adventure hearts

This ask actually inspired me to write meta for the first time in a while! Thanks a lot, Anon!

So, a while back I read this book called The Five Love Languages. It’s about how  everyone expresses/experiences love in five main ways — words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, receiving gifts, and physical touch — and how this affects interpersonal relationships, especially marriage. 

The book’s thesis is that everyone has a primary and secondary "love language”; for each of them there are multiple “dialects”, or different ways of manifesting love. In order to have a healthy relationship, you need to identify your and your partner’s language, so that you can give each other what you need (*).

Me being me, I immediately started to try and identify the love languages of each DA character, and predictably gave a lot of thought to Sora and Yamato’s. Based on my notes on this book, here are my headcanons about how Sora and Yamato express affection!

I have to say I loved that Otomedia article when they talked about Christmas presents — it really confirmed my vision that their presents for each other are usually thoughtful and have sentimental value, regardless of what they actually are. It’s the intention that counts!

I think Sora usually spends a lot of time planning the perfect gift; Yamato is not that good at picking out stuff because he’s always worried she won’t like it, so he’s usually smart enough to ask Takeru for advice before committing… but when he buys something spontaneously it tends to be spot on.

I doubt either of them forgets special dates — fine, maybe Yamato, if he’s particularly overworked and/or busy at one point. Sora is hyper organised with her calendar, so that would never happen to her.

As for how they spend those celebrations… again, it would depend on where they are in life. Maybe a nice dinner, a weekend getaway, or spending quality time with family and friends. Christmas would be important, especially if it happens to coincide with their anniversary; Yamato’s European heritage also means they probably make a better deal out of it than the average Japanese family. However, in general, I don’t see either them as being into big parties or making a fuss; just being together is fine!

I think Sora is more strict, but Yamato is more stressed out — if that makes sense? I don’t think there’s a good cop and a bad cop in the family, it really depends on the circumstances.

This is a very good question!

I have to say I’ve always imagined them both as very independent people who do need some time to themselves in order to function; both also have a slight tendency to become too introspective and to push people away (physically and/or emotionally).

The positive side to this is that they both understand the other’s need for space and/or alone time perfectly — they wouldn’t act overly clingy or smothering with the other, and wouldn’t take it too personally if the other was moody or brooding. The negative side is that this distance could come to a point when it’s too much, and one and/or both of them feel emotionally ‘abandoned’ by the other and have trouble conveying their needs and finding their way back to each other.

For instance, the classic “sad fic” scenario is Yamato going away for a few months on a mission, and Sora feels lonely but can’t admit she misses him because she doesn’t want to “burden” him with her issues and feels she has to put on a brave face. Or, more broadly, a situation where Sora feels Yamato is a bit too distant, but not being upfront about it, and becoming angry; this situation could be made worse if Yamato doesn’t recognise the problem and deal with it early on.

Conversely, I could see a situation when Yamato is having personal problems (at work, with his brother, with Taichi, whatever) but refuses to talk it out with Sora or let her help him, and instead becomes his usually charming self and/or drifts away to deal with it on his own, and then feeling guilty for doing it.

These are only random examples, of course, but the impression I get is that they usually wouldn’t fight over something petty or have significant differences in the way they approach life (say, about raising the children or how to balance their careers with marriage/kids) that would cause a fundamental, permanent conflict. So their daily life is pretty uncomplicated, though ocasionally they could find some bumps that would require them to deal with problems.

Unlike most people, I always thought Yamato going away to space (though theoretically, it would only be a couple missions in his lifetime) would actually make them closer, simply because they would treasure the moments they do spend together more than most couples. I feel like they would miss each other, for sure, but they would have a very clear notion that they are doing this for “the greater good” and that it was only a temporary sacrifice. It might even help them communicate more? (Quick, someone go write that epistolary novel!!) 

Something I think often goes unmentioned is that Sora’s job would be pretty demanding as well, and perhaps include traveling; this means they would have a similar lifestyle, and would understand each other better, have to establish a very strong schedule to make it work, even if it forces them (let’s face it, Sora) to like “schedule” some time alone together so they don’t fall into the trap of drifting apart too much.

I do think their relationship would require patience, hard work, understanding, and for both to communicate openly and often with each other. And I think they could trust each other to a point where that would become very natural. Ultimately, I think they’re remarkably suitable for each other and make each other better people, and the moments of “crisis” would be very, very rare indeed.

