexistent.
There’s one more possibility to think about when it comes to this pairing- all Sacrifices have a real Fighter who shares their name and soul. Soubi is not Ritsuka’s- in fact, no one knows who the real Loveless Fighter unit is. One character notes that Fighters and Sacrifices are always drawn to each other, so Ritsuka should have already met his. Fighter follow their Sacrifices’ commands as closely as they can, and are unflaggingly loyal to them.
Sound familiar?
It’s my opinion that Yuiko is the true Loveless Fighter. Why else would she be so drawn to Ritsuka, despite her ‘friends’ disapproval, his continual rejection, and her own natural timidity? She can’t bring herself to domineer over him in any way, but she won’t leave him alone. They act closer than friends usually do, but don’t notice it and instead see it as perfectly natural.
Even the way the story is told seems to imply it. Yun Kouga out right stated that Yuiko was created specifically as a girl who could make Ritsuka happy. The bonus chapters continue to tie Yuiko to Ritsuka, even as the plot thickens and she seems to be utterly left out. Why keep coming back to her over and over again, if she wasn’t going to play some role in the upcoming story? In fact, why make her such a prominent character at all if she was just going to be nothing more than Ritsuka’s classmate? At this point, if Yuiko wound up doing nothing at all and really was ignored by the plot, it would be a complete waste of development.
Why do I like Ritsuka/Yuiko best of all the Loveless pairings? Frankly, because it’s adorable. What’s more, they’re both happiest around each other. Yuiko outright states that she finds things dull and boring when Ritsuka’s not around, whereas Ritsuka shows this with his actions. He’s relaxed, cheerful, and more expressive around her, and has fun doing normal things like playing in a river or going to the park. They can be children around each other, despite each of their unusual maturity. And at the same time, they don’t always get along. They have their fair share of bickering and disagreements, but they always get over them quickly and return to being as comfortable around each other as ever. To me, they are the most realistically written pair in the series.
It also has the most development of any pairing in the series. Soubi/Ritsuka starts off immediately with Soubi’s forcefully showing his love and Ritsuka being the increasingly confused recipient. Things haven’t changed much since then- the plot’s just developed around it, and it’s more consensual… but how consensual can anything really be with a twelve-year old boy?
Ritsuka and Yuiko start off as strangers who gradually become friends, and the feelings just grow naturally from there. Yuiko is now explicitly stated to be one of the most important people in Ritsuka’s life, on the same level as Soubi and Seimei. In fact, I imagine that if Soubi was not in the picture at all, that the two of them would have started dating long ago.
The Fandom
…is non existant.
Ritsuka/Yuiko is by far one of the most ignored relationships in the Loveless fandom. There is hardly any art, fewer fics, and as far as those go they all show Yuiko’s love as being one-sided. In all my searching, I have not found a single Loveless fan fiction that explores the possibility that Ritsuka could love Yuiko as well. One of my hopes in writing this manifesto is actually to garner more attention to the pairing, and get some of the quieter fans to come out and openly support the ship.
The only fic I can whole-heartedly endorse is:
Sky Might Fall (and I don’t care)
…she’s fooled all of her friends into thinking she’s strong, but she still sleeps with the lights on…
Yuiko Hawatari is a sweet-as-sugar twelve year old girl. Because she grew much sooner than most of her classmates, she gets picked on and mistaken for a high school student. She became very submissive and obedient, always letting her friends take advantage of her kindness. Her parents work and she is often left alone at home, so she’s become very sensitive to other people’s pain and loneliness. She’s also quite intelligent- but she doesn’t always know how to show it, as everyone around her has made her whole-heartedly believe that she has very little worth outside of doing what other people tell her to.
Ritsuka to Yuiko
…she needs to find her purpose…
From the very start, Yuiko has been unusually drawn to Ritsuka. The minute he walked into the classroom, she thought he was cool and wanted to be his friend. And from that point on, no matter what he said or did to discourage her, she didn’t give up. She tried desperately to understand him and get closer to him. Even when she does realize that his problems are too complicated for her, she reminded him that he’s not alone. She’s here now, and she won’t leave him. Eventually, she earns his friendship and respect. …she needs to find her purpose…
The more time they spend together, the more Yuiko starts to care for Ritsuka. He stands up for her when her friends ruin the jam she made just for him, and it’s at that point that she realizes just how much she likes him. His encouragement makes her feel like she can do anything. She’d really do whatever he asked of her, even die if it came to that. She doesn’t even understand that she loves him, the feeling being too strong and confusing for her young age.
What she does realize is that Ritsuka has another life separate from her, and that no matter how hard she tries she can’t be a part of it. She is very receptive towards his feelings and can always tell when there’s a problem, no matter what he does to hide it. But no matter what he hides or how far away she goes, she doesn’t let anything keep her from loving him or trying to support him.
Yuiko to Ritsuka
…he needs to find the surface…
Ritsuka, on the other hand, did not have such a good first impression of Yuiko. In fact, all that he noticed were her breasts and that she looked stupid. He tried to push her away, not wanting to make friends- especially not with a girl who seemed to be such an idiotic victim. But when she wouldn’t let up, he eventually broke down a little. He revealed his true feelings to her, that he was tired of faking a smile all the time and trying to seem okay. And when she accepted that side of him, sharing her own fears and understanding of loneliness, he finally accepted that she wasn’t going away. He offered his friendship, on the condition that she would stop calling herself by her own name and upon seeing how eager she was to comply, he genuinely smiled at her for the first time.
