TaiYuu

TaiYuu is the non-binary ship between Hirasawa Taiga and Yuu Arima from the Boy Meets Maria fandom.

Canon
Taiga Hirosawa is a high school student who aspired to become a hero ever since he was a kid. He joins the drama club as his decision to become the greatest actor in the nation, and when he gets to see a performance from the said club members, he visualizes a person in specific whom everyone had their eyes on. It happens to be a "girl" which movements held much presence on stage, known as "Maria", whom Taiga falls in love with at first sight.

After the performance, he's stopped by his friends (Tetsu and Fukumaru) from confessing his feelings to Maria, since they knew she was just going to reject him once doing it, and plus the fact he's never spoken to her. But because of Taiga's high-confidence on success, he ends ignoring his friends' complains, only to said girl happen to come across them looking at them in confusion while Tetsu grabbed Taiga by the lapels. Once seeing her, Taiga inmediately calls out for her name and before confessing, he introduces himself to her and offers Maria flowers he collected from the front gate of the school. As Taiga's friends feared of, Maria indirectly rejects Taiga having no idea who he was in first place and how it'd be appreciated if he didn't act like he knows her (while snatching the flowers from his hand). Maria dismisses from the place after this.

Fukumaru and Tetsu suspected how Maria sounded like a guy, and when checking out for Taiga, instead of seeing him strained, he was rather delighted by the woman's particular husky voice, also the tomboy attitude, which only made her more appealing. Taiga's friends can't deal with his optimism while the latter claims there was no solid proof that [Maria] is a guy. A scene later confirms Taiga being absolutely wrong, as the supposed girl Maria turns out to be a guy while changing in the student dressing room.

Inside the drama club, Taiga attempts to join in, and succeeds, despite one of the members being unhappy about him being outrageous. Hirasawa's friends are seen peeking through the entry to confirm if Maria was a guy or not, until the mentioned appears behind them asking them if they were going to join the club. Fukumaru is unsurprised as he deadpans the guy's name "Maria", while the Tetsu is shocked at Maria wearing the boy's uniform. Taiga then appears to then see in horror Maria wearing that uniform, and even asks if that was for the next play, to which the guy replies only coming to get his stuff. The leader of the drama club introduces the guy as "Arima Yuu", but someone thought being fun on scrambling the letters to create "Maria", so it stuck. One of Taiga's friends can't believe and accept this new fact, and ultimately asks for the reason of Arima dressing as a guy, to then learn he was replacing the lead actress whom dropped out.

Taiga is about to chase Arima but of course calling by his most known name "Maria", only to be corrected by his friend and this tries to bring him back to Earth by trying to convince him they all were fooled (though Arima wasn't trying to fool anyone in first place). One of the members of the club then narrates being sure Arima was a girl, since he's assisted with her in elementary school with girl's clothing until then switching to boy's, and how there might be a "juicy" reason for her crossdressing, and ends up claiming no one has definitive proof that she was a boy. Upon learning that Maria is a girl, Taiga shouts about confessing to her again, and begins to chase after Arima.

Taiga's ignorance of believing the opposite of Arima's claim being a guy by misgendering him despite knowing he was a boy makes Arima snap out and grab him by his shirt saying he'll show proof of his claiming. Taiga's illusion of him together with a girl like Maria shatters upon seeing that Arima was, in fact, a boy, after clearly showing his lower half to Taiga. Arima retires from the place after giving a word of advice over people like him would churn out taking everything at face value, and just before Taiga reaches for him, he sees the flower Arima snatched from him back ago in his back, showing he kept it. Taiga then realizes in wonder if he did something unbecoming of a hero.

