#they're supposed to be an echo of Junpei and Yukari and they pull it off better because it comes from *mutual antagonism* and no true hatre

[taldigi]

In my heart Yosuke and Chie are both bi but still would be horrified at the idea of getting together. Like no dude, that's the guy I immediately latched onto as a brother/sister figure to bully (affectionate). It's like Ryuji and Ann if Ann wasn't a lesbian. Yosuke and Chie could at most date and kiss ONCE and immediately go "ewww no gross" and make a mutual pact to never speak of it again.

oh yeah absolutely. They kiss once and it's the worst experience they've ever had. Drinking vinegar and chewing on sand levels of urrgh. Besides? They arent even each other's types? Like... Saki and Yu were established as their "types" canonically so there's that.

tho Ann/Ryuji feels like they could easily date for like, a month or two before they realize that they aren't clicking and then break up amicably about it. Any clicking between Yosk and Chie is the sound of a lighter during a gas leak.

In general i'm sick of the "oh they bicker like a married couple they're meant for each other" as if being in a constant state of friction and antagonism is "goals" for a relationship- and unfortunately, I feel like they're slightly angled in that direction. They have plenty of moments where that eases up and there's soft or empathetic sentiments, but to interpret that empathy or sympathy as "actually they're in love" is a huge disservice to their dynamic and to them as characters and.. ugh!!

(But, to be fair- for every shuffle they take in a possible Chie/Yosk direction, they immediately turn around and start sprinting in a Souyo and Yukichie direction. )

Angling them as sibling coded, tho- Is sort of oversimplifying it? I think their relationship is more layered than to simply use that label (siblings) on them. The implication for that uh.. I think... "I want to see them have trust and affection that transcends bickering (because that bickering comes knowing that trust cannot be implicitly broken) and without risk of it being interpreted as romantic" Folk can and- often do have relationships that transcend that of average friendships, and operate without risk of it becoming anything other than platonic.

Chie and Yosuke are openly disrespectful of each other, yet probably trust each other more than most the other (non souyo, non yukichie, non-yu) IT dynamics do. They know each other well enough to know what buttons to push... but also know how and when to push those buttons in order to challenge each other in ways that make them grow (or at least divert whatever energy is causing the other to spiral)

They're really good friends, best friends, even!! They'll show up the second the other's in distress with a six-pack and convenience store bentos in order to sit and call each other stupid for an hour because it works better and is cheaper then therepy.

but idk, thats how I read it.