TadaAi

TadaAi
GENERAL
SK8 the Infinity
Character	Tadashi Kikuchi
Character	Ainosuke Shindo
Canonical?	Fanon
Status of Relationship	Childhood Friends/Boss-Subordinate
IN FANDOM
Type (?)	Slash
Also Known As	LOVEDOG, PuppyLove, AiTada, Sukashi, Shinduchi, Tadam, Snadam
Tropes	• Childhood Friend Romance • Childhood Friends

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TadaAi is the slash ship between Tadashi "Snake" Kikuchi and Ainosuke "Adam" Shindo from the SK8 the Infinity fandom.

Canon

Tadashi teaches Ainosuke how to skate.

In Episode 4, the camera pans over to Tadashi when Ainosuke's aunts tell him that he should find a wife soon and how she must be a woman worthy of the Shindo family.

Tadashi suggests that Ainosuke postpone his beef against Reki since he had to catch a flight to Haneda the next day. Ainosuke brushes him off by saying, "You're being intrusive. You're just a dog."

In Episode 7, Tadashi at first questions Ainosuke's decision to go to Crazy Rock, but then says that he'll prepare right away when the other glares at him. Ainosuke then proceeds to call him a "damn dog." Ainosuke tells Tadashi that he will take the blame if they accuse him of perjury. He asks Tadashi if he is dissatisfied and Tadashi replies, "No. I have no opinions." It then cuts to a flashback from their childhood, where Ainosuke's father, Aiichiro, burns his skateboard and tells him that he needs to move on from playing around and focus on his future instead. When Aiichiro asked Tadashi if he has any complaints, he once again says that he has no opinions. The flashback ends and Ainosuke comments that Tadashi has always been like that.

Ainosuke confronts Tadashi.

In Episode 8, Ainosuke is standing under a first-quarter moon while questioning if there is an Eve out there somewhere just for him during a flashback. After the qualifiers, Ainosuke confronts Tadashi. He reveals that he entered the tournament so that he can go up against Ainosuke and says that if he wins, he will have him renounce skateboarding. He also reminds Ainosuke that he was the one who had taught him how to skate, causing Ainosuke to lash out and grab him by the collar of his shirt. Unfazed, Tadashi goes on to say that he is going to win the tournament. Ainosuke retaliates by throwing him to the ground and pulling his hair before looking down at him and saying, "Go ahead and try! A dog cannot disobey his master. I'll illustrate that to your body."

Tadashi caresses the logo drawn at the bottom of the empty swimming pool: two linked hearts.

Tadashi caresses the logo drawn at the bottom of the empty swimming pool: two linked hearts. He then stands back up and begins to skate, a third-quarter moon is seen in the background.

A younger Ainosuke, despite his higher social standing, helps Tadashi with his chores and tasks. It suggests that the two spent quite a lot of time together as children.

In Episode 10, Tadashi thinks back to the time when he found Ainosuke out by the pool one night, crying. Tadashi walked up to him, skateboard in hand, and had asked if he would like to skate with him. Tadashi was the son of a servant, so he thought that it was taboo for him to get close to Ainosuke. He talks about how skating was Ainosuke's only breather, his lifeline, yet Tadashi still wished that he had never taught him how to skate. He says that if it were any other hobby, Ainosuke could have befriended someone of proper social standing instead of him, and then his father wouldn't have forced him to quit. Tadashi claims that he was the one who had lead Ainosuke down the wrong path, which is why he was going to win and take skateboarding away from him.

Tadashi takes Reki to a love hotel when he hits him with his car and tries to get Reki to agree to a private settlement because he doesn't want the incident in the paper. He says that he can't "cause trouble to the man he serves."

In Episode 11, a flashback between Tadashi and Ainosuke is shown. During it, they are skating in the empty swimming pool. Ainosuke then climbs on top of something, jumps off it, and lands in the pool. Tadashi runs up to him and asks if he is alright, Ainosuke lays on his back and with a wide smile on his face says that skating is really fun. Tadashi helps him up and Ainosuke thanks him for teaching him how to skate. The flashback ends and cuts to Tadashi standing next to the empty pool.

