Why do people ship?

[Malinter 3,064]

Sometimes its just funny. Ever wondered what would happen if two characters who hate the crap out of each other and just decided to quit it and be friends? Shipping has you covered.

 

And yes, I have read fics where they *literally* do this when they realise they can't beat each other. It takes "if you can't beat them, join them." who a whole other level and right though the valley of weirdness.

[Pinkiest Pie 405]

Because, most of the time it's quite cute.

[Bird Mom 900]

It just fulfills your wildest fantasies that will never happen.

 

Unless the ship is canon, of course.

[KatonRyu 1,033]

I can't speak for everyone, but I can certainly explain why I enjoy it.

 

I began shipping characters when I was around 15, as a form of wish fulfillment. At the time, I had a crush on some characters in series I watched, and no girlfriend. So, I looked for the character I thought would be most likely to become romantically involved with the character I liked. In this case, I began shipping with Pokemon. I liked Misty, and I figured Ash would have the best chance of getting together with her.

 

Of course, even back then I didn't really want to make it too implausible for them to end up together so I began delving into canon signs there might be an attraction between them. This is basically how I rolled into the shipping mindset.

 

As time passed, the concept of romance began to become a bit of an obsession for me, and I began to look for shippings in nearly every series I watched. I didn't have crushes on the characters anymore, I just liked thinking about certain characters getting into a relationship and being happy for it. 

 

The main fun in shipping, for me, comes from the search through episodes for hints, and then utilizing those hints in a fanfic to turn a possible attraction into a real one. Writing the progression of character's feelings as they begin to realize their romantic attractions to their friends is, well, almost an addiction. Usually I figure out the pairing in a fanfic before I begin thinking about the actual plot.

 

I should note that I hardly ever write fics centered on existing relationships. It's always the buildup to a confession of feelings and then the first kiss. For some reason I still consider that the most fun to write about.