Shipping Thread!

[earthforge]

I'm gonna plug Rin x Shiemi a little bit.

Rin and Shiemi have actively helped each other move forward. The both make each other better and want to be better. They are each other's first friend. Rin also believes in Shiemi unconditionally. Even his concern over her decision to quit is more out of worry for her life. They're like a positive feedback loop of striving for more. The best part is, Rin and Shiemi do this unconsciously. They aren't aware that they gain any benefit from helping each other, but they do it anyways. That's why they're so sweet and compatible.

Yukio and Shiemi looked like that too, but it wasn't. Yukio helped Shiemi but Shiemi kept her distance because she was awestruck by him. Yukio accepted that was the way it was gonna be. Then he watched as Rin motivated and encouraged Shiemi to become a part of the world... something he wanted to do himself, but was evidently incapable. Shiemi clearly loved Rin even if she didn't admit it yet. The battle was lost.

I'm curious about one thing though. If Shiemi is indeed revealed to be a demon/part demon, how would that affect Yukio? Rin I would guess would view it as being yet another similarity that him and Shiemi share, which would bring them closer together. Yukio, however, absolutely rejects demons, as stated by Toudou in chapter 31. Would he reject Shiemi in the same way, or is his adoration for her strong enough to embolden him to try to "protect" Shiemi from her heritage? That's an angle I would definitely like to see explored.

Me too!  Though, Shiemi is more like a friendly demon (angel?) with beneficial powers.

When Yukio says he hates demons, how does he define 'demon' in his mind?  The dangerous ones that only want to destroy? Or ALL demon-kind, benign included?

Either way, seeing how the most recent effects play out will get very interesting in how it affects the relatonships between these three. 

Honestly, Yukio doesn't hate demons as much as he hates himself for being powerless to fight back. He was terrified of them and of becoming one. But his self-hatred for being weak proved stronger than that fear. So he is chasing the power of demons to make up for that weakness. Yukio has a moral compass, which is why he calls out Illuminati as rotten. But he's willing to push aside those considerations for his own gain. That's what makes him evil, and he knows it.

Shiemi is the only person Yukio held back against. Yes, he lashed out at her earlier, but I think that was a product of the disorder from not making a choice. It's like how he went from accepting Bon's explanation to pulling a gun on Bon within hours. The intensity of Yukio's actions was a direct result of him suppressing his internal discord to act like everything was normal.

I expect that Yukio will think that Shiemi is out of the conflict since he knows she quit cram school. Then he'll be thrown into chaos if she becomes an exorcist. No matter how much he actually commits to evil acts for the sake of his own power, he doesn't want to fight her. He lost control once with her and could not forgive himself.

(Man, I'm so stoked to see all this.)

I don't think it's because he's crushing on Shura, it's because Yukio does like Shiemi, but he is afraid of it, for reasons.  It's the reasons I am curious about. 

The most obvious is that, yeah.. being related to the son of Satan is a tough heritage to carry.  The last thing he could want is to spawn more relations to Satan.  But no, really... I think Yukio does not want to 'hurt' Shiemi. She is innocent, seems untainted by dark things, and so through not admitting his infatuation with her, he'll keep that distance to protect her. Sadly, that now may mean having Rin take her... which is just as unnerving. Because Rin may do worse things to her what Yukio was trying to protect her from.

(I do think that Yukio has an unrealized crush on Shura, but he's the type who would deny it.)

Yup, Yukio distanced himself from Shiemi to protect her from himself, but I think it was mostly to shield her from his internal discord and not so much because of Satan's heritage. Yukio has always known he has a lot of rage, fear, and envy. Yukio previously handled these issues by actively burying and suppressing those feelings, checking himself with self-loathing to remind himself he was wrong. But he can't bury his emotions anymore. They're out of control and his self-hatred is the most it's ever been. He firmly believes he is defective and evil. Now, more than ever, he believes he has to be away from Shiemi or he'll hurt her again.

[chinonamida]

Rin and Shiemi have actively helped each other move forward. The both make each other better and want to be better. They are each other's first friend. Rin also believes in Shiemi unconditionally. Even his concern over her decision to quit is more out of worry for her life. They're like a positive feedback loop of striving for more. The best part is, Rin and Shiemi do this unconsciously. They aren't aware that they gain any benefit from helping each other, but they do it anyways. That's why they're so sweet and compatible.

