Ooh, what a fun ask!

Well, my all time favorite ship is Hiei and Kurama. Then there’s the tragic and beautiful love story of Genkai and Toguro. Finally, Keiko and Yusuke. More in depth answers under the cut!

Working backwards, I love the way Keiko interacts with Yusuke. Most shonen girlfriends are either all nagging or all damsel in distress. Keiko is neither.

My favorite moments, I have four: 

1, when she tells Yusuke she might have a boyfriend when he comes back, and he does that dumb crab walk. He knows he’s risking losing her, but he must go. And she knows it, too. She’s showing her agency, and her understanding, in this scene. She won’t make him stay, but she doesn’t promise to wait. 

2, During the fire, when Yusuke’s comatose body is in danger of being burnt, in the English dub she cries “Agh! You cowards!” as grown men try to hold her back from going inside. She’s a 14 year old girl, who douses herself in water, then rushes in to save her friend’s life. She damn near carries the boy out. She uses her hands to put out the fire that spreading on him. She is one of the bravest characters, and her bravery often comes out when Yusuke needs her the most.

3, During Chuu and Yusuke’s fight, Keiko said that she understands Yusuke has to fight, that this is where he belongs, that he looks happy and right where he was. It shows great understanding and bravery from a very young girl who was suddenly thrust into all this without warning.

4, when everyone else was asking who the rocker with the long hair was, Keiko knew him immediately and jumped forward to hug him.

Point is, she grounds Yusuke. Yusuke feels left out of society, feels neglected, and like he doesn’t belong. She makes him belong. And she might feel left behind, abandoned, but Yusuke never abandons her for long. Even after all that’s happened, he doesn’t find himself some cool demon chick – he comes back to Keiko, the girl who was his friend and stuck by him no matter what.

I just think they’re the best shonen couple.

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Next, Toguro and Genkai. We don’t get to see them interact too much, but the few interactions they do have are wonderfully written. My favorite part of their relationship, is that there are “ex becomes evil” tropes all over fiction. But rarely do these relationships get so bad, and yet still come back. I don’t mean they get back together – that might be too cheesy, if not done correctly. I mean that they forgive each other. 

Which is why, my all time favorite scene for those two is this: (and yes, I cry every goddamn time)

Every piece of this conversation is gold. Genkai beautifully summarizes not just the story of how Toguro became a demon, but without having spoken a normal word to him for all those decades, she just knows the pain he was in. “You trapped yourself in a body you hate”/ “Haven’t you punished yourself enough?” And when Toguro tries to say he enjoyed doing all that he did, she screams; “LIAR!”

I think understanding is the biggest factor in a good relationship. Every human being wishes to be understood. Genkai understands Toguro, understands his pain and how he attempts to hide it, without him having to say a word. Once he sees that she is not buying his bullshit, he drops the act. He becomes honest with her. And we get some beautiful quotes…

Toguro not only acknowledges his mistakes to Genkai, not only apologizes for what he did, but he acknowledges that it is time for Genkai to move on from this story, and set her eyes on Yusuke. He knows that boy is the most important thing to her now. 

Genkai realizes what he’s doing here; he’s giving her advice, shutting this chapter for good, letting her move on. He is letting her go, and telling her she should let him go, too. As far as saying goodbye, this is the most beautiful way of doing it…

And of course, the idea that both of them wish they had a different life. They can see Yusuke as their son, and honestly, I think if they did have one, he’d be just like Yusuke, too. 

Then finally, Genkai’s parting words… “Don’t ever feel regret for the things between us.” It’s such a beautiful, simple way of saying “I forgive you.” Everything that happened, all the pain and suffering; don’t forget it, but don’t linger on it. Genkai has always been very practical, and this piece of sentimentality might seem out of place, but it’s not. She’s the kind of person who accepts undeniable truths. She knows the past won’t change. And she knows that, without Toguro, she’d never meet Yusuke. It’s just… I cry, every goddamn time. 

And now for the biggest goddamn tear-jerker to ever goddamn exist.

That shock in her eyes; the realization that the man she loved is still there… and she lets him go. I wouldn’t be able to do that. 

… And a classic Genkai closer, calling someone an idiot… while showing just how much she loves them.

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And last, my only technically non-canon ship, lol

Kurama and Hiei

Since they’re not canon, it’s a bit harder to analyze their relationship; it’s all speculation and interpretation.

First thing I could say about them is that they’re always together, shot together, arranged fighting together, etc. Like

geez guys

We get it

 you’re besties.

But I’m not here to prove validity of my ship, but to say why I love it.

So, some favorite scenes that make me love these two as a couple.

First one is pretty light:

It’s during this scene when they’re arguing, and Hiei mentions that he just might escape and let them all die. Kurama’s “Hiei, don’t you even consider it” cracks me up each and every time. The fact that, so early on, Kurama’s relationship with this little murder hobo is so strong that not only can he make demands of him, but also looks a little… hurt? betrayed? by the idea that Hiei might leave him. I don’t know, this scene is literally what first made me ship them when I watched the show for the first time.

See, unlike the first two couples, the things that make me love these two are the small moments. Keiko and Yusuke are young teens, not really dating yet. Genkai and Toguro have this crazy, long ass drama going on. 

But Kurama and Hiei? They’re just so comfortable together. Like a couple that’s been together for a long time, they exist next to each other, know when the other needs help, get excited for each other, and can do things that other people simply can’t. 

Case in point:

This scene gets me every time. HIei is such a jerk, doesn’t want anyone to touch him, doesn’t even want to be there. And Kurama, instead of trying to appease him or argue, is just so done with his bullshit. He doesn’t even say a word, just plops the damn thing on him like whatever. Who can touch Hiei so casually? No one, No ONe! The way they speak to each other just screams that they’ve been at the very least, very good friends for a long time. In every interaction they have, they’re so intimate, teasing, analyzing each other. Ugh, I just love it. 

And following what I said earlier, understanding being the key to a good relationship, these two just freakin’ scream understanding. When Hiei fights one of the Saint Beasts, it’s Kurama who freakin gives us a whole character analysis of Hiei. When Kurama first fights, Hiei flat out goddamn praises him as if he was his biggest fan, explaining how he fights and how he thinks. They just know each other so well. They don’t even need to use words to communicate half the goddamn time.

And lastly, one of my favorite scenes is actually one that doesn’t even have them interacting at all.

It’s this goddamn moment:

Hiei’s all huffy, like, “I’ll fight anyone” and Mukuro freakin’ looks at Kurama, and asks “anyone?” and she has this smirk on her face, and also, why are they so close to each other?? Like, it’s a big stadium. Kurama either found the one empty seat where these two hang out, or Hiei decided to go where Kurama was sitting. Also, Mukuro is just… she’s just staring at Kurama even in this screenshot. SHe KNOWS she KNOWS! When Hiei says he’ll fight anyone, you’d think she would ask if he’d fight her, or maybe she’d look at Yusuke, or maybe a shot of a bunch of Hiei’s friends. BU T NO SHE JUIST FINDS KURAMA SITTIN SI CLOSE BY AND STARES AT HIM SMIRKING

SHE KNOWS SOMETHING SHE DOES

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Ok I’m done thanks for askin and thanks for reading hope you enjoyed this devolving from character analysis to goddamn rabid fangirling.

– Mod Lola