Alternative Pairings

[Sea]

Rather fond of Rinako, since they're both cute little introverts.

Seconded, I find it both sad and understandable no one has written this yet, I've no idea how it would work, only that it'd be awesome.

[Potato]

Actually, storyline events established through the official story (rather than fanfics) are "canon".

A "cannon" is a device that's used to shoot projectiles at people you don't like or that's used to transport RPG heroes or barons with an overactive imagination.

why do people feel the need to be a smartass

Why do people feel the need to act like correcting anybody's mistakes at any time is being a smartass?

[someguy1294]

My favorite, which I don't think I've seen mentioned anyplace else, is Hanako x Misha.

Think of all the things they'd share.

-- They are the winggirls of two of the top girls in Yamaku, Lilly and Shizune
-- They have both had pretty horrible middle school experiences, to the point where they both considered not talking to anybody ever as viable lifestyles
-- They both decided to change that lifestyle because of their deep friendship with another woman.
-- Given that Hanako swings that way in the first place, it's a reasonable story (completely non-canon, of course) that Hanako has had a long-standing unrequited love for Lilly, similar to Misha's love for Shizune.
-- They are both pretty smart and have a lot of inner strength. Misha isn't touted as a bright light in the VN, but she manages to keep up simultaneous Japanese/JSL translations with Shizune, which takes a lot of clock speed.

I could even see an opportunity for the relationship developing in the VN. During Shizune's bad route Misha is missing a lot of classes and really needs to catch up, and I could see Hanako getting drafted to help as kind of an expert in catching up after missing classes.

Hmm... this has potential... I kind think that Misha's forwardness would freak out Hanako more than a little bit. They definitely play foils to each other.

I think a Misha/Miki pairing would work quite well. They're both rather bright, cheerful personalities, and Miki's tom-boyishness contrasts nicely with Misha's girliness. Miki's just one of those characters who I feel didn't get enough screen-time. She's rather charming in her irreverence, and I would have liked to see her developed more. Honestly, I would have liked her to get her own route, but I guess the devs felt that having a girl with one hand is redundant when you've got a girl with no arms.

[CaveRave]

Kenji/Rin platonic friendship (I doubt it, neither would listen to each other).
Kenji/Shizune friendship, absolutely no romance (He seems so passionate, proving that if nobody can hear Kenji, he makes more sense).

Oh wait, it's not supposed to be contrived?

Okay, time for the seemingly extreme but will hopefully make sense after explanation. Still contrived, though:

Misha/Rin, Friendship, maybe even romantic beyond platonic levels.

If, somehow, the two get into a conversation that has any level of depth, both of them will be able to empathize each other's emotional struggle. Rin would likely be both extremely curious yet sympathetic towards Misha's homosexuality while Misha would understand how Rin struggles with getting her inner thoughts surrounding the world. Misha is also someone that'll go to great lengths to befriend someone, as evident by how she sticks with Shizune so she could have a similar role to Hiaso in Rin's route, I imagine, where she is able to support Rin.

The characters are so similar to each other below the surface yet so different at a first glance, only Misha hides her insecurity with lots of words that mean nothing while Rin attempts to choose her words carefully, though both can't find the right words to use.

Makes me wish someone wrote a fanfic where Misha helps Rin with her mural before the festival, now, simply to see the result, now that I've given this aspect some thought.

[brythain]

Misha/Rin, Friendship, maybe even romantic beyond platonic levels.

Yep, you'll find that somewhere in the fanfic section…

[Potato]

Kenji/Rin platonic friendship (I doubt it, neither would listen to each other).

Rin has no reason not to listen. I'm sure she'd be fine with Kenji.

[Forever_ambivalent]

Kenji/Rin platonic friendship (I doubt it, neither would listen to each other).
Kenji/Shizune friendship, absolutely no romance (He seems so passionate, proving that if nobody can hear Kenji, he makes more sense).

Oh wait, it's not supposed to be contrived?

Okay, time for the seemingly extreme but will hopefully make sense after explanation. Still contrived, though:

Misha/Rin, Friendship, maybe even romantic beyond platonic levels.

If, somehow, the two get into a conversation that has any level of depth, both of them will be able to empathize each other's emotional struggle. Rin would likely be both extremely curious yet sympathetic towards Misha's homosexuality while Misha would understand how Rin struggles with getting her inner thoughts surrounding the world. Misha is also someone that'll go to great lengths to befriend someone, as evident by how she sticks with Shizune so she could have a similar role to Hiaso in Rin's route, I imagine, where she is able to support Rin.

The characters are so similar to each other below the surface yet so different at a first glance, only Misha hides her insecurity with lots of words that mean nothing while Rin attempts to choose her words carefully, though both can't find the right words to use.

Makes me wish someone wrote a fanfic where Misha helps Rin with her mural before the festival, now, simply to see the result, now that I've given this aspect some thought.

You seem to have put quite a lot of thought into this. Perhaps you could make quite a good fanfic from this? I am already somewhat interested in your ideas.
Misha does seem to be able to go with the majority of other character's. Perhaps Misha X Emi would not work very well but it's hard to get Emi to work with anyone really.
Misha X Emi would be immensely painful. just imagine Misha getting crushed by Emi when she tries to help her. I doubt Emi would try to sympathize with Misha at all while Misha will be going through