the amazing OP pairing post

[xparrot]

So a while back I ranted about my issues with yaoi, and promised a OP rant another day. And since today was lousy for entirely other reasons, I figured that day has come - nice relaxing retreat into my favorite series, maybe see if I can get all of fandom turned against me...

My favorite One Piece pairing, as you likely already know, is no pairing whatsoever. One of the reasons I love the series so damn much is because it's all about love and friendship and not about romance at all. The closest you get to canon romance in the crew is Sanji...and that's with every vaguely attractive woman. And I love it that way.

Which doesn't stop me from collecting massive amounts of doujinshi, or hanging out on onepieceyaoi and onepieceyaoi100. I've found One Piece yaoi fans to be one of the coolest groups of fen ever--most of them fully admit it's not in the canon, a lot of them don't even want it to be there, they just enjoy playing with (hot, cute, silly) alternatives, and they're open to everyone and all pairings. I even started writing it myself.

But even now, I find I don't really enjoy the yaoi stories, despite there being no lack of talented authors. The art & djs are very nice (I've always been an art slut; my One True Pairing tendencies are casually swept aside for the sake of teh pretty) and the drabbles are much fun, but longer stories usually end up setting off my OOC allergies. Especially because this is OP, and it has some of the most difficult chars to write, because not only are they insane but they are so developed...I have issues with my own fic characterizations; it's even harder to manage when just giving the chars sex drives makes half of them OOC anyway.

But that isn't my major problem with OP pairing fic. The real issue I have is the same reason that I preferred gen Saiyuki stories even while I completely OTPed on 58 and 93, and why I had trouble with RGB slash even after I got into slash in general. The thing I love most about One Piece is the nakama theme. I adore all the crew (I've given up trying to choose a favorite character) and I love the way all the crew loves one another. Even if it's not romantic love, it's definitely love. "Ore-tachi wa Family" - true for all of them, with all the others. The problem I have with pairings is that in a pairing fic, one relationship becomes more significant, more special, and the others get shunted aside. It's worse in the djs - Usopp disappears for pages at a time (a couple djka even comment on this in sidenotes ^^;) But the fic do it, too. And while I enjoy Zoro & Sanji's snarking as much as the next fangirl, I soon miss everyone else tremendously.

(Yes, I'll confess now I'm as guilty of single-pair fixation as anyone in this fandom, and without even romance as an excuse. In my defense, 7 Deaths was never meant to be that long, and the only way I could get them to do what I wanted was to get them alone for a while, and also I'm a shameless hypocrite who writes what she wants to read at any given time and then craves something else immediately.)

So, that being said, what are my favorite OP pairings? The odd thing is that, given my initially anti-yaoi stance, and my love of all the chars, I've bypassed my usual OTP nature. (Unless you count minna x minna. Bring on the GM orgies!) If I'm gonna like one pairing, I'm gonna like all of them, apparently, though only in fandom. There's only one pairing I care for in canon itself, which would be Vivi/Kohza (well, and if I'm gonna be twisted, I wanna see Smoker/Tashigi. Please don't ask, I can't explain it.) So while I can totally see the Nami/Vivi, and it would be sweet...don't go for it, because Vivi's taken. Sorry. Like I said, I'm usually OTP.

I hesitate with all Nami pairings, really. It's not that I don't love Nami - she's one of my favorite anime chicks ever. Oda-sensei's got a gift for writing convincing, strong women. But one of the reasons I love her so much is that she's not there to be a romantic interest. Guy-girl platonic friendship has been one of my favorite things for forever; it's so terribly rare in fiction. That Nami is such close friends with all the guys is a beautiful thing. If you are going to pair her, Luffy/Nami can be extra-super-sugar, and Zoro/Nami could work. I don't like Sanji/Nami; I suspect that's partly because it's about the closest to canon there is, and I don't like the thought that any romance could enter the canon. Nami loves Sanji, but no more than any of the others, in spite of all he does for her. And I think Sanji's massively confused by her. Nami's the first girl with whom he's actually become friends; she also tells him exactly what she wants, and to Sanji, who is so desperate to make girls happy, that's a spectacular boon. This isn't to say I don't enjoy Sanji-Nami interaction, but my favorite moments are those rare times his attention is elsewhere, and they work together as friends. And Nami/Robin - I need to see more Robin. I suspect I'd like it. Robin is hot. ^^

So that leaves the yaoi. In which it's a free-for-all; I think by this point I've written most possible combinations...

