Hijikata/Tae & Loid/Yor
Yes, another random couple comparison meta post from yours truly. This time, we will be noting the similarities of Hijikata x Tae with Loid x Yor from Spy x Family. This is something I have discussed with @arirna (who I thank for early feedback on this post) a few times over the last couple of years, and then most recently with @suchine-toki, so this meta post is dedicated to both of them!
SPOILERS AHEAD for Gintama and Spy x Family if you are unfamiliar with one or both of the series.
HijiTae is one of the earliest ships I became utterly devoted to, resulting in comparisons to similar ships ever since then. I can’t help it; I used to do the same with Bulma and Vegeta of Dragon Ball Z, who were my first ever OTP.
I started reading Spy x Family early in 2019, pretty much when it began serialization – much thanks to @arirna for his manga recommendations! I immediately liked it, and as the story progressed, we both realized something about Loid and Yor: they had That Dynamic. The HijiTae Dynamic. Now, we’re very biased toward HijiTae, but then @suchine-toki mentioned also seeing a strong HijiTae similarity in Loid and Yor, as well, so that confirmed the dynamic from a more objective viewpoint. We don’t just have HijiTae permanently engraved on our brains – there IS a certain dynamic to be found in other ships. It’s almost challenging to narrow it down to a handful of tropes. Suffice to say, you just know it when you see it, when it all feels familiar.
Now, let us unpack the similarities:
Note: I’ve fallen behind on the SxF manga, and I just recently caught up with the anime, so I’m using various SxF character bios for information. This is not an in-depth analysis, but rather a general one to generate ideas and discussion.
HIJIKATA and LOID
Fans may instinctively connect Loid and Gintoki instead because of their main character status, but Loid actually has more in common with Hijikata than he does with anyone else in Gintama, and vice versa. This doesn’t mean you can’t envision Gintoki as Loid, or another favourite MC in Loid’s shoes. By all means, go for it. Fanfic and fanart open up the possibilities. I’m simply saying that in terms of basic commonalities, Loid and Hijikata can shake hands more confidently than any other two characters within their respective series. Hijikata may be rougher around the edges and Loid can be more charming as part of his work, but they have many things in common:
They’ve both had a traumatic childhood, losing both of their parents and other important family figures (I don’t know too much about Loid’s past yet other than the part concerning his mother).
They take their jobs seriously and work hard to ensure complete success.
They are strict on subordinates or others under their tutelage for good reason.
They serve under a higher authority figure (Kondou and Handler).
They both have nicknames – Demon and Twilight – with reputations for being not only skilled but also austere and dangerous.
They are capable of undercover missions. Loid, obviously more so, but Hijikata has done some undercover work, too.
They both have a colleague obsessed with them in different ways: Sougo and Fiona.
They both have a colleague who also serves as a friend, foil, and comedic relief: Kondou and Franky.
They both have an enemy in the brother of their love interests: Sougo again, with Mitsuba, and then potentially Shinpachi with Tae in the fanon realm (except I don’t believe Shinpachi would be as extreme as Sougo); for Loid, it’s Yuri with Yor.
They have been left speechless by Tae and Yor for different reasons, usually as part of comedy scenes.
They both smoke or have smoked before, as @suchine-toki reminded me here (thanks again!).
They are frequently the Straight Man in comedy scenes, questioning the bizarre events happening around them, although Hijikata is likelier to participate in the weirdness now and then compared to Loid, whose weirdness – to people around him – is more grounded in how impressed people are by his mind. Not that people aren’t impressed with Hijikata’s mind, lol, but Gintama fans will understand best what I’m getting at here (because sometimes even Kondou is embarrassed by Hijikata, and that says a lot!).
TAE and YOR
Yor has quickly become iconic with an instantly recognizable outfit that has inspired many a crossover/AU fanart for other series. Since there aren’t nearly as many Tae fans in comparison to Yor’s, you might be wondering what on earth could they possibly have in common? The answer is: a lot more than you initially thought, I’d bet!
They both lost their parents at a young age and had to raise their little brothers by themselves.
They both can’t cook and are notorious for creating toxic meals by chance.
They both have brothers who are very attached and protective of their older sisters. Shinpachi isn’t as extreme as Yuri, though, lol.
They both had shoulder-length hair as children (a very basic similarity, but you’ll see why I mention it in the pics below).
They both work ordinary jobs (hostess, office worker), but have other jobs/lives (Deva, assassin).
