VLD discourse is really repetitive at this point so I feel like making one last long rant and then I’ll shut up about it forever: I did not understand the creator’s intentions with Shiro and Keith’s relationship to each other at all. The first few seasons we get soft lighting and longing looks between the two while Keith calls Shiro “like a brother” which LGBT folks often can tell means “censors won’t let us put them in a relationship.” Keith and Shiro are constantly paired together in the first two seasons, then we’re constantly shown Keith’s undying devotion to Shiro, while their motif includes hugs and sunsets and endless encouragement to each other.
Staff were fine talking about the ship and shooting down it’s main rival. Then season six came and it was both so pro-sheith and ???, cuz not only do we get Keith choosing Shiro over the universe and telling him “I love you” and Shiro gay-panicking over older/hotter Keith, we get Krolia thanking Shiro for raising Keith. Which is some really damn weird wording when the staff had actively encouraged the ship. That “you’re my brother” line can still be considered censorship.
And then we get season 7 episode 1 and we’re given flashbacks to Shiro and Keith’s first meeting and Keith looks too young tbh so it gives the impression that their initial age difference was larger than we were actually told. Which doesn’t make sense when we later found out these flashbacks were planned in season 2. So honestly what was their relationship supposed to be? I can’t say they were meant to emulate Hiro and Tadashi from Big Hero Six cuz they don’t act anything like those brothers (or any brother pairing in fiction.) Their earlier interactions just felt too romantic for that.
But the “thank you for raising him” seriously throws their whole relationship into the ??? pile. And those flashbacks with a very young Keith don’t help, especially when we know the EPs knew since season 2. It’s like, why keep this fact about their relationship a secret until season 6? Its not a grand reveal like Vader and Luke, it just leaves viewers confused about this friendship they’ve been watching for the last 6 seasons.
And then season 8 came and just completely buried their relationship as if it never existed. Their sunset theme was given to Keith and Lance and their encouragements and protectiveness of each other had practically entirely evaporated. Keith’s face doesn’t even show in Shiro’s wedding but his stance implies displeasure at the affair. Viewers are left completely baffled at the entire season and question wth went wrong but no one dares to even ask why’d this one plot point, this relationship that formed the backbone of season 6’s epic final was gone. They’d be labeled a rabid shipper by people who were (rightfully so) sick of the ship wars that fucking ruined this fandom.
And, even though I have my own personal beef with the Sheith community, them being petty even half a year after the final makes sense to me. All the shitty plot points about the last season got some (disappointing) explanation but the erasure of Shiro and Keith’s relationship still hasn’t. It must fucking suck to get heavily harassed and mocked for three years and defend the story so vehemently, telling people to wait it out and let it finish and trust the staff, just to get this slap in the face that doesn’t make any sense. And no explanation. There’s no closure.
And I still can’t honestly figure out how we’re supposed to interpret their earlier interactions. I’m used to not expecting ships becoming canon, so I didn’t expect Victor/Yurri or Hannigram even though the subtext was there. But Sheith? It’s the weirdest fucking ship I’ve ever had cuz there is a shit ton of subtext in the first half and a whole lot of ??? mixed with plain TEXT and then nothing. I’m just confused and feel alittle betrayed you know?
But whatever it’s happened and I’ll forever be salty but whatever. Great shows are not immune to disastrous ends (looks at GOT) but that’s just how it is. I’m done with ranting, I won’t care after this long ass cathartic rant (thank you reading 4am ramblings haha.) There’re more stories to grip me and hopefully they won’t all disappoint but I’ve learned my lesson with VLD.
I hope the klantis will rmb how they harassed actual gay men over cartoon drawings when they get their klance in voltrons next iteration (and I genuinely hope regular klancers enjoy it cuz it’ll be a move forward for LGBT in cartoons anyway right?)
If I can add something else that was also confusing about season 7 episode 1: they literally compared Keith to Shiro’s ex-boyfriend. Parallel, juxapostion, whatever you want to call it. But they literally compared Adam not supporting Shiro to Keith “never giving up” on Shiro. And when asked in an interview if the parallel between Adam and Keith was intentional, JDS answered “well yeah.” Like is it any wonder why Sheith shippers got their hopes up?
