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ship_manifestoTitle: Sweet Feeling
Author: Chu
Fandom: Sukisyo
Pairing: Shinichirou x Nanami
Spoilers: From the games, Shiawase no Mahou and Tarinai Kotoba, and the anime.
Email: yaoifan@mailpanda.com
Notes: The images in this essay have been toned down in order to keep the size manageable, and thus are not the best quality. There's a lot of them, so 56k users beware. This manifesto is written with the assumption that the reader has basic knowledge of the story, but it isn't necessary.
Introduction
Sukisyo (or Sukisho, as some prefer), is originally a series of four PC games written and drawn by Tsutae Yuzu. The initial attraction comes from the soft, elegant strokes in her art, somewhat resembling pencil-work. Beyond the pretty exterior and shoujo themes, Tsutae also lays out a detailed storyline covering everything from sci-fi to romance, cleverly crafted to draw in audiences who are interested in both cosmetic attraction and an engaging plot.
Sukisyo focuses primarily on the life of Hashiba Sora, a boy with little to no recollection of his past after an accident at his school leaves him with selective amnesia. Gradually, other characters are introduced in the story through Sora's eyes, as everything he'd forgotten about his life prior to the accident begins to surface...
Nanami Kai
Biography
Nanami is easily mistaken for an uninvolved extra character, as most of the series allows you to believe. Like the rest of the cast, Nanami plays a key role in the events of Sukisyo, perhaps enough to say that there would be no story without his existence.
Nanami was raised by his parents, who ran a small clinic located next to an orphanage. When he was in elementary school, he met Shinichirou, and the two were close friends.
During that time, Shinichirou struggled with internal issues, happy one minute and angry the next for no apparent reason. These unpremeditated mood swings frightened and confused not only Nanami, but Shinichirou as well, prompting Nanami to begin studying psychology-- multiple personalities, in particular.
Nanami began indulging more and more in his studies in order to help his friend. As they began middle school, Nanami secretly transferred to the same school as Aizawa, who was by then conducting experiments similar to those Nanami was interested in.
After a while, Nanami began working under Aizawa's guidance. It wasn't long after that Nanami began to suspect Aizawa was less trustworthy than he thought, and met up again with Shinichirou just as the two were entering college.
Aizawa, however, sought to punish Nanami for running away, and because of this, Nanami asked Shinichirou (who had taken up detective work) to investigate Aizawa. Shortly after, they met three boys who attended elementary school not far from where they lived...
Character
The first thing most people notice about Nanami is his casual femininity. Because of the way he looks and his mild disposition, most people mistake that as common uke behavior-- but Nanami is much more clever than he appears. As described in Tarinai Kotoba, Nanami is "quite adept at playing candy and whip", using his demeanor to distract from his ulterior motives. Nanami is by no means vicious, and is every bit as caring and gentle as his personality suggests; however, he's also the type of man who knows how to get what
he wants without seeming like he ever wanted it to begin with.
Nanami and Minato from White Flower, as Nanami is slowly trying to coax the now-brainwashed Shinichirou to remember him.
Nanami is quite subtle about his wants. He does not fawn, and even keeps his thoughts about Shinichirou to himself, despite the two of them (presently) being romantically involved for eight years, and acquainted for almost their entire lives. Although Nanami is neither frigid, nor prudish, his displays of affection are limited and restrained (especially in public).
Shinichirou and Nanami from Tarinai Kotoba, when Shinichirou steals a kiss in a tucked-away corner of the park (followed by Nanami's protests).
Despite this, Nanami is not in denial-- he admits that he wants to continue being with Shinichirou, and he's quite fierce when their relationship is threatened.
Nanami cares a lot about the people around him. He often puts others ahead of himself, with the exception of Shinichirou, who Nanami feels most comfortable with. A lot of this is due to the guilt from his past, but even before that, Nanami was a courteous person by nature.
