YatoYota

YatoYota is the slash ship between Yatora Yaguchi and Yotasuke Takahashi from the Blue Period fandom.

Canon
In general, Yatora and Yotasuke are in friendly terms although Takahashi still tends to feel uncomfortable while being around Yaguchi. Still, despite all the moments both went through, they could manage become friends, and also friendly rivals at art. Intially they didn't get along well, atleast in Yotasuke's part. Because of Takahashi's antisocial personality, he tended on staying away from Yatora, still, with the time he spends with him, he starts to be a bit more open to him, although still insecure with him.

They first meet after Yaguchi decided on majoring in oil painting after Mori was accepted to Musahino Art University. After buying supplies with Yuka, both head inside Tobi (Tokyo Art Academy) after Yuka guided him to there. Yaguchi doesn't get a good impression at first of the place, as there were already people judging his appearance, but he just ignored the comments despite being already irritated. The first thing Yaguchi had to do was to draw a sketch sculpture over the next two days, and after the teacher finished the general indications, she asks if anyone had a question about it. Takahashi then asks if he would only have to draw what he saw, to which the teacher affirms. Yaguchi then sees Takahashi while monologuing how among the art applicants, there could be people who would use dessin for the first time, referring to Yotasuke. Yaguchi then heads at Yotasuke and offers him his eraser as the latter seemed to struggled on finding something, but then Yotasuke asks, in a harsh tone, if he knew him. Yaguchi is surprised at the answer, and assumed that he was pretty off the chart. During the rolling call, Yaguchi monologued that Yotasuke was holding the brush weirdly.

After finishing the sculpture, Yaguchi is embarrassed at his own work, and he starts viewing the others' works. He then looks at Yotasuke's art only to be shocked on the fact that he felt a silent cry that lashed out from himself. Yaguchi notes how Yotasuke wasn't a newbie at all, and starts describing his art, with finally concluiding that the most impressive thing about the art was how accurate the shape and shadows were, and even if it had some traces of Yotasuke's fixes, it still was just perfect as it was perfectly balanced. Because of the difference between them because of their art, after leaving Tobi Yuka talks about how a friend talked to them about Yotasuke, and that apparently he was placed 7th in language portion of the national mock-exam. Yaguchi doesn't say anything, he only numbfully kept walking with Yuka. The latter brings Yaguchi back to the world only to him to say: "Guess that's what you call a "genius"...". This caused him to believe that even if he felt talented because of the 6 month he had been gotten good, he was only a normal human. Yuka, then, says the next to him:

"People never try to compare themselves against God. Back there, most people blocked themselves out the equation when they praised him. That's how you view Mori-senpai, right? But it was different for Takahashi-kun. If you're upset, that means you're willing to fight."

Next day, Yaguchi, moved with Ryuji's words, he was convinced he was still a human who only had gotten to art only for 6 months, and his fight only had begun from there. He had to do oil painting the same day, in which he saw Yotasuke doing it too, for then trying to focus on what he had to do. After finishing, he noticed how Yotasuke's art wasn't in the display, and right in that moment the teacher congratulates him for his art. Yaguchi, happy with the compliment, thanked her, for then the teacher head to the next painting, which was, surprisingly, Yotasuke's. Yuka went to Yaguchi after class and asked him how was [Yotasuke]'s oil painting, to which he replies it was good but didn't stand out from the others. Yuka wonders about it, and Yaguchi, nothing their doubt, says that the composition was perfect, but he couldn't tell which painting was his until he got called.