That's true. But at the same time, Rin and Shiemi have both been very self centered. They're often considering what they want and how they feel way before they consider anyone else. It's true they're both naturally good people. They try to help others without thinking because they feel it's the good thing to do. But not because they think it's the good thing to do. Which means sometimes they fail to see what's best for everyone. They would gain from being more thoughtful and less emotional. For example, how Rin was naively flirting with Shiemi without realizing she was friendzoning him or realizing Yukio also likes her; or how he promised that mom he would save her kid without thinking about the consequences if he doesn't succeed; or how he wants to be a good friend by fully trusting Renzou while he doesn't deserve it; ... Or how Shiemi was regretful and felt she had to stay in the garden to atone for what happened to her grandmother without realizing that was not what was best for her and that was not what her grandmother would have wished; or how, after Rin went berserk, she felt ashamed for not noticing and not being reliable enough to be told about Rin and Yukio's situation, she didn't think how her reaction might have seemed to Rin at that time, all that mattered for her was how she felt and how to deal with that; or how she didn't listen to or tried to understand Yukio's feeling of alienation and instead expressed how she felt about him...

Yukio and Shiemi looked like that too, but it wasn't. Yukio helped Shiemi but Shiemi kept her distance because she was awestruck by him. Yukio accepted that was the way it was gonna be. Then he watched as Rin motivated and encouraged Shiemi to become a part of the world... something he wanted to do himself, but was evidently incapable. Shiemi clearly loved Rin even if she didn't admit it yet. The battle was lost.

Shiemi was awestruck and felt left behind not only by Yukio but by Rin and the others as well. She said so herself many times.

The problem with Yukio is not how Shiemi is awestruck or feels left behind, but how he doesn't want to hurt her.

I think there's still hope for Shiemi and Yukio. I'm looking forward to how their relationship will evolve. It's not like there's no room for evolution. I think there's plenty.

[gokusdonut]

I dunno. Yukio's in the Illuminati now, and considering what happened between him and Shiemi before he left, I have no clue how else they can grow past friendship outside of Yukio (and perhaps Shiemi) apologizing for his outburst.

I honestly do think that Rin and Shiemi are set in stone for one another. Nothing else would make sense to me, considering how far along the manga is now. They have feelings for each other (imo) and Shiemi made it clear that she saw Yukio as a friend. Before, she clearly had a crush on him, so much so that Oblivious Rin saw it too, but now? She may say out of her mouth that she sees Rin as a friend too, but her actions, to me, proves otherwise. And Rin has had feelings for Shiemi since they met.

[chinonamida]

I dunno. Yukio's in the Illuminati now, and considering what happened between him and Shiemi before he left, I have no clue how else they can grow past friendship outside of Yukio (and perhaps Shiemi) apologizing for his outburst.

Maybe Yukio won't be in the Illuminati forever.

One of the first anime I've seen in my life is Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, and in that anime being on opposite sides of a war didn't stop any relationship. That anime had people changing sides willfully or forcefully. It also had people getting into relationships, breaking up, and getting into new relationships. It definitely influenced how I see shipping in other series.

Also, Yukio may find the chance to formally apologize later, but it was obvious enough how sorry he was from his expression, his trembling hands, and the way he abruptly stopped and ran away.

I honestly do think that Rin and Shiemi are set in stone for one another. Nothing else would make sense to me, considering how far along the manga is now. They have feelings for each other (imo) and Shiemi made it clear that she saw Yukio as a friend. Before, she clearly had a crush on him, so much so that Oblivious Rin saw it too, but now? She may say out of her mouth that she sees Rin as a friend too, but her actions, to me, proves otherwise. And Rin has had feelings for Shiemi since they met.

As far as I can tell, both Rin and Yukio love Shiemi. As for Shiemi, since the beginning and until recently, she saw both Rin and Yukio as her friends. Recently she seems to be falling for Rin, but she rejected him because she doesn't feel ready and needs to sort out her feelings.