When he was young, around the time when he first met Shinichirou, he was often mistaken for a girl and teased mercilessly for his feminine appearance. During that time, Nanami used crude language to prove he was a boy, dropping the polite "boku" and sticking to the more masculine "ore". Although it seemed to have been a problem in his childhood, presently, Nanami is very comfortable with himself
As a side note, Nanami prefers his last name over his first. Although it's to be speculated that it could be due to the name "Kai" associating him with Aizawa, the fact that Shinichirou and his brothers, who've known Nanami since childhood, also refer to him by his last name disprove that theory.
Minato Shinichirou
Biography
Not much is known about Shinichirou's life before the beginning of Sukisyo, only that he was brought up in an orphanage near the clinic where Nanami's parents worked, where he met and befriended him. After further research it was found that Aizawa, Nanami, and Shinichirou all grew up together along with Shinichirou's two brothers, Ayano and Soushi. While it was Nanami who ventured to work alongside Aizawa, the latter was actually romantically interested in Shinichirou, and used Nanami's fascination with his studies as a way to keep the two apart. Later, Shinichirou would begin his detective career and meet with Nanami again.
Character
One of Shinichirou's defining characteristics is his amiability. While not always sensible, Shinichirou is the type of person that's easy to communicate with; armed with a sometimes crude sense of humor and his own teasing nature. Shinichirou is also notorious for being a pervert-- and often engaging Nanami in some less-than-desirable (for Nanami's part) activities in the bedroom.
Minato and Nanami in the nurse's office, fooling around despite knowing Sora's watching them.
The most striking characteristic about Shinichirou, however, is how devoted he is to Nanami. Even though Nanami isn't as affectionate as he'd want, Shinichirou's complaints are minimal, and only once did it nearly drive him away (at that point, they were already fighting, and Shinichirou suspected Nanami didn't want anything to do with him). Although verbal affections are a tad reserved (using the ambiguous 'suki' more often than 'aishiteru', although Shinichirou does say it on occasion), Shinichirou isn't shy about showing how much he cares physically-- hugging Nanami on impulse, stealing a kiss or more at random intervals.
Making up after days of arguing.
Shinichirou is definitely the one who initiates most of the romantic and/or sexual encounters in their relationship; that is, of course, if Nanami doesn't knock him upside the head for it.
Even cold, calculating Minato, Shinichirou's other half, depends on Nanami.
Evidence
As far as proving that they work in a relationship, the evidence is clear to see; Shinichirou and Nanami spent their lives together from grammar school to middle-age, and stayed in a steady romantic relationship for eight to ten years (depending on which game you use as your marker). Despite Nanami's unwillingness to say "I love you", it's clear how much he cares about Shinichirou.
Shinichirou and Nanami from Shiawase no Mahou, as Shinichirou is persuading Nanami to take a bath with him.
Pertaining to compatability, this is one pairing that explains itself. They fit together like a puzzle-- from Nanami's stubbornness to Shinichirou's determination, to Shinichirou's healthy appetite for sex and Nanami's sensibility.
Shinichirou and Nanami from the novel Shiawase no Mahou, the morning after.
Background
I first played the Sukisyo games back in 2000, not long after they were released. Nanami was the first one to really catch my attention; although, at the time, my knowledge of Japanese was nonexistant, so my curiousity was forgotten until early 2005, when the anime came out.
Just one episode and I'd been completely ensnared again, rekindling my desire to learn more about Nanami. As I did, my interest broadened to include Shinichirou, and eventually, their relationship. I began purchasing books in their original Japanese text, unable to read them without hours of sitting beside the computer and slowly translating every word I could put into context. I did the same with the games, screencapping interesting scenes in order to either translate it myself or beg someone else to do it for me. After a month of frustrating myself with these habits, I took on a project and scanned in the pages for each novel for the entirety of the books to be translated to English.
It seemed like everything new I learned about them, the more obsessed I became. I was badgering other fangirls, converting people who'd never even heard of the anime, and for the longest time I couldn't even stop talking about them.
I'm in rehab now.
Interpretation
The main attraction to a pairing like Shinichirou and Nanami is the undeniable realism of their relationship. There is no perfect love story or dramatic soap opera; there's common, petty arguments as well as emotional fights. There's no cheesy fluff scenes but there's plenty of toned-down, but still highly enjoyable moments where they're just together. The fact that they've been together for a while is also appealing; there's a noticeable lack of doubts and misunderstandings, and for the most part their relationship is stable and both parties are content with spending the rest of their lives together.
