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NobaMai is the femslash ship between Nobara Kugisaki and Mai Zenin from the Jujutsu Kaisen fandom.
Canon[]
Mai is a second-year student at Kyoto Jujutsu High, and Nobara is a first-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High.
- Manga & Anime
Fearsome Womb Arc[]
On the day of the Sister School Kyoto Goodwill Event meeting, Mai and Todo pay a visit to their Tokyo Jujutsu High opponents. They meet Megumi and Nobara, and the first thing Mai does is provoking Tokyo students. Upon insulting their presumably dead friend Itadori, Mai made a bad first impression on Nobara. The latter admits that she likes Mai's uniform and finds it annoying at the same time. Nobara points out (inwardly) that Mai and Maki have “the same vibe”. However later, when Mai's crude demeanor earns her Nobara's resentment, she tells Mai that her sister is much prettier than her.
Mai holds Nobara at gunpoint.
After Todo attacks Megumi, Mai and Nobara have a physical confrontation, when Mai points her gun at Nobara and even shoot her with her cursed energy bullets. Mai seemingly gets the upperhand, but then Maki arrives, and takes her attention off of Nobara, who quickly puts hetself together and attacks Mai from behind. Mai, being caught in Nobara's clutch, tumbles with her to the floor. Kugisaki comments on how Mai's bullets lefts holes in her new tracksuit, and as a compensation the other girl has to give her own uniform to her. Mai responds with more vitriol, noting that nest time she might leave more holes in Nobara's body, adding that her dress won't fit her as she is much shorter.
Kyoto Goodwill Event Arc[]
Later, while discussing the strategy to defeat Tokyo Jujutsu High students, Mai asks fellow sotcerers to leave Maki and Nobara to her to deal with. Noritoshi Kamo notices, that in this instance Mai sounds suspiciously like their classmate Todo, who is famous for a having a “girl type”. When the event begins, Nobara fights Momo and almost wins the round, but Mai shoots her from above the tree she's on with a rubber bullet and knocks her unconscious. When later on Jujutsu High is unexpectedly attacked by the curses, Nobara is found with Mai, both heading in Utahime Iori's direction, meaning Mai must have picked Nobara up from where she left her defeated. Both seem to begrudgingly agree to forget their differences and work together for survival, although not without their usual bickering. Mai promises Nobara to back her up if she gets caught in the crossfire.
Later, when the schools play baseball, Nobara and Mai have an argument. When Mai brings a pitching machine, Nobara lashes out and almost physically attacks Mai, but Panda interrupts and holds her, as they argue.
- Light Novel
Thorny Road to Dawn[]
The events of Thorny Road to Dawn take place after the first season of the anime or after the Kyoto Goodwill Event Arc. While she is hanging out with the other Kyoto girls, Mai talks about Nobara and makes fun of her. She remarks that Nobara went down after a single headshot and calls her a "tough talking small fry with short legs".
Quotes[]
- Nobara – “ You tore my new tracksuit. Leave your uniform behind as compensation.”
- Mai – “Maybe I should open up some more holes in your body next.”
- — Chapter 18
- “Watch your mouth… or I’ll teach you a lesson.”
- — Mai to Nobara in Chapter 17
Fanon[]
The ship is considered a rarepair, since more people in the fandom seem to prefer NobaMaki. In some fanfiction works, NobaMai is presented as a one-sided crush on Mai's side, who tries to conceal it from the other girl. Both young women are extremely blunt, and seemingly over confident, which causes friction, that neither wants to resolve. Overall, most of Nobara and Mai's interactions are filled with tension and bickering, and the fans of the ship are mainly interested in exploring the famous “rivals to lovers” trope. Considering Mai's comparably friendly attitude towards fellow Kyoto students like Momo and Miwa (she even indulges Todo from time to time, even though nobody seems to like him), it is entirely possible, that the strain between Maki and Mai caused the latter to take a radically apprehensive stance towards her and her friends as they, too, fall under the same category of people she outwardly despises. This viewpoint is what caused Mai to greet Nobara with a provocation during their first meeting, and that, in turn, subsequently set the Tokyo student against her. As mentioned in Mai's personal info board in a volume extra, whenever she interacts with other female characters, it appears as if they're dating; had Mai and Nobara met under different circumstances, their dynamic could be strikingly different from what it is now.
Fandom[]
FAN FICTION
- Nobara/Mai tag on AO3
- Nobara & Mai tag on AO3
TUMBLR
- NobaMai posts on Tumblr
- Nobara x Mai posts on Tumblr
Trivia[]
- In the extras of volume 5, it is said that whenever Mai interacts with a woman, it looks as if they are dating.
- In the Official Fanbook, it is mentioned that Mai's first love could either be a man or a woman. [1]
- On August 16th, Jujutsu Kaisen's official twitter account shared a still from the anime with smirking Mai attacking/hugging Nobara from behind and titled it with "Very Suspicious".[2]
- It is implied that Nobara founded Mai’s summer outfit to be very “attractive”, as it pissed her off and looked very “nice”.
Gallery[]
Anime[]
.png "NobaMai 1x08 (4).png (1.49 MB)")
.png "NobaMai 1x08 (2).png (1.82 MB)")
.png "NobaMai 1x08 (3).png (1.64 MB)")
.png "NobaMai 1x08 (5).png (2.02 MB)")
Manga[]
Official Art[]