At the beginning of the manga, just like Rin, I was sure she had a crush on Yukio, but it seems we were both wrong. When Rin asked Shiemi if she was in love with Yukio, she said no. In the chapter where Rin confessed to Shiemi.

[Kittykat]

I dunno. Yukio's in the Illuminati now, and considering what happened between him and Shiemi before he left, I have no clue how else they can grow past friendship outside of Yukio (and perhaps Shiemi) apologizing for his outburst.

Maybe Yukio won't be in the Illuminati forever.

One of the first anime I've seen in my life is Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, and in that anime being on opposite sides of a war didn't stop any relationship. That anime had people changing sides willfully or forcefully. It also had people getting into relationships, breaking up, and getting into new relationships. It definitely influenced how I see shipping in other series.

Also, Yukio may find the chance to formally apologize later, but it was obvious enough how sorry he was from his expression, his trembling hands, and the way he abruptly stopped and ran away.

Thank you. Someone else looked more into the expressions than take the dialogue at face value. Someone said that they didn’t understand why I took it that he was regretful of his actions, and I was perplexed because it was obvious in his expressions.

[Kannra21]

Yukio never really made any effort for Shiemi to notice him, but Rin did. And so I think Rin is rightfully deserving her. If Yukio was so crazy for Shiemi, I'm sure he would have told Rin much earlier and made a point so that Rin couldn't flirt with her or something.

(I do think that Yukio has an unrealized crush on Shura, but he's the type who would deny it.)

I agee!

[chinonamida]

Thank you. Someone else looked more into the expressions than take the dialogue at face value. Someone said that they didn’t understand why I took it that he was regretful of his actions, and I was perplexed because it was obvious in his expressions.

And, unlike Shiemi, we know he tried to kill himself.

Yukio never really made any effort for Shiemi to notice him, but Rin did. And so I think Rin is rightfully deserving her. If Yukio was so crazy for Shiemi, I'm sure he would have told Rin much earlier and made a point so that Rin couldn't flirt with her or something.

The only one Shiemi deserves is the one she chooses. Or I should say love is not about what you deserve, but what you chose.

Also even if Yukio said from the start he loved Shiemi and actively tried to win her heart, I don't think that would give him exclusive rights on her. The only thing that could prevent someone from flirting with someone else in my opinion, is if the person you are flirting with rejects you.

[Taytronics7]

I'm gonna plug Rin x Shiemi a little bit.

Rin and Shiemi have actively helped each other move forward. The both make each other better and want to be better. They are each other's first friend. Rin also believes in Shiemi unconditionally. Even his concern over her decision to quit is more out of worry for her life. They're like a positive feedback loop of striving for more. The best part is, Rin and Shiemi do this unconsciously. They aren't aware that they gain any benefit from helping each other, but they do it anyways. That's why they're so sweet and compatible.

Yukio and Shiemi looked like that too, but it wasn't. Yukio helped Shiemi but Shiemi kept her distance because she was awestruck by him. Yukio accepted that was the way it was gonna be. Then he watched as Rin motivated and encouraged Shiemi to become a part of the world... something he wanted to do himself, but was evidently incapable. Shiemi clearly loved Rin even if she didn't admit it yet. The battle was lost.

I'm curious about one thing though. If Shiemi is indeed revealed to be a demon/part demon, how would that affect Yukio? Rin I would guess would view it as being yet another similarity that him and Shiemi share, which would bring them closer together. Yukio, however, absolutely rejects demons, as stated by Toudou in chapter 31. Would he reject Shiemi in the same way, or is his adoration for her strong enough to embolden him to try to "protect" Shiemi from her heritage? That's an angle I would definitely like to see explored.

Me too!  Though, Shiemi is more like a friendly demon (angel?) with beneficial powers.

When Yukio says he hates demons, how does he define 'demon' in his mind?  The dangerous ones that only want to destroy? Or ALL demon-kind, benign included?

Either way, seeing how the most recent effects play out will get very interesting in how it affects the relatonships between these three. 

Honestly, Yukio doesn't hate demons as much as he hates himself for being powerless to fight back. He was terrified of them and of becoming one. But his self-hatred for being weak proved stronger than that fear. So he is chasing the power of demons to make up for that weakness. Yukio has a moral compass, which is why he calls out Illuminati as rotten. But he's willing to push aside those considerations for his own gain. That's what makes him evil, and he knows it.

