I think I can answer your questions, having been involved in both the JP and Western fandoms for over 12 years. During this time, I've gathered valuable insights about the KojiKen (Hyuga × Wakashimazu) and KenKoji (Wakashimazu × Hyuga) camps.
The explanation will be somewhat extensive, so brace yourself!
Firstly, it's crucial to acknowledge the significant impact these two couples had on the yaoi and BL genres. They experienced a peak in popularity in the early '80s, laying the foundation for modern gay shipping in manga and anime, primarily catering to a female audience. A fierce rivalry emerged, with Japanese shippers from both factions engaging in debates during events like Comiket, vying for which couple best aligned with the original work and characterizations.
"I cannot understand the reason for so many fights..Could it be because of the different representations of the ship ?"
You've touched upon a critical point that largely explains the discord between the two shipper groups!
As you've noticed, there are glaring differences in character portrayals based on the producing fanworks group. The designation of one character as the seme or uke alters everything – from physical appearance to personality and, of course, the dynamics of the relationship. Western shippers tend to be less rigid in assigning top and bottom roles to characters, unlike Japanese and other East Asian populations, where these roles are considered standard in fictional couples.
Returning to Japanese fans, they are predominantly divided into two groups due to opposing views on Hyuga and Wakashimazu, fostering deep disagreement and rivalry. Of course, there are individuals who appreciate both ships, and more power to them – they've hit the jackpot!
Your sentence (quoted above) references a single ship, but in reality, KojiKen and KenKoji are so distinct that it would be more accurate to speak of two ships, despite utilizing the same characters.
I want to emphasize that shippers from both groups may find common ground, as opinions within each group vary, and vice versa; disagreements exist within the same group. For instance, I exclusively ship KojiKen, yet I don't agree with certain representations of the couple and characters, especially those made by young Western/non-Japanese shippers.
Regarding the conflict, I would say it has become almost obsolete compared to the '80s and '90s. Time has passed since the creation of KojiKen and KenKoji, and many shippers moved on and gained perspective. The Japanese shipping fandom, primarily composed of women in their forties to sixties, has matured significantly, avoiding futile disputes. Additionally, people can filter content they don't want to see and block/mute users on social media, contributing to a decrease in ship wars. Generally, the Japanese are polite, respectful, and tend to avoid conflicts, unlike some overseas fans who may become vindictive over trivial matters.
Personally, although I detest conflicts and try to stay out of ship wars, I remain straightforward when interacting with the non-JP fandom. Some individuals struggle to comprehend my stance of exclusively loving KojiKen and not tolerating its reverse ship, leading to misunderstandings, as happened a few months ago with a KenKoji shipper who took offense when I blocked them to avoid seeing fanworks related to that pairing, even though I had nothing against the user.
In any case, I've been part of various fandoms and enjoy several pairings, but I've never encountered such rivalry and animosity as with KojiKen and KenKoji. These two couples evoke extremely polarized and passionate opinions. To illustrate how divisive they are, if you gather all those who ship Hyuga and Wakashimazu, based on my observations, roughly 50% ship KojiKen and 50% ship KenKoji. I've never seen anything like it!
I mentioned earlier that the conflicts are not as intense as before, but shippers, regardless of their side, remain just as passionate about their opinions as in the '80s.
(I'll stop here before I end up writing a thesis, haha)
The conflicts between the factions stem from their completely opposite interpretations of the characters and their relationship, leading to a lack of consensus.
The drastic changes in character aspects based on shippers are partly due to the seme/uke dynamic and, once again, fan interpretation, irrespective of the shipper group.
That's it! I hope I've more or less addressed your questions. If you have any more, I'd be delighted to answer. Wishing you a wonderful experience and adventure in this fandom and its subfandoms. 😉
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