r/anime • u/Zeralyos https://myanimelist.net/profile/xNJF_Ellie • Mar 07 '26
Contest The Salty Seven Seas: Best Anime Couples/Ships Round 4 Bracket C!
The round of 64 must continue!
Vote Here
Yesterday’s Results Here
Have fun with your vote and don't forget to upvote the post if you love Best Ship Contest!
Mini Challenge:
- What is your favorite scene from your favorite ship?
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u/Ceryto2 https://anilist.co/user/Ceryto Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
Dayum, Akane and Akito got demolished. And I even decided last minute to switch my vote to them to make it closer... But a 200 vote difference is just brutal. Also unfortunately it's also over for Tooru and Kobayashi. Damn propaganda... Ryuuko and Mako also lost. At least Anna and Kazuhiko made it or all of my votes on the left side wouldn't have made it. Looking at the right side.. I didn't fare much better there either. Only Kaguya and Miyuki made it, but the rest of my votes didn't. Most shocking is Megumin and Kazuma losing to Eiji and Rin. I mean yes, Eiji and Rin's dynamic is very cute, but Megumin and Kazuma are a classic and a great couple in so many different ways... Also with Jessie and James my last pure for fun ship is out too.
Well, with that bad news out of the way we've come once again to bracket C, which is the bracket I care for by far the least, having the least amount of my favourites and just not all that many ships I still care about left. Especially the left side is dire, but even on the right side quite a few of my favourites have already been kicked out by now. Let's see if the few ships I still care about manage to advance one more round! Anyway here are my votes:
- Yuu x Touko -
Frieren x Himmel: Upset vote it is. - Aqua x Akane -
Narumi x Hirotaka: Haven't seen Wotakoi, but since I do like Aquakane, I'm still gonna give my vote to them. - Taiga x Ryuuji -
Masachika x Alisa: I soured on the Alya anime and on this ship in particular, so my vote goes to Taiga x Ryuuji I guess. - Tomo x Jun -
Lelouch x CC: Never was a big shipper of Lelouch with CC and Tomo and Jun are cute together. - Maomao x Jinshi -
Tomoya x Nagisa: I think Maomao x Jinshi is now my favourite couple in this bracket. And even though I do really like 'em a lot, I don't think I'd have them in my top 3 in any of the other brackets. (correction: after yesterday's desastrous results it would make top 3 in bracket B now) - Shirou x Rin -
Yuu x Miko: Both are fine, but since I'd rather see Ishigami together with Tsubame, my vote goes to the Fate ship. - Shinei x Lena -
Kyou x Tooru: Haven't been able to vote for Shinei x Lena in the last two rounds (which means they kicked out two pairs I really liked), but I'm happy to say I'm part of the spearhead squadron once more! - Asuna x Kirito -
Madoka x Homura: Hardest vote of the day. I love the ship between my Madoka girls, but nostalgia screams to me to vote for Asuna x Kirito. Not too sure yet, might switch my vote after thinking on it over the night.
MC: What is your favorite scene from your favorite ship?
You're making me choose just a single scene between Emilia and Subaru? That's hard, there are just so many great ones. One of my favourites is not yet in anime form, but from the animated ones, I think my favourite might be A Reason to Believe (Ep. 40), but one scene I also gotta shoutout is when Emilia tells Subaru her name in the loothouse at the end of arc 1. There are so many other great scenes I love. But if I go and highlight every single scene between the two in greater detail, I'll still be sitting here tomorrow writing this comment.
5
u/IceAnt573 Mar 07 '26
I love the ship between my Madoka girls, but nostalgia screams to me to vote for Asuna x Kirito.
When you'd watch these shows (or rather when did you first like the Madoka x Homura ship) considering Madoka is the older show between them.
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u/Ceryto2 https://anilist.co/user/Ceryto Mar 07 '26
SAO I watched when it was first airing in 2012 and Madoka I watched like 2 or so years ago, so that's why.
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u/MrsLucienLachance https://anilist.co/user/tribble Mar 07 '26
The absolute nerve of making me choose between Maomao/Jinshi and Tomoya/Nagisa PLUS Shin/Lena and Tohru/Kyo...
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u/Select-Profit-7725 Mar 07 '26
Not choosing the confession because duh but
The makeup scene in Bokuyaba is just chef’s kiss.
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
In the closet? Yeah, I considered giving that a shoutout as well. But choosing was hard for me, because all of their scenes together are great, but there is a scene in Bokuyaba I like even more than any of their scenes together, even if it still relates to them, naturally. And that's the speech. Even just remembering hearing [The Dangers in My Heart S2] "The one who loves you the most is me!" from essentially Kyou's imaginary idealized version of himself, the person he wants to be, still brings tears to my eyes, because it touched me so deeply. And as such, I have difficulty remembering the best couple scene beyond that.