After that, people started to notice how unusually close they were. They walked to class together, shared lunches and drink, and by the end of a few days everyone’s under the impression that they’re dating- even people who only know them briefly get that impression. And as time goes on, even though Yuiko isn’t aware of it, she becomes one of the most important people in his life. When he’s around her, he acts like the kid he really is, and is more genuinely cheerful than we ever see him. Even when all he does is think about her, he smiles.
Finally, when his mother has him trapped inside his own house, and Yuiko tries to visit, he comes to a realization of his own. She’s not going to forget him. No matter what happens- even if he disappears completely and there’s no proof he existed- she’ll remember him. And despite all that’s happened- all the weirdness and chaos and fear- he looks at the flowers she brought him and smiles.
The Rivals
Yuiko and Ritsuka both have other possible love interests vying for their attentions. In fact, the majority of the series revolves around Ritsuka’s relationship with the much older Soubi Agatsuma, his Fighter that Seimei left him. But although Ritsuka is obviously attracted to and cares about Soubi, their ‘love’ is still very questionable. Soubi became involved with Ritsuka solely because of Seimei’s orders, and it’s uncertain how much of his feelings are his own, or came about because of those orders. Ritsuka too is confused about his feelings towards Soubi. After all, who wouldn’t be confused when a man twice your age showers you will kisses and embraces, all the while proclaiming his love for you? But despite this, there is something important to consider. After the first volume, Ritsuka never smiles around Soubi. He blushes, gives him hugs, and even kisses him… but after those first few meetings, the smiles are completely gone. In fact, the only time he smiles while in Soubi’s presence is when he’s thinking about Yuiko.
As for Yuiko, there is Yayoi to consider. Yayoi is another student in the same year as Yuiko and Ritsuka, and has already confessed his love for Yuiko. But she turned him down, with the excuse that she was too young and she couldn’t date anyone shorter than her. Of course, her obvious feelings for Ritsuka make it clear that she was only making an excuse for rejecting Yayoi when she only likes him as a friend. What’s more, it’s unclear just why Yayoi loves her. He fell for her while she was the helpless, timid girl who spoke constantly in third person- not the stronger, brighter girl that she has become because of Ritsuka. In fact, it’s never told just why he liked her in the first place, and the development between them is almost nonexistent.
Two Halves of a Whole
…I wasn’t meant to feel alone…
There’s one more possibility to think about when it comes to this pairing- all Sacrifices have a real Fighter who shares their name and soul. Soubi is not Ritsuka’s- in fact, no one knows who the real Loveless Fighter unit is. One character notes that Fighters and Sacrifices are always drawn to each other, so Ritsuka should have already met his. Fighter follow their Sacrifices’ commands as closely as they can, and are unflaggingly loyal to them.
Sound familiar?
It’s my opinion that Yuiko is the true Loveless Fighter. Why else would she be so drawn to Ritsuka, despite her ‘friends’ disapproval, his continual rejection, and her own natural timidity? She can’t bring herself to domineer over him in any way, but she won’t leave him alone. They act closer than friends usually do, but don’t notice it and instead see it as perfectly natural.
Even the way the story is told seems to imply it. Yun Kouga out right stated that Yuiko was created specifically as a girl who could make Ritsuka happy. The bonus chapters continue to tie Yuiko to Ritsuka, even as the plot thickens and she seems to be utterly left out. Why keep coming back to her over and over again, if she wasn’t going to play some role in the upcoming story? In fact, why make her such a prominent character at all if she was just going to be nothing more than Ritsuka’s classmate? At this point, if Yuiko wound up doing nothing at all and really was ignored by the plot, it would be a complete waste of development.
Why Ritsuka/Yuiko?
…have you ever felt this way before?
Why do I like Ritsuka/Yuiko best of all the Loveless pairings? Frankly, because it’s adorable. What’s more, they’re both happiest around each other. Yuiko outright states that she finds things dull and boring when Ritsuka’s not around, whereas Ritsuka shows this with his actions. He’s relaxed, cheerful, and more expressive around her, and has fun doing normal things like playing in a river or going to the park. They can be children around each other, despite each of their unusual maturity. And at the same time, they don’t always get along. They have their fair share of bickering and disagreements, but they always get over them quickly and return to being as comfortable around each other as ever. To me, they are the most realistically written pair in the series.
It also has the most development of any pairing in the series. Soubi/Ritsuka starts off immediately with Soubi’s forcefully showing his love and Ritsuka being the increasingly confused recipient. Things haven’t changed much since then- the plot’s just developed around it, and it’s more consensual… but how consensual can anything really be with a twelve-year old boy?
Ritsuka and Yuiko start off as strangers who gradually become friends, and the feelings just grow naturally from there. Yuiko is now explicitly stated to be one of the most important people in Ritsuka’s life, on the same level as Soubi and Seimei. In fact, I imagine that if Soubi was not in the picture at all, that the two of them would have started dating long ago.
The Fandom
…is non existant.
Ritsuka/Yuiko is by far one of the most ignored relationships in the Loveless fandom. There is hardly any art, fewer fics, and as far as those go they all show Yuiko’s love as being one-sided. In all my searching, I have not found a single Loveless fan fiction that explores the possibility that Ritsuka could love Yuiko as well. One of my hopes in writing this manifesto is actually to garner more attention to the pairing, and get some of the quieter fans to come out and openly support the ship.
The only fic I can whole-heartedly endorse is:
Sky Might Fall (and I don’t care)