Ichisaki

Ichisaki is the femslash ship between Ichika Hoshino and Saki Tenma from the Project SEKAI fandom.

Canon
Saki and Ichika are second-year high school students as well as members of the band Leo/need, with Saki being their keyboardist and Ichika serving as their guitarist and vocalist. Saki and Ichika were once childhood friends who played music together. They were close but grew apart after Saki got hospitalized for an unknown disease, and their relationship got strained after that certain incident. When Saki returned to school after recovering she wanted to reconcile, but sadly Ichika, Honami and Shiho had drifted apart and chose to run away from that hope, which made Saki sad. When Saki returned, she and Ichika reform the group with the help of the VIRTUAL SINGERs.

In Leo/need's Main Story, Ichika was listless, without much of a passion and was unable to gain the courage to bring her childhood friends back together, often wondering if things would continue this way, of which changed after Saki recovering and returning to school, being introduced as a new classmate. During class and breaks, Saki talked about her wish to reunite with her friends and recreate the precious memories from their childhood to Ichika, who shared the same wish. She and Saki attempted to talk to Shiho and Honami, just for them to reluctantly avoid the conversation and run away from them. During a breaktime in school, Saki discovered and played "Untitled" on Ichika's phone, which triggered them into the Sekai where Miku Hatsune and Luka Megurine appears, with Honami and Shiho soon quickly being teleported into the sekai following, and Miku and Luka asking them to play with them. However, shortly after that Honami and Shiho refused and left the Sekai. After that event and upon meeting the sekai, Ichika gradually becomes more courageous and determined to reunite her friends with Saki. They even promised a band together despite Honami and Shiho not returning (thus the Kizuna Rank title). In one of their practices, they gazed the stars together.

They are childhood friends, classmates and bandmates. Ichika enjoys Saki's happy demeanor and persistent smile, while Saki is glad Ichika is always there for her. Ichika was the one to visit Saki most in the hospital outside her immediate family, which Saki appreciates. Ichika sometimes worries that Saki is overworking herself while trying to experience everything she missed as a preteen. They care deeply and often show concerns for one another. Saki and Ichika would often go on "dates" according to the official 4-frame comics to catch up on what she missed out during her time hospitalized. Ichika also doesn't enjoy places with a lot of noise, for example, she doesn't enjoy visiting Phoenix Wonderland unless Saki goes with her.

Quotes
"The Star Festival, huh? I always wished for Saki to get better every year, but what should I ask for now?"

- Ichika's Tanabata Menu Line

"Hehe... I'm looking up at the same sky as Icchan... It's like we're sitting right next to each other..."

- Middle school Saki in No seek, No find Episode 6 "Illuminating The Darkness"

"Thank you, Icchan. For being by my side."

- Saki in "Let Me Hear That Song" second side story

"Saki, I'll make lyrics that won't disappoint this song, lyrics that will comfort you and resonate with your heart."

- Ichika in "Let Me Hear That Song" second side story

"Um... H-Huh? I had so much I wanted to say, but I forgot it all! Things about school, studying, clubs and part-time work, and the band as well, I had so much I wanted to say too! But, what they all have in common is gratitude! It's because you were there for me, that I'm able to be here right now! Ehehe, even when we've become wrinkly old ladies, we'll be friends forever and ever, Icchan~"

- Saki in Ichika 2022 birthday card second side story

"You have always inspired me, in the past and even now in the present. When I was still in the hospital, you came to visit me a lot, and that had made me think that "everyone is still waiting for me". Even now, whenever I feel lost or worried about something, you think about what we could do about it together. When I feel uneasy, you stay by my side and support me- See, you have given me a lot of courage."

- Saki's letter of gratitude for Ichika in Saki 2022 birthday card second side story

Fanon
Ichisaki is one of the more popular pairings on both sides, for their canonical interactions in the main storyline, their contrasting personalities, and how close they are to each other as the "childhood friends" trope. However, Ichisaki is rivaled by other Leo/need ships for they have very the approximately the same closeness to one another. Many fans also tend to ship Ichika, Saki with Honami and Shiho in a poly relationship (Polyneed), otherwise Ichisaki would be shipped along with Shihonami. In the Japanese fandom, they are arguably the most popular ship in both sides, receiving a great amount of fanarts on Twitter and Pixiv.

Ichisaki fans would sometimes consider the ship as potential for angst and slow burn due to Saki's previous illness. Aside from that, they also would commonly joke about Ichika being distracted from Saki by her idolization for Hatsune Miku.

In 2022, an Ichisaki Week was held from November 7th till 14th under the. Prompts for the first day were "first date or boba date", "duo practice or writing songs with us both" for the second day, "starry sky panorama or hairstyle/clothes swap" for the third day, "snowball fight or slumber party" for the fourth day, "harrowing memories" for the fifth day, "AU" for the sixth day, and last and seventh day was free choice.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION


 * FAN ART


 * TWITTER

Trivia

 * Their ship name is referred to with the "🎸🎹" and "💙💛" emojis.
 * They have a 2 cm height difference, with Ichika being 161 cm and Saki being 159 cm tall.
 * They have covered three songs together (,, and ). They also have solo alt versions for and Ichika's second focus song.
 * Their Kizuna Rank titles are: "Leo/need's Beginning", "Smiley Friends" and "Melody & Lyrics".