That's Shiptastic!

Ah, shipping. I was introduced to the wonderful world of shipping late last year by Gojo. I am now addicted. For those of you who do not know what shipping is, here is a definition, again from my friend Wikipedia:


Shipping, derived from the word relationship, is the belief that two fictional characters, typically from the same series, are in a relationship, or have romantic feelings that could potentially lead to a relationship. It is considered a general term for fans' emotional and/or intellectual involvement with the ongoing development of romance in a work of fiction. Though technically applicable to any such involvement, it refers chiefly to various related social dynamics observable on the Internet, and is seldom used outside of that context.


TVTropes has this to say about Shipping and Shippers:


Characters may be shipped despite being still in grade school, of the wrong sexuality, siblings or twins, Just Friends, mortal enemies or just generally the bane of each other's existence, separated by an age gap of decades or centuries, not of the same narrative continuum, part of a story where romance just isn't an issue, inanimate objects, nigh total strangers, considered as a possible couple at all only because they're both left single after you're done pairing everybody else, extremely implausible as a couple by design or even outright denied to ever possibly get together by Word Of God.


Here in this post, I shall outline my various shipping... techniques. Yes, I shall call them techniques. These are the several strange ways that I ship.


Oops, I Shipped It Again aka Accidental Shipping:
 I have recently become pretty good at this, which isn't really a great thing. You see, when I start watching an anime, I take quite a few episodes to remember the names of every character. I mean, they all have Japanese names and are hard to remember. Also, when I start an anime, I like to read the Wikipedia page and TVTropes page for it.. I like to check up on the characters' names, see if I've heard their voice actors in other animes and read the vague plot, to make sure I'm keeping up. I TRY not to read too many spoilers, but I'm not doing well at that. Here is how my first Accidental Ship occurred:
I had just started watching Special A and didn't really know half of the main characters' names. I read about the show on TVTropes. It gave away one of the romances and, not knowing the name of the guy that was written, I assumed it was somebody else. Therefore, I shipped the girl mentioned and another guy, not the one mentioned, for the entire series... Even now that I know they are just friends and never get together, I still ship them. I did a similar thing with the Fruits Basket manga.
To prevent from Accidental Shipping:
1. Do not read spoilers!
2. If you read anything about the show, make sure you are 100% of each characters name.


Lightning Shipping:
This is something I do A LOT. This is where you ship almost as soon as seeing characters. I've begun shipping very, very, very quickly. I'll see two characters just say "hi" to each other and go, "You know, they look like they'd be a cute couple... I SHIP THEM!" I did this in episode 1 or 2 of Honey and Clover, where it turns out that the two I shipped are in love with other people and I kinda shippied two people in episode 1 of Kanon and it turns out they are cousins. Now, this wouldn't stop a lot of people, but I don't do incestuous ships, haha. This shipping technique definitely goes hand-in-hand with the next one.

BST Ship:

BST, how I love thee. BST is the abbreciation for Belligerent Sexual Tension, one of my all-time favourite tropes. LOVE IT. TVTropes' definition:

This trope revolves around a couple, usually a sweet but quickly angered female paired with a secretly-kind jerk, who are not able to admit their feelings. At the top of their lungs.

Despite the conflict, there is an attraction. This is obvious to everyone around except the couple. Confront them with the obvious, they'll deny deny deny. Sometimes they will progress to admitting their friendship but insist they are Just Friends.

Basically, the fight like crazy but are actually in love. N'aw. Serious, I could not love this trope more.. 

Now, this goes with Lightning Shipping because, as soon as I see two characters, of the opposite sex, have an argument I ship them assuming they have BST. In the animes I have watched, they generally do have BST, but not always. This can also lead to the next technique...

Launcher of a Thousand Ships: (Actual TVTrope)

Alright, a Launcher of a Thousand Ships is someone who gets shipping with everyone. Or at least, a lot of people. Now, if I incorporate Lightning Shipping and BST Ship together, I find myself launching a thousand ships. This happened with Kyo from Fruits Basket. I immediately shipped him with Tohru, because I like him (and he likes her) and I hate Yuki (who likes her too). Then Kagura came along. She's in love with him and insanely violent. I shipped them. If he didn't love Tohru, they'd be a cute as couple and they have some BST, I guess. More so in the manga. Then, I saw him with Tohru's friend Uo. Whenever they are around each other they just argue and insult. BST, much? So I ship them too. 

Same with Kanon. I haven't finished this series, far from it actually, but I already ship the main character, Yuichi, with 3 girls, mainly to do with a whole lot of BST. 

Die For Our Ship: (another TVTrope)

Now, I don't do this a lot, but I have been known to. Die For Our Ship is basically where you completely detest a particular character because they have the potential, or actually do, get in the way of your ship. I have done this in Fruits Basket'; it's probably a large proportion of the reason that I hate Yuki, because he was in love with Tohru. 


Secondary Shipping:
OK, say, there are three characters A, B & C. You totally ship A & B. But then you stop and think, "Hm. You know, if B weren't there (like, never existed or died), I would SO ship A & C..."
This would be your secondary ship. Now, you could add D into the equation and think, "If B AND C weren't there, I'd ship A & D." This would be a tertiary ship, and so on...
I've been known to do this. It kinds goes along with Launcher of a Thousand Ships. You see, with Kyo Sohma, my primary ship is KyoxTohru, my secondary ship is KyoxKagura and my tertiary ship is KyoxUo. In La Corda D'Oro my primary ship is HinoxTsukimori and my secondary ship is HinoxTshiuchura (I don't think I spelt his name right, but whatever). 

I cannot think of anymore but I had a light-bulb moment! In another post, hopefully coming soon, I shall outline my favourite TVTropes character traits. So, watch this space. 

Here's a little picture demonstration of BST for y'all. 

I've never watched this anime, but hey, BST :D