Ainosuke is talking to his aunts and when they bring up how they talked to the head of the family about his arranged marriage and how it's all for his sake, the camera once again pans over to Tadashi.

At the love hotel, Tadashi suggests that Reki decline the beef against Ainosuke because he's going to be skating seriously this time. Reki says that he couldn't ask for more and Tadashi asks if he's really going to ruin his life over skating. He then says if he gets into an accident it'll be in the papers, and if that happens, everything that has been built up will come crashing down. Reki doesn't understand what he means by that.

Tadashi thinks about how everyone wants Ainosuke nonstop after his father had died, yet here he is trying to rob him of his only respite. However, if he keeps taking out one skater after another, there's going to be an incident someday. If that happens, it'll be all over for Ainosuke. This is why it must be stopped by him.

In episode 12, Ainosuke has a flashback to when Tadashi taught him how to skate as children.

Tadashi is reminded of Ainosuke when he sees Reki declaring that skating is super fun. Tadashi says that he was mistaken, and that he was wrong for attempting to take skateboarding away from Ainosuke, and what he truly needed to do was make him love skateboarding once again. As a result, Tadashi tells Ainosuke that he's going to forfeit his beef against Langa, and claims that Langa is the most suited for him to regain his love for skating.

During the beef in the 12th and final episode, Langa says that skating is fun because you can do it with your friends. Ainosuke says that friends are only there to betray you someday and that Langa desires to believe in other people who are uncertain at best because he is still a child. He says these things while thinking back on the time his father burned his skateboard.

At the end of episode 12, Tadashi agrees happily after Ainosuke tells him that he his dog for the rest of their lives.

Ainosuke is reminded of Tadashi when Langa tells him, "Let's skate."

Tadashi yells Ainosuke's name while watching the beef. Ainosuke eventually tells Tadashi that he thought that he had gotten rid of the feeling a long time ago, but Langa had taught him that skating is fun, like Tadashi did back in the day. The camera pans over to the full moon.

After the incident with Diet Member Takano, Ainosuke admits that he hadn’t planned to release Tadashi from his collar and tells him that he is his dog for the rest of their lives. Tadashi smiles happily and agrees, blushing.

Moments

Anime

• In Episode 5 (English dub), Ainosuke tells Tadashi, "Good boy. Just like what your master ordered."
• In Episode 9, while watching the beef between Ainosuke and Kaoru, Tadashi comments that Ainosuke has changed and that it's his fault.

Fanon

Many fans view Tadashi as being Adam's true Eve and a major catalyst for his motivations. The ship gained traction after the release of episode 8 where Tadashi was revealed to be participating in White Eden. Many fans speculated that Tadashi will be the one who brings down Adam, as their "8" names are references to the biblical story Adam and Eve. In episodes where Adam's arranged marrige is discussed, the camera focuses on Tadashi showing his unhappy face. During Adam and Tadashi's childhood, a symbol of two connected hearts appears on both Ainosuke's skateboard and an empty pool. This may symbolize their love for for each other since childhood. Other speculations include that Tadashi is Adam's real Eve, but he was just too blinded by his resentment for Tadashi to see it. Tadashi is the person most tied to Ainosuke's obsession and passion for skateboarding--Tadashi was the first person to teach him to skate and appears in his flashback in Episode 12 when Langa reminds Ainosuke that skateboarding should be fun.