They have similar personalities: kind, smiling, polite…
…But they also have explosive tempers when provoked, making them frightening figures in their own right. Tae is also more cunning than Yor, I’d say.
They are both known for being physically very strong, especially at moments where they need to protect others or themselves.
They both have nicknames, such as Boss Lady and Queen of Kabukicho (Tae) and Thorn Princess (Yor).
They’re both skilled in their chosen weapons of choice (naginata, knives/ice picks).
Others look up to them as mother/older sister figures, such as Kagura and Anya.
They both have a colleague/friend that is occasionally antagonistic toward them depending on the context. For Tae, Sacchan tends to play that role, as well as Ane at Snack Smile. In Yor’s case, we have Camilla. Yet, we have seen them cooperate with Tae and Yor when it counts.
HIJI/TAE & LOID/YOR
Now we come to the heart of this post: the similarities between Hijikata x Tae and Loid x Yor. Given that one ship is considered more canon and widely accepted than the other, what is it that unites them in terms of dynamic and possibility? Let’s take a look:
Personality Contrast: It’s clear they each differ in personality except for when it comes to those that are important to them. We see how Loid and Yor have the same goals concerning Anya. Hijikata is utterly devoted to Kondou, and Tae stood up for Kondou before a corrupt Shogun, so Kondou is like Anya’s equivalent in this context. Tae and Yor are viewed as bright, cheerful people in contrast to Hijikata and Loid’s seemingly cold, stoic natures – yet we’ve also seen both men display passion for subjects that interest or provoke them.
Frightening Figures: This goes without saying. Individually, all of them are scary in their own right, but together? Yikes! Okay, that was cheesy, but you get my point. Loid and Yor are feared for different reasons, but put them together, and they become extremely fearsome, especially when it comes to protecting Anya. Same with Hijikata and Tae, who are already feared by many people, and together, they would be a fearful power couple. (Incidentally and ironically, both Tae and Hijikata fear ghosts.) It’s also worth noting that Hijikata and Loid are often left stunned by Tae and Yor’s feats of strength, and are sometimes on the receiving end, lol.
Relationship of Convenience: This is obvious with Loid and Yor; they have entered a marriage of convenience for both of them in order to carry on with their covert operations. For Hijikata and Tae, a more comedic example is in the Time Skip arc when it was revealed that Hijikata was actually the father of Tae’s baby (if you don’t know Gintama, it’s too much to explain this arc right now, lol). Despite the circumstances, Hijikata was willing to take on the responsibility of raising the child, with or without Tae. If this arc was serious and something like that actually happened, I can imagine both Hijikata and Tae entering a similar relationship of convenience in order to raise their child together. They were both willing to give up what they had in order to give their fake baby a future (again, non-Gintama fans, if this all sounds bizarre, well, it’s supposed to be).
Now, in SxF, Loid and Yor’s relationship of convenience is central to the main plot, and I’m sure they will inevitably move toward a real, genuine love behind that relationship before the series’ end. In Gintama, it’s too late for anything really, and Sorachi didn’t handle his romance all that well (too complicated a subject to get into) by the end, but given the significance of the moments Hijikata and Tae did have, and their devotion to tradition, I imagine they would’ve made a good couple who can stand on equal footing with each other.
Cooking Skills: Loid appears to do most of the cooking than Yor, and I can imagine Hijikata sharing in the responsibility to make up for Tae’s notorious “skills.” Also, Hijikata’s mayonnaise obsession might be all that steels his stomach against Tae’s meals. Currently, Loid still passes out from consuming Yor’s meals, but there is a possibility of him building an immunity and being able to handle her cooking in the future. Yor takes steps to improve her cooking knowledge, and Tae has done the same with a cooking class in the past. Anyway, the point of this section is that the cooking dynamic is virtually the same for each ship.
Conversations: Both have had more in-depth conversations with each other than surface-level interactions. Think Loid and a tipsy Yor in the park, and Hijikata and Tae at Snack Smile in the Yagyuu arc. When the comedy and the rarity of their interactions pass, these two ships can actually have good conversations with one another, confiding when necessary and influencing the other in a positive way.
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Anyway, that’s all I have to say about Hijikata/Tae and Loid/Yor for now. I’ll be glad to hear of more similarities that I probably missed. Like I said, I’m not up-to-date on the SxF manga, so I don’t know it as well as I know Gintama, but I think I managed to cover most of the basics. Still, I’m always up for friendly discussion concerning these two ships and their similar dynamic.