Shiemi is the only person Yukio held back against. Yes, he lashed out at her earlier, but I think that was a product of the disorder from not making a choice. It's like how he went from accepting Bon's explanation to pulling a gun on Bon within hours. The intensity of Yukio's actions was a direct result of him suppressing his internal discord to act like everything was normal.

I expect that Yukio will think that Shiemi is out of the conflict since he knows she quit cram school. Then he'll be thrown into chaos if she becomes an exorcist. No matter how much he actually commits to evil acts for the sake of his own power, he doesn't want to fight her. He lost control once with her and could not forgive himself.

(Man, I'm so stoked to see all this.)

With how Yukio's luck has been going, I wouldn't be surprised if Shiemi is not only dragged back into the conflict, but is actually one of main sources of conflict. I think the Illuminati aren't ignorant about her power, and if her mother is indeed the traitor, I suspect the Illuminati have plans for Shiemi which would put Yukio in a dilemma. Help the Illuminati and keep Shiemi from escaping them? Or help Shiemi, the person whose always been kind to him?

[chinonamida]

^That sounds interesting. But wouldn't it look a little too much like what happened with Izumo and Renzou? Storywise, it's doable but not great to repeat the same storyline.

[Taytronics7]

^That sounds interesting. But wouldn't it look a little too much like what happened with Izumo and Renzou? Storywise, it's doable but not great to repeat the same storyline.

Well, I was thinking it could go along the lines like this so it's not too similar to Renzou's and Izumo's arc. Shiemi isn't kept as a prisoner or experiment, perhaps her father/some other relative works for the Illuminati, and if her mother is arrested for treason, the Order would want to arrest her too. With her safety at stake and her mother no longer able to take care of her, the Illuminati take her in. Something along the lines of that. I think that could be an interesting angle to work with with her and Yukio without it being too similar to the Illuminati arc.

[tandem]

^I think these two ships won't be similar due to the major difference :

Yukio knows Shiemi and is close to her for some time (much earlier than he has any connection to the Illuminati), while Renzou joins the Illuminati much earlier than he knows Izumo. The consequence is, there is no point for the Illuminati to assign Yukio mission regarding Shiemi because everyone knows their relationship and won't expect he'll do it. They might even hide this kind of mission from Yukio. And if Yukio finds Shiemi is in trouble he will definitely help her, without any meaningful dilemma, as Yukio made his position pretty clear at the end of chapter 97 that he isn't loyal to and doesn't wants to help Illuminati.

(Unless the infamous hidden birth secret and the method to control Yukio's power relate to something about Shiemi)

So in the manga it becomes a subtle competition...

...

It's a painful love triangle between those three... I totally feel for Shiemi in having to chose between the twins.

She doesn't have to. And it seems weird to say there is any "competition" or "love triangle" when only one of the three (I mean Rin) was actively pursuing love interest

"I don't have a family or a single friend..." So what do we have left?! He practicaly confessed to her!!

Oops, I didn’t think about that. I think that’s right. Though Shiemi certainly didn't perceive this message.

it is hard to be RinShi when I think of it from Yukio's 'he stole her from me!' viewpoint

Yukio was like: "Rin, Rin, again Rin, why does he always have to be better than me?! Why can he get the things I've always wanted?! Why does he always have to ruin everything?! What makes him so special than me? He never did as much as I have done for you!

I have to disagree here. It's not like Yukio thinks he should be the better one or Rin shouldn't be too special or isn't deserved something. It's quite the opposite. Yukio (incorrectly) thinks Rin is indeed a better person and is so special that Shiemi will inevitably loves Rin. Yukio also thinks Rin has done more than himself has done for her (which I think is incorrect either). I also think Yukio has never interpreted it as "Rin stole her from me!". I'll analyze below

I'm surprised that Shiemi didn't blush at that moment or gave us any sign such as her mental though: "OMG he's hugging me, he's hugging me, what should I do now?!" But no, she did exactly what a good friend would do, giving him her moral support.