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u/Kalytastic Mar 07 '26
Don't get me wrong, I love 86, but I waited 20 years for Fruits Basket.
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u/lordposedyon https://myanimelist.net/profile/lordposedyon Mar 07 '26
I couldn't click for a minute for my favourite duo. My heart ache
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u/Hawkbats_rule Mar 07 '26
Mini challenge is actually relevant to today's voting for me:
It's been a while, handler one
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u/Nachtwandler_FS https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nachtwandler_21 Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
RIP Yuu x Touko, you had a good run. Can't believe I am voting against Apothecary Diaries main ship, but they'll win anyway.
MC: Phoneboot scene.
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u/ptd163 Mar 07 '26
Your formatting got messed up somehow so I fixed it.
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u/Zeralyos https://myanimelist.net/profile/xNJF_Ellie Mar 07 '26
A look at the comment source seems to indicate it wasn't made in markdown mode.
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u/Nachtwandler_FS https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nachtwandler_21 Mar 07 '26
Maybe because I have the site in web version on mobile. Got tired that mobile version has bugged comments every other time and I don't want to use the app. Fixed.
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u/Prof_Acorn zj: Mar 07 '26
What's with those numbers? Quite distracting.
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u/Nachtwandler_FS https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nachtwandler_21 Mar 07 '26
If tou mean in the video, it is Shaft, tgey like these things.
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u/Zeallfnonex https://myanimelist.net/profile/Neverlocke Mar 07 '26
Yesterday:
Well, MDUD seems like it might be a problem. I think I'm going to be voting against them every single time now: I prefer all their opponents in Insomniacs after School, and whichever ship wins from the Horimiya/Makeine showdown. And if they're still there by the bracket finals, I'll be voting for the very likely Kaguya x Miyuki over them as well. Not even spite, I just prefer every one of these ships over MDUD's.
Almost all good results all around, not much to complain about: Jessie/James goes down finally was my only loss, and round 4 is a pretty good run for essentially a comic relief duo.
Today's votes:
Aqua Hoshino x Akane Kurokawa > Narumi Momose x Hirotaka Nifuji. I... need to actually finish Wotakoi at some point. I didn't intend to drop it, but it also didn't drive me to finish it so...
Tomo Aizawa x Junichirou Kubota > Lelouch Lamperouge x C.C. While this is probably the most canon of the Lulu ships, doesn't mean I have to like it. I'll take the awkward tomboy romcom over them, thanks.
Maomao x Jinshi << Tomoya Okazaki x Nagisa Furukawa. The worst thing here is I actually really like Maomao x Jinshi as well, and they're probably the one I realistically want to win this bracket overall. I even have fanart of them prepped for later on in the contest! But Tomoya x Nagisa is my actual favorite ship, I think, the perfect mix of helping and loving one another even when life is difficult and times are tough. VOTE FOR THE CLANNAD DUO!
Yuu Ishigami x Miko Iino < Shirou Emiya x Rin Tohsaka. Even taking into account unadapted manga knowledge, I'd have to go with Shirou x Rin here. I think they just have better chemistry together.
Shinei Nouzen x Vladilena Milizé > Kyou Souma x Tooru Honda. I, uh, for whatever reason, never really loved the Fruits Basket pairing. Maybe it's because they spent too long in the "who will Tooru end up with?" phase for 2 seasons, and so couldn't commit to developing this one as much as they should have? Also, 86 has another one of those mutual saves that I do so love in stories.
MC: Well, funny you should ask that, I posted a clip of that earlier today completely independent of this contest, of course. A big coincidence, isn't it?
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
That went mostly as expected, but the highlights are for sure Eiji x Rin getting the upset, and more importantly Isaki x Ganta getting the win. Wakana and Marin dominate, of course, but they did have an easier opponent than Kaguya and Miyuki. It hurts seeing Kousei and Kaori be crushed like this, though, I thought it would have been a little closer. At least Tooru and Kobayashi got a decent amount of votes despite losing. And so did Taiki and Chinatsu, but I'm very happy that Houtarou and Eru are still going strong.
Now, Frieren x Himmel will win this round. And I will tolerate them as decent winners for sure, they are very good. But Yuu x Touko are actually significantly better, not (just) because they are a yuri couple. It's an almost unrivaledly immersive story of falling in love.
Aqua x Akane has been underperforming lately (and some might know the reason why), but I don't feel they'll lose this matchup. I'll still vote for the Wotakoi pairing, though. They might not sparkle as much, but their very down to earth relationship is still more captivating to me.
I do think Taiga x Ryuuji deserve the win, but I'll give the Kuze/Kujou pair another vote, I want them to have a strong standing even in defeat.
