#ship: junzumi

[ran-orimoto]

Since we should give more appreciation to Frontier queer shippings, I guess I can start with some rare Takupei, my second OTP from Digimon Frontier after Junzumi (you heard it well. I like Takouji but it’s so obvious to me it never screamed “ OTP!” in my ears).

Like, do you remember this episode being all focused on Takuya sensing Junpei was in danger, when Junpei was so distant? That was so soulmate material idk. It needs more appreciation as a scene.

And do you also remember this episode ended with Junpei ignoring Izumi, -for once she was truly worried about him lol-, and him paying attention to Takuya and looking at him like that EHM? Attention on Izumi only came after…After Takuya pulled him up on his feet (how did he do that, skinny as he is? Is that Soulmates power????)

Another friendly reminder is that the animator of this episode is Itou-San, the same who…Directed this scene, exactly. Coincidentally that movie is Takupei x Junzumi just like this episode, confirming the whole triangle thing never existed because they have got the potential of a polyamorous love story.

Someday I would love drawing Football player Takuya, Star Tenor Junpei and Former top model Izumi sharing a photo gig together to end up on the cover of a magazine for a special collaboration. Very platonic, I assure you. Sí…

[kaikaikulet]

I love this edit i made it

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[mimi-cantabile]

I’ve unfortunately committed the sin of falling hard for Ryota x Maria. I apologize if I could start drawing something for them, but they have conquered me. I waited for Housamo to soak in my bones, I’ve played through the chapters, the events.

They have exploded in my heart. Sorry. I’m a sinful person because I ship Ryota with the mc (2 and 5) and Choji too. I’m a multishipper at heart but Maria x Ryota, my God. I tried resisting until the last event I’ve played (the Christmas one). Bye.

[ran-orimoto]

I’ve already said what I had to about the matter, which never fails digusting me despite the fact I’m aware Frontier is just child of its own times, but I have to add it is a bit hilarious to see how contradictory Izumi’s character is. Aiming at becoming kinder, growing closer to people instead of isolating herself, but at the same insulting, if not bullying lol, a peer because he’s stout.

It always blows my mind how I’m supposed to feel like the Frontier group is a group of friends, maybe among them except when it comes to Junpei who punctually gets treated like trash, gaining thrauma over thrauma (because, let’s be straight, being insulted by a girl you have a childish crush on and being accused of being peeping on her and other shit ARE THRAUMAS).

This is why I love TOH. I will never get tired of repeating it. TOH making you understand Junpei has got no bussiness with these people any more (except Izumi, needless to specify it, and hopefully she has changed, who knows). Because he has clearly found his path and, most of all, friends who appreciate him the way he is.

Still, let’s really appreciate the fact the writers seem to have changed their mind about Junpei’s character. Japan is still faphobic as hell, but like Teclajellymon underlined, if TOH had been written in those years we would have got a Junpei rotating around losing weight for Izumi’s sake ; and being, obviously, constantly compared with Kouji and the other dudes who are more beautiful than him, more attractive, more athletic, more skilled, cooler and blah blah blah we can’t care less.

They have FINALLY let Junpei be his own character and , like it or not, Izumi has always been an important part of his life, so his affection to her has also been apparently fundamental to lead him towards his future.

Like a friend said, (our dear Joseph lol), if she hadn’t been, Blitzmon wouldn’t have started going after Fairymon. It’s as if Izumi is a part of his spirit.

Always nice to remember how Izumi's character was based on looks and appearances and how Frontier stinks of fatphobia from head to toe. Meanwhile, thank you, Izumi, for sending an individual message to Junpei.

The n 2 reason why I ship Junzumi is that back when Frontier aired everyone always said Izumi would have liked him if he had lost weight. This makes me both wish for Junzumi to happen and also for him to shit on her head someday, still stout like he is but a better person for sure.

I like now Junpei's weight hasn't been brought up in the latest years content, except the TOH rumors scene but that was ok to make me understand he has not lost weight. If they had followed Frontier's initial idea to make Junpei lose weight for Izumi and "be cool like Kouji" he would have been thinner now. But they haven't, so this is a nice improvement I need to point out.