During a practice, the president of the club points out Taiga's acting skill being weak, to the point on considering giving him a non-human role, like a wall. He advices Taiga on trying to ask Arima about it as he was good at memorizing things. Giving the things happened, Taiga feels awkward by just looking at Arima, and when he tries asking for his help, Yuu ignores him to then walk away. Outside practice, Taiga's friends notice him being depressed, and he relates them about everything happened before. He admits on having made a mistake that had hurt Arima, and wonders if he really just looks at people's appearances. Ultimately, it's confirmed he indeed saw others as they appeared since he thought everything would be easier doing it, having a glimpse of his childhood. He also mentions having the habit of keeping distance from people, which it might be a reason he doesn't understand Arima.

His friends advice him on apologizing to Arima, to which he understands, and also confesses not hating Arima despite knowing he was a guy, because his heart still beats really fast when he sees Arima. He starts to realize he doesn't really think of Arima as a man or a woman, and he maybe shouldn't get fixated on something like it. Decided, he bids farewell to his friends by claiming he'll apologize to Arima, although there was a bad feeling about this.

He's faithful to his word, Arima also taking a bit of the blame doing something easily misinterpreted, but then Taiga still shouts him still liking him even if he has a dick. His friends intervened on the scene, since he was saying something delicate in public, and despite Arima claiming not asking Taiga being his same-sex partner, Taiga manages to confess his feelings to him, and how those wouldn't change whether being a man or a woman, plus asking if he could tell him more about himself. Arima once again grabs Taiga not believing any of his words, since he sounded so shallow, and if he managed to polish his acting skills before the next performance to make it sound more convincing, he'd maybe believe him, and also he'd tell him anything he wanted. He then drops Taiga once making his point clear, to then again leaving the place.

Taiga doesn't think of Arima as a bad guy, but wasn't sure of it, because the flowers he gave to Arima weren't thrown out, being this a sign of it. He opens his heart a bit more by admitting that he wants to understand and know him properly.

Throughout Taiga's routine, he's seen giving his best and striving on creating great lines in order to convince Arima by polishing his acting skills. The president later acknowledges Taiga's efforts after he's memorized a whole script with more than 50 pages, and decides to give him pointers.

A week later Taiga goes to Arima to show him how much he's improved, and despite he was still cold on Arima's words, he finally started acting a little. Arima does a better demonstration of what he said before, making Taiga flustered and rolling on the floor by his words. Taiga manages to rekindle his relationship with Arima, to the point the latter is willing to beat him into shape. Taiga, still flustered, asks him internally why he's doing the woman's role. They are seen together rehearsing while Arima reprimands Taiga harshly about his tone on a certain part of the script. Fukumaru comments how they're getting along great to Tatsu, who in turn is confused.

When dreaming about his past, and believing how heroes in reality didn't exist, Arima wakes him up by slapping him on his head with a rolled magazine. Arima asks him if he had a nightmare, to which Taiga replies only being a nostalgic dream while sleep deprived. Yuu announces on getting back to practice again, and to Taiga's eyes, he was glittering. He changes his mind on heroes not being real on the opposite, while an angered Arima asked what was it while he was glaring at him. Taiga began to think of him not as a "heroine" anymore, but as a hero too, while he shakes and blushes upon seeing Arima's performance once more since he couldn't wrap his head around the voice acting tone. Arima finds his reaction gross, while Taiga points out his confusion over him always doing the female role, Arima noticing he had picked up the habit of treating him as a woman, this claim denied by Taiga who didn't expect him being also good at male role too, and how he doesn't even have to dress like a woman since he would shine just as bright in the lead role. Arima says he doesn't have qualifications to get the main lead yet, making Taiga complain because he's thought of him as someone who's already cool.

Arima wonders the reason of it by repeating the line Taiga's said before over liking Arima even if having a dick. Taiga makes fun on his "babbling" calling it cute, and he'd repeat as many times he wanted over loving him. But he can't bring himself to say it completely because Arima furiously grips his wrist while waiting for him to finish the line.

