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.

Yaguchi and Yuka both arrive at Tokyo Art Academy (Tobi) for their summer cram school sessions. His first assignment was to draw a sculpture, and Takahashi asks if he only needed to draw what he saw. Yaguchi assumes Yotasuke is a beginner to dessin, and offers him his eraser. Yotasuke gives him a cold glare, harshly asks him if they were familiar, and picks up his own eraser from the ground. Yaguchi makes note of how art students are pretty weird. When they begin, Yaguchi takes notice of how Yotasuke holds his brush weirdly.

After finishing the sculpture, Yaguchi is embarrassed by his own work, so he starts viewing the others' works. He then looks at Yotasuke's art only to be shocked by the amazing art. He describes the feeling as a "silent cry that lashed out from himself". Understanding that Yotasuke wasn't a newbie at all, he starts analyzing his art, concluiding that the most impressive thing about the art was how accurate the shape and shadows were, despite showing traces of Yotasuke's fixes. After leaving Tobi, Yaguchi meets up with Yuka who tells him about Yotasuke; how he was placed 7th in the language portion of the national mock-exam. 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 6-month improvement, he was only a normal human. Yuka, then, tells 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 from Yuka's words, began to come to terms with the fact that he had only been doing art for 6 months, and that his fight was still beginning. That day, their assignment was oil panting, and when the time came to rank the pieces, Yaguchi wondered where Yotasuke's art was. He assumed the boy's piece would be stunning, but it just happened to be average-looking and not stand out. Yuka meets up with Yaguchi again after class and asks after Yotasuke's oil painting. Yaguchi says the composition was good, but didn't stand out.

After Yuka parts ways with Yaguchi in the train station, Yaguchi unexpectedly found himself standing next to Yotasuke. Yaguchi takes initiative and salutes him, which surprises Yotasuke who seemingly didn't notice him there. He compliments Yotasuke, calling him the "guy that's amazing from Tobi". The shorter takes the compliments with an uncomfortable look, replying with an "I guess". Yaguchi guesses that Yotasuke didn't have many friends, but also notes how Yotasuke was an artistic genius while he himself was a normal person. Between the monologuing, Yaguchi asks Yotasuke if he was applying to Geidai, to which latter only agrees insecurely. When they're about to part ways, he apologizes to Yotasuke for annoying him and waves goodbye. Yotasuke hesitantly returns the salute, cheering up Yaguchi so he blushes and salutes him back happily.

In a new cram school session, Yaguchi notices how there were a lot of people that he didn't know. He sees Yotasuke and happily waves, only to be ignored. Yaguchi is a bit hurt, but he's interrupted when his new instructor, Ooba, arrives.

While looking through shelves for something to inspire himself to draw, he finds two discount tickets for a museum entry. Seeing Yotasuke next to him, he offers to go to the Museum together with a slightly blush, but Yotasuke flinches and asks why with a disgusted expression. Hashida intervenes and asks if he could tag along.

Yotasuke enters the meeting room the next day, where an unexpected person; Yaguchi, who was wondering why something felt off about his artwork. He sees Yaguchi, who turns around and is about to happily greet Yotasuke. Yaguchi describes his problem; that he couldn't figure out what was wrong with his piece, even though he tried to replicate a famous artists' style. Yotasuke explains to him that he had only added in the superficial part of the piece, missing the actual point of the original art. Though Yaguchi is shocked, they're interrupted by Ooba who calls Yaguchi in for a one-on-one meeting. Yaguchi retells what Yotasuke had told him earlier, and she laughs.

Once again while Yaguchi monologues that although this time he was ranked the highest, he couldn't do dessin as good as Yotasuke nor have a keen eye like Hashida. Yotasuke suddenly runs past him, angrily saying that he would quit, as he was sick of them forcing him to make those "stupid" exam pieces. Yotasuke then declares that he would be quitting the cram school.

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 bother 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.