JintaToko

JintaToko is the het ship of Jintaro Shima and Tokoyo Kurasaki from the Taisho Otome Fairy Tale fandom.

Canon
Jintaro and Tokoyo are childhood neighbors and friends from Kobe. Having grown up together and endured abusive families, they become extremely close and dependent on each other to the point both can not live without the other.

Jintaro and Tokoyo have known each other for as long as they can remember and they're neighbors. While Jintaro's parents neglected him and he had only his grandfather to care for and show love for him, Tokoyo was physically and emotionally abused by her stepmother who pushed the girl to be perfect in everything. Her only escape from the abuse was playing with Jintaro and spending time with him at his grandfather's cinema. When he came down with a high fever and was ignored by his parents, Tokoyo was the only one who came to take care of him and she said that she would die if he died. From then on, Jintaro realized that he had feelings for her. After her stepmother brutally beat her and left her standing in the rain for not making first place in a piano recital, Jintaro confronted her stepmother with a sword and was about to attack her but Tokoyo calmed him down and the two hid in the cinema. There he confessed his feelings to her and she reciprocated them with a kiss. Jintaro was then arrested by the police and sent to live with distant relatives in Tokyo. Before parting ways, they posed for a photo together and she vowed to wait for him.

Three years later, Tokoyo breaks down crying at the spot she used to meet Jintaro at and is shocked when she sees him in front of her. He says he returned due to his mother's death and to continue his studies, and treats Tokoyo coldly. Tokoyo is devastated by this change in him and mourns that the boy she loved has changed into a terrible person. However she refuses to give up on him and resolves to continue being kind to him in hopes he will treasure her as he once did. She becomes jealous when Liselotte, the daughter of his sponsor, becomes enamored with him and mocks Tokoyo as being unsuited to be with Jintaro. Jintaro starts hinting that his cold persona is actually a facade when he learns of how her stepmother and stepbrother continue to abuse her and he berates them for being cruel to "the person I like", allowing her to stay with him after Tokoyo finally stands up to her stepmother, risking his own life to jump into a river to save her after she accidentally falls in to retrieve the photo of them, and showing jealousy when rumors spread that she was meeting with a man.

When Jintaro falls ill with a fever, Tokoyo takes care of him. She realizes that she is still in love with him and kisses him in his sleep. Once he starts to feel better, he tells her that he was adopted by a distant relative, Tamayo Shima, who abused him and killed his only friend, and he failed to kill her, which traumatized him. He finally escaped from her and came to Kobe to see Tokoyo one more time before committing suicide. Tokoyo scolds him for contemplating suicide but hugs him to comfort him. From then on, Jintaro realizes he can never stop loving Tokoyo. To please Jintaro, Tokoyo starts learning how to cook and clean better from Yuzuki, who is married to Jintaro's adoptive uncle Tamahiko.

When Tokoyo turns 15, she tells Jintaro that she is legally old enough to marry him and he says that he wants to marry her but both know her parents would never approve. Tokoyo is later kidnapped by Tamayo and she is horrified when Tamayo reveals the extent of the abuse she inflicted on Jintaro. When Jintaro finds out, he fears for Tokoyo's safety and resolves to escape from Tamayo for good. With the help of his relatives, he concocts a fake suicide plot and, armed with a sword, goes to kill Tamayo for good but Tokoyo stops him. While being chased by Tamayo, Jintaro and Tokoyo seek refuge in a shed and discuss committing suicide and jump from a bridge, although Tokoyo is initially unaware that Jintaro is misleading her. Following the successful suicide deception, they settle in the Arima onsen, work at an inn, and get married. However, due to the sexual abuse he suffered from Tamayo, they are unable to consummate their marriage.

A year into their marriage, Tokoyo begins coughing up blood and is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Jintaro is horrified as it is a fatal illness but she assures him that she won't die. He stays by her side as she undergoes treatment and, as a gesture of showing they are focusing on the future, they move into their own house. As World War ll breaks out, Jintaro becomes eligible for the draft, which, alongside her illness, increases their fear of not being together. Both finally break down one night, admitting they are ready to die if the other dies. However, Tokoyo decides to encourage Jintaro to go to war and do his duties while she continues her treatment, and he reluctantly accepts. Once he passes the requirements to be drafted, he asks her to officially marry him and she accepts. Two years after marrying, they finally have a wedding ceremony but rather than consummating their marriage, they fall asleep in each other's arms. Shortly after, Jintaro leaves for the war.

They try to stay in touch via letters but he never has time to write to her; her first letter comes two years after he left. She continues waiting for him and eagerly waits for his letters. She wonders about having children when he returns home but thinks it is unlikely due to her illness. Five years into their separation, Tokoyo is informed by his adoptive aunt, Tamako, that Jintaro was killed in combat, due to a letter addressed to Tokoyo was found with his blood on it. This completely devastated Tokoyo and, after his funeral, she contemplates suicide by poison. However, she decides against it, as she believes Jintaro would've wanted her to continue living.

Five more years pass and Tokoyo continues to mourn Jintaro. After the war ends, she goes to the place where they used to meet and starts crying. She is shocked when he suddenly appears in front of her. She then tearfully embraces him.

Tokoyo helps Jintaro adjust to normal life after returning home due to him having lost his left eye and arm, and he is haunted by what he experienced in the war. He doesn't even talk about it with Tokoyo. She continues to try to be intimate with him and he is still reluctant. Eventually, he overcomes his hesitation and they consummate their relationship. Tokoyo immediately becomes pregnant, much to her delight and his shock, and she gives birth to a son.

Fanon
Upon the release of the manga, this became a popular ship in the Taisho Otome Fairy Tale and Shouwa Otome Otogi Banashi fandom.

Reaction to the ship has been mixed. Some fans praise how long Tokoyo has waited for Jintaro to love her and helped him escape from his dark past, and how Jintaro will go to any length to protect Tokoyo. There is criticism for the ship, especially in regards to them promising to each other that if one dies, the other will die in order for them to be together.

Fandom
TUMBLR

Trivia

 * Jintaro was told by his grandfather to keep his camera so he can take a picture of the girl he loved. He takes several pictures of only Tokoyo.
 * Tokoyo learns to become a better cook for Jintaro's sake.