(Video by Ost Digimon via Youtube)

I also want to say Izumi's Va is a junzumi supporter and before the memorial she never brought up his weight in her interviews. They even showed her a discarded Junzumi scene and published it on Animedia next to her interview.

[into-september]

Didn't want to drag the other thread off topic, but yeah, I was there when Tamers was in first run and you're right that fandom never really mentally left past Zero Two. I'll be honest, my 15 y/o self fully came into Tamers expecting to hate it but the story and the deeper development of the core team got me to warm up to it.

Shipping-wise, I think most ppl were pretty meh, apart from Juri/Takato and Ruki/Ryo. But you're right, slash wasn't a big thing there, from what I saw.

My relationship to the Adventures/02/Tamers fandom is a bit weird because I had no access to Digimon on TV, and relied on VHS tapes and CDs mailed to me by friends. I was very into the fandom, but to this day I still haven't watched all of Adventures and am still missing some few episodes of 02, haha.

I don't remember exactly how I felt about Tamers going in, but I do know that I fell hard and fast and it is one of the biggest stories in my heart to this day. I spent more time with the Adventures/02 fandom still, because Tamers corner was so comparatively quiet and the few people there were criminally sleeping on the fluff potential of jenkato. Kenta/Kazu was pretty popular though.

Ironically Rika/Takato and Rika/Henry seemed a lot more popular than both Jeri/Takato and Rika/Ryo, who had the actual canon developments. In retrospect (and particularly with the context of Frontier and the how few people shipped junzumi), that says a lot about both the tropes the franchise was built on (and which Tamers subverted), and on how the fandom insisted on following them across universes.

[izzyizumi]

( TAKUYA ON MY DASH REMINDED ME )

( eventually I’ll remake my oldest Digimon amv too )

( WHICH WAS ACTUALLY A FRONTIER ONE )

( A SHORT ONE to a Yu//Gi//Oh opening theme’s short version iirc ?? ? )

( OR MAYBE I DID THE LONG ONE IDEK IT WAS AGES AGO )

( THAT THING GOT LOST TO COMPUTER CRASHINGS OVER TIME )

( AND I CRIED BECAUSE IT WAS MY 1ST DIGIMON AMV AND YEAH )

( IT WAS SHORT BUT I ACTUALLY REALLY LOVED IT OK )

( I THINK I DID WELL WITH THAT ONE ACTUALLY )

( IT GAVE ME A LOT OF FRONTIER + TAKUYA FAV FEELINGS TOO )

( SO HOPEFULLY AFTER ALL THESE TAI//SHIROS )

( I CAN REMAKE THAT ONE TOO I LOVE FRONTIER STILL WAH )

[into-september]

Anyway here is me legitimately trying to remember any ship wars in the Frontier fandom but the closest I get is that logically there must’ve been some takumi vs kouzumi kerfuffle happening. Most of my fandom crowd were into junzumi (except me, who never told anyone that I shipped takumi), but the junzumi crowd was mostly just ignored, I think? Because the fandom largely did ignore anything involving JP. 

Weirdly, I can’t remember the existence of koukou ever being a big controversy, and this was before FMA came around and made incest somewhat mainstream. If anything, I suspect any ship wars might’ve been between the takumi/kouzumi shippers and the takouji ones. Trés Naruto. 

“Fandom didn’t used to be this toxic” Yes it did and odds are if you didn’t see it earlier you were either in a really well curated group or you were the one being toxic.

[windwarriororimotoizumi-blog]

(( Honestly Junzumi is a great ship and I’d love to roleplay it ))

[ran-orimoto]

Toei really spoiled me when they decided to make Junpei sing that freaking “Nessun Dorma” to Izumi. “Turandot”, the opera where unrequited love suddenly turns into the purest and most intense love ever.