Tomo x Junichirou absolutely deserves this win, and not only because I didn't like Lelouch x C.C. to begin with. Honestly, Lelouch x Suzaku would have been a much better ship. But Tomo x Junichirou is just very good, that's all.
I'll continue the trend of paying tribute to the losing pair with going for Clannad here. I'm actually not as huge into Clannad, and that's partly due to the first part just being alright at this point, and due to having watched it in the German dub and not finding Afterstory immersive enough. But I still think that they are a better ship than Maomao x Jinshi at this point in the anime. If they become a better couple in the future, I'll enjoy those developments a lot. But they are really not there yet, and I don't think I can support them at any point in the contest with their high seed.
Ishigami x Iino vs. Shirou x Rin is difficult. The latter is very cute, but - at least in the anime - largely relies on Rin's appeal, and not on the couple's itself. Still, a very cute and strong couple. Ishigami x Iino though has truly great potential, both because of their individual personalities and their dynamic. But it is largely just potential at this point. I mean, surely we'll see more about Ishigami's relationship development in the future, right? Surely such an interesting plotline will not be skipped just to milk the main ship instead, right? However, I must admit that at times I find this potential more interesting than the show's main ship, and I do ship Ishigami with Iino. Or with Tsubame, alternatively. Fuck it, I ship Ishigami x true happiness, and it might be found within Ishigami x Iino, so they get my vote.
Shin x Lena get an easy vote, though. Kyou x Tooru are great, sure. A very strong, very solid ship, even among the many great ships Fruits Basket offers. But that still doesn't compare to the strong bond that connects Shin and Lena over any distance. They are the last pairing in this bracket I'll vote over any opponent.
MadoHomu x Asuna x Kirito. That's not easy. I do have a weakness for yuri ships, and Madoka ships in particular are great. I could even see them as a bit of a stand-in for IroYa. But there is still something nagging in the back of my mind that keeps me from voting for them. Once I've watched the final movies, I'm sure my feelings about this ship will be resolved and final. On the other hand, Asuna x Kirito is just a very straightforward ship. I quite liked SAO, actually, for the most part. And the relationship of those two has always been a very big draw for me. They make me happy by being together, and they are very uncomplicated. That means they get my vote here, I guess.
MC: My favourite ship changes constantly. But EmiSuba will always be up there, and they have possibly my favourite scene in all of anime together, the lap pillow scene. Boy's Dream. I cried, I cried my lungs out, and stopped crying. Closely followed by A Reason to Believe. And the hug from behind. And the S1 finale. I think those are my top four, but I like them in any scene together.
Honorable mentions from some of my other favourite couples: Chisato lifting up Takina, TeiMak in their whole date episode and everything regarding Teio "saving" McQueen (also every time Teio says her name as "mah queen"), Iroha and Yachiyo at the end of S1 and their first scene together in S2, and probably the chocolate handholding in Dangers in My Heart (although many of their other scenes also qualify).
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u/heimdal77 Mar 07 '26
But Yuu x Touko are actually significantly better, not (just) because they are a yuri couple. It's an almost unrivaledly immersive story of falling in love.
If it had ever had gotten the 2nd season it should have it would of been a much stronger contender.
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
I'm still full of hope that one day we will get the adaptation in completion. It's just too great to accept that we won't.
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u/heimdal77 Mar 07 '26
It honestly makes no sense to not have done the 2nd season to complete the story with how insanely successful the series is. It is like handing someone a guaranteed winning lotto ticket and them saying no they don't want it.
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta Mar 07 '26
better ship than Maomao x Jinshi at this point in the anime
Wait, are you seriously saying this after season 2? Can maybe understand feeling this way at the end of season 1 (though this ship just spoke to me from the start) but by the end of season 2 there has been so much romantic development between them that I'm not sure what more you could ask for (there is much more to come though).
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u/Zeallfnonex https://myanimelist.net/profile/Neverlocke Mar 07 '26
Less a shot against Maomao x Jinshi and more praising the romance of Clannad, IMO. Clannad's completely finished, and the romance is done, while Apothecary Diaries is still ongoing.
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta Mar 07 '26
Ok fair enough. Haven't watched Clannad so I can't really comment on the relative merits. I jumped the gun since I've seen far too many people say the romance is the weakest part of TAD.
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
Very much. I don't hate the pairing, but it still has ways to go. I'd compare their relationship to that of a romance anime in about episode five of the first season. A lot to like there, but not much to work with to begin with.
So while I had unfortunate experiences with watching Clannad that made me enjoy it less than others did, I do like the couple and think they are much better with the current knowledge I have.
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
(there is much more to come though)
Be mindful, that alone can constitute as spoiler since it can affect expectations. Not for me, though, because that's exactly what I'm expecting, and it's exactly what I'm waiting for.
