xxxHoLic- Addicted to...?

This is one of the first ever series I watched on the FUNimation Channel, and also happens to feature two of my favorite voice actors-- Todd Haberkorn (who I just refer to as Todd) and J. Michael Tatum (who I call Tatum). Though the episodes are rather disconnected stories, the characters' interactions really tie the whole thing together.  And, of course, whose interactions were my focus?  Doumeki Shizuka and Watanuki Kimihiro.

Yes, them.

So, here's the basic gist of the story, before we dive into why exactly Doumeki/Watanuki (affectionately referred to as Dounuts) is one of my few true OTPs.

The story focuses on Watanuki, an orphaned high school student that is able to see spirits.  They annoy him a lot, and the only think Watanuki wants is to stop the spirits from coming near him.  Yuko, the owner of a "wish-granting shop" and a powerful witch, offers to help him, as long as he pays off his debt for the help by working in his shop.  Doumeki, who lives at a temple, has the power to repel the spirits, which led to his entanglement with Watanuki.  The anime basically follows Watanuki, Yuko, and Doumeki's adventures.

So, back to the yaoi.  Even just looking at their personalities, the two are compatible.  Watanuki is loud, easily excited, and mostly defensless.  Doumeki is quiet, calm, and able to protect the both of them.  Perfect match.  Coincidence?  As any fan of the show would know, coincidence is a myth.  The characters, even in a platonic sense, are meant to play off each other for humor and to further the plot, and, well, that just makes it better for us fujoshi.

Let's look at some specific moments, shall we?

Remember episode 3, when Watanuki and Doumeki really pair together for the first time?  They go on the roof of the school, blah blah blah, Watanuki gets attacked.  And who comes to the rescue?  That's right, Doumeki.  He grabs him before he falls over the roof of the school, and keeps holding on even when the spirit (which he can't see) makes him bleed.  Selfless devotion = love!  Doumeki also shows how much he trusts Watanuki, by telling him:

 And then follows it up by saying:

This may seem to counteract the idea of love.  But remember what you always used to hear in elementary school when the same boy would keep bullying you?  "They're always mean to the one they like because they want their attention".  So, basically, that's how Doumeki's acting.  Honestly, how much time do you think Watanuki would spend thinking about Doumeki if he didn't get under his skin?  And because Doumeki does do genuinely nice things for Watanuki, he can't even say that Doumeki's always mean!

Then again, in episode 7.  Doumeki waited in the rain for 10 hours while Watanuki was under the hydrangeas.  If that isn't love, I don't know what is.  There's more examples I could mention, but I feel like that's enough.

Well, you might be saying, that shows how Doumeki feels.  But what about Watanuki?  Where are the times when he does something for Doumeki without having to be prompted by Yuko or someone else?

What about the movie, A Midsummer Night's Dream?  All of the people in the house were told not to leave their bedrooms during the night.  Watanuki and Doumeki were sharing a room, and Watanuki woke up in the middle of the night and discovered that there was only a wall where Doumeki's bed, and Doumeki, had been. He's freaked out, simply put.

Every time Watanuki depends on Doumeki in some way, he's showing how much he cares.  He's a tsundere (basically someone that's cold/hostile at some times and friendly/warm at other times), so its highly unlikely to actually get him to do something obvious about his love~

Now this was the real clincher for me: the first episode of xxxHoLic Kei. The one where that eye keeps getting swapped around.  Long story short, Watanuki gets tangled in a spider web and Doumeki helps him get out (AWW) and then gets cursed by the spider, making him basically lose the use of his eye.  So Watanuki trades one of his eyes to the spider so Doumeki gets his back.  So Doumeki starts spending all of his time researching at the temple to find a way to get Watanuki's eye back.  In the end, they can't get it back, so Doumeki gives up half of his eye to Watanuki.  Now doesn't that just make you want to go D'AWWWWW?

Even with all of this evidence, I know there are still people that don't believe it.  That's alright, it's fine.  Even if it's totally fate for Watanuki and Doumeki to end up together.

Once again, fanfiction links for those interested: Fanfiction.net or xxxHoLic kink meme  Enjoy! 

Big Windup!/Oofuri/Ookiku Furikabutte- Not Just About Baseball

Big Windup!  came into my life recently, but it has since taken over a HUGE part.  I originally fell in love with the fact it was a baseball manga, not the undertones of shonen-ai.  But really, it didn't take long for me to pick up on them.  From the first episode (when you find out all the main characters except for two, Momokan and Shino'oka, are guys), you basically know whats going to happen with 10 hormonal teenage boys.

For anyone that doesn't know, Big Windup!/Ookiku Furikabutte is a three season anime about a baseball team comprised entirely of high school freshmen at Nishiura.  The pitcher, Mihashi Ren, was mistreated by his Junior High team at a different school, and has a severe inferiority complex when it comes to his pitching.  The catcher at Nishiura, Abe Takaya, discovers Mihashi's near-perfect control and convinces him to keep pitching.  For a more complete description, refer to Wikipedia.

So now lets get into some specfic details.  Those little moments that make you sure that this series is about more than baseball and a pitcher with an anxiety disorder.

First, the HAND HOLDING.  Thank you, Shiga-sensei, for the hand holding!  The boys use it as a method to connect as a team and focus together, as prescribed by their advisor.  Abe and Mihashi specifically seem to be fond of this method.  If you don't believe it, take a look at this:

And that's only a few of the pictures that show up when you google search 'oofuri holding hands'.  It's an inescapable fact: the guys are totally in it for each other.

Second, we all now about Momokan's boobs.  They're huge, lets just get that out of the way.  And yet, how many times do any of the Nishiura boys ever talk about them?  The only time that comes to mind is when Tajima puts something in his shirt to resemble them.  How could 10 teenage boys never even mention them?   Kazuki Kawai, Tosei's catcher, definitely notices though:

Thus, we must reach the conclusion that the Nishiura boys just don't like boobs.

And the final hint is how the characters act to each other.  Abe taking care of Mihashi, Hanai's obsession with Tajima, Haruna's obession with Abe, Mihashi trying constantly to please Abe...it simply reeks of secret love.  Or, not so secret love...

"I like you"

"I like you"

"I like you"

No matter what you believe, there is no denying it.  Abe likes Mihashi, Mihashi likes Abe. And the end, "who wants Mihashi?"?  Well, Abe certainly does.  To further the point, remember when Mihashi got hit by Junta Takase's wild pitch in the game with Tosei?  He got hit on the butt, and Abe must have a vested interest in that specific area (hint hint), which is responsible for some of his concern.

If you still don't believe it, well, there's nothing to be done.  The evidence speaks for itself.  The Nishiura boys are gay--for each other.

For anyone that hasn't watched Big Windup! yet, you should.  And not just for the not-so-secret boy on boy. The story itself is heartwarming, the games are exciting, and it always left me with a sense of excitement many animes don't.