I know Junpei sings it to give a homage to Shizuka Arakawa, BUT THE FACT it coincidentally comes from “Turandot” makes me feel like I want to scream and cry and shout. LIKE, DO YOU KNOW WHY KALAF, the main tenor singing Nessun Dorma, SINGS THAT VINCERÓ (“I will win”) AT THE END? Because he’s certain he will win over Turandot’s heart, because he’s persistent and never falters in his love for her.

I’m the only one who can make a Turandot AU nobody would understand and I don’t know what will eventually make my lazy a$$ do it, but I will do it. I don’t care. And you know what, it’s not even laziness that never succeeded in convincing me to draw or write something about it; it’s more like I want to really do it, and in a way that will make me even more obsessed. Because I’m seriously OBSESSED with such a coincidence and everytime I listen to “Nessun Dorma”, I will jump onto the wagon of Fuck you, Toei, sincerely. You don’t know what you did there without intention. WHAT YOU DID TO MY MIND.

Seriously , Junpei shippers, “Nessun Dorma” is our anthem, I will die on my hill and maybe I won’t even die the way I should? Because ,after all, it could probably not even be that big coincidence, who even knows. I don’t want to, however.

[ran-orimoto]

I don't know if you need to hear this or not, but screw your cribge feelings and give us that merman Junzumi AU.

🥹🥹🥹 Last year’s Mermay was a mess. I hate myself, but I said so many times I don’t need Mermay to draw my mer creatures. Ah Anon, 💕💕💕💕 I love mermaids so much and a man liking singing couldn’t escape from my … Embrace. Even if he sings opera 🧍🏻‍♀️. Imagine finding a merman darling singing opera. Chiaki is a soprano in my AU, so she sings opera too as a mermaid, I guess….?

Wwww THIS ASK MADE ME SO HAPPY. Remembering that trash💕💕💕💕💕💕.

[ran-orimoto]

Idk.

This pic lives free rent in my mind. If you show it to someone without giving them context, WHAT WOULD THEY THINK. Not that the context would make it less gay, but ok.

WHY ARE YOU TOUCHING HIS *COUGH* PEC LIKE THAT, TAKUYA.

I HAVE GOT NO INTONATION. Moreover, PSA, that this dude also animated the movie and smh the movie was both Takupei and Junzumi like this ep✈️.

[ran-orimoto]

The world should never forget what intensity means. True passion🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷

[ran-orimoto]

You're an only on many who talks about J.P on this site. I can ask you what you think on Junpei becoming a singer for Izumi? Doesn't it make you angry?

Hi, Anon. Thank you for the ask. You kinda… Touched a delicate topic here, because I have got mixed feelings about this Serena from Pokemon situation, but, surprisingly, I’m not totally condemning this choice from the writers like some have. I…Can look at it more brightly than people expect me to and I can also say I don’t think the opera singer thing came out of blue.

For starters, there’s a part of me who wants to believe he was embarassed about Izumi teasing him. It’s an audio drama and we have no idea about his expression there. If you ask me, Izumi mentioning the ice skater and Tourin Olympics is way too specific to be a random anecdote that hasn’t had an impact on Junpei’s past self. I think that “Junpei, you’re really a fanboy” kinda made him awkward on the spot. On another hand, it’s obvious his crush is still there and his “I’m studying opera to be closer to you” hasn’t been thrown there for a nonsense reason, either, which means there might be a pinch of truth in what he says.

It…Sucks? It…Disgusts you because it shows Junpei is stuck at the same point, which is also something he was aware about in the original series? Remember the library scene with Tomoki, where he admits he hasn’t changed at all? It makes you wince because Junpei was supposed to be an engineer or a magician? I understand these feelings very well, but I also want to see, indeed, try seeing a sense in whatever they have done in that drama (which is my favourite one from Frontier, mind you).

Taking in consideration the job choice, I believe there have been two reasons behind it:

• Junpei’s skill at entertaining people that has been shown in the whole anime.

• The necessity of connecting characters with Italy.