Shiemi never knows that behavior is also a sign of possible love interest since it seems like she isn't even aware Yukio likes her. She probably thinks it means Yukio is in serious trouble.

And I don't really count her response as some support (as chino already explained earlier), although she said that because she is concerned about Yukio

I don't think it's because he's crushing on Shura, it's because Yukio does like Shiemi, but he is afraid of it, for reasons.  It's the reasons I am curious about. 

The most obvious is that, yeah.. being related to the son of Satan is a tough heritage to carry.  The last thing he could want is to spawn more relations to Satan.  But no, really... I think Yukio does not want to 'hurt' Shiemi. She is innocent, seems untainted by dark things, and so through not admitting his infatuation with her, he'll keep that distance to protect her. Sadly, that now may mean having Rin take her... which is just as unnerving. Because Rin may do worse things to her what Yukio was trying to protect her from.

(I do think that Yukio has an unrealized crush on Shura, but he's the type who would deny it.)

Yup, Yukio distanced himself from Shiemi to protect her from himself, but I think it was mostly to shield her from his internal discord and not so much because of Satan's heritage. Yukio has always known he has a lot of rage, fear, and envy.

Although I also think that's probably Yukio's state now, I don't think he's always like that before volume 20 when he often goes to tutoring her. The reason why Yukio never takes action (and even refused her invitation to the party) is somewhat revealed in chapter 74. Let me rephrase my analysis here :

Yukio gave up as soon as he knew Shiemi. He thinks "She won't like me anymore once she knows the real me". It directly links to his "the one I really hate is myself!" . Therefore, he thought "It's impossible for us to have something because she (and anyone) would hate the real me", long before Rin knew Shiemi.

After Rin and Shiemi became familiar. Yukio (incorrectly) thought Shiemi loves Rin. However, he was not jealous and he never thought Shiemi was "stolen", despite Yukio does love her. It's because Yukio always considered it's not possible for him to have any romance with Shiemi (or any other girl), so when Shiemi becomes Rin's girlfriend in Yukio's imagination, Yukio was like "fine, that's inevitable. I knew it". For example here, although it's actually a good news for him that Shiemi is not going to the party with Rin, Yukio was just confused and didn't think he has any chance. Six volumes later Rin told him about the confession, but Yukio didn't have any special emotion, he was just curious whether they are formally together.

Yukio never really made any effort for Shiemi to notice him, but Rin did. And so I think Rin is rightfully deserving her. If Yukio was so crazy for Shiemi, I'm sure he would have told Rin much earlier and made a point so that Rin couldn't flirt with her or something.

Well, he does love Shiemi. He didn't take any action as I explained above. Just don't directly assume every man(and he's actually a boy) has the same kind of attitude(even not a very healthy one) to the person he loves

If Shiemi is indeed revealed to be a demon/part demon, how would that affect Yukio? Rin I would guess would view it as being yet another similarity that him and Shiemi share, which would bring them closer together. Yukio, however, absolutely rejects demons, as stated by Toudou in chapter 31. Would he reject Shiemi in the same way, or is his adoration for her strong enough to embolden him to try to "protect" Shiemi from her heritage? That's an angle I would definitely like to see explored.

Me too!  Though, Shiemi is more like a friendly demon (angel?) with beneficial powers.

When Yukio says he hates demons, how does he define 'demon' in his mind?  The dangerous ones that only want to destroy? Or ALL demon-kind, benign included?

Isn't the so-called "Yukio hates demon" anime-only ? As far as I see, manga Yukio doesn't have any special attitude toward demons, comparing to other exorcists. If I would name someone who has a more different attitude toward the human/demon discrimination, I feel it's Rin.

[Kannra21]

Here...
Six phrases more important than ‘I love you’ by lacy3 on tumblr:

[chinonamida]

^You can say all those things, and even "I love you", to a family member or a friend.
(A romantic relationship happens when you tell someone you want to share your life with them)

I agree Shura seems to have some sort of a crush on Yukio. But Yukio seems to sincerely see her as a colleague and a childhood friend.

I still admit things can always change.

I'm surprised that Shiemi didn't blush at that moment or gave us any sign such as her mental though: "OMG he's hugging me, he's hugging me, what should I do now?!" But no, she did exactly what a good friend would do, giving him her moral support.