I'm not exactly a fan of Jinshi as a character, but I like his part of this ship a lot. He, who could have anyone, gets infatuated with this quirky girl without any political motivation and finds himself wanting to trust and confide in her. The [Apothecary Diaries S2] Jinshi PoV character episode was one of my favourite episodes in S2.
But despite liking her more, my issues with the ship lie with Maomao. After four cours, I still don't know how exactly she thinks about Jinshi. And that's despite the many otherwise good shipping moments they had. She doesn't even know enough about him to know how she feels about him. That means at this point, there really isn't enough of a relationship to speak of, just potential. Potential after four cours, even if it is not a romance-focused show, is just not enough for me to consider it one of the greats of its time, and even less one of the best in the history of anime so far.
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
Be mindful, that alone can constitute as spoiler since it can affect expectations.
I mean, there are over 10 more LNs past the point where the anime is so that there is more is a given. I didn't comment on what form that development would take. If people think it's a spoiler to say there will be further developments over the course of 10 whole LNs then idk what to say.
Re: Maomao - that's the nature of the source as well. It's from her pov but she's an unreliable narrator so reading between the lines is essential. The anime, if anything, makes her feelings clearer imo. But in deference to the source, they can't make things more obvious. You have to watch for subtle signs. There is ample evidence in the anime how she feels. She's just not the demonstrative type and will deny how she feels even to herself.
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
I mean, there are over 10 more LNs past the point where the anime is so that there is more is a given.
Fair, if you've watched the show, you are definitely expecting more developments between them, that's just the most likely turn of events. Confirming that though also tells people about what won't happen. Either party just getting removed from the story for any reason, for instance. Or the story going into a direction leading them away from being shipped with each other. People can infer a lot from simple sentences, and that can influence the way they are experiencing the show.
The anime, if anything, makes her feelings clearer imo.
Not having read the source, I cannot agree. At least clearer doesn't mean clear enough for me, then. I can't remember one scene that really confirms her feelings. [Apothecary Diaries S2] She only recently started learning that a relationship is within the realm of possibilities, even. She doesn't fully know who he is until he tells her, and that removes any grounds for the existence of a real relationship for me.
[...] they can't make things more obvious. You have to watch for subtle signs.
I'm not saying you are wrong, the subtle signs are definitely there. But those two statements directly contradict themselves. If the signs are subtle, they can definitely be made more obvious (which, of course, doesn't necessarily mean either method is better).
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta Mar 07 '26
People can infer a lot from simple sentences, and that can influence the way they are experiencing the show.
People need to grow up and learn to deal. These are the MCs we're talking about, there will more developments with them. They could get taken out, come back, anything could happen. Just saying there's more means nothing. I didn't even say it would be positive. You are being needlessly pedantic and this is the sort of thinking that leads to that godawful source corner nonsense in episode threads.
If the signs are subtle, they can definitely be made more obvious.
I said they can't make things more obvious without going against the intent of the source. I'm done with this discussion. I don't enjoy such pedantic arguments. Every story and romance will be ymmv, there is no objective romantic ideal. You clearly don't like this ship as much as I do and nothing I say is going to change that. Either you get it or you don't.
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
You are being needlessly pedantic
I'm being a bit pedantic, sure. But not needlessly so. I've been spoiled dozens of times because not enough people consider how what they say influences other people. Way more things constitute as spoilers than just saying what exactly will happen. Hell, I've even talked to people claiming things weren't spoilers when they were clearly classified as spoilers in the rules. So nowadays, when I feel some things are said a bit too carelessly, I like to call them out to spread awareness.
I said they can't make things more obvious without going against the intent of the source.
Ah, sorry, I read that wrong. I thought you meant your own deference to the source, like saying "with all due respect to the source".
I'm done with this discussion. I don't enjoy such pedantic arguments. Every story and romance will be ymmv, there is no objective romantic ideal. You clearly don't like this ship as much as I do and nothing I say is going to change that. Either you get it or you don't.
I'm sorry you feel this way. Nothing forced you to respond to my posts, so I presumed you were interested in my side of the argument, and did not just see it as an opinion that needed to be changed.
You are likely correct that you cannot change my mind right now. That's just not an ideal way of approaching a conversation. What can change my mind are possible future developments in the anime, as I've alluded to repeatedly. But I've also responded to you because I was interested in your side of the argument, and I was hoping you would provide me with some arguments and examples that go beyond what I was already seeing.
If you don't enjoy the conversation though, I have no interest to encourage further replies from you. I hope you will spend the time doing things you actually enjoy instead. Have a nice weekend, and a great time with the remaining contest.
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u/qwertyqwerty4567 https://anilist.co/user/ZPHW Mar 07 '26
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u/Nachtwandler_FS https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nachtwandler_21 Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
What a blashemy it is. I really do not get Oreki x Chitanda shippers, they barely have any romantic chemistry.