What I like most about this couple is how comfortable it feels just liking them and enjoying their story. It doesn't feel like watching something made-up and marketed by another human being; you truly find yourself wondering, "What's he going to do now?", instead of, "Oh, it's so obvious he's going to do that."
Realistic, romantic, stable, comfortable, and yet unpredictable. This is the best way to describe this couple; having their own unique dynamics and yet retaining some of the traditional characteristics of both homosexual and heterosexual relationships.
A color page from the novel, Shiawase no Mahou.
Guide
Unfortunately there's a disturbing lack of fanfics, fanarts, and webpages in English. However, there are a few:
Fanfics
Kindergarten by Nicole
A collage of different well-known yaoi pairings in a preschool setting.
Hungry by Nicole
What do you do when your boyfriend has eaten everything in the house?
Support by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
dusted_sunlight
A fluffy fic where Nanami comes home exhausted, and Shinichirou picks up the slack.
No Surprise bychasingthewinds
An observational view of Shinichirou and Nanami's relationship as seen by their peers and students.
Fanfics by Me
Yuletide by Chu
It's twenty-four hours until Nanami's birthday...
Smut Drabble by Chu [NC-17]
As the title says-- completely PWP.
Candy-Apple Red by Chu
Shinichirou's been walking around school with a rather noticeable red blotch.
Webrings
Shinichirou x Nanami Webring [JP]
Websites
Spread the Love: Sukisho! [Most link references can be found here]
Author: Chu
Fandom: Sukisyo
Pairing: Shinichirou x Nanami
Spoilers: From the games, Shiawase no Mahou and Tarinai Kotoba, and the anime.
Email: yaoifan@mailpanda.com
Notes: The images in this essay have been toned down in order to keep the size manageable, and thus are not the best quality. There's a lot of them, so 56k users beware. This manifesto is written with the assumption that the reader has basic knowledge of the story, but it isn't necessary.
Sukisyo (or Sukisho, as some prefer), is originally a series of four PC games written and drawn by Tsutae Yuzu. The initial attraction comes from the soft, elegant strokes in her art, somewhat resembling pencil-work. Beyond the pretty exterior and shoujo themes, Tsutae also lays out a detailed storyline covering everything from sci-fi to romance, cleverly crafted to draw in audiences who are interested in both cosmetic attraction and an engaging plot.
Sukisyo focuses primarily on the life of Hashiba Sora, a boy with little to no recollection of his past after an accident at his school leaves him with selective amnesia. Gradually, other characters are introduced in the story through Sora's eyes, as everything he'd forgotten about his life prior to the accident begins to surface...
Nanami is easily mistaken for an uninvolved extra character, as most of the series allows you to believe. Like the rest of the cast, Nanami plays a key role in the events of Sukisyo, perhaps enough to say that there would be no story without his existence.
Nanami was raised by his parents, who ran a small clinic located next to an orphanage. When he was in elementary school, he met Shinichirou, and the two were close friends.
During that time, Shinichirou struggled with internal issues, happy one minute and angry the next for no apparent reason. These unpremeditated mood swings frightened and confused not only Nanami, but Shinichirou as well, prompting Nanami to begin studying psychology-- multiple personalities, in particular.
Nanami began indulging more and more in his studies in order to help his friend. As they began middle school, Nanami secretly transferred to the same school as Aizawa, who was by then conducting experiments similar to those Nanami was interested in.
After a while, Nanami began working under Aizawa's guidance. It wasn't long after that Nanami began to suspect Aizawa was less trustworthy than he thought, and met up again with Shinichirou just as the two were entering college.
Aizawa, however, sought to punish Nanami for running away, and because of this, Nanami asked Shinichirou (who had taken up detective work) to investigate Aizawa. Shortly after, they met three boys who attended elementary school not far from where they lived...