Thanks!!

I think Yamato has already changed a lot throughout the series. He’s come a loooong way since 1999. He’s never going to stop being introverted and shy, but I do think he’s getting much better at dealing with feelings and opening up, especially around people he trusts. 

I don’t think Yamato is distant per se when it the people he cares about (Taichi, Takeru, Gabumon…) On the contrary! He’s very emotionally involved, but he just has trouble expressing his affection (his ‘passionate heart’, as his theme song says) in a healthy way, especially if it involves, words or admitting vulnerability. Therefore, he has adopted that strategy of acting cold and distant (which tends to fail because he’s actually pretty bad at concealing his feelings) and, especially in tri., this inability to convey his concern comes across as frustration and anger. 

I think Sora is already one of the few people he feels comfortable opening up with (see: tri. Chapter 6), and I believe once the relationship becomes stronger and deeper I think she has a good chance of becoming the one person who Yamato is able to be completely open with, just like he does with Gabumon. Due to her personality and her own issues, I think Sora would be quite good at gently guiding Yamato and helping him become more comfortable with expressing feelings, while at the same time she would be quite understanding of his reserve. Conversely, unlike what happens with Gabumon (where the emotional support is a bit one-sided), I think Yamato would become encouraged to be more ‘eloquent’ in order to help Sora deal with her feelings as well. So, if all goes well, they could do wonders for each other! 

Thanks for the question! I hope this makes sense.

I should point out that the stuff I described in my earlier post are how I see Sora and Yamato’s relationship working when they are both in a good place. Every couple goes through their ups and downs, and I don’t see these two as being the exception to the rule. (Actually, one of the reasons why I find this ship compelling is precisely because I don’t think it would be sunshine and roses all the time; they are both complicated people.)

In Loss, it seems clear to me that, first, neither Sora nor Yamato are doing great at this point in the series; second, they’re teenagers, and they are still learning about emotions and about each other; and third, this is a somewhat new situation for them.

The argument in Loss is essentially caused by miscommunication. Yamato is the first to notice Sora is upset, but she refuses to explain what is going on; instead, she expects the boys to figure it out. Yamato is not only obtuse about the entire situation (he’s not the only one, by the way; seemingly the entire group ignores that there’s something going on with Piyomon and Sora is upset — in fact, the other five kids are sleeping soundly while this is happening!), but he’s also quite bad at expressing feelings through words and is hesitating about what he should say; his and Taichi’s nervous attitude only ends up angering Sora even more.

As I’ve written before, this is a different situation from the infamous ‘let her cry’ scene.

So the way I interpret that scene is that they are still growing. Yamato is not being a source of comfort to Sora at this point, even though he’s trying to be. For one, he’s not paying enough attention to her. He recognises that she’s upset and that he’s supposed to say something to her, but is still not great at that (hence his instinct to ask Takeru, who is good at verbalising feelings). This is a common problem for Yamato throughout tri. — he’s very empathetic and recognises other people’s suffering, but he’s just bad at talking to them. 

Meanwhile, Sora isn’t exactly being easy, either — she’s falling into her old pattern of bottling up her negative feelings, overanalysing people’s reactions in a negative way, and refusing to open up about her problems. (Taichi points this out to her.) In fact, in this case, the problem is solved when Sora changes her attitude a bit and understands that Yamato and Taichi actually meant well and care deeply about her.

What we’re seeing in Chapter 4 is actually a scenario I’ve played many times when I tried to imagine what Yamato and Sora having problems could look like! 

The scene does have a nice contrast with their little tête-a-tête in Chapter 6, when we see them in a much healthier, more balanced setting, and it’s clear that Yamato is good at comforting Sora in his own way (though the final scenes shows he still has a lot to learn from Takeru when it comes to paying more attention). In my opinion, this scene, which takes place at the end of their character arcs, is better at showing where their characters are as they approach adulthood. I think as Yamato matures even more and as he and Sora become more connected, he would even become better at providing comfort through his words as well.

In short, the way I see it, the argument in Loss shows a moment of crisis when Sora and Yamato are in a situation of unbalance, and maybe even at a point when they need to learn to deal with these things better if they want to support each other. Towards the end of the series, we see that Yamato is better at providing comfort to her (though, of course, he’s still not a perfect 17-year-old boy).