Arima doubts about Taiga loving him truly, asking him if he loved him as a woman or as a man. This leaves Taiga in a deep "idiot" thought since he thinks of Arima as cute while in girl's clothing but looked so cool when acting. Arima stops him from thinking since he had this habit of not doing it thoroughly, and it's because he grew up like that that he says those things without being grossed out. Taiga tries to refute saying he really wanted to change thanks to all of the things he said, but Arima concludes it was best if he didn't know more about him, not wanting him to half-ass things like he does. He's not good at expressing himself, since he sees he affects Taiga with what he said, and as to comfort him, he ruffles his hair telling him to get back to practice since they still had a lot to do with Taiga's bad acting, since if it was him, he could do it, unlike Arima.

During Taiga's rehearsal, Arima is in wonder how someone like him made his heart waver, and is about to think about the first day they met, especially wondering who he was, until he's called by other students to a meeting. Before going, Taiga asks about the part he should be more careful about, and Arima responds with the one he just showed before. In his way with the other students to the dancing meeting, one of them they could find a subsitute if he didn't like to dress like a woman, Arima saying it was okay since he didn't mind at all. For the girl it was impossible to tell which Arima was; boy or girl. Once Arima is left alone, it's seen next-to scenes showing back to back Arima and Taiga, the former afraid of Taiga knowing why he was feminine, and the latter wanting to know more about Arima, plus to do this, he had to polish his acting to be good enough to move Arima with his words.

Taiga's acting skills have notably improved, this pointed by the president and acknowledged by the teacher, Eda, he brought with, and flattered, Taiga tells him and the rest over Arima having helped him. However this fact wasn't known for the rest of people, and Taiga notices this when he asks for himself to Arima if he's not shown his acting to anyone other than him. He tries to convince everyone on not judging Arima by his appearances just because he is feminine and beautiful, but didn't sound convincing at all. Before the situation got out of hand further, the teacher stops Taiga out to say something else about Arima, and asks him to come with him.

Just like Taiga, Eda also couldn't find to understand Arima at all, and according to his words, "it felt as though the gender in [Arima]'s heart had been split in two", making reference on how he doesn't seem to bother dressing as a woman and playing the femenine role, but still keeps his boy nature. Taiga doesn't understand what he meant, so the other began to narrate when he first met Arima, who confesses about having to live as a woman, and that now he sitll can't feel like he was a man. It didn't matter if it was just acting, but asks him to let him be a hero by doing his best and also asking him to keep it a secret from everyone. In order to help his student getting over the habit of throwing up before a performance to then keep going without having to wear women's clothes, he thought [the school] being a good place to practice.

While studying some of his lines alone in stage, Arima throws up when he remembers a certain person who praised his role by saying it suited him. Right at that moment, Taiga and his mentor arrive to see him kneeled on the floor, Taiga worringly calling out for his name as Yuu glared at them.

Next chapter is revealed how he had been forcefully to dress like a woman and also act like one as his mother's petition to be a girl. The truth is that his mother wanted a daughter, but because of his husband being infertile, she ended up separating from him after always arguing with him. While he grew up, he was still imposed by his mother into being a full woman. His sensei, in a way of convincing him, makes him accept his way of being feminine because that way he would be "accepted". This happens, and Arima thinks that she is actually a girl and that she never disappointed anyone's expectations in this way, since someday someone in the future could accept how she was. When he asks his sensei if he would hate him if he were a boy, he says that he does his best not to listen to strange rumors, and if he really was hiding his true gender, that makes him want to confirm it. It is revealed that he later sexually abused him in a public restroom, inflicting severe trauma on the boy, who subsequently meets someone else after this act who would later consider him a hero. After this incident, he is about to change, now without wanting to be accepted by someone and would leave behind being the wonderful girl that everyone accepted and loved. He vents his feelings about the memory by "performing" flawlessly on stage, which was a genuine act, this pointed by his mentor and Taiga. This former asks if playing the male role was scary to Arima, to which he replies that acting in male roles reminds him of his past, because he had thrown up once in stage. The reason of this was because he saw the responsible of raping him, and bursts this out by kicking a chair confessing this. Taiga spectates the scene in horror now knowing this new information about him. Before leaving the stage, he frustratingly says Taiga this being who he was, to go on and laugh, because someone like him who couldn't do anything without relying on his female part was just a half-assed guy. Shocked Taiga runs after him backstage, and this time manages to apologize to him truly for being pretentious on knowing him, ultimately confessing but instead of saying empty words like making him happy, he says: "I just want to be with you. Please teach me how to act again tomorrow. There's nothing more painful than being alone, right...?"

