NicoMaki

NicoMaki is the femslash ship between Maki Nishikino and Nico Yazawa from the Love Live! fandom.

School Idol Project
In Episode 9, the other members of μ's visit Kotori, Umi and Honoka working as maids at a cafe. Kotori serves a drink composed of a giant heart shaped glass with twin swirly straws to Nico and Maki, both becoming embarrassed.

In Episode 10, μ's goes on a training camp to Maki's vacation home. Nico asks if she can sit in a beach chair next to Maki, who says she doesn't mind. Nico notices how tall Maki is and tries to extend her body to match. Later that evening, Nozomi starts a pillow fight by throwing a pillow at Nico and then pretending Maki did it. Maki eventually decides to get involved and throws a pillow at Nico.

In the OVA, Maki isn't at school, and Nico is concerned. While biting her nail and blushing she hopes to herself that Maki gets better. Nozomi says aloud what Nico was thinking and Nico gets embarrassed. When Nico meets the young version of Maki, she says she hates to admit that child Maki is cuter than her. In the scenes of the featured song, Music S.T.A.R.T.!!, Nico and Maki are shown sleeping next to each other at a sleepover. Nico also rubs her face in Maki's chest.

With the news of a second LoveLive happening, Maki agrees that they could definitely enter it. Nico gleefully says that's just what she wanted to hear and glomps Maki. Nico and Maki are seen later in the episode hanging out together at a park at night.

μ's goes on a camping trip, and the decision is made to split into three groups. Nico is put in Maki's group along with Eli to help her with composing their next song. The two of them share a nice moment by the campfire. Nico offers Maki a roasted sweet potato, and Maki takes it. She breaks it in half, and then offers one half back to Nico. Nico takes it and the two engage in friendly banter. Eli smiles at them from inside their tent.

Later, Maki and the others are faced with the mystery of Nico skipping practice and avoiding them. Maki says Nico doesn't open up very often, and Rin teases that she's no different. Maki also sighs over how conceited Nico is, and Rin chimes in again saying "just like you, Maki".

One day, Honoka decides to have a play day with all of μ's. When they go to the park, Nico and Maki share a swan boat and practically fight each other inside it. Later that day, Nico gets emotionally upset by the first and second years' decision to disband μ's after Love Live. Maki moves in front of her, crying as well, reassuring her they aren't going to stop being idols, they just won't be μ's anymore. She also says that she doesn't want a μ's without Nico-chan or the others.

School Idol Movie
After μ's arrives in New York, Maki and Nico (and Nozomi) take the same taxi to their hotel together. After getting off the flight home, Maki comments about how it feels to fly economy round trip, and Nico asks if Maki's trying to brag, resulting in a quick banter between the two.

Maki says that they shouldn't continue being idols even though the chairwoman wants them to because they agreed to disband, and Nico agrees with her. The group ends up planning a mega event where all school idols will participante, and they team up with A-RISE. Nico watches Tsubasa and Maki in the music room, her face pressed to the window. She is caught off-guard by Nozomi asking what she's doing. Nico tries to play it off as nothing, but comes off as jealous by wondering why the two are getting all buddy-buddy in coming up with a new song. Nico's implied jealousy is strengthened by Tsubasa and Maki's potentially romantic interaction that Nico witnessed.

In the group picture after performing SUNNY DAY SONG, Nico pushes on Maki cheerfully and Maki playfully tells her to stop.

School Idol Festival
One of the other stories in SIF, called "A Fun Time For Two", involves Nico and Maki going to an amusement park.

Moments

 * S1E11: Nico is angry at Honoka and goes to slap her but Maki holds her back
 * S2E10: Rin pushes Maki toward Nico, saying they could make a great traditional Japanese duo together
 * In the "Mogyutto love de sekkin chuu" PV, Maki bashfully gives Nico a box of chocolates and Nico is shocked by it.
 * In the "Wonderful Rush" PV, Nico steals Maki's sunglasses.
 * In the "Bokura no LIVE kimi to no LIFE" PV Maki is seen hanging out with Nico while she sews a costume.

Quotes
"Maki-chan's good points are--- her cleverness and her honesty♡ Maki-chan's smart, so whenever we're together, she does even my portion of the thinking, see? So it becomes easy for me, and on top of that, she's reaaally honest and kind. She doesn't lie, and all her thoughts show up clear as day on her face, that cute personality of hers is what Nico likes best♡"

- Nico's response to "You spend a lot of time together with Maki-chan, but which parts of her do you love?" from Dengeki G's Magazine May 2013 issue ~μ's Member Q&A~

"Eeeh, something like that would definitely be a LIE, so I won't pay it any heed Nico~♪ Jeez, that Maki-chan, it's all because she's such a shy person! The truth is she loves Nico~♪ And of course, Nico loves Maki-chan more than tomatoes♡ Hey, Maki-chan, did you hear that~? It's alright, because Nico understands Maki-chan's feelings very well! It's OK for you to confess your love to me any time, Nico~♡♡♡"

- Nico's response to "Previously Maki-chan compared Nico-chan and tomatoes and declared that she likes tomatoes more, but what do you think?" from Dengeki G's Magazine October 2015 issue ~μ's Member Q&A~

Songs
 is a duet sung by Nico and Maki. Although it was only featured on a bonus CD and is not as well know, it is often associated with NicoMaki. Quoted by Pile, "It's a song about always being attracted and drawn towards an unknown force", and is generally thought by fans as confirming canon NicoMaki.

Fanon
NicoMaki is one of the most popular ships in the Love Live! fandom, competing only with NozoEli for number one. The ship sailed due to the massive amounts of ship tease and moments across Love Live media and the pair's complimenting personalities. NicoMaki is comparable to NozoEli and RinPana as all three are the pairs with the strongest bond of them all. NicoMaki is so popular that some even ship their voice actresses together.

The two are often compared to be very different yet very similar at the same time. The two come from different home lives; Maki is rich but has little say in what her parents want for her career, while Nico is poorer but has much stronger support and opportunities for what she wants to do. In this case they can support each other in areas where they're lacking. Physically, Maki is tall and red-haired while Nico is short and dark-haired. Personality-wise, while Nico is usually cutesy and Maki is cool, Nico can also can be brusque like Maki, leading some fans to find them attractive together for both being tsunderes.

Fandom
FANFICTION
 * NicoMaki on FanFiction.net
 * NicoMaki comics on Dynasty Reader
 * NicoMaki on FanFiction.net
 * NicoMaki comics on Dynasty Reader
 * NicoMaki comics on Dynasty Reader
 * NicoMaki comics on Dynasty Reader

TUMBLR

TWITTER

DEVIANTART

INSTAGRAM

PIXIV
 * にこまき tag on Pixiv

Trivia

 * Nico is the only one Maki refers to using honorifics, in which she calls her "Nico-chan".
 * Both are in the sub-unit.
 * Both of their "Aggressiveness" statistics are rated ★★★.
 * Maki and Nico's voice actresses, Pile and Soramaru, both heavily ship NicoMaki.
 * In the manga, both originally wanted to attend UTX but couldn't, and ended up bonding over this.
 * The two's image colours are similar; Maki is red and Nico is pink.
 * In "Wonderful Rush", both have a very brief solo.

Variations

 * BiBi refers to the ship between the two and Eli Ayase.
 * μ's refers to the ship between the two and Honoka Kosaka, Kotori Minami, Umi Sonoda, Hanayo Koizumi, Rin Hoshizora, Nozomi Tojo, and Eli Ayase.