There’s this weird uptick (mainly on Twitter and Insta) of SanPu shippers going after SanjixViola posts saying “it’s not happening, Sanji is ending up with Pudding, deal with it!” or “no one ships it in Japan!” or “you only prefer it cuz of the ages!”, etc. (I even saw one “analysis” claim Pudding’s feelings are realer than Viola’s bc she cried when he left unlike her… context doesn’t matter I guess). Going after SaNa makes sense since it’s popular, but Sanvio’s a rarepair! Why they so pressed?
Sanji x Viola: More Than a Rarepair
It’s funny that to prove the ‘canonicity’ of SanPu people have to devalue Viola, even though her story and relationship with Sanji are on a much deeper level.
Unlike Pudding, who toyed with his feelings and enjoyed humiliating him (remember her sadism at the wedding), Viola never showed sadism toward Sanji even while under Doflamingo’s control. It hurt her to see him beaten, to see him threatened with death — and that was before she even knew his true nature.
Viola herself is a victim of long-term abuse: since her teenage years Doflamingo kept her as a pawn, using her both morally and physically. He ravaged her kingdom, exiled her family, erased her father’s memory, and forced her niece into endless battles in the Colosseum. Years of gaslighting and violence made her despise men — she only saw lust and brutality in them (and no surprise, since in canon Doflamingo raped her).
And then Sanji appears. He is the first man to show her nobility, selflessness, and genuine care. What’s more — she didn’t turn away from him even after witnessing his ‘weaker’ sides. Sanji became for her the proof that there are men who can be trusted.
He inspired her to lift her head after years of submission and fear. It was only after their meeting that Viola, for the first time in her life, decided to stand up against Doflamingo, risking her life for herself, for Sanji, for his crew, and for the whole of Dressrosa.
So yes, for some SanVio is just a ‘rare ship,’ but its foundation is far healthier and stronger than Pudding’s ‘comedy of sadism.’ Canon will show whatever it shows, but in terms of fandom feelings, what matters is how characters affect each other. And in that regard, Viola and Sanji’s bond is one of the most genuine he’s ever had.