After Yuka parted ways with Yaguchi in the train station, Yaguchi unexpectedly found himself standing next to Yotasuke, who noticed him after the train had left. Yaguchi takes initiative and salutes him, which surprises Yotasuke which seemingly didn't notice him there. Yatora reminds Yotasuke being the "guy that's amazing" from Tobi, to which compliment was received to Yotasuke with an uncomfortable look, and Yatora concludes that he was above any of the other artists and him, to which Yotasuke only replies with an "I guess." Yaguchi assumes he didn't have much friends, for the monologuing how despite being all sorts of artists around the world, there were only 40 in Tobi, and Yotasuke was actually a genius while himself being a normal person. Between the monologuing, Yaguchi asks Yotasuke if he was applying to Geidai, to which latter only replies with an insecure answer, being "I guess so". Yaguchi continues monologuing while parting ways and saying goodbye to Yotasuke while apologizing on annoying him, and kept thinking negative things about himself, but then Yotasuke returns the salute which makes Yatora blush while concluiding monologuing that he just needed to kept working until nobody could tell the difference between Yaguchi and a genius, while saluting Yotasuke back happily.

Fanon
It's quite loved in the fandom due Yaguchi's flustered behavior while being around Yotasuke, which implied Yaguchi having a crush on him. Yaguchi's behavior around Yotasuke also made people believe he was bisexual, and the theory was strengthen when Yaguchi had mistaken Yotasuke for Mori (whom Yaguchi is implied on having a crush on), due to his fever and couldn't actually tell who he was talking with it until his numbness had dissipated a bit. Not only that, it's also because the ship it's main-focused in the fandom. Although the fandom isn't popular enough for YatoYota being massively known, it's really appreciated for the spectators of the anime and readers of the manga. It remains as the most writting ship in the Blue Period's fandom in AO3, with there being 83+ works available. Though it's more popular in the manga's side, it still has fans in the anime.

But, even if the anime has gotten an adaptation, there were fans who were disappointed on how it was made as. Due to the "poor-quality" image and changes, most of the scenes from the anime has and comparing to the manga are really different, it offended fans since there were parts that were actually important for the manga, and not only that, but the ship too, as how it was drawn. For example being Yatora bumping Yotasuke's fist before the art exam, there is a difference of the drawing between those, with the manga actually leaving emotion, and the anime being only "plain" image and also the way the way the fists were bump as, while Yaguchi's "bump" in the anime was only with the back of the hand. Other example would be how the anime made Yotasuke a bit taller though not as much as Yaguchi, but still was enough for it being noticeable to fans as in the manga Yotasuke's height was different, barely managing to reach Yaguchi's neck, while in the anime he was tall enough for reaching Yaguchi's eyes. Though, the anime didn't remove the tension between both characters, although it did hurt the fans since those moments were meant to them. It also caused to fans believe the developers of the anime being homophobic, although it wasn't a big part. However, despite of all of it, there were others that actually accepted how it was, being chill as long as moments between them were included and not ignored.

Because of their relationship being "angsty" through the manga, it made some believe the ship being actually good-developed, and though it still remains at it being a headcanon of an one-sided ship (on Yaguchi's side) by fans, there are those who actually could interpret it was mutual and tend to think Yotasuke is a "tsundere". The opposites attract, plus the rivals to friends to lovers tropes are also included in the ship, which two mentioned are really popular in ships, making it really likeable.

It can be shipped alongside with Yukamori, which is the ship between Ryuji Ayukawa and Maru Mori, for those who don't like viewing a romantic relationship between Yaguchi and Yuka, and prefer shipping them with other people, ultimately leaving the ship as friendship.

Quotes
"See you, Yaguchi-san."

- Yotasuke, chapter 4, after Yaguchi parted ways with him and thought Takashi wouldn't say anything to him as thinking he annoyed him enough.

"See ya Yotasuke-kun!"

- Chapter 4, Yaguchi happily returning the salute.

Fandom
FAN FICTION

TUMBLR

Trivia

 * The name "Toyota" comes from Yatora's two middle letters from his name (Yatora), while the rest is from Yotasuke's first four letters (Yotasuke), although Toyota is actually a car brand, but doesn't seem to offend fans with it.
 * Also, if the ship "YatoYota" is searched, first results will be corrected as "Toyota", being the car brand.
 * According to Yotasuke's profile, he goes to the same school as Yatora. It also says how he provokes Yatora with his genius art skills and antisocial personality.