RJ Writing Ink

Favorite Couples (or Ships) in Animation

I haven’t been on this Earth for long, but I’ve been here long enough to appreciate the art of shipping. There’s just something so appealing about figuring out which characters in a work of fiction should be a couple. It’s also fun to watch the shipping wars rage. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d celebrate by looking back at some of the great romances I’ve witnessed over the years. Thus, here are my favorite ships in animation.

Gray Fullbuster & Juvia Lockser (Fairy Tail)

This ship is as hilarious as it is heartwarming. On one side, we have the ice wizard of Fairy Tail that can’t seem to stop walking around in his underwear. On the other, we have the water wizard who fell for Grey at first sight and joined the Fairy Tail Guild just to be with him. Grey was… less than enthusiastic about that.

This ship works for me for three reasons. Firstly, their respective ice and water magic complements each other perfectly, making them a nigh unbeatable team in battle. Secondly, see Juvia’s over the top acts displays of affection towards Grey are always hilarious to watch. Finally, despite Grey being a tsundere about it, he can’t deny that the two have chemistry together. By the end of the series, it’s all but confirmed that the two are a couple.

Kirito and Asuna (Sword Art Online)

That’s right, I’m a fan of this ship. Bite me. The reason that this ship is on my list is because, in my eyes, Kirito and Asuna represent how devoted a person can be to the ones they love. They will fight back to back in a video game or in real life, and should anyone be dumb enough to try to separate them, they’ll stop at nothing to reunite. In Season One, we saw Kirito fight his way through an entire MMO to rescue Asuna from imprisonment. Meanwhile, the recent Alicization Arc has seen Asuna take on a branch of the Japanese Government to track down a comatose Kirito, then dive into the midst of a VR war to locate him. Bottom line, don’t mess with either of them, or you should say your prayers.

Krillin and Android 18 (Dragon Ball Z Abridged)

I was already happy at the fact that Krillin found love with Android 18. However, Team Four Star managed to give the abridged version of these two characters an even better relationship than they do in the canon. Whereas she’s more aloof about her feelings to her future husband in the canon, here it’s made clear to all that 18 is as into Krillin as he is into her. As a result, this makes for their eventual coming together in the end all the more satisfying to watch. That, and their relationship also brought Dragon Ball Z Abridged to a satisfying conclusion.

Robin and Starfire (Teen Titans)

Best superhero ship ever, period. Like in the comic books the show’s based on, Robin and Starfire begin to fall for each other during the Teen Titans run. The romance between these two teen superheroes remains one of the show’s longest running subplots, with several episodes even dedicated towards their deepening relationship. The fact that both of them get crazy with jealousy when someone flirts with them only shows how much they love each other. Thankfully, fans of this ship got what they wanted, as the series finale movie firmly cemented their status as a couple. Hopefully, they end up better than their comic book versions.

Star and Marco (Star vs. The Forces of Evil)

Considering how I wrote an entire post about this, I don’t think I need to explain myself further.

But all these pale in comparison to my original favorite ship of all time.

Aang and Katara (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

My original OG pairing from my favorite cartoon growing up. From the moment they meet, it’s clear that Aang and Katara have an incredibly powerful bond that only strengthens as time goes on. Over the course of the series, these two friends become each other’s biggest supporters and closest confidants in the main group of heroes. Katara sees the potential in Aang to do great things and has faith in him even when he himself doesn’t. At the same time, she also recognizes that he’s still a boy who’s being thrust into a role that most grown-ups wouldn’t be prepared for, and serves as his emotional support. Conversely, Aang encourages Katara to follow her own dreams of becoming a master Waterbender, and will fly into a rage if anyone tries to harm her.

I didn’t start out shipping Aang and Katara as a couple. However, once I realized that Aang had a crush on her, I wholeheartedly supported this ship and its milestones. Suffice to say, the fact that the show ends with them sharing a passionate kiss remains one of the most satisfying moments of my life. That satisfaction’s only increased when follow-up material reveals the two got married and raised a family before Aang died of natural causes. Kataang for life.

Before I leave, I wanted to show off this new piece of fanart that I had commissioned for Valentine’s Day, courtesy of Andychipps on Instagram. This recreates a very romantic scene from one of my favorite fanfics, Star the Monster Princess. Enjoy!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Click here to read last year’s review of my favorite Valentine’s Day Special.

Star vs. The Forces of Evil, “Cleaved” Series Finale Review

After four years of fun and weirdness, it’s over. Star vs. The Forces of Evil, one of the best cartoons of the decade, has ended its run on TV. Unless Daron Nefcy decides to make a movie, but more on that later.

I mentioned this in my review of the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones that I was now looking forward to the finale to Star more than Game of Thrones. After watching the finale on DisneyNow an hour before it ever came on TV, I think I was right to do so. I cannot remember the last time the finale to a cartoon has made me cry so much!

A Fateful Decision

After being backed into a corner by Mina’s army of Solarian warriors, Star realizes that there’s only one choice she can make to save Mewni from being destroyed: she has to destroy magic itself.

