I honestly don't understand shipping.

[Big Damn Hero]

I see each relationship a character has as a life development thing. Someone that was right (or wrong) for them at that time in their life. And then things end and people move on. They go to a new stage in their life and eventually meet another person they connect with and then the cycle starts again.

I guess this kinda ties in with this thread, but to those people that ship a specific, well, ship, what do you think of other relationships that/those characters have? Do you completely dismiss them or do you take something from them? Do you enjoy watching them with the person that you don't see them with, or not?

And also, is there anyone out there that feels the same as me???

 

[Lyri]

I think for the majority of us who have a non-canon ship, like Spander, Fangel, Fuffy, it's the chemisty between the characters that we never got to explore that makes us curious about what would have happened had they gotten together. It's not usually about the gender, at least not for me, my ships are just people who I think would have been interesting to see in some sort of romantic/sexual situation, to see how both sides would have dealt with the aftermath.

Personally, if I'm writing a fic based on a non-canon ship, I don't ignore their previous relationships, I just choose my timing very carefully so that they are both single, and I'll reference the past relationships if I think I need to. Spander is pretty much the only pairing in this verse that I write, and right now, if I was writing anything, I'd probably base my fic sometime after both shows have ended, so that I don't have to mess with canon, and I can write what I want without having to deal with things that need to be in place, 'cause they happened that way in the show.

 

[PrincessBuffy16]

I like Bangel the most. I always thought shipping is for romantic persons, but it doesn't have to be, as I see now. I like Buffy with Riley, so I guess I'm not for she and Angel should be together forever. But I'll never like her with Spike. With him, she's just not Buffy, well not for me. I belive she and Angel will end up together one day, but I do belive they still need to grow up, see other people, but I don't like Buffy with Spike and Angel with Cordy, others I think I can handle 🙂

 

[ToShanshuInLA]

I'm not 100% keen on 'shipping. There are some relationships I like and stuff but there are other things I'd rather discuss. The only 'ship I don't like is Spike and Buffy and it's not because of preference over another pairing.

 

[AndrewCrossett]

Moving from relationship to relationship is normal in early adulthood... and for some people, all their lives (If they're lucky enough to keep finding new people.)

Eventually, though, most people settle down with someone.

In the Buffyverse, shipping is just a way to imagine lasting happiness for characters who aren't allowed to have any.

Otherwise it just gets really depressing.

 

[Wishing Oceans]

True, it's also my opinion that ALL 'ships are equally important, but most of us connect with a certain 'ship more than others, and that preference turns us into 'shippers! 😀

But really, I like all 'ships. Seriously, there's at least a hundred Buffy 'ships that I love that I could name, and most of them include the same zact people. 😀 I just don't like Bangel, Dander, Bander, or Condelia... 😀

 

[Kean]

Honestly, I didn't even know what "shipping" was until I joined the fandom about four years ago. I always believed Buffy and Angel had something that was untouchable, unending and worth exploring again. I have no issue at all with Riley/Buffy, I can't stand Spuffy and while Cangel, on paper makes absolute sense, in practice I found it horribly forced. What I am trying to say here is that if I felt that Buffy or Angel had moved on to someone else and found a greater love than what they had with each other than I would have moved on with them, but that hasn't happened (although there are plenty who disagree with me 😉).

Perhaps if Buffy and Angel weren't my two favourite characters I would feel different, in fact I know I would because I loved Willow/Oz and Xander/Cordy and while the the fact that we never got to see the latter couple reunite still irks me, I really don't mind seeing them with other people.

Basically, I ship Buffy and Angel because I feel that their shared story is unfinished and it is a story I believe in. I mean consume ALOT of fiction between college, reading and tv and I only ship Bangel. Everything else I pretty much adopt the same stance as you, time, place and move on.

 

[Sweetescape]

i'm not a person who ships, i don't get it either!

if i'm pushed I'll ship Fresley only because they are cue and Darla/Angel because they kick ass and Darla's mega sexy.

But only at a push.

 

[Eleftheria]

Every ship has its meaning IMO. I didn't use to "ship" couples in the past. I just looked at certain fictional couples and admired their love. But with Buffyverse, I found interesting relationships that made me expand my thoughts.

For me, Bangel is the ultimate love of the show. Buffy and Angel complete each other stangely, yet perfectly. They make each other happy, they are able to open up to each other, be honest and true. They make each other better persons and they inspire each other. If I just look at this ship, and trying not to think about the curse or the doomed thing(slayer and a vampire), all I see is a beautiful, pure love between a unique woman and a unique man(-pire:biggrin🙂.

That doesn't mean that Buffy and Angel can't actually have other experiences in their lives since they were apart.

I like Cangel, it makes sense and I can feel love there. More like friendship love for me though, but anyway. As Kean said, and according to what I have expressed in the past, I felt it was kind of forced.

Spuffy...i am sorry, I don't feel love, I don;t understand it, and I can never think Buffy felt happy, or complete or loved with Spike. As friends in s7, they were great. But romantic love and ending up together, seem unnatural to me.

I also love Fresley very much, Cordy/Groo(I don't know people, they seem sweet when they are together!), Willow/Oz are also a very loving couple.

Buffy and Riley COULD be perfect, but there is a huge problem in a relationship when one of the two/or both of them are not really there. You know, fully devoted to each other. I always thought sth was missing. And that wasn't pain and tears, but real love and honesty between them.

And also, I found Nina and Angel to have a cute relationship but really not more than that. It is nice to see Angel have a nice time with a new girlfriend, and Nina seems to be an interesting character(werewolf) but we saw very little of them to judge.

