#altho then again i believe some people truly believe others will get baited

[houkagokappa]

There are few things I hate more than when an anime gets condensed into whether or not it’s yuribait. I was looking up comments on the upcoming Hibike! Euphonium projects and so many of them focused on the series ending up a failure somehow because it was just bait, or that those who shipped KumiRei must be mad because their ship sunk (and these commenters found joy in it because shippers are delusional).

First of all, these commenters don’t understand shipping at all. Shipping is about fun or interesting what-if’s, not collecting proof of what must happen. It’s supposed to be lighthearted and not that serious. It can be brainrot inducing, but there’s a degree of separation between what’s canon or a headcanon and things you simply dream of seeing without believing or demanding that they’ll happen in the series itself. And yes, representation is important too, but it’s separate to shipping, especially depending on the series and what sort of realistic expectations you can have for it.

Second, those who mock shippers for reading into things too much tend to be very quick with their own assumptions. You can’t presume that a character is straight just because they haven’t shown signs of being gay. If they’re “too young to know” it extends to ALL identities, including heterosexuality. Sexuality can be fluid and there’s a lot more to it than two opposites - bisexuality or asexuality are almost always conveniently forgotten as other possibilities, along with all other romantic and sexual identities. Not to mention how difficult it can be to realize your own sexuality and be open about it thanks to heteronormativity and societal pressure to fit in.

It’s such a shame when the canon status of a ship seems to be the only thing some people get out of a series or think is what others watch or read it for. Of course it’s fine to watch or read something for a ship and it’s not like I haven’t done it myself, but when you equate the value of something to whether or not a ship in the series becomes canon it’s quite sad and disrespectful towards the creators and fans. I love Hibike for its portrayal of finding a passion, working hard towards a goal and all the complex feelings that come with it. Kumiko’s extremely relatable for me and it’s interesting how untypical she is as a protagonist. Her relationship (as it’s shown) to Reina is important to me, but it’s more of an additional treat than the sole purpose for my love towards the series.

I do read their relationship and their feelings towards each other having a romantic undertone. I don’t think it’s far-fetched or impossible even when they’ve shown interest towards male characters. You can love multiple people and you can love them simultaneously in different ways. I don’t need to see them enter a romantic relationship for their feelings or this reading of them to be valid and true, or for me to find enjoyment and meaning from it. It’s sad that those who claim it’s bait can’t comprehend that queer readings are possible even without explicit hand-holding* confessions** kisses and sex (whether it’s a more serious interpretation or just for some fun shipping) and that some yuri fans can’t be happy with what we got, but demand more from a series that never intended to cater to those demands. There are plenty of yuri works to watch and read for those explicit moments, and there are plenty of other things to love about the series in addition to the relationships.

*no wait they’ve done this **they’ve done this too