Digi Dynamic Shipping Game
Send me two names among the following 12 and I’ll write a short analysis post about them:
Taichi Yagami | Yamato Ishida | Sora Takenouchi | Koushirou Izumi | Mimi Tachikawa | Jyou Kidou | Takeru Takaishi | Hikari Yagami | Daisuke Motomiya | Miyako Inoue | Iori Hida | Ken Ichijouji
It's been a while, but with the reveal of Yamato's new design in the upcoming PV for March 2025, I thought it was finally time to dive into my favourite Yamato ship out there - let's do this.
Disclaimer: I won’t claim this to be a conclusive/definitive analysis of all of the ship’s aspects. Ship dynamics vary depending on which parts of the series/timeline or media types you are looking at. So this is going to be my personal take on it and just a personal interpretation of how I perceive them.
Whether canon provides input on them or not.
The portrayal of their relationship is very fascinating to me, because it absolutely is not at the forefront of the story for the most part and, unfortunately, becomes more scarce the more the series progresses (in any type of media form, that is). However, despite that, these two are - especially in Adventure - downright pivotal to each other's development regarding several aspects (in a similar way Taichi and Sora are portrayed through the course of the first few arcs of Adventure). Let's break this down:
At first, they don't seem to have too many interaction points. In fact, similar to how Jyou and Taichi start off not really trusting in the other's abilities, their initial relationship is rather rocky. This becomes apparent when Jyou is the one who tries to mediate between Taichi and Yamato and fails due to being unable to make a choice - causing Yamato to also be wary of Jyou's "reliability", so he doesn't think very highly of him at first. As they may be (presumably in Yamato's case) the oldest male characters in the group, if you squint, you may still see them sharing very minor background interactions, mainly talking about seeking shelter for the group (or, mainly in the English dub, shake their heads over Taichi). They're not particularly close and there is nothing much to it at first...
... Until we reach the restaurant episode, which is a turning point for both of them - not only regarding their personal development, but also their entire relationship. I highly recommend reading the novel version of this episode, because it reveals so much about how these two think and feel about the other - and it boils down to one simple, but wonderfully executed concept: As Jyou is forced to work in Digitamamon's restaurant to pay off his debt, Yamato promises to help him to return to Takeru and look for the others faster. On one hand, as it is always the case at this point in the story, Yamato's primary objective is Takeru - but on the other, it's clear that, despite how much he struggles with interacting with others, he still prioritizes helping Jyou out. And Jyou does not take this for granted - the novel, while underlying his self-esteem issues, puts emphasis on how he thought Yamato would scream and shout at and just leave him behind. Jyou wouldn't even have blamed him for it in the slightest. And yet, he is thoroughly thankful for his help - and confesses through his inner monologue that he considers Yamato his very first real friend, feeling equal to him, even if he's aware that Yamato may not feel the same.
And there we have it - the theme of "friendship" that ties these two together indefinitely. Because yes: Yamato, who had been fed PicoDevimon's lies about Jyou intentionally acting clumsily to keep him at the restaurant, was more than ready to confirm Jyou's doubts at first. He wanted to abandon him and Jyou would have accepted his fate with a smile - and yet, he was absolutely ready to sacrifice his life to protect Takeru for Yamato's sake. It's that willingness, that selflessness that acts as a wake-up call to Yamato, making him realize how great of a friend Jyou really is, how foolish he was to have doubted him - and that's when his Crest of Friendship glows for the first time, thanks to Jyou's display of courage and his sense of Reliability.
It's one of their greatest moments, it softens and humbles them and causes each of them to think more highly of the other - especially Jyou is repeatedly displayed to take note of Yamato's behaviour and ends up continuously rescuing Takeru as a promise to Yamato (as well as to their mother). In general, it's a shame that there isn't more of a focus on them both being brothers who struggle with their roles in their respective families - but that doesn't mean that they don't keep inspiring each other:
In the Dark Masters Arc, Yamato leaves the group to figure himself, his path and the meaning of friendship out - whereas Jyou decides to stay behind with Mimi, continuously contemplating what his own path is after all. While they do not get to talk about it to each other, trying to resonate with Yamato helps Jyou to come to terms with making his own choices - and once he meets Yamato again, who freshly escaped from his Dark Cave, they share an encouraging smile and team up to pull Sora out of her spiraling sense of duty as well.