Luffy - on the one hand, Luffy + sex breaks my brain. Love the boy, and he can be improbably hot, but...it's Luffy. If I can get over that, he can go with any of his crew - he loves all of them, they all love him, no problem. Except that's a problem all in itself. Frankly, if Luffy discovers sex, I only see two options. Either he won't like it (and I pity the foo' who tries to rape Luffy. Uke!Luffy dj aside, it would just be funny to see someone try; you don't win in a power struggle against the Pirate King ...unless you were drowning him...and I think I just broke the rest of my brain, so I'll stop there) Or he will like it...in which case he'll want to share it with all his beloved friends. I don't see Luffy understanding monogamy; I cannot see him ever putting any of his nakama above the others in any way.

Zoro - biggest problem with Zoro is that canonically he's got even less of a sex drive than Luffy. Rather than ignorance, it might be a deliberate choice in Zoro's case; that was one of the things he threw away with his life when he made that vow to Kuina. Which worries me a bit. Because if Zoro ever did find himself getting overly bothered by sexual frustration, to the point it was weakening him or distracting him from that goal...he might decide to, er, take measures. We're talking about a guy who saw no problems with chopping off his own legs here...
*cough* that being said, if you do grant Zoro a working sex drive, Zoro and Sanji is a natural. Of course shounen fighting = twoo wuv! Well, maybe not, but for all their arguing they are still nakama, and that kind of love-hate relationship is infinitely entertaining. They're also the two hottest crewmates - what? I can be shallow. Zoro/Usopp - doesn't exist, but I'd be curious to see it. It's one of the lesser explored dynamics even in the series itself, I'd say.

Sanji is easy to yaoi, as every fangirl in Japan knows. He's the only character who has a proven sex drive. More than enough to go around, in fact, and given that he's so hopeless with the ladies, one might assume that the only way he could be an actual partner in a relationship is with another guy. In addition to SanLu and ZoSan, Sanji/Usopp is cute because they are such good friends...they have about the most low-key relationship on the ship, but a lot of very sweet moments together. (actually enough to argue it's the most canonically supported yaoi, what with Usopp's hysterical sobs when he thinks Sanji's dead, and Sanji almost sacrificing his life to save Usopp's...)

Chopper? --no. And no, and no, because even if it's not beastiality, he's a kid. I think. He sounds young, anyway. Which brings me back to where I started - because I adore Chopper. I never thought I would, not like I fan on the rest of the crew, he's the cute animal mascot, for pity's sake - but he's as fully a nakama as any of them, and I'd love to read more with him. But since he's a relatively newer char, and not really decent pairing material, he's woefully unrepresented. (Such a shame, because Chopper & Usopp hurt/comfort is so damn much fun!)

A couple friends have asked me, why do I want to read gen fic, when the series itself gives all that I'm asking for? Which is a valid question - a lot of times, I crave fic because the series isn't providing enough of what I crave, but OP has nakama-ship in spades, and no fanfic could match what, say, the current arc is doing to me. I guess the only answer is that I'm greedy; I don't want better than the series, I just want more. It's only coming out a chapter a week! Not enough!

But I guess I'll have to make do with the pretty pairing pictures. (And stalking Croik, Quatrina, and those few other gen OP fic'ers out there...got any recs? Who wants to write nakama-fic and make me happy?)

Comments

[inu-neko.livejournal.com]

Nice rant, I agree with you in many places. ^_^
Although one of the main reasons I go for yaoi is because I can't stand the thought of Nami becoming a housewife sort of person. She is strongest woman evah! All she needs is money and mikan baybee~! >3
And I also agree that poor Usopp doesn't get nearly as much screen time as he deserves, which is why I pair him with Luffy to make the sugar sweet sub-pairing that gives me tooth-decay. ^__^
Chopper is the only one out of the Straw Hat crew that I refuse to pair with anyone. Just...not right. ^__^;; Poor Chopper, being half human and half reindeer, will he ever find his one true love? A human who ate a reindeer devil fruit maybe? o_O;;;
He's still cute tho, every one of them has my love. ^__^ Long live teh OP-nakama-ship! XD

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

See, that's one of the reasons I like Nami - because although she is a strong woman, she still relies on her nakama. Too often, 'independent' is interpreted as "doesn't need anybody". But while Nami doesn't need romance to be fulfilled, she does need the support of her friends to reach her dreams, the same as they all do. It doesn't make her weak, it makes her human...her absolute trust in all of them is wonderful.