I also admired Spike's and Dru's relationship. Dru was insane and yet Spike was in love with her, he was so sweet to her, that it actually amazed me. Dru's heart belongs with the blondie bear, really.

And last but not least, the only non-canon ship I would like would be probably Fangel. Just because they have a mutual respect and strong friendship between each other.

Just because I am a hardcore Bangeler, that doesn't mean i am completely blind to any other ship!

 

[Angels baby101]

Honestly although I ship Bangel hardcore and I dont think i could ever ship any other of Buffy's relationships, there were a few cute spuffy moments. Although I liked Riley as a character at points I never did like his relationship with Buffy.

Also I am a major shipper of Willow and Oz, they were just the cutest ever and I totally fell in love with them together, so when she got with Tara I was grumpy not because I didn't like Tara I just didn't want her with anyone other than Oz. However I can appreciate Willow/Tara's relationship, I'm not so grumpy over it even though I still think Oz and Willow were better lol.

As for non-cannon ships, I heart Dawn and Xander, seriously their relationship is adorable and they just understand each other so well and know what the other is going through. A lot of people don't like that ship because of the age difference, or because of the fact that Dawn is Buffy's little sister, but honestly the age difference isn't that major for one and for two I know plenty of people who fall for their best friends siblings. I just love how they can relate so well with one another and how they are always there for one another. Also I love Connor and Faith, I don't know why exactly i just think they'd make a cute couple. I mean honestly he's so whiny sometimes and she'd be good to knock that out of him... opps i'm sorry Lyri did i say Connor and Faith? I totally meant Connor and you lmao

 

[Beaumonde]

I think for the majority of us who have a non-canon ship, like Spander, Fangel, Fuffy, it's the chemisty between the characters that we never got to explore that makes us curious about what would have happened had they gotten together. It's not usually about the gender, at least not for me, my ships are just people who I think would have been interesting to see in some sort of romantic/sexual situation, to see how both sides would have dealt with the aftermath.

Yep. I only ship non-canon couples. I just find it more interesting to see what could have been, rather than see someone elses take on what already is.

 

[Lyri]

Yep. I only ship non-canon couples. I just find it more interesting to see what could have been, rather than see someone elses take on what already is.

That is exactly my view on shipping in general. Although I'm a Bangel, I will rarely, if ever, read a Bangel fic. Usually it's Spander, occasionally Fuffy, because it's something different and new to explore.

 

[Nix]

If I have to choose between Bangel and Spuffy, I drop onto the side of Bangel because I prefered their relationship. I class myself as a Fangel (Faith and Angel) because of the friendship that they formed and the understanding they had.

The thing I don't "get" is when shipping gets out of hand. Why bash characters and members because they dont fit into your choice of favourite. WHy bother trying to change someones opinion on what they like, it's their choice and they are entitled to have that. There are no right of wrongs just preferances and opinions.

 

[Kana]

I'm with the OP, I don't really ship. For me I'm more interested in the journey of the individual character. As for the non canon ships? Yes and no, I value the relationships (whether romantic or not) that are canon and the subtext provided but I'm more about what is than what could be. For me I have to make the dichotomy between fanon and canon. So talking about Spander for me is different to talking about say Bangel unless we are talking about subtext ( I love the Fuffy subtext but don't consider it a canonical romantic relationship).

I enjoy talking about the relationships in the Verse but I'm more interested in the journey. For example with Buffy, I'm of the opinion that Riley, Spike and Angel have all had their time.

 

[TheVoid68]

I see each relationship a character has as a life development thing. Someone that was right (or wrong) for them at that time in their life. And then things end and people move on. They go to a new stage in their life and eventually meet another person they connect with and then the cycle starts again.

This cycle doesn't last forever. Most people find somebody they love more than anyone else and stay with them until one of them dies. Shipping basically states who you'd like that person to be. Characters will always have several different relationships, but they can't all die alone.

I guess this kinda ties in with this thread, but to those people that ship a specific, well, ship, what do you think of other relationships that/those characters have? Do you completely dismiss them or do you take something from them? Do you enjoy watching them with the person that you don't see them with, or not?

It completely depends on the ship in question. For example. I ship (among others) Buffy/Faith and Willow/Tara. I pretty much hated all of Buffy's canon relationships (apart from Bangel, I simply dislike that), and I won't ship her with any of the "core four" because I prefer their relationships as familial. Is my dislike for the canon couples because they contradict my OTP, or because I just don't like them? I think the latter, because Willow is in the complete opposite situation. I want her to be with Tara, but I also loved her relationship with Oz. I like the idea Willow being with Fred, Cordelia or Faith (two of which contradict other ships of mine). Personally, I take every relationship on its own and judge it seperately from others. It's honestly entire coincidence that I hate all Buffy's canon ships. Notably, my "favourite" out of the three would be Bangel, which contradicts my second-favourite ship, Cangel, while I don't ship Riley or Spike with anyone else.

This is just my opinion/experience though, I don't know about everyone else.

 

[thevikingsgirl]

Shipping is fun. I guess that's why i do it, not that it's a conscious decision. I just like who I like.

 

[Tasha]

I never ship either, only sometimes. Like Sariza for instance. Only cuz they'd be hot together.
🙂

 

[sosa lola]

I ship Xander/Spike, Xander/Giles and Xander/Buffy. I also have a soft spot for Buffy/Spike. 🙂 To be honest, I love to read Xander with any character. I had a Xander/Ethan phase way back in 2005. :lmao:

As for non-cannon ships, I heart Dawn and Xander, seriously their relationship is adorable and they just understand each other so well and know what the other is going through.

Season Eight Spoilers

Spoiler

They're canon now 🙂