This post is part 1 of my response to @dnana-2809-blog’s ask
1. Song Juhan / He Gu
from Years of Intoxication
Listen, these two aren’t first because they have the best relationship. I definitely don’t want what they have for myself. They’re first simply because of how fucking mad they drive me.
Song Juhan is an asshole, but he’s such a fun read. He’s like a child that doesn’t know how to express what he wants and can only throw tantrums. Reading him is like watching a race car speed straight towards a crash while you have your coke and popcorn on the side.
He Gu, on the other hand, is a saint. But the type of saint who’d forgive you from all your sins as long as you have a good face card. Of all the MCs in the 188 series, he’s the only one whose POV is full of purple prose of how handsome the ML/other characters are in the story. He presents himself as being this calm, unfazed type, but really, he’s just a face-con. Time and time again, he lets Song Juhan get away with evil, so seeing him finally snap was utterly satisfying.
I’ve mentioned on this blog before that I don’t really read fanfics nowadays, but HanGu is an exception to this. HanGu makes me feel such whirlwind of emotions that if I’m in the mood for some blood-curdling angst followed by cathartic redemption, they’re my go-to.
2. Gu Xiao / Zhang Siyi
from Assistant Architect
(some translations had ML’s name as Gu Yu, but that’s wrong.)
Now, this is the ship that ranks highly because I actually love the characters’ relationship.
Zhang Siyi is a new college graduate just entering the workforce and learning how to be an independent adult, while Gu Xiao is his boss who’s already established in the industry.
The character development of both characters is great in this one, especially with Zhang Siyi. You can really see him mature as the story progresses. Gu Xiao also learned to stop being so strict with himself and to just follow what his heart wants. Their relationship is so sweet and healthy <3
3. Gong Yixian / Ren Yi
from Blazing Armor
This pair is the epitome of what I love about teammates-to-lovers. Their love is the kind that is cultivated slowly through constant interaction and actually understanding the other as a person and not just as a love interest. Ren Yi may had have a crush on Gong Yixian from the start, but it was only through working with Gong Yixian that you can see him actually fall in love with him.
Meanwhile, Gong Yixian is such a sweet guy. He’s partly the reason why I think the novel should not have been marketed as a dog-blood story. Apart from that one time he said hurtful stuff to Ren Yi because of a misunderstanding, he hasn’t really done anything scummy. He also fell in love with Ren Yi before he even realized it, and it was really cute when he felt envious seeing HanGu together because he wanted what they have for him and Ren Yi. (By HanGu, I mean the ship ranked on number 1. They made a cameo in the novel.)
4. Lin Yun / Tang Ning
from I am a Flower Vase in an Infinite Flow World
Image above is only of Tang Ning. This ship isn’t the canon couple, so there’s no image of them together 😔
This pair is another teammates-to-lovers ship. They started out as ordinary players just temporarily teaming up to increase their chances of survival but then grew closer to the point of being willing to die for the other.
Lin Yun was the guy who’d leave Tang Ning at the drop of a hat the moment things turned dangerous in order to prioritize his own safety, while Tang Ning, from the very start, could never bear to leave Lin Yun behind because he sincerely thinks of him as his friend. Lin Yun once thought Tang Ning was naive for thinking so, but over time, he fell in love with this kind of sincerity. Later in the story, Lin Yun realizes how important Tang Ning has become to him and that life without him is more terrifying than death itself, so he steps up and stops running away.
The natural deepening of these two’s relationship is what I love so much about it. I really, really wish Lin Yun was the male lead. (And I haven’t given up hope yet! I am yet to finish the novel, so who knows, maybe there’s a plot twist)
5. Kamonohashi Ron / Isshiki “Toto” Totomaru
from Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective
I didn’t want to use a static official art because Toto always looks bad in those images. So, here, have screenshots on one of my favorite RonToto moments.
Ron had just been accused of murder, and all evidence points towards him. Even Ron was starting to doubt himself, but Toto adamantly stays by his side. And that trust Toto has on him—that unwavering belief founded on what he knows about Ron as a person—is one of the many things I love so much about this pair.
Ron is also very grateful to have Toto in his life, so it pains him whenever Toto gets into danger because of him.
6. Isagi Yoichi / Bachira Meguru
from Blue Lock
I may be critical of Isagi’s state in the manga right now, but I still very much like this ship. They are, by far, the BEST sports anime ship.
I’ve talked a lot about why I think so on my @fyeahbachisagi sideblog, but this post by @rirururu and my comments under it encapsulates what I love so much about them.
Also, I’ve just been really into this trope of love as being something you have to fight for—where if you aren’t strong enough to defeat the person you love, then you’re stripped of the right to remain by their side. It’s so fucking delicious.
7. Killua / Gon
from Hunter x Hunter
Haven’t engaged with HxH since I finished the anime during the pandemic that I almost forgot to put KilluGon on this list. Shame! How on earth could I forget about them?? These two are everything.
They’re best friends—people who just enjoy spending time with each other and always think about the other first. And their love is built slowly through that. They care for each other, and they feel hurt when the other is in pain. Killua’s character development in the Chimera Ant arc also further showed how far he’s willing to go for Gon.
And by now, it should be clear that the friends/teammates-to-lovers trope is my favorite. I don’t know about you guys, but I think a romantic relationship should be founded on a good platonic relationship. (tho, ironically, the ship on #1 is the odd one out on this list. sorry, I can’t help it. HanGu makes me want to throw them into a blender whenever I think about them)
Special mentions:
VeiFei from Link Click: I may post about them a lot, but compared to my other ships, they’re objectively not that much. They have too little screentime. I’m gonna need to see what they’re like in season 3 before I reevaluate the rankings
VaniNoe from Vanitas no Carte: I haven’t caught up on VnC in a while, but they are so precious
KaiNess from Blue Lock: Where their relationship ended after the NEL arc was so good, and I can’t wait to see how it develops the next time we see them
Cui Bei / Wang Qi from White Cat Legend: They’re just so cute and good vibes only
T2 from Yowamushi Pedal: Their friendship is heartwarming, and their tacit understanding is so good. I just love it when Junta can easily understand what Aoyagi wants that the latter doesn’t even have to say it. Aoyagi is also very supportive of Junta’s ambitions.
I haven’t read all the 188 novels yet–and some, I need to reread coz I was just skimming them the first time–but so far, these two are my favorite couples <3
Song Juhan / He Gu (HanGu) from Years of Intoxication. YOI is my second 188 novel. Song Juhan suffering is just :chefkiss:. I’m translating it as well, so it has a special place in my heart.
Gong Yingxian / Ren Yi (GongRen) from Blazing Armor. Probably the sweetest / most wholesome couple in the entire 188 universe. Gong Yingxian is no scum gong at all. Heck, I wouldn’t even consider Blazing Armor as a dog blood novel. The firefighting aspect was written so well, it made me want to enroll in a firefighting crash course.