Since Arima can't be given the lead role without everyone's cooperation, Arima's mentor decides on relying this role to Taiga as to motivate him on giving his best for Arima, and also because Taiga didn't want him to deceit everyone and deluding himself by continuing acting like a woman. On June, Tetsu and Fukumaru learns about the lead role being now Taiga, and are shocked learning this. Arima calls Taiga by his name while dragging him back to the performance and the mentioned suggests Tetsu and Fukumaru to come watch the show too. Fukumaru points the mentioned fact about how Arima has finally called Taiga by his name, which Tetsu asks if that's what he's concerned about. Before the act starts, Taiga assures Arima that everything he's done for him won't go to waste. The reason of him being chosen as the main role is explained by Arima whom mentions his mental state and the atmosphere around him had changed from certain day, but nonetheless because of that, on top of practicing with his group, Arima worked close with him training everyday. Seeing Taiga's performance going well, Arima monologues the next:

He also wonders what Taiga was to him, recently getting more confused over this, and how he's done better compared to him. In stage, nobody can't believe he's a guy when he accidentally almost bursts out being a man, but he inmediately cuts himself out before finishing the sentence noticing his mistake. He's about to pass out due to the high amount of pressure, but Taiga holds him before falling, and comforts him reassuring everything being alright. He comes to realize why Taiga made him feel like this, remembering the person who's helped him after the assault incident.

Taking a brief break after Arima's incident onstage, one of the students apologizes to Taiga calling him homo because of him always mentioning Arima's name everything, since he was just thinking on his circumstances. Taiga agrees with the last part, but then the other kept speaking over even though he knew Arima was a guy, he kept pursuing him. He ultimately questions about him not really liking him "as a man", but Taiga instead claims liking him even as that. Everyone is confused with Taiga's words, but one comes to understand how world worked if someone was different from other people, being obvious why [Arima] couldn't stand it all.

Meanwhile with Arima, he sees the same flowers Taiga picked up from him, and how couldn't bring himself to throw away, now aware of the reason why. He remembers back then when the unknown man helped him and as a manner of comforting him from crying, he gave him a flower apologizing not having anything else to give. Ever since then, he has been treasuring it. The man relates Arima about a person whom he hurt becoming sick, and wanted to apologize by giving her a bouquet of flowers. Arima suggests the mister on going to where that person is, but being a man's duty to protect a girl, he stays on Arima's side. A teared up Arima is comforted by the said man assuring twice being alright. Even though Arima didn't remember correctly what they talked about, he still remembered his admiration on him, which is why when Taiga did the same to him, he unconsciously reminded him of the man.

Taiga looks out for Arima, whom later leaves the place hurriedly when he hears him. The others are also seemingly looking for Arima too, and kept talking about what had happened earlier. Taiga's senpai especially felt guilty since she and the rest thought on giving Arima a place where he could feel accepted, but weren't sure if he ever wanted to be as either Arima or Maria. Taiga, as response, mentions that Arima likes sweets a lot, especially shortcake with strawberries on top. He makes his point clear by proposing on eat it together at the party. He also asks to keep open a seat in which he could reach the cake. Taiga then leaves assuring everyone they'll bring Arima back as soon as possible.