While I fear that her decision could have far-reaching consequences, it shows how much she’s grown. Whereas the hyperactive cuckoolander we first met would have balked at this plan, Star’s grown wise enough to realize that the level of power magic gives is too dangerous. Even Hekapoo supports her decision, even knowing that she, Glossaryck and the rest of the Commission will die.

And she won’t do it alone. Marco joins her for the most important mission of their lives as they head towards their destiny.

In a rather clever turn of events, the finale also shows us the real reason why Glossaryck eats pudding so much: it helps people keep their minds in the Realm of Magic. That is genius! But Star’s plan isn’t as simple as she hoped. Try though she might to use the Whispering Spell to destroy the magic, there’s just too much of it.

Meanwhile, Marco tries to fight off the corrupted Unicorns and a corrupted Tom using his karate and the wand. Yes, he’s using the Royal Wand again, which is a cool concept. Sadly, it doesn’t really do anything, as Marco’s not as good at magic as Star is. Luckily, he snaps Tom back to normal despite getting hurt pretty bad.

Our Powers Combined

At that moment, Eclipsa, Moon, and Meteora all show up after deciding that Star was right. And then the past wielders of the Wand show up and help. It may be a little fanservice-y, but it was a nice touch to see the past Butterflys show their support. Even Solaria, the one who created Mina, helps her daugther, and looks at her granddaughter with pride. When Mina tries to interfere, Solaria looks at her in disgust and shame.

“With or Without Magic…We Belong Together”

Together, they manage to destroy the magic, and the realm begins to crumble. Tragically, when Marco asks how he and Star plan to see each other, he realizes that they can’t. Star tries going back to Mewni, but the idea of a life without Marco is something she can’t deal with. She chooses to leave her home behind to be with her best friend and true love.

Turns out, Marco had the same idea, and both of them remain stranded as the Realm of Magic crumbles around them. They don’t care, though. Magic may have brought them together, but with or without it, they know their place in the universe is with each other.

A World Without Magic

And in one final flash of light, it’s over. Magic is gone from the universe, with the Magic High Commission and Glossaryck along with it. Marco, Jelly, and that eagle guy are sent back to their worlds. But without magic, the Solarian warriors return to normal, and Mina’s victims will live.

Even Mina survives, and despite Moon trying one last time to help her, she refuses her help and runs into the woods. I don’t feel bad for her: even after seeing Solaria disapprove of her actions, she won’t let her racist views go.

One Last Spell

The age of magic is over, but just as it looks like Star and Marco will be separated forever, one last act of magic plays out. I don’t know if it was because the Realm of Magic was responding to their statement that, magic or no, they belong together. Or maybe it was that old trope of “magic being born from love” being in play; or both. Whatever the reason, a portal appears on Earth and Mewni, and Star and Marco rush to it as fast they can, only for it to explode.

Two Friends, One World

When the dust settles, something truly amazing has happened. The last bit of magic cleaved Earth, Mewni, and possibly every other dimension into one. Where there was once many worlds, there’s now one incredible one.

None of that matters to Star and Marco, though. The only thing that does matter is the sight of each other right in front of them. Against all odds, they found a way to always be together. The two lovers walk up to each other, too overjoyed to say more than a “hey” and “hi”.

And as the credits roll and pan out to the otherworldly sky that makes up their one world, they probably leapt in each other’s arms, laughed and cried, and then kissed like it was no tomorrow.

Can’t Stop Crying

Everytime I try and watch those last few seconds, my eyes won’t stop tearing up. It’s just so beautfiul. The incredible background, and the joyful music make me start tearing up from happiness . If you read my post on Star and Marco’s relationship, then you’ll know that I think that Star and Marco’s friendship has been a central part of it. They have one of the strongest relationships that I have seen in fiction; their love was strong enough to cleave their two world’s together into one.

When I saw that “Cleaved” was only going to be half an hour, I was worried that it would end being a rushed ending like the final season of Samurai Jack. But I was wrong. While it was the final episode, it was part of nine-episode arc that, in a way, could be considered a movie finale. Some fans consider it to be rushed, and while I wish the fight in the Realm of Magic went on longer, I disagree as a whole. “Cleaved” left me feeling emotionally satisfied with the ending, and it managed to come back to the core aspect of the show: Star and Marco.

This Isn’t the End

But for those not satisified with the finale, something tells me this isn’t the last we’ll see of Star vs. The Forces of Evil. Magic may be gone, but now Star and Marco have a whole new world to live in, and new problems to face as Earth and Mewni learn to live together. There’s plenty of potential for a sequel in the form of comics, a movie, or another TV show! Daron Nefcy has even said that she’d be happy to come back to Star and Marco in the future, so there’s still hope.

In short, I loved the finale. It managed to wrap up the final arc of the show, ensured that our heroes got their happy ending, and was open-ended enough to allow for more adventures to be told. This may be goodbye for now, but I doubt we’ve seen the last of Star and Marco.

I give “Cleaved” A 5/5. Incredible ending to one of the best cartoons of the decade.

Click here to read my review of the final episode of Game of Thrones