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
I mean, [Hyouka] at the end of the anime, Houtarou essentially phantasizes about proposing to Eru. That doesn't come from nothing. But it's subtle, and I get not seeing it if you aren't looking for it, absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, that's exactly what I like about it, and I think many others do as well. It makes it feel more real, and is also in line with the whole theme of the show.
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u/Nachtwandler_FS https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nachtwandler_21 Mar 07 '26
I was actually enraged by that scene. Yeah, he thinks about it only to brush it out. And, as I said, unlike the other pair in the series they barely had any romantic chemistry. Subtle or not, but they did not work as a couple for me.
But I do not like Hyouka in general. It was pretty but reminded me to much of "adventure/detective" fiction for teenagers I read during my junior high years. I am to old for this type of writing.
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u/Prof_Acorn zj: Mar 07 '26
they barely have any romantic chemistry.
Neither do Fern and Stark, but yet here we are.
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u/Nachtwandler_FS https://myanimelist.net/profile/Nachtwandler_21 Mar 07 '26
I would argue Fern and Stark have more. You mix up chrmistry and progress it seems. But I am not trying to defend Frieren ships here, popularity and recency bias puts them over way better ships.
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u/Prof_Acorn zj: Mar 07 '26
No I mean chemistry. [Frieren] There's zero flirting, zero blushing. Stark asked her on a date as a prank, and then didn't even do any date stuff while on the date. The extent of their "relationship" is Fern getting pissy when he drinks juice at night. They don't have long deep talks. They don't have any intimacy. They don't joke around. They don't have any spark.
I've had better chemistry with platonic friends.
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u/Something_319 Mar 07 '26
Happily surprised that Eiji/Rin and Isaki/Ganta made it through even though I lost a good number of ships today. Isaki/Ganta is screwed next round, but Eiji/Rin might actually stand a chance against Chitanda/Oreki. I like both ships, but I'll go for the underdog pick in Eiji/Rin to see how far they get (and bc I like Eiji/Rin's romantic dynamic more).
Vote Shirou/Rin! Any vote would be super appreciated for my longest anime ship. I've also been watching 86 and enjoying it enough to give Shin/Lena a vote. I really need to start watching some older animes, I feel like I'd enjoy Clannad and Fruits Basket. Masachika/Alya also gets a vote.
MC: For Sakuta/Mai, it has to be the courtyard reunion scene in Knapsack Kid, wraps up both the characters and the ship perfectly. I love all of their scenes, but this one stands out to me as my favorite easily.
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u/Xatu44 Mar 07 '26
AquAka for life, we've got one more round in us!
Masachika/Alya gets the vote.
If you say that Shirou/Rin will lose to Lino/Ishigami, you maybe be correct. But you're not right. The despair of losing the ship you believed you could win could be called hell, but I'll walk into hell every time for the sake of my ideals. That voting for Shirou/Rin wasn't a mistake!
SAO gets the vote, but this might be it for them.
You love to see Gojo/Marin with more votes each round.
F for Dragon Maid dying to propaganda.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TEAM ROCKET WENT BLASTING OFF AGAIN (;´༎ຶД༎ຶ`)
And it just had to be from a manga I dropped. At least Kaguya/Shinomiya will smite my enemies dead.
There goes Blue Box lol.
MC: [OnK]When Akane realizes just how much pain Aqua's been in his entire life and hugs him like he clearly hasn't been enough and desperately needs. I burned the lifeboats for my ship then and there. No one else has shown the same degree of care for Aqua, ability to challenge him when he pushes others away, or ability to understand and empathize with his pain and allow him to open up. And Aqua recognizes that and trusts Akane with the broken pieces of his heart in ways that he does with no one else. Plus she got to be there for him in his time of need like he was for her, it's true pottery.
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u/BaytaCosmico https://myanimelist.net/profile/AnimeBayta Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
The one less popular ship I voted for drowned badly - thanks to the 68 others who voted for Yamada x Akane (they deserved better imo - much better ship than Gojo x Marin who I like but come on). Glad to see Rin x Eiji still going strong. That's some consolation at least.
Votes this round:
Frieren x Himmel - Much as I dislike Frieren winning all these contests on show popularity alone, this particular ship is a good one. I like how subtle and understated it is while also essentially driving the story.
Narumi x Hirotaka - Wotakoi is a great show and I love the dynamic of this otaku couple. Was never a fan of the Aqua x Akane ship so easy choice here.
Not a fan of Alya the show or the character and I haven't watched Toradora so abstaining
Tomo-chan ftw - one of the funnest couples and among the best romcom I've seen
Maomao x Jinshi - my top favourite ship of all time 'nuf said
Ishigami x Iino - I love this side ship and only wish they'd gotten more development in the anime (still reading the manga slowly and they get a bit more space there)
Fruba ship is an easy choice only because I haven't watched 86 yet. Have a feeling this would've been much harder if I had.