You do great UsoLu, I'd never fault you for not giving Usopp his much-deserved props. ^^ But poor Chopper...all neglected 'cuz he can't be paired. He can still be cuddled, though! There's nothing romantic in snuggling a live teddy-bear-reindeer - I certainly would love to ^__^

[inu-neko.livejournal.com]

I'm just happy Nami isn't one of those girls doomed to play a minor roll as the "love interest". Thank you Oda!!

Chopper cuddling = teh cute. I love that ep. in Alabasta where Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, and Chopper are all snuggled up at night. ^__^ ...except it looked like Luffy was going to eat Chopper's hand. o_O;;

[lady-karasu.livejournal.com]

Very eloquent, as always. I agree with pretty much everything- the only reason I wandered into the yaoi for it was a greedy 'I need SOMETHING to READ' moment that sprung up about the time I realized I was well and truly hooked (or, as Kate puts it, when I realized 'one piece owns my soul') - I'm just lucky, OP has some REALLY GOOD writers, so I'm generally happy whatever the pairings may be. But Gen fics are still my favorite. ^_^ (Might I take this moment to thank you again, for your production of said fics...)

Btw... I LOVE that ICON. O_O

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

*laughs* Oda-sensei owns my soul, I acknowledged that some time ago. And yes, the need for fic helped drive me to yaoi as well, the good writers too. Just wish more of 'em would play on both sides of the tracks! *whine*

and thanks - I've recently become a major Usopp fangirl, so needed to prove it through iconage. Especially since I loved that page so much ^^

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

...er, did you just leave a comment on my OP post from way back when, and then delete it? ^^; I got an email alert and then the reply was gone...

[lady-karasu.livejournal.com]

oops.... sorry, my computer at work is jacked-up, didn't know it deleted that. I was asking if I could either link to- or transcript with credits the post you made some time back explaining one piece. Its the best description I've ever seen... and might actually help me get a few other people interested. ^_^ (No is fine, I was just curious)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

ahh, flattery will get you everywhere! ^^ You're welcome to link or transcribe it, just please put credits linking to my lj if you do the latter. anything to win more converts! ^__^

[ginnyseta.livejournal.com]

I don't know what to say, except your view on things is interesting! I can totally understand where you're coming from. I also think your characterizations are very true as well. I, personally, am just too much of a romance whore to not gobble up every story and doujin I can find >.<

But I do also enjoy the "nakama" side of One Piece...and when I sit down to read some these longer fics I've been meaning to read, some gen stuff will definitely be refreshing. It'll be nice to see the friendships without having to "worry" about the relationship drama.

And while I feel bad pointing you to my fic when I haven't read yours yet.. you might like the oneshot fic I posted yesterday on the pit. It's got a ZoroxNami edge, but is not downright ZoNa...and someone who reviewed even called it a nakama fic.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee! Sometimes I wish I were more into romance...would make finding reading stuffs easier, certainly! XD Tho' it does depend on the fandom, and the mood I'm in at the time...certainly my fondness for schoolgirl shoujo belies any anti-romantic tendencies ^^; It's just, with One Piece, romance is so completely absent that my mind won't always bend around the idea. Especially when I'm really in the mood for something with the whole crew, and there simply aren't that many such fic out there...

speaking of fic, aww - yours was cute! emotional (and a touch of physical) h/c...I'm a sucker for such. little on the emotional side for both of them, maybe, but sweet. & Zoro as a closet hentai amuses.
And I've got a friend who's all over the ZoNa - so you're definitely not alone! ^_^

[ex-naye320.livejournal.com]

What about Usopp/Kaya? They're absolutely canon, and so cute! Even though he left her behind, it's clear he hasn't forgotten her - a lot of his love for the Merry I think can be explained because it was a gift from her. It's grown to be a lot more than that, but that is still there... it's why it became precious to him in the first place. See, gen! And cute! And canon. Someone should write it. ^_^

Also - LOVE the icon, so very very much! Go Usopp!!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

well, not exactly gen, them (unless you mean Usopp/GM ^_^)...but you're right, U/K is totally totally adorable. I'll list that as a canon pairing I wouldn't mind seeing. And I want everyone to go back and meet Kaya, 'cuz I wanna see Sanji try to flirt with her. Just to see Usopp's reaction!

