Forgive me if you’ve been asked before, but you ship a bit of selfcest for Sayaka which makes me curious. How do you see romantic relationships for Sayaka?
I wonder about your thoughts with her being with anyone in the school or if you have any types of opinions on things that would be her type in a person?
Okay. I’ve been trying to figure out how to write all this out forever, so I really hope this is somewhat coherent and gives you what you wanted to know.!! There’s a lot too sorryytyryy
There are a lot of Sayaka ships that I love to explore, and I could go into all of those for different reasons (and like the Sayakacest stuff is its own whole huuuge thing I can totally get into if anyone is interested ..), but following the closest to canon?? I think what Sayaka wants is someone who obviously supports her as an idol, but also gives her space to be a normal teenage girl. I think normalcy is something she, at times, deeply yearns for. I think she’d also want someone who sees her as an equal.
With Sayaka, being an idol and the world surrounding it is something she deeply cherishes, but she wants to be seen as a person to those around her. Not completely separate from who she is when she’s on stage performing, but as a classmate and friend to those close to her. The way she talks about it almost feels like it’s an escape from the cruelties of the idol world as well. Throughout Danganronpa, the Ultimate Talent Development Plan, and Ultimate Summer Camp, there are many events where Sayaka just gets to like, hang out with her friends and will say stuff like “It's fun spending time with you like this as normal students,” or there are multiple times where she’s said something along the lines of “I’ve never really gotten to do this before” when being asked if she just wants to do nothing, so I think being with someone who opens up a space for her to experience being a teenager, getting to do nothing and hang out with her friends at school, is really important. I think she deeply values friendship and connections in general
I think the person I can most see her actually being with in the school is Makoto. I know that Danganronpa really pushes them as a couple and some people don’t really fw it, but I think a lot of people really underestimate how deep their connection goes and how much there is to them! I think the two of them really compliment each other and at points were kind of written around each other. I don’t think a relationship with Sayaka will come without any hardships, but that’s what makes shipping interesting! Especially with her . I think there’s idolization on both sides with those two, but during Hope’s peak where they are finally able to form a relationship there’s this like. Equal ground between them that they’re able to give each other and finally explore. Makoto creates a space where Sayaka can experience the normalcy she wants, doesn’t pressure her, says that they can just do Nothing when they hang out, and Sayaka is someone who reassures Makoto that he isn’t inferior to the ultimates and that he’s just as capable, if not more, of so much (there’s a really great example of this in UTDP when they interact in the music venue).
I think that how ordinary Makoto is just really compliments Sayaka and her feelings/wants, if that makes sense !!! Because it’s such a point in the game that he’s just an average ass guy he isn’t even necessarily Trying to be Super Normal he’s just Like That lol. Stupid guy I love him. Makoto also Wants to listen to Sayaka’s troubles. He wants to See her and Know her and Understand her, even the darkest parts of her. And I think that’s just so important to Sayaka as well!!! She’s someone who, when you see it, is really anxious about people’s perception of her, doesn’t want to give people a reason to dislike her, but whenever she talks about the cruelties of the idol world there’s almost this relief in it, until she realizes what she’s doing and closes up.
I’m trying so hard to keep the focus on Sayaka here and her feelings and struggles, so there’s honestly a bit of stuff in leaving out cause it just strays more into me talking about Naezono and their complexities, but I think shipping is also a great way to study a singular character. It’s difficult idk so I hope the Naezono stuff more comes off as me explaining parts of Sayaka while using Naezono as a vessel to explain what I’m thinking for her. I can truly see Sayaka getting along with and developing relationships with like. Any of the cast really. She has such great chemistry with everyone and she’s just so open to conversation and hearing people, seeing their perspectives on things while also holding to her own.
So. Jeez. I really hope I answered this question okay and that you actually got like answers to what you were asking 😭 I over complicate things in my head a lot, but please do feel free to ask more lol. I will always love talking about her any chance I get
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