Some fans dislike LOVEDOG or TadaAi due to Ainosuke's poor treatment of Tadashi seen in Season 1. However, there are also those who believe Tadashi will be the one who redeems Adam for good. Since as of the current story, Tadashi is the only one who truly knows Adam, for no one else in "S" knows of Adam's true identity. In regards to the incident involving Diet Member Takano, Ainosuke places himself in a more risky political situation instead of making Tadashi take the blame as he had previously stated he would. Ainosuke admits that he hadn't planned to release Tadashi from his collar and tells him that he is his dog for the rest of their lives. In the English Dub, Ainosuke says in a very endearing tone, "Silly pup, you're mine for the rest of our lives." In response, Tadashi blushes as he smiles back. This is the first time fans see Tadashi show any true happy emotion in his adulthood as he appears very solemn and stoic most of the time. Official Halloween art published in Animage November 2021 depicts Tadashi in a werewolf costume sitting at Ainosuke's feet with a leash around his neck, again playing into the suggestive master-pet dynamic that the both of them have.

Some fans have also speculated that Ainosuke's notable skateboard (in which he keeps in pristine condition) symbolizes Tadashi. The skateboard has the words "love" and "till death us do part" (a traditional wedding vow) and a double-pierced heart sitting in the center of a prominent chrysanthemum flower. Tadashi's last name is Kikuchi (菊池忠) and has the kanji character "kiku" (菊) for the flower chrysanthemum. Fans have gone even further and found that the birth flower for Tadashi's official birthday month November to also be chrysanthemum. As the Matador of Love, Adam has hearts on his skateboard, shoulders, belt, and boots. This could be connected to the symbol of two connected hearts in the empty pool where Tadashi taught him to skate.

TadaAi is the most popular ship for both Tadashi and Ainosuke on AO3. In promotional art and merchandise, Tadashi and Ainosuke are often seen paired together or alongside one another.

Fandom

FAN FICTION

Tadashi/Ainosuke tag on AO3

TUMBLR

TadaAi posts on Tumblr

TadaAi tag on Tumblr

AiTada posts on Tumblr

AiTada tag on Tumblr

Adam x Tadashi tag on Tumblr

Tadashi x Adam tag on Tumblr

Tadashi x Ainosuke tag on Tumblr

Ainosuke x Tadashi tag on Tumblr

Trivia

• The ship name "LOVEDOG" is derived from Adam's obsession with love, and Tadashi's apparent position as Adam's "dog".
• Before Ainosuke became a politician, Tadashi used to be his father's secretary.
• Hiroko Utsumi said that she had originally intended to have Tadashi reply with "woof" instead of "yes" after Ainosuke tells him that he is going to be his dog for the rest of their lives.
• In the Animage May 2021 interview, is said that Ainosuke, who had been searching for his Eve for all this time, probably found a partner he was able to let his guard down around. "Ainosuke thought that Kikuchi, who taught him to skate, was the person who understood him most in the world. That's why when Kikuchi took his father's side when he burned his board it hurt him deeply."

In episode 11's ending credits, Tadashi is seen catching Ainosuke after a skateboarding fall.

• In episode 11 ending photo with Tadashi covering the screen with his hand changes to him rushing to catch Ainosuke (successfully) and holding him bridal style. In one of the interviews with Hiroko Utsumi, she stated: "Tadashi is very quick to rush in whenever his master is in danger. They've probably done it many times that Ainosuke himself is also used to this."
• In November 2021 Animage's article about the SK8 dog-like characters "The ones who are devoted" stated about Tadashi: Collar "Kikuchi’s leash is always in Ainosuke’s hand, and there’s an invisible collar securely attached around his neck. But of course, that makes Kikuchi happy." Always together "Just as if he were taking a walk with his owner, whenever Ainosuke goes out Kikuchi is almost always following him around. For that reason he’s obviously able to drive a car, but he’s also even able to fly a helicopter." Happy when given commands "When Ainosuke gave him the command, “You’ll be my dog for the rest of our lives,” Kikuchi responded happily. While it’s obvious what his owner says is absolute, Kikuchi seemed to find joy and fulfillment in that." and "He doesn’t just wag his tail at anybody, he’s devoted to one person."
• In the Animage March 2025 interview, Utsumi has stated Tadashi, although far from passion, "If we go with his inner passion, He does everything for Ainosuke-sama!!"
  

Gallery

Promotional Art

Promotional artwork for SK8's OVA