We learn how Arima could express himself as a boy when being with Taiga, feeling accepted and like he was allowed to be himself. He still couldn't help on feeling so jealous of Taiga, wanting everything he has and wanted to be like him. He still fears on stop being himself if he sees him now in a pathetic condition. Right at the moment Taiga manages to find him sitting alone in a classroom. Despite Arima's claim on wanting to be alone, Taiga refutes saying he wasn't alone, and once again mentions needing him, and he liked him. Taiga wanted him to stay with him because if it wasn't for Arima, after everything he would've been alone.Arima expresses his envy towards Taiga by attempting sexual assault on him in order to try to prove Taiga wrong with the type of person he was, and that he envied that he can't be an actor or an actress, male or female. Taiga, instead of getting upset about what he did, calms him down by wanting Arima to stay as he was (calling him Yuu), because he also wanted to be like him while crying. Realizing that they're not totally different, he confesses that if he hadn't met him, he wouldn't be able to cope with someone, or have something to treasure, only pretending to have changed when he really hadn't, feeling pathetic about it. Arima now changes his perspective from the optimistic Taiga like, as Arima thought it was more before, so he was desperate not to see beyond his appearance. Arima cries begging for his forgiveness for being so horrible, while he monologues wanting to be the one to teach him how someone can change another person the closer they are.

On the day of the performance, on his way at school, he forgets his performance costume and asks Tetsu and Fukumaru to help him going back home to get them. He's now a changed person after Arima's influence on his life, now having better impressions of his friends unlike the start of the story, realing that whenever he was with Arima he noticed he's an idiot, not being a good person like Tetsu or mature like Fukumaru. When they arrive on time, they see Arima, and one of the students announces Taiga that Maria wanted to play a male role after today's performance. Having known this, he goes to Arima in backstage out of worry, but Arima has come to realize how wouldn't it be cool that there was someone who's able to play both female and male roles, relieving Taiga with these words. Walking to the scenario Arima's shaking out of nervousness, but Taiga reminds Arima he was with him by grabbing him on his shoulder to comfort him, making Arima smile while blushing.

During the act, Maria was more beautiful than ever, but on the lead role's case his lines were a mess. After the performance Taiga and Arima meet Taiga's father outside, revealing he couldn't make it on time so he was about to go. It's when Arima realizes why Taiga and the man were similar, and when Tetsu calls out for Taiga a moment, it leaves Arima and Taiga's father alone. Arima does a reverence to him possibly as to thank him having remembered him as the person whom helped him when he was young, but the other party didn't recognize who he was (since he only met Arima on girls' outfit). Taiga's father asks Arima if he was his friend, to which he replies that there it's the possibility that's a boyfriend, leaving him confused. Ashamed of what he's said earlier, Arima returns to Taiga and his friends, being the timing when Tetsu tells him his senpai calling him since they were having a party, and wonders if they've got Arima's favorite shortcake. An excited Taiga intervenes to ask him if he was joining along, flustering Arima to this. But instead Arima grabs Taiga to talk with him about his performance during the play, and drags both inside a classroom while Taiga tries to explain himself on fear about this. Tetsu and Fukumaru are left to go on ahead, but Tetsu takes a look inside the classroom to ask Taiga if he could have shortcake despite Fukumaru says he wasn't even part of the club. However they see there was no one inside, Fukumaru catching the drift saying they probably won't have cake, after all "love comes in all different shapes" while showing Arima kissing Taiga behind the teacher's desk. After the kiss, Taiga calls for Arima's first name, and angered-flustered Arima asks him to use Arima instead of suddenly calling him "Yuu". Taiga geniunely thought he was going to be scolded, saying that Arima was so kind today, ultimately asking if he was Saint Maria. Arima only replies being Arima not Maria.

In the extra chapter it is seen that Taiga has a date scheduled with Arima the next day, and invites his two friends Fukumaru and Tatsu to show them his dating itinerary, and the things he had planned to do with Arima during the date, having his hopes high that everything would happen as he predicts, but most of the things was him wrapping his arm around Arima's shoulders. Fukumaru wonders if Arima was going to attend as a man or a woman, Tatsu agreeing. The next day arrives, and the two friends notice Arima's coolness and also notice him wearing a leather jacket and jeans wile wrapping his arm around Taiga's shoulder, this latter very flustered while holding a bouquet of flowers, Tatsu and Fukumaru shocked to this outcome.