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Rarepairs that I think could work
Hijikata x Tae
There aren't many scenes where they interact, but the ones they do, they show chemistry and are fun together. On one hand, Hijikata has always been a very respectful guy towards Tae, even when he argues with her. Besides, he has a good salary, and she likes his way of flirting. On the other hand, while the similarities between Tae and Mitsuba can be somewhat disconcerting to Hijikata and may influence him to take the same path, Tae with her strong personality would knock some sense into him. I like to imagine that she is the one who falls in love first and that Hijikata is conflicted about it. Likewise, the potential drama that would ensue with Kondou would be very interesting, as well as seeing him eventually give them his blessing because he appreciates them so much and wants them to be happy.
Kondou x Hinowa
Although I love Kondou, I’ve to admit his stalker side isn’t the best, even if it’s used in a comical way. He and Hinowa never spoke, which is a shame since they’d so much potential, starting with both being considered the core of their organization (the soul of the Shinsengumi / the sun of Yoshiwara). I like to imagine the Shinsengumi members urging Kondou to go to Yoshiwara to get over Tae. But he, not in the mood to visit a courtesan, simply goes to Hinowa's Tea House, and there they meet, talk, and Hinowa comforts him. Although Kondou finds her very beautiful, unlike with Tae, he doesn't fall in love at first sight with her or stalks her, but they form a nice friendship first. Hinowa might start to see Kondou as a potential partner by appreciating how fatherly Kondou is to Seita, and the three of them could be seen having family moments together. The fact that Hinowa is slightly older than Kondou adds an interesting factor. Also, this would allow the Shinsengumi to be connected to Yoshiwara in a more direct way, since they didn’t associate much during the series.
Kyuubei x Pirako
As in the previous case, they didn’t interact. However, I think their dynamic would’ve been fun, with Kyuubei being the tsukkomi to Pirako's boke. Interesting rivalry scenarios could also arise, as Kyuubei is a member of an aristocratic samurai family and Pirako is a yakuza. Thus, they would’ve some fights and banter. While one learns to let go and be more chaotic, the other learns to be more compassionate and honest. They could also bond over their fathers, who forced them to live experiences against their will (being raised as a boy and abandonment). Being both katana users, they would practice and polish their sword skills together while getting closer and closer.
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what other ships than GinTae and HijiGin do you like from Gintama?
my other gintama ships:
Kondou x Hijikata - like srsly every time i watch stalker arc i keep thinking "hijikata is soo into kondou jfc." like the hero worship of hijikata for kondou is just soo [chef's kiss]. He doesn't see any wrong from kondou like ever. There's pining and hjikata being so jealous of Otae aaaaaaaa hijikata is definitely kondou's first wife. don't boo me because I'm right.
Shinpachi x Kagura - like right now it's platonic. im not really pushing it to be romantic but i think the potential is great. they're very important to each other and it is canon that shinpachi is kagura's berserk button AND limiter. that's cool.
Shinpachi x Terakado Tsu - they're friends already. he's acknowledged as tsu's number one fan. It's awesome and I wanna see that develop.
Shinpachi x Correspondence girl - there is potential to it. She's intense and Shinpachi's friendly with her so I hope he can work it out.
Gintoki x Zura - every time i see fanart of them i think that they're just so cute. love their friendship too.
Hijikata x Otae - they have good rapport. they never act fake in front of each other. good potential honestly. i like it.
Sarutobi x Tsukuyo - they bring out the best and worst from each other. it's so fun. sarutobi really leads tsukuyo out of her shell. [chef's kiss]
Hinowa x Tsukuyo - kinda like konhiji above. when i first watched gintama anime i legit thought that they would be the endgame tbh. tsukuyo's love and dedication to hinowa was so [chef's kiss] in YIF. i was so ready for it.
Yamazaki/RobotZaki x Tama - i just want yamazaki to pine and be inspired. tama reciprocation not needed
Matsudaira x Otose - i want them to meet pls. i want them to interact pls. it would be so much fun. not a romantic ship but i wanna see what the dynamics would be like.
Katsura x Ikumatsu - it's one-sided that's for sure. it's a good and relaxing dynamic.
Hijikata x Mitsuba - it's so funny and sad that it was so tragic. Mitsuba deserved better, we all know that. but because of her hijikata is now celibate. the ladies of kabukichou are sad.
Otae x Zura - I NEED THE BOKE ON BOKE ACTION. WHERE IS IT.
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