The first thing most people notice about Nanami is his casual femininity. Because of the way he looks and his mild disposition, most people mistake that as common uke behavior-- but Nanami is much more clever than he appears. As described in Tarinai Kotoba, Nanami is "quite adept at playing candy and whip", using his demeanor to distract from his ulterior motives. Nanami is by no means vicious, and is every bit as caring and gentle as his personality suggests; however, he's also the type of man who knows how to get what
he wants without seeming like he ever wanted it to begin with.
Nanami is quite subtle about his wants. He does not fawn, and even keeps his thoughts about Shinichirou to himself, despite the two of them (presently) being romantically involved for eight years, and acquainted for almost their entire lives. Although Nanami is neither frigid, nor prudish, his displays of affection are limited and restrained (especially in public).
Despite this, Nanami is not in denial-- he admits that he wants to continue being with Shinichirou, and he's quite fierce when their relationship is threatened.
Nanami cares a lot about the people around him. He often puts others ahead of himself, with the exception of Shinichirou, who Nanami feels most comfortable with. A lot of this is due to the guilt from his past, but even before that, Nanami was a courteous person by nature.
When he was young, around the time when he first met Shinichirou, he was often mistaken for a girl and teased mercilessly for his feminine appearance. During that time, Nanami used crude language to prove he was a boy, dropping the polite "boku" and sticking to the more masculine "ore". Although it seemed to have been a problem in his childhood, presently, Nanami is very comfortable with himself
As a side note, Nanami prefers his last name over his first. Although it's to be speculated that it could be due to the name "Kai" associating him with Aizawa, the fact that Shinichirou and his brothers, who've known Nanami since childhood, also refer to him by his last name disprove that theory.
Not much is known about Shinichirou's life before the beginning of Sukisyo, only that he was brought up in an orphanage near the clinic where Nanami's parents worked, where he met and befriended him. After further research it was found that Aizawa, Nanami, and Shinichirou all grew up together along with Shinichirou's two brothers, Ayano and Soushi. While it was Nanami who ventured to work alongside Aizawa, the latter was actually romantically interested in Shinichirou, and used Nanami's fascination with his studies as a way to keep the two apart. Later, Shinichirou would begin his detective career and meet with Nanami again.
One of Shinichirou's defining characteristics is his amiability. While not always sensible, Shinichirou is the type of person that's easy to communicate with; armed with a sometimes crude sense of humor and his own teasing nature. Shinichirou is also notorious for being a pervert-- and often engaging Nanami in some less-than-desirable (for Nanami's part) activities in the bedroom.
The most striking characteristic about Shinichirou, however, is how devoted he is to Nanami. Even though Nanami isn't as affectionate as he'd want, Shinichirou's complaints are minimal, and only once did it nearly drive him away (at that point, they were already fighting, and Shinichirou suspected Nanami didn't want anything to do with him). Although verbal affections are a tad reserved (using the ambiguous 'suki' more often than 'aishiteru', although Shinichirou does say it on occasion), Shinichirou isn't shy about showing how much he cares physically-- hugging Nanami on impulse, stealing a kiss or more at random intervals.
Shinichirou is definitely the one who initiates most of the romantic and/or sexual encounters in their relationship; that is, of course, if Nanami doesn't knock him upside the head for it.
As far as proving that they work in a relationship, the evidence is clear to see; Shinichirou and Nanami spent their lives together from grammar school to middle-age, and stayed in a steady romantic relationship for eight to ten years (depending on which game you use as your marker). Despite Nanami's unwillingness to say "I love you", it's clear how much he cares about Shinichirou.
Pertaining to compatability, this is one pairing that explains itself. They fit together like a puzzle-- from Nanami's stubbornness to Shinichirou's determination, to Shinichirou's healthy appetite for sex and Nanami's sensibility.
Shinichirou and Nanami from the novel Shiawase no Mahou, the morning after.
I first played the Sukisyo games back in 2000, not long after they were released. Nanami was the first one to really catch my attention; although, at the time, my knowledge of Japanese was nonexistant, so my curiousity was forgotten until early 2005, when the anime came out.
Just one episode and I'd been completely ensnared again, rekindling my desire to learn more about Nanami. As I did, my interest broadened to include Shinichirou, and eventually, their relationship. I began purchasing books in their original Japanese text, unable to read them without hours of sitting beside the computer and slowly translating every word I could put into context. I did the same with the games, screencapping interesting scenes in order to either translate it myself or beg someone else to do it for me. After a month of frustrating myself with these habits, I took on a project and scanned in the pages for each novel for the entirety of the books to be translated to English.
