This is an editorial (aka a rant). ^_^. Let me start by saying, I wouldn't really call myself a romantic. I like some instances of romance, if they don't seem sappy/insincere/unrealistic, I think they're sweet. And sometimes I think people would make nice couples. But I'm not really in the habit of imagining them where they don't exist. It all kind of sparked off from my Pokemon fandom. Back in the days before Misty's Song and The Movie 2000, I was in disbelief that people could claim that Ash and Misty "were in love". I looked at them and saw friendship, partnership and some hostility, others looked at them and heard wedding bells. Ignoring this, I continued to like the series. I did like it that it didn't have romance; I think a lot of anime romance I've seen is kind of sappy and pathetic, so it was nice to find one series that didn't have a scrap of this sort of thing at all. I was fed up with romance being plugged EVERYWHERE. Inescapable, like it's everyone's number one priority in life. Sorry, I'm getting a little sidetracked... well, maybe not. I guess I'm just getting at the point that romance saturation is quite annoying. So it was nice that Digimon (01 at least) has such microscopic amounts of romance as to be negligible. A couple of minutes of Mimi's parents gushing at each other are all we are subjected to. ^_^. But some people can't leave it alone. ^^;; A show doesn't have romance? Let's MAKE some. Matt and Tai get on each other's nerves a lot? Oh, they must be in love. TK and Kari have complementing Digimon? It's meant to be! Matt and Mimi have barely spoken a direct word to each other? They must be trying to hide their feelings! Forget that they're little kids, fighting hostility against each other and saving the world! All of them are hormone-driven mentally anguished lovesicks! Forgive my sarcasm... I can see it if people think "so-and-so" might make a cute couple, but to really believe in it? There are all these words on the 'net that spring up from couples people think exist. Taito, Sorami, Taiora... I mean, after going a few days without seeing a site using Japanese names, I saw "Yamato" written somewhere and thought "now, that's for fans of Matt with who?" before I belatedly remembered it was actually his name. ^^;; People can make up whatever fantasies they like and enjoy whatever they like. I'm surely not trying to change anyone's mind, just share my own, but the fact is that, excluding new-character-centric fics, about 90% of Digimon fanfics seem to be romance-related (and many of these yaoi/yuri). It's kind of annoying, I wish there was more variety around, because I do enjoy a good fanfic! I have enjoyed some romantic fics but it's hard to find ones that are a) for straight couples, b) clean, c) IN-CHARACTER (VERY difficult) and d) believable. Nothing wrong with the romance genre per se, but I like comedy and dark, depressing fics, and ones where action happens or people die or someone goes through emotional trauma - and there's so much more to life than being in love! (Except when you're the one who's in love. ^_^.) Having said all that, my own opinion on popular couples on the show? Well, I've seen most of 01 by now so, based on what I've seen thus far... Tai-Matt: Bleah. Maybe that offends you but seems like the majority of Digimon fandom's into these two anyway so why should you care about my scrap of an opinion in the ocean of cyberspace. (Wow, that's a mixed metaphor. ^_^.) These two held hands once, when they were privately scared outta their minds and wanted the support of the only other person who was gonna go through the same thing they were. And they fight frequently.

Why is it that people who argue on anime are constantly thought to be staving off romantic tension? In this case I really think it is a case of macho-dom, and of genuinely getting quite annoyed with the other person. Neither of them has indicated that their fighting is based on anything other than what it seems at face value.

Tai-Sora: Hmm... they have the solid basis of friendship, they've been friends for years. But they're children yet, I don't think they're at the stage where those feelings would develop. They don't seem like they are, anyway. They sure don't act like it. Closest thing I've seen that could be construed as evidence for this relationship is that during the Birdramon/Garudamon vs Mammothmon battle, Sora and Tai fell backwards holding onto each other. Great evidence...

TK-Kari: There's definitely potential for when they get older - the two definitely seem to be like partners, like they belong together (not necessarily romantically, even if only in friendship, but they should be around each other for a while, anyway) and complement each other. And when they get older, apparently TK has some interest going on there. ^_^.

Izzy-Mimi: Um... kind of drawing a blank here. Who can forget their tender, passionate time together, where Izzy is on the computer and Mimi shouting at him yet failing to make him register a word she says. I think Izzy is so focused on technical stuff, and Mimi hates technical stuff... he thinks she's a ditz. I dunno, I can't even see a speck of a spark.

Apart from TK-Kari there are two relationships I could *possibly* see happening. Or I think they'd make cute couples. Or whatever. I don't really support either of them enough to call myself a Digimon relationshipper (shipper for short) or to write fanfics (or read them) on the topic, but...

Joe-Sora: Just the fact that their personalities complement quite nicely, they look good together (^_^;;;) and they seem to pay attention to each other. Sora's often commenting on things Joe says, or replying to him, and sometimes teases him (although not in the mean way some of the others doO). If I really believed in the relationship I could start spouting incidences that result from overimagination (like "when the two were thrown together in the Devimon saga, Joe tried really hard to impress Sora!") but I won't go that far. I'll just say they don't make the worst, or most unlikely, couple on the show.

Joe-Mimi: Like Sora, Mimi's usually the one to reply to his comments or tease him ("what a man!"). And when Mimi wanted to stay behind, Joe instantly volunteered to stay with her - no thought required. He seems pretty fond of her. It's weird, I didn't originally think they'd make a good match, but now I think they could be cute together. Again, not much concrete evidence for this or any relationship.