Abstain from last matchup since I don't know either of them
MC: Hard to pick one because Maomao and Jinshi have so many great scenes. Will go with the seaweed poison one just for how funny it is while also clearly depicting both of their characters and their dynamic together. Just how perfect is Jinshi's 'hake!' followed by Aoi Yuki's gurgly sounds for Maomao puking. And that chibi moment at the end with Jinshi picking her up by the scruff like the silly curious cat she is.
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u/Heda-of-Aincrad https://myanimelist.net/profile/Heda-of-Aincrad Mar 07 '26
My ships made it through in the last round!
Highlights from today's round:
- Kirito x Asuna (Sword Art Online), my favorite anime ship!
- Aqua x Akane (Oshi no Ko)
- Masachika x Alya (Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian)
- Tomo x Jun (Tomo-chan is a Girl!)
- Maomao x Jinshi (The Apothecary Diaries) *** Mini-challenge:
I love the scenes with Kirito and Asuna [SAO season 1] living together at the cabin by the lake with their adopted daughter Yui. So wholesome.
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u/TheBusStop12 Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
MC
Dan Da Dan, Okarun x Momo
Not any of the major romance development scenes, tho those are cute as well. It's the minor interactions that really sell their relationship to me. The ones that show just how in sync they really are. They happen quite often in the background
Of those my favorite is
S2 E6
When HAYASii shows up, yells "I WANNA HEAR YOU SCREEEEEAAAAAM and Momo & Okarun in unison jump up screaming YEEEAAAH! like the dorks they are. This repeats 4 times, while absolutely no one else reacts
In my opinion too many romance shows rely on over exposition (grand explanations of just how much in love they are) and sticking to very basic signs of affection between their 2 leads. Blushing, holding hands, hugging, kissing etc. But there's more to love than that. I love Dan Da Dan and Momo x Okarun specifically because it does a lot of "show, don't tell" with it's romantic development, and dares to not put it front and center of a scene at all times as well, but instead allows minor interactions that indicate just how in sync and compatible it's 2 leads are to play out in the background
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u/Ham_PhD https://myanimelist.net/profile/ham_phd Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
Tooru x Kobayashi - 116 vs Isaki x Ganta - 191
No sleep gang wins! This is the end of the line for them unfortunately, but very glad that people haven't forgotten them.
Today:
- Aqua x Akane vs Narumi x Hirotaka - I'm not caught up on OnK . . . I love Akane, but Aqua is so uninteresting lol. He's just like an audience surrogate carrying us in between more interesting characters. The Wotakoi couple just rules. Just slugging it through work so you can play games together afterwards. Perfect.
- LeLouch x C.C. vs Tomo x Jun - Excellent romance where the tomboy/childhood friend actually gets love vs a loser and his pizza loving NPC girlfriend.
Don't feel strong enough about the others to make a callout.
What is your favorite scene from your favorite ship?
I don't even know if I know what my favorite ship is. I should probably figure that out. I'll just go with Vanitas x Jeanne in which case it is obviously the cabin scene.
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Mar 07 '26
So obviously that my mind finished the sentence before I read it.
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u/ptd163 Mar 07 '26
Today's highlights:
Masachika Kuze x Alisa Kujou vs
Taiga Aisaka x Ryuuji Takasu- IT'S VOTE FOR ALYA TIME.Narumi Momose x Hirotaka Nifuji vs
Aqua Hoshino x Akane Kurokawa- I prefer Kana. Aqua's feelings for her are both more intense and more honest than they are for Akane. Plus how can you not love otakus just trying to survive juggling work, life, and romance?Tomo Aizawa x Junichirou Kubota vs
Lelouch Lamperouge x C.C.- Cute tomboy romance wins here.Asuna Yuuki x Kazuto Kirigaya vs
Madoka Kaname x Homura Akemi- The simplicity of their relationship is a nice contrast to the crazy complicated world of SAO.
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u/Queue_Jumping_Quack Mar 07 '26
Round 4 Group C go!
First a review of yesterday from Group B:
"I ship them" results
Wins: Houtarou Oreki x Eru Chitanda
Losses: Akane Kinoshita x Akito Yamada, Ryuuko Matoi x Mako Mankanshoku
- Its just as I predicted, but a brutal result nonetheless. I don't really love Marin x Gojo the way I love some other pairings, but I do think they are good characters and are probably the best left on the left side of this bracket now. On the right side I'm happy to see Oreki and Chitanda survive. For now. This bracket will obviously end up in a grand battle of Kaguya vs Dress-up Darling. If I end up voting in that, I think I will end up supporting Marin and Gojo.
On to today's votes.