It seemed like everything new I learned about them, the more obsessed I became. I was badgering other fangirls, converting people who'd never even heard of the anime, and for the longest time I couldn't even stop talking about them.
I'm in rehab now.
The main attraction to a pairing like Shinichirou and Nanami is the undeniable realism of their relationship. There is no perfect love story or dramatic soap opera; there's common, petty arguments as well as emotional fights. There's no cheesy fluff scenes but there's plenty of toned-down, but still highly enjoyable moments where they're just together. The fact that they've been together for a while is also appealing; there's a noticeable lack of doubts and misunderstandings, and for the most part their relationship is stable and both parties are content with spending the rest of their lives together.
What I like most about this couple is how comfortable it feels just liking them and enjoying their story. It doesn't feel like watching something made-up and marketed by another human being; you truly find yourself wondering, "What's he going to do now?", instead of, "Oh, it's so obvious he's going to do that."
Realistic, romantic, stable, comfortable, and yet unpredictable. This is the best way to describe this couple; having their own unique dynamics and yet retaining some of the traditional characteristics of both homosexual and heterosexual relationships.
Unfortunately there's a disturbing lack of fanfics, fanarts, and webpages in English. However, there are a few:
Kindergarten by Nicole
A collage of different well-known yaoi pairings in a preschool setting.
Hungry by Nicole
What do you do when your boyfriend has eaten everything in the house?
Support by
dusted_sunlightA fluffy fic where Nanami comes home exhausted, and Shinichirou picks up the slack.
No Surprise by
chasingthewindsAn observational view of Shinichirou and Nanami's relationship as seen by their peers and students.
Yuletide by Chu
It's twenty-four hours until Nanami's birthday...
Smut Drabble by Chu [NC-17]
As the title says-- completely PWP.
Candy-Apple Red by Chu
Shinichirou's been walking around school with a rather noticeable red blotch.
Shinichirou x Nanami Webring [JP]
Spread the Love: Sukisho! [Most link references can be found here]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-12-12 09:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 01:30 am (UTC)The Sweet and Peaceful Mouthwatering Goodness^
Date: 2005-12-12 10:00 pm (UTC)Two Nanami+Shinichiro
and teh pics :drools:.o.o
Nice job with the recs
Re: The Sweet and Peaceful Mouthwatering Goodness^
Date: 2005-12-13 01:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-12 10:11 pm (UTC)AND YOU USED MY FIC. omgthx. :D
no subject
Date: 2005-12-12 11:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-12 10:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-12 11:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-12 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 01:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 12:41 am (UTC)*stares* Pretty pictures...
*tackles you* Thank you for doing this! I haven't seen the games...or the novels, just the anime. I LOVE this pair. I have nothing against Sunao and Sora but my interest in Sukisyo is purely for Shinichirou and Nanami. *pauses to squee*
Shinichirou is SEX ON LEGS!!!! *dies*
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 01:31 am (UTC)Thanks for reading!
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 02:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 02:46 am (UTC)It`s always so lovely to see the two together and then I get lots and lots and lots of them presented in the neat chechu way.
I`m now filled with ShinNanaChechu love.
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 12:03 pm (UTC)BUT ALL I GOT WAS GAY ROMANCE D:
no subject
Date: 2005-12-13 06:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-27 06:38 am (UTC)I love you for making this essay. It fits so well and you got Nanami's character right down to the tee. =D
*goes reread again*
no subject
Date: 2006-11-27 11:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-29 09:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-30 04:42 am (UTC)Your manifesto never fails to make me smile and feel warm ♥ (I read and re-read it constantly.) I really respect people like you who take the time to do such wonderful essays! Really, you explained Shinichirou and Nanami so well...I feel like I know them much better as characters now. And I love how you explained their relationship...it's just genius! *applause* thank you very, very much for making this ship manifesto! :D
no subject
Date: 2008-05-01 05:15 am (UTC)Thanks!