#whyiship

I would complain to my friends about how such an “AwFuL” and “ToXIc” ship like BkDk could exist. I always thought Bk was too selfish and arrogant to ever love someone

then… Dk vs Bk 2 and the clean-up scene

it was the first time (besides in the beginning of the series) where we see Bk really cry and allow himself moments of vulnerability. And, to top it all off, he does so in front of Dk only. Even though at this point in the story Dk and Bk aren’t even proper rivals, something about this moment of honesty and softness from Bk 100% hit a cord.

And then again, with the clean-up scene where Dk asks about his new move. Bk, once again, displays honesty and true integrity by answering Dk’s question as best as he can.

I vividly remember being so confused and bewildered by this point in the story. I think the biggest reason people have a tendency to hate on BkDk is because of the stigma that comes with Bk’s (somewhat) controversial character growth. For example; I used to adamantly believe Bk was just an annoyingly rude guy who would only serve as the ammunition for a weird rivalry trope with the main character. But, it’s so much more than that. Bk feels a little too real and fleshed out, if I’m being honest. He defies stereotypes by acting and saying things people would never expect from the angsty deuteragonist character. And as we see later in the series, his biggest act of rebelling against normalcy is his love for Dk. Dk vs Bk 2 was the catalyst for everything that’s going on presently in the manga, imo. It was the dam that broke and opened the flood gates for character growth and development. It showed us that even a ‘heartless’ guy like Bk could feel pain, fear, and vulnerability. It not only showed to us but to Dk as well that Bk wasn’t perfect— he wasn’t untouchable. It showed us that Bk was really just a human.

As you might know, the ship Ereri is the term of when someone likes the thought of Eren Jaeger and Levi Ackerman being in a relationship. These characters are from the anime Attack on Titan. I ship Ereri, but I must admit that a lot of the content surrounding this fan-based ship can be disturbing. I don't like that since it puts all the Ereri-shippers in a bad light. 

I have seen a couple of comments all over the internet. Let's be serious, it's not just a little. Some of these comments hurt, because some of my fellow Ereri-shippers respond in a way that puts the rest in a bad light.

“Ereri is hinting that you are okay with pedophilia” I understand where this claim comes from, though I do not agree. I ship Ereri, even though I doubt it would ever happen. The part of the Ereri I ship is the feelings involved, not the sexual part (since I identify as a Grey-asexual but that is irrelevant). I personally like the fanfics/art where the erotic part isn't the focus of it all, but rather as an extra to show the love already established. Some might point a finger at me and say that I am then okay with pedophilia, but no, I am not. 

It is like claiming that someone who likes crime books wants to do what they are reading. Or that AoT fans secretly want to copy Eren´s actions and would be totally okay with genocide IRL. That is a claim made by people who only self-insert when they read or watch something and thus think everyone does it in their fanfiction.

Then the Eren from the canon story (the one that is 15 years old) is clearly not mentally old enough to be erotically with Levi. Or anyone really. At best, they could be a pair, but not much further than the romantic part. However, Eren in the fanfics, the ones the fan themselves created, are usually more mentally mature (and OC tbh). That is a major part of this. I ship the Ereri where they can understand what they are signing up for if they go erotic. I ship Ereri where there is love and no toxicity or grooming behavior, but rather two people who found someone they love.

Another thing I want to shed light on is to stop calling random online people “Pedophiles” that is thrown around without thinking. There are real pedophiles out there and it is not a word to be used lightly for several reasons. Do not use that word as an insult unless you have actual proof, the knowledge of what it means IRL, and a good reason other than to hate on someone's ship. Should go without saying but here we are. 

Finally. All ships (canon or not) have disturbing sides, some have 60% creepy fics and art, but one can not hate on a ship so brutally without thinking. I find several ships uncomfortable, but I at least do my research and indulge before setting a steadfast opinion. And I certainly try my best to not assume really bad things about people because of a fictional ship. Since that would be 1: hypocritical of me, and 2: narrow-minded.