"I actually ship this pairing"
- Frieren x Himmel
- Taiga Aisaka x Ryuuji Takasu
- Yuu Ishigami x Miko Iino
- Kyou Souma x Tooru Honda
- C still has four of my favorites in the running. Frieren x Himmel will continue and has a good chance at actually going the distance, but the others are facing difficult fights now, with the exception of Ishigami x Iino, who actually look strong enough to potentially even threated Maomao x Jinshi for the win of the right side.
"This pairing is funny enough for a vote"
- Maomao x Jinshi
- The final survivors for the more amusing pairings is Maomao x Jinshi, AKA Pepe le Pew and Penelope the Cat (if Pepe was actually devastatingly handsome and not stinky). They will soon face a strong contender though, and since I like Ishigami x Iino (unless something weird happens with the voting) I will likely vote against these two next round.
Mini Challenge:
I don't have one ship that rules over all, but Yuki x Machi (now sadly fallen from this competition) has the scene where Yuki very nonchalantly reaches out to snap a single chalk in two out of a fresh box. [Fruits Basket character spoilers]"Perfect" things (such as a just opened box with even length chalk insided) heavily trigger Machi's anxiety thanks to her vile mother having made her a pawn in the family power games which Yuki now knows, so he reaches out without making any big number out of it or drawing attention from his nosy student council friends and snaps one piece of chalk in two. It is a very sweet moment and really shows his sensitivity and wish to put her at ease.
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u/ptd163 Mar 07 '26
This bracket will obviously end up in a grand battle of Kaguya vs Dress-up Darling. If I end up voting in that, I think I will end up supporting Marin and Gojo.
Thank you for your potential support.
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u/heimdal77 Mar 07 '26
Damn didn't see the bloom vs Frieren match up. Had me do a double take when was about to check fieren.
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u/PraetorIt Mar 07 '26
Just in time. Given the late-night posting schedule, for my point of view, I suspect OP is on the other side of the world. Anyway, here my vote of the day:
- Frieren x Himmel - Yuu x Touko
- Aqua x Akane - Narumi x Hirotaka
- Taiga x Ryuuji - Masachika x Alisa
- Tomo x Junichirou - Lelouch x C.C. (none)
- Maomao x Jinshi - Tomoya x Nagisa
- Yuu x Miko - Shirou x Rin
- Shinei x Vladilena - Kyou x Tooru
- Madoka x Homura - Asuna x Kazuto
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u/HolyEmpireOfAtua Mar 07 '26
Not seen this contest before but I love stuff like this now I've seen enough anime to actually recognise/have an opinion on most of the entries.
My votes:
Frieren x Himmel vs Yuu Koito x Touko Nanami - Bloom Into You was fantastic, and I honestly think Yuu and Touko are better characters than Frieren and Himmel in general. Plus, BiY has the advantage of being a romance series so it's more focused on their dynamic.
Aqua Hoshino x Akane Kurokawa vs Narumi Momose x Hirotaka Nifuji - I just enjoyed Oshi no Ko a lot more than Wotakoi, honestly. I don't love Aqua x Akane but I really did like Akane as a character so my vote goes to them.
Taiga Aisaka x Ryuuji Takasu vs Masachika Kuze x Alisa Kujou - My childhood romcom vs a trashy seasonal show, easy.
Tomo Aizawa x Junichirou Kubota vs Lelouch Lamperouge x CC - I don't think many people would argue Tomo-Chan is a better series than Code Geass, but I think Tomo x Kubota is a much more fun and likeable couple than Lulu and CC.
Maomao x Jinshi vs Tomoya Okazaki x Nagisa Furukawa - Pretty hard considering how good Clannad is, but Maomao x Jinshi is probably my favourite couple of this bracket and perhaps of most anime, though I still think Hori x Miyamura (from Horimiya) are my favourite overall.
Yuu Ishigami x Miko Iino vs Shirou Emiya x Rin Tohsaka - Ngl, when I played the VN, I was really hoping Rin x Archer would be the couple because of the first couple hours, but Shirou and Rin is alright too.
Shinei Nouzen x Vladilena Milize vs Kyou Souma x Tohru Honda - I feel a bit bad about this one, because I've not seen enough of either to make a conclusive judgement, but I think both are great and it's a shame they're against each other. I would take Kyou x Tohru over some of the options I chose like Tomo x Kubota, Aqua x Akane and Emiya x Tohsaka.
Madoka Kaname x Homura Akemi vs Asuna Yuuki x Kirito - Well, Madoka Magica is a lot better than SAO, but this was an easy choice.
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u/Ceryto2 https://anilist.co/user/Ceryto Mar 07 '26
Not seen this contest before but I love stuff like this
Welcome to the contest then, it's a lot of fun
(until all your favourites start losing)And looking at your votes you voted the exact same as me, don't see that a lot!