• Junpei being interested in Izumi’s culture and not becoming a singer because of her, but getting into a field connected with Italy because of her, because he wants to connect with her through her language and culture. “Get closer” means “I want to get closer to your world so we can also get closer as friends”.

Listen, as an opera fan, I want to underline sometimes I find myself wishing he had taken on some other kind of career as well. Junpei is a very colourful character, showing to be good at the most disparate activities: he is good with kids and you think he would be a great teacher like Juri and Hikari (Digimon, we need a man teacher among your characters, just saying); he likes drawing on freaking blue prints and you think he could give engineering or architecture a chance; there are some scenes in which he seems to interact with Trailmon so often and you think he could turn driving trains in a future job; he’s interested in magical tricks and, like many would have liked, you can imagine him going professional in the field; he likes imagining himself as the mc of a tv series, so you can picture him as an actor.

All of these observations are valid and true but the point in his character is that Junpei is just interested in so much different stuff. Profiles describe him as a “kid who is bad at school but has got an academic knowledge thanks to his interest in miscellaneous stuff”. And you can notice this trait of his scattered in the show in the smallest and silliest frames too, like, for example, when he mentions elephants’ graves, or when he raises his hands up to the Sun and mentions UV rays, or when he quotes horror tropes. In the most recent drama he also reveals himself to be a fan of detective stories??🤣 He has got a lot of interests and I can kinda see this as something he does to deal with loneliness. Always staying alone, maybe he reads a lot or watches ton of documentaries.

Headcanons aside, Junpei could have been all these things but their attention ended up falling on his most entertaining side, pushing them to pick the opera singing career.

Now. Unlike Takuya, Junpei has always had an interest in Italy thanks to Izumi. In the anime it’s never shown except when he joins her while she’s yelling “Buono! Buono!” before eating at the island restaurant. Yet, it’s a characteristic of his that surfaces in “Izumi’s Love letters”, or whatever it is called. It’s basically the part of the 2002 drama where she sends imaginary letters to the boys, Junpei included. In the one she addresses him, she talks about the fact Junpei makes her happy when he seems interested in her tales about Italy, especially when it comes to food, and she proposes him (+ the others, she specifies at the end XD) to visit Italy together.

It has always been there and even if that curiosity was born in him thanks to Izumi, I’m so sure he is cultivating his interest on his own as well. You…Can’t absolutely take on opera if you don’t feel it in your heart🤣. It’s a suicide, okay, and ,most of all, you have to own that gift to pursue that dream. It’s not like you will start studying opera and you just need to study to go forward. It’s not enough at all. Thus, Izumi saying Junpei has entered an honour university after some opera exam makes you understand he’s seriously giving his best in what he’s doing and is also rather great at it.

“But he’s doing it to get closer to Izumi whwhwhwhwhhwhwhwwwwwweewe”

Not only ,in my opinion. He’s also taken that path thanks to Izumi, because that’s how their relationship has always worked, -excluding times in which the writing was trash-.

It’s not like I want to say the others have got no role in Junpei’s and Izumi’s growth, but looking back at Frontier for a nth time with a dear friend is making me realize how their friendship was based on improving thanks to the other’s presence. Izumi faced her issues for the first time in a serious way thanks to Junpei in the Tsunomon episode. Her collaboration with him and her opening herself to him without prejudices helped her move forward and take a first step towards her improvement. Junpei learnt how to be more genuine around her, starting from being such a spoiled a$$ to understanding he could build a good relationship with her if he was himself. Compare the Floramon ep with the Tsunomon ep to notice how he became a totally different person in her regards after having got the spirit, whereas he keeps on being tough to Takuya and Co. If we exclude the sexist philosophy behind the Bolgmon episode, we can take in consideration that the affection he had towards Izumi also pushed him to go over his limits even when he felt so unsure about doing it. He wanted to get her spirit back and it was enough for him to give a glance at her sadness to get courage, get his beast spirit and maintain a partial control on it: actually, Bolgmon managed to hit Grottemon only when he remembered he was attacking him for Izumi’s sake.