Not knowing what to do next, Arima asks his two friends (who were hiding behind a tree) instead about what was next in the itinerary, exposing their location. Arima heads to them, and drags Tatsu with him saying he was the one he wanted to see, shocking Taiga in horror noticeably misreading the moment. Switching to Tatsu and Arima, it's revealed this latter only wanted to know what Taiga wanted by asking one of his friends, surprising Tatsu whom only wanted to get out from this, and instead attempts on advicing Arima Taiga was probably going to be happy if he's given a rock or something like that. Arima still complains because he's unsure on what to do, grabbing Tatsu by his shirt thinking he's only mocking him and demands to at least teach him on how growing beard or being taller. In next-to-scenes, Tatsu and Fukumaru advice the lovebirds (Tatsu-Arima/Fukumaru-Taiga) to stop their nonsense of trying to act cool for the other.

Following the two friends' advice, Arima confesses on just wanting to go somewhere with him, Taiga agreeing and the two end up going to a cinema together while placing a hand on the other, which movie they enjoyed. They began to narrate about certain parts of the movie having shared a mutual interest in the movie, but Arima mentions how he liked when "Tiger" was having fun on his side, and the way "Tiger" held his hand too. They notice on what Arima meant, furiously blushing on realization at this. At the end of the chapter it's seen the two sitting next to each other in front of Fukumaru and Tatsu while blushing, possibly because they've told them about their experience of the dating, Tatsu complaining on how they couldn't have an adult romance and instead they were such babies. Fukumaru concludes with the next quote:

Fanon
A lot of people felt identified with the problems that were shown throughout the story, the development and the problems that the story raises, despite its short duration, being really a magnificent work and the problems in terms of the relationship, with also the mutual support being shown and a beautiful relationship that would really be healthy for both parties. It's also appreciated due to the fact it touches on sensitive topics as they should be treated nowadays.

To people, the manga and the relationship is one of the best LGBTQ+ representation for people confused by their gender which also shows youthful love. Not only it explores in deeply upsetting scenes the level of pain through which both characters have suffered, but also shows that we are forced to live through it with them before confronting the painful truth that there are no easy answers. Both Taiga and Arima need support systems, they need understanding and compassion – finding this with each other, friends, and with sympathetic adults – although trauma cannot be resolved over the course of a school year.

"Overall, a beautiful story with amazing art that shows the struggle of gender identity, figuring out your sexuality, and working through past trauma. A great read for everyone, not just queer people!"

- oikawa the door on MyAnimeList.

Quotes
"How charmingly assertive! A tomboy not afraid to speak her mind?! I'm more in love than ever!"

- Taiga falling in love further with "Maria" after the rejection, chapter 1.

"Arima! I want you to hear me out. When I look at you, my heart goes wild. I will definitely make you happy, so please tell me more about yourself!"

- Taiga's confession to Arima showing him his acting skills' improvement, chapter 2.

"I've... been running away from everything. Because I was empty. There was... nothing inside me. I wanted to change. Instead of running away, I wanted to fight. Like you. If I'f... never met you... I wouldn't be able to face other people. Or love other people. I really truly... would be alone. But just trying to change... wasn't enough. Even though... I'm... so pathetic... hngh!"

- Taiga's confession to Arima, chapter 6.

"Even though I wanted to be the one to teach you... that the closer you are to someone, the more they change you..."

- Arima's monologue in chapter 6 about Taiga.

"I'm still scared. But... I want to do... as much as I can. And... I can play a man or a woman. I think being a performer like that... might be... interesting."

- Arima reassuring Taiga, chapter 6.

Moments

 * Taiga dressing like a girl on chapter 3 wearing the school uniform thinking he'd understand better Arima this way.

Fandom
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