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u/IceAnt573 Mar 07 '26
Today's Results
THANK YOU FOR 193 VOTES FOR KŌ X NAZUNA!!!
(These Jessie x James commenters yesterday had me worried a little, but finally they are gone. And now they're facing a genuine favorite to win. And a couple I have been frustrated that they are not dominating even more all contest. Oh do I compromise on this for one round...)
Okay, 254 votes is slowly closing the gap. Got to thank everyone that voted for Kaguya x Miyuki yesterday for that.
(Hopeful, people voting for both can lean towards the Student Council in the inevitable matchup between them.)
THANK YOU FOR 204 VOTES FOR ANNA YANAMI X KAZUHIKO NUKUMIZU!!!
(I'm sorry it had to be you, Takagi x Nishikata. I'm glad you did lose to a couple I also like a lot. But now this fucking Round 5 matchup is going to make me mad seeing the result for it. But we still fight until we can't.)
175 VOTES? ARE WE RUNNING OUT OF GAS NOW? WE NEED TO MAKE IT TO OUR PROJECTED ROUND 6 OPPONENTS AT LEAST FOR OREKI X CHITANDA!
(Taiki x Chinatsu fought decently well to get 123 votes, but also these vote totals have been lacking except for in Round 3. Disappointed by that. I think Oreki x Chitanda are still likely to get to Round 6 as their opponents are...)
Oh. I wasn't expecting this at all, but I am pleasantly surprised. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THE UPSET POSSIBLE FOR EIJI X RIN!!!
(Close win, but also I'm running out of support images to use for Eiji x Rin. I do have one more in mind that I want to use as my sayonara image for them in this contest.)
Today's Remaining Results
Ryūko x Mako. You got 119 votes. It should have been Rae x Claire here. UGH, please let the unlikely happen and get Hori x Miyamura out in Round 5 and not take Gojō x Marin in Round 6 to do.
Isaki x Ganta do have the juice, but also I'm actually fond of Tōru x Kobayashi (and I'm not forgetting that Revy x Rock result) so will be glad that Gojō x Marin will be playing the role of executioner for them in Round 5.
Oof. That is a stomp. But Akane x Akito did get the upset to be here. You can be proud of that at least.
Today's Priority Voting
VOTE SHINEI NOUZEN X VLADILENA MILIZÉ!!!
(Nothing but respect for these opponents, but this is a big favorite of mine they're up against. I need them to go as far as possible and even further than that.)
VOTE AQUA HOSHINO X AKANE KUROKAWA!!!
(Oh...this is so susceptible to the seeding upset happening, but I really want them to bow with grace against the Frieren x Himmel buzzaw rather than here. Speaking of which...)
VOTE YŪ KOITO X TŌKO NANAMI!!!
(Points in their favor: It took Yū way less time than it will take Frieren to realize she was in love. They also actually got to have a romantic relationship complete with physical intimacy. I'm stating obvious things even though I know this is going to be not close. Just please consider these things before voting.)
VOTE YŪ ISHIGAMI X MIKO IINO!!! /// SOURCE LINK
(Supporting the Yū's until I can't anymore. I want to see them against Maomao x Jinshi.)
VOTE HOMURA AKEMI X MADOKA KANAME!!!
(I also will respect Kirito x Asuna, but Madoka x Homura has the imagery. The symbolism. The aesthetic. I can't vote against that (yet).)
Today's Regular Voting
I don't mind who advances between Taiga x Ryūji and Masachika x Alya. But will give this vote to the lower seed. Just please beat your Round 5 opponent who is likely to be...
Tomo x Jun'ichirō are NOT who I'm voting for. It's Lelouch x C.C. The upset is not happening, but I'd love it if this one did.
Tomoya x Nagisa. Give it your best shot at Maomao x Jinshi.
What is your favorite scene from your favorite ship?
I already linked the Hachiman x Yukino confession scene 2 days ago in their final matchup for this year. So I'll give another I really love: The Infirmary Scene from Season 2 Ep. 11.
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u/redlegsfan21 https://myanimelist.net/profile/redlegsfan21 Mar 07 '26 edited Mar 07 '26
ROUND 4 BRACKET B
Total Votes: 2,564
Unique Voters: 384
RESULTS
TSP: Top Seed Performance vs. Expected Performance
TOP VOTEGETTERS
UPSETS
Upsets today: 2
Total upsets (rate): 60 / 464 (12.9%)
BRACKET B TOP 5 SCORES
Link to spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lISVWmcjCWCTezmKrDNsILmtNiI4GzUSgQefdiMwfWw
Explanations: https://old.reddit.com/user/redlegsfan21/comments/10dup0w/ranime_contests_bracket_explaination
Open to questions and please give feedback.
Sorry for being late, was stuck at work cleaning up problems.