Shiemi never knows that behavior is also a sign of possible love interest since it seems like she isn't even aware Yukio likes her. She probably thinks it means Yukio is in serious trouble.

And I don't really count her response as some support (as chino already explained earlier), although she said that because she is concerned about Yukio

She failed at supporting him, but she at least tried. The things she said and did before turning the conversation around were all great support. She only botched the final.

it seems weird to say there is any "competition" or "love triangle" when only one of the three (I mean Rin) was actively pursuing love interest

Rin thought Shiemi liked Yukio, while Yukio thought Shiemi liked Rin. Even if they were wrong, they both thought the other had what they wanted, that's what makes people compete with each other.
Plus, regardless whether they are actively pursuing or not or whether they are aware of the others feelings or not, the fact remains that both Rin and Yukio love Shiemi, which inevitably makes this a love triangle.

"I don't have a family or a single friend..." So what do we have left?! He practicaly confessed to her!!

Oops, I didn’t think about that. I think that’s right. Though Shiemi certainly didn't perceive this message.

I don't think Yukio meant this when he said that. Yukio wasn't confessing his love to Shiemi, he was confessing how he destroyed his life and can't put the pieces back together.

It's not like Yukio thinks he should be the better one or Rin shouldn't be too special or isn't deserved something. It's quite the opposite. Yukio (incorrectly) thinks Rin is indeed a better person and is so special that Shiemi will inevitably loves Rin. Yukio also thinks Rin has done more than himself has done for her (which I think is incorrect either). I also think Yukio has never interpreted it as "Rin stole her from me!". I'll analyze below

After Rin and Shiemi became familiar. Yukio (incorrectly) thought Shiemi loves Rin. However, he was not jealous and he never thought Shiemi was "stolen", despite Yukio does love her. It's because Yukio always considered it's not possible for him to have any romance with Shiemi (or any other girl), so when Shiemi becomes Rin's girlfriend in Yukio's imagination, Yukio was like "fine, that's inevitable. I knew it". For example here, although it's actually a good news for him that Shiemi is not going to the party with Rin, Yukio was just confused and didn't think he has any chance. Six volumes later Rin told him about the confession, but Yukio didn't have any special emotion, he was just curious whether they are formally together.

Yukio is jealous of Rin. When he spoke with Toudou near the end of the Kyoto arc, there was that scene where he was remembering all the things Rin was or had that he thought where better than what he was or had, and he was wondering why he can't be like that or have those things. That's what I would call jealousy. And there's also that time at the end of the Giant Whale arc (or was it somewhere else?) when Rin said he's going to surpass Yukio, and Yukio thinks "that's my line". There are plenty of other example, but to me it's clear Yukio wants to become a better person, and he wishes he was the kind of person who can be a good brother, a good friend, a good love partner or husband, but he doesn't think he can, at least right now.

Isn't the so-called "Yukio hates demon" anime-only ? As far as I see, manga Yukio doesn't have any special attitude toward demons, comparing to other exorcists.

I agree, Manga Yukio doesn't seem to hate demons. Like all the other characters, he simply seems to be wary of them to an extant. Kind of like any humans would be in real life towards wild animals. Their strength and lethal abilities are on another level, and they act outside of the law. It only makes sense to be wary.

If I would name someone who has a more different attitude toward the human/demon discrimination, I feel it's Rin.

I think it might seems so because Rin obsesses over it sometimes. But in the end he really doesn't act much differently than the others. The only time it really showed was when he was hesitating whether the zombies where humans or demons. Which really should have been a no brainer.

[Kannra21]

(click to show/hide)

OMG he's so jelly!XD Poor Yukio, he definitely needs to chill for a bit...

Now that I look better, doesn't it seem like Yukio imagines himself shooting Rin in his thoughts. Isn't it creppy?! This means that Yukio was thinking about shooting Rin for a long time ago and not just in Aomori arc and ch.97 *gasp*!

Deam Yukio why do you have to be such a freakishly possessive guy?! (lol yandere Yukio)XD

[chinonamida]

^Are you forgetting he also pointed his gun at him in chapter 2?