Considering that tri.’s Big Theme is ‘growing into adulthood’, I’m not surprised that they decided to show Yamato and Sora acting a little immaturely in that situation, in order to illustrate their growth in a clearer way.

Difficult question! 

I think they are a good influence on each other and help make the other a more balanced person, by providing emotional support and a general sense of security, encouragement, and love.

e.g. Sora gives Yamato the physical affection and thoughtful attention he didn’t really have growing up; she’s also a calm and stable influence in him, since (although she has her days) she is not as emotionally volatile; she helps him navigate social relationships better; and she is patient and understanding enough to help Yamato go through his issues, helping him open up more, and be more comfortable expressing vulnerability and insecurity and processing his emotions, without smothering him or pressuring him to change.

Meanwhile, Yamato gives Sora a sense of unwavering loyalty and ‘being there for her’ no matter what; he helps her to be more honest and passionate about her feelings and to express her individuality more; he pushes Sora to new experiences that aren’t necessarily conventional or safe; and he recognises Sora’s darkest side exists and the need to engage with her and reassure her when she is down (even if he doesn’t always know the right words, he doesn’t ignore her or push her to ‘get over it’).

I think when they are both in a good place, the relationship is fairly healthy and emotionally rewarding for both.

I think it would really depend on the circumstances, time period, mood… 

Apart from the obvious easy answer 😏, I think they would enjoy going to any kind of ‘artistic events’ (concerts, exhibitions, movies), doing outdoors activities together (walking, hiking, exploring nature) or just staying at home doing Netflix and chill. I think Yamato may be more of a homebody than Sora, and she’s usually the one pushing him to try new things.

I can equally imagine them having long, deep conversations about the meaning of life or whatever is bothering them emotionally at the point, or just spending a few hours without saying anything at all, just enjoying each other’s presence.

Yes, I ship them since I first watched Adventure as a kid. I don’t know exactly what made me ‘like them together’ at that age, but I always thought they were great together and as I got older and watched the series more that conviction became stronger and stronger.

As for negativity… I can honestly say I haven’t encountered much, at least in my cozy little corner of the fandom, where I interact with cool people who respect my views and whose views and preferences I respect. 

Sure, sometimes the haters and the prejudices towards the couple are annoying (especially in some circles which I try to avoid, and especially if the hate comes from a place of ignorance), but ultimately I just don’t really care what other people think — I believe other shipping preferences are valid, disliking this ship is valid (as long as you don’t start harassing people) and I’m not that interested in converting people to the red and blue side of the force. I’d still ship them even if I was the only person in the world who did. I’m also sometimes saddened by the negativity coming from inside the Sora/Yamato fandom itself (specifically regarding tri.), but, again, I always try to understand and respect opposite opinions.

Ultimately, I have a thick skin, a sense of humour, and I try not to take shipping all that seriously.

Hi! I’ve already written a long-ish analysis about this — please, check it out!

It changes from time to time, but at the moment I’m happy to imagine Sora and Yamato in tri. as close friends who had ‘something more’ going on years ago, and currently are somewhat uncertain about the nature feelings for each other (and also too proud to admit it to themselves and to each other).

Personally, I really loved how their relationship was presented in tri.!

I’ve already written a lot about this topic, so just go through the master post or the ship’s tag if you’re interested in reading my opinion.

(I also don’t see this particular ship as a ‘better’ alternative to other ships. I just happen to prefer this couple, personally, but that doesn’t mean I’m against pairing Sora with any of the other boys, girls, or no-one at all, for that matter.)

I’ve written a lot about this, but I honestly think Sora liked him as a result of the emotional connection they developed in Adventure. Of course, Yamato also has many other attractive qualities, he’s good-looking and plays the guitar. It isn’t hard to understand why a teenage girl would have a crush on him!

I don’t particularly headcanon that Sora ever had romantic feelings for Taichi. Maybe there was a period, during their tween years (around Our War Game), when she may have wondered if her affection for Taichi was romantic or even if there was some early physical attraction there. But in my opinion she quickly understood that they wouldn’t be compatible romantically and that she loves him as a brother/best friend, rather than in a romantic/physical way.