Duty, purpose and choices are continuous themes between them that come full circle once we reach the stageplay - which is why I chose the screenshot above as a header for this post. Because here, six years after their Digital World adventures, it's Jyou who came to terms with what he wants to do for himself, despite all the hardships, family obligations and other stress factors. Yamato on the other hand is seen struggling with the idea of growing up, making choices for himself and losing everyone in the process... Similar to how Koushirou asks Taichi to confide in him, Jyou is the one asking Yamato to do the same, encouraging him to choose for himself instead of "being chosen" - just like watching Yamato back then had inspired him to do the same.
As mentioned, it's a shame that canon hasn't provided more interactions between these two. They do feel linked together, since they're so vital for each other's emotional development - but neither 02 nor Tri nor Kizuna showed them having significant moments with each other. (Minus the fact that 02 basically gave them a similar hair length and seeing how Jyou always seems to adore and be inspired by Yamato, this may lead to a very interesting headcanon at least, but I digress.) There are little nods in the PSP game and while Jyou's adoration for Yamato shines through in the reboot as well, these instances of Adventure, the novel and the stageplay will at least forever live rent-free in my head.
Whether I think why and how they’d work.
I have once written an analysis post on who I think are the characters that bring out the best in each Chosen Child respectively - and while Yamato seems to be particularly hyperfocused on Taichi in all the more recent portrayals of Digimon, I still feel like Jyou is the one person that knows how to handle and reach him best. In more than one way. There is just a sense of fondness and patience I can sense between them, one that has been growing between them ever since they overcame their shortcomings (Jyou's timidness and Yamato's brashness) as children. Basically, you could say that they had to become the people they are as adults to be compatible with each other; Yamato is still a very emotional person who doesn't always know how to express these emotions properly - which is where I think Jyou would function as the reliable, calming rock he has eventually grown into, as depicted in the Kizuna shorts. I simply feel like he is capable of relaxing Yamato with absolute ease, encouraging him to open up or letting him have a ramble... And that may sound funny in return, but I also feel like Yamato has an equally calming effect on Jyou in general as well. Yamato used to be his anchor in Adventure, giving him direction and security and through his stressful doctor life, I think Yamato's presence could be a grounding factor as well.
In my Jyoumi analysis, I pointed out how Jyou may need someone with more outgoing energy levels to pull him out of his own head - but with Yamato, I feel like that isn't necessary, because they already contrast yet complement each other despite being more introverted. A lot of (more recent) fandom portrayals like to depict Yamato maintaining his rockstar aesthetic - and Kakudou's current vision of Yamato seems to go in a similar direction, so that may actually contribute to more adventurous aspects of their relationship (and really, if you aren't swayed by the idea of Jyou being Yamato's number 1 fan in the crowd, I cannot help you, it's one of most adorable things I can think of, even if it was just a one-sided crush).
Personally, I just see them as this absolutely chill couple as adults that would settle down doing sophisticated stuff like wine tastings, going to museums with Sora and Takeru (who would be absolutely delighted by them being together), having late-night dinners with Taichi and Koushirou, still shaking their heads over their friends (Taichi and Mimi in particular)... I just get warm, floofy butterflies in my stomach when I think of them.
Whether I’d prefer them as platonic or romantic ship.
As you may have been able to tell, I absolutely adore them as a romantic ship - mainly because I feel like Jyou is the most romantically compatible character to Yamato in the entire series due to the mutually calming vibe they give me. I'm still sad canon doesn't even give us much when it comes to them, so the sea-themed official art that dropped this year displaying them as captains of the ship felt like the most nurturing breadcrumb ever. I would love to see more of their platonic bond, but if I had anything to say, I would adore seeing these two end up with each other.