There’s…Nothing wrong in getting inspired from a person and letting that person shape us; in seeing them as a sort Muse of light in a world that’s probably too dark to allow us to see where we should put our feet. What matters, though, is to go over that phase eventually and build our person on the precious lessons our Muse has given us. “Train of Hope”introduces us to a still immature Junpei who has got a lot to learn, a very flawed Junpei who can both be himself around his crush but can also make the mistakes he used to make as a kid, and, again, guys, it’s fine??? Digiworld doesn’t mark the end of these kids’ development. Every kid seems to still be flawed at its worst in that drama, not only Junpei.

Still, we are talking about him now, and what I can tell you is that the infamous tenor role they have given him has got a lot of potential behind its frivolous appearance. It could give Junpei the opportunity to live new experiences outside Japan, grow further, plunge in a world of entertainment aiming at making people both laugh and cry, and that’s also perfect for a character like him. A grey one who could hold both comedy and tragedy in himself; a lightning that can both bring but also rob the world of light. In a nutshell, he wouldn’t only be a perfect tenor because of his knight fantasies and his unrequited crush XD.

And if these experiences will help him grow out of his crush on Izumi, may it happen. Somehow, even if I could spend ages talking about Junzumi and spreading love for them, I would find it a very good ending for him: him eventually finding happiness first of all in himself and, possibly, in another person as well. By then, he will have become a much better person and ,you never know, sometimes he might remember how everything started and might thank Digiworld and Izumi for everything.

PSA Just a question: do you use J.P as a nickname for him?🤣💕

[ran-orimoto]

Friend are right. I agree with them. Why do you say you like J.P Zoe if in the fanfictions you write they have got problems with each other and J.P thinks she deserves better ( obviously who if not Takuya)? I'm no for J.P Zoe pairing but your stories are there where nothing gets updated. I read them for boredom, don't get ahead of yourself, weirdo. Same with arts. You have got a perversion for fat people and want to force on Zoe your fantasies for fat men. Truth is you will come out as a Takuzoe now too and you will say your "J.P Zoe daughter" is a Takuzoe daughter. Claiming her as my Takuzoe daughter. She deserves better than fat hands holding her

Anon, I’ve respected your meditative break but I missed you so much omg. I’ve dedicated something to you💕💕💕, because unfortunately Ran is not a Takumi fankid *sigh*, but she wouldn’t be that against having a mother and two dads, just saying. So she could be a Takupei fankid OPS.

She…Has heard too many fairytales from Papà before going to bed.

I ship Takupei very much. Their fire-thunder bickerings was my life. Still, I also ship Takumi (less than in the past tho) and Junzumi (this one. Could I avoid specifying this one🤣?). So they could be an OT3 in my most secret wishes, even if the Frontier group is a whole family in my AU. Izumi and Junpei not having sibilings but getting them thanks to DW💕.

PSA: HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!

PSA 2: Have a good day, Anon. Always a pleasure to see the time you dedicate to me and my trash💕! I would be so happy to meet your own fankids, tho…Get Ran a friend???

[ran-orimoto]

Hello greetings! Thanks for follow me! May i ask why do you like junpei-nisan and ship him with izumi-ne? Sorry f9r my rude and bad english..

Hello! Don’t worry about your english because first of all it is not bad; second, I’m not english myself so, honestly, who cares🤫. What matters the most is to understand each other, right?

I’ve recently written a little post about why I love Junpei so much:

But I guess I could tell so much more about the reason why I love Junpei. That post isn’t exhaustive at all ahaha.

For example, I could tell you about how much I love his personality being so flawed and going through a development that does happen in the background, but it’s still so beautiful. From seeing him starting off as a selfish, rude kid wanting the world to rotate around him, to observing him finding his role in the group, taking step backwards because of their sake (very ehw, but I admit it was written well from his perspective, at least).