[jadeprince.livejournal.com]

You say "all of fandom turned against" you, but you forget what cool people we OPYaoi fans are. *grins, winks*

Don't get me wrong, I ADORE OP yaoi. It's kinda my little haven. I was probably the third or fourth person -on- that particular LJ community.

However, I also agree that the Nakama-ship in OP is the most beautiful thing ever. Which is why I stick by my belief that the only canon pairing in OP is GiantUglyTentacleMonsterxSanji (first TV special). And that's non-consensual and only in the anime, so *shrugs* even it doesn't -really- count. *grin*

It's fics like Seven Deaths that give me the happy chills because I can so easily imagine them -happening-. Just because the focus is that pre-existing (if largely unspoken between Zoro and Sanji) friendship. And because well... damn, such loyal friendship is so damned awesome. I love it.

So in conclusion? You rock, I love your writing, and -please- stick around, cuz your presense in both those communities is awesome. ^___^

Oh and btw, your view on Luffy and sex (aka, not at all, or by golly with everyone)? TOTALLY agree. XD *laughs*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

but you forget what cool people we OPYaoi fans are.

Darnit, and here I was hoping for some good wank! Stop being so nifty, people! XD

Seriously, you guys are awesome - have a blast on the comms. OP fans know how to enjoy themselves - which is what fanning is all about, after all! But it's great to know I'm not alone in the nakamaship-love, either. ^^

SquidxSanji? bwaah!! non-con...riiight. Don't believe everything Sanji-kun tells you. You know he likes 'em slimy! >3 ...tho' really, Jango/Fullbody is pretty canonical...(the truly close-to-canon yaoi pairings in OP are all sca~ry...KriegxGin, anyone?)

and Luffy...yah. I have a soft spot for ZoLu, but every time I finish reading one, in the back of my mind Luffy's going, "Aw, but now Zoro's asleep, bo~ring - let's go see what Sanji's...cooking."

[jadeprince.livejournal.com]

The best part about that squidXsanji bit is the POST-COITAL CIGARETTE, and the fact that he tells Nami to GO ON AHEAD WITHOUT HIM. Dude. Just dude. *shakes head* Sanji, you whore. XD

*dies* Ah yes, Jango/Fullbody, my secret love. *snickers* I mean, shit, they gotta get pretty sexually frustrated always fruitlessly chasing after Hina-taisa all the time, right? *grins madly*

The only way I like ZoLu is if Sanji is somehow involved. *laughs, winks* I think it's because I RP and cosplay and write Sanji so often, I don't like the idea of being left out. *snickers* Besides... yeah, I don't think Luffy could go that long without thinking about/attempting to get food. XD

No no, I'm all about the nakama-ship. Which is why Odachi is FUCKIN' KILLING ME by ending the lastest chapter like he did and NO NEW CHAPTER for two weeks! *dies* And everyone is arguing and mad at eachother.... *cries* And the Going Merry... CRYING!!?! *sobs and collapses at your feet*

He'd better make it all better is all I can say. >_> *whimper*

[shayera.livejournal.com]

Wahahaha!! Some of those musings on the various characters made me laugh out very loud. ^___^

[sherrymarie.livejournal.com]

OP stories are some of the most terrifying to write, because, just as you said, the characters are so developed and deep, that it is very easy to screw them up. And we love these characters so much, that any deviation from what Oda-sensei has created for us, seems almost like sacrilege. There's nothing more to add to these characters, because they are so full and complete already.

And, let's face it, no real fan of OP is in it for the cute boys, we are in it for that deep spirit of friendship that is so intricate to the OP world. I have no OTP for OP. I write stories featuring Zoro and Sanji not because I believe for a SECOND that these boys are really truly SECRETLY in love in the series, but because I am most drawn to Zoro's character, Sanji crawled into my head and won't leave, I adore their 'rival nakama' relationship, and, well, just because turning snark into seduction is so much damn fun!

That being said, if these two ever 'got it on' in the series, someone would need to come over to my apartment and pick me up off the floor, since I would have recently keeled over dead from a heart attack. It just ain't gonna happen. And, really, I wouldn't want it to.

I've never seen a series that equals One Piece. The fact that it is driven by friendship more than romance makes me respect Oda-sensei's extreme talent and imagination more than I can express.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

There, yeah, that, what she said *points, flails*

Nothing to add here, that's pretty much all it exactly. --Including Sanji, that bastard, once he's in there he just won't get out, will he? I can totally sympathize with writing him and Zoro, rather than Luffy the Impossible. ^^;
And you're so right, too, that there's nothing to add to these chars...more than once I've analyzed some trait, the way one always reads extra into chars, only to realize what I'm interpreting is so consistent it must be intentional. Much as I love the art of One Piece, his storytelling is even more impressive...
(...yes, I worship Oda-sensei a little. Okay, a lot. Some girls get crushes on boy bands, some on actors...I get 'em on lunatic mangaka...)

[jadeprince.livejournal.com]

*nods* Oh you aren't the only one. XD Besides his INSANE talent for art and storytelling, he's horribly adorable too. *pinches his little innocent-looking cheeks* X3

[daemonicangel.livejournal.com]

*wanders in, pokes Luffy, side-stares at the eleven doujinshi she's scanned that have him in it* >_>; I can't help it, he's my favorite. *runs away*

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee! Oh, don't get me wrong, this doesn't stop me from enjoying all my dozens & dozens of Luffy dj stories ^__^

[daemonicangel.livejournal.com]

:p True.

Have you checked out my Streamload hosted files yet? I have the link up in luffyzoro_yaoi, if you haven't. I went and uploaded all my past raw doujinshi that I had done in the past.

[dethorats]

Great summation of the crew...Chopper I think I saw somewhere that, in reindeer terms, he was the equivalent of 16 in human years or some such. With the devil's fruit and all, I don't understand how exactly you'd figure out his real age, but I know I saw that 16, even if he is the youngest 16 ever. It is so hard to write the crew well...which is why I cheat and write about Ben and Shanks and that gang because, well, we don't know all that much since Oda hasn't revealed it and what he has revealed is really fun to play with. It's a cop out, but it's a fun cop out ^^.

And I must say, Oda writes some of the best secondary characters I've ever seen. Johnny and Yosaku, Dori and Brogi, and the marines are my favorites so far, but everbody, from the random townspeople to the chefs on the Baratie feel like they have backstory just waiting to be explored; whether it's from the way they're drawn or what few lines Oda chooses to give them, and that's a real talent.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Chopper's 16? he sure doesn't sound it!! ^^ Tho' it's hard to judge a reindeer's age anyway...

Yes, I can understand the lure and freedom of playing with Shanks-tachi, but I get hung up on characterization and we've seen so little of them that I'm not brave enough to extrapolate from the little we do know. Can be fun, tho'.

And Oda-sensei just writes some of the best chars, period. (except when he's trying to write a dislikeable char, and then you want to see them dead SO BAD) I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite minor char, even...Crocodile is my hands-down favorite villain (he's so evil! and cool! and evil! and sort of scarily sexy! and evil!), but of the good guys, there's so many who I hope will come back someday...

[anim3fr3akprson.livejournal.com]

Somehow, I feel like I don't belong here, but I'll at least leave a comment. I agree with your rant, but unfortunately, I'm a hopeless romance lover. *_* Oda-sensei writes incredible friendship and nakama-ship but he leaves plenty of room for the readers to imagine and fantasize. ^_^; I thought Chopper was 15. Hm. Not much different anyways. I thought he was like, 8-10-ish. He's so adorable, it would give me a heart attack if he was paired up with someone.

One little thing: I've noticed Zoro/Robin is kind of popular (not on fanfiction.net.).

To xparrot: Love your fanfictions by the way. X3 "Seven Deaths" was AWESOME.

[key-revolution.livejournal.com]

"(I've given up trying to choose a favorite character)"

There you go. I have no idea why it's so hard for ME to say it, but now you said it and I suddenly can shout it to the world.