As far as concerns Junzumi, the reasons are so many even when it comes to them. I used to ship Takumi (Takuya x Izumi) in the past, but I had never watched Frontier tbh. When I started my watching, my immediate liking on Junpei soon laced itself with a growing interest in the pair. Going beyond the fact I have got a soft spot for pairings in which a boy is so devoted to his crush, loves her so endlessly and would do anything to make her happy, I could make a little list about the main points making me like Junzumi so much.

• The main reason why I love it is that they are both lonely kids and they get constantly paired up at the beginning of Frontier because of this characteristic of theirs. They just deal with it in different ways, indeed, opposite ways: Junpei searches for friends so desperately he even sells himself, becomes a people pleaser, exchanges friendship for material stuff; Izumi has got no friends because she doesn’t want them, she doesn’t want to be treated as a special kid, being put at the center of attention (whereas Junpei DOES want to be the star of situations XD). Both also cope with this situation of theirs in different ways, almost specular, with Junpei feeling a void inside himself but trying repressing it, lying to himself, and Izumi being perfectly aware of her condition but not wanting to go deeper and looking for its root. What really makes this point (and couple) so special to me is that in some profiles about Junpei it’s stated he felt drawn by Izumi at first sight because he could perceive she was as lonely as him.

And I…I am a lonely person too, I must admit. I’m an only child like them and somehow I do relate to their need to have someone around themselves.

• They are the most well-developed duo in the whole Frontier and have got ton of potential because of their personalities clashing, but always finding a way to get along. They are…The Mum and Dad of the group, this is a certainty, but they are also great partners when they collaborate. They started off with Izumi not standing him, Junpei not knowing how to even conversate with her in a normal way. Yet, they soon learn to appreciate each other, unconsciously learn they can grow up thanks to each other. Who’s the first (indeed, only) member of the group Izumi opens up to, has got the best heart-to-heart with? Junpei. Who is the one for whom Junpei goes beyond his limits, understanding how important for him is to protect those he cares for? Izumi. Let’s also add Junpei gets interested in italian thanks to her, but this is something I have to add because of my endless love for this aspect of Junpei’s.

• They can be both a platonic and romantic relationship and, in my personal opinion, in a couple it’s so important to balance the two sides.

• Their personalities help me come up with thousand of ideas for them and it does matter for a creative person like me, I assure you. Imagining them older and applying those explosive personalities of theirs in a boyfriend/girlfriend or ,even funnier, husband/wife context is just everything to me. Junpei is the loyal, extremely devoted, affectionate, sometimes also wise husband pleasing his wife in the most disparate ways he could. There’s nothing he cares more about than seeing her happy and making her believe she’s the most beautiful, -inside and outside-, woman on Earth. Izumi is the wife liking teasing her husband, being so strict at certain moments, taking the reins of any situation and holding the scepter of the household. Yet, at the same time, she’s the most lovely companion of life, making husband feel the most desiderable man on Earth.

AND FEEDING HIM WITH BEST FOOD.

EHM, yes, moments in which you are flooded by emotions. Waves of emotions.

• They are Wind x Thunder, parts of tempests. Their elements also have got a special bond in one of the V-Pets.

• Their Digimon are both bugs in their adult forms and, Jesus Christ, consider me stupid, but I ship Fairymon and Blitzmon so hard too (especially after Blitzmon is revealed to be a simp for her in the 2019 drama).

These are some reasons. SOME, though, because there are ton of others. I…I would be banned from Tumblr because of the excessive length. Anyway! I hope I was clear and answered your question in the way you wanted. If you wanted to know something else about these topics or share your opinions, you’re welcome to do it💕 (just like you’re welcome in my blog from now on).

Thank you for the ask and have a good day🎶!

[ran-orimoto]

Would you ever plan a Junzumi week? Every ship has got one, let's? Why is Frontier fandom so /different/..................

Ehm, cute idea, but I don’t want to trigger anyone ahahahahhahahh. In a parallel world I have organized three of them. In this world I’m a cautious bun, already sweating whenever I post Junzumi ahahah. I don’t want anyone to fall prey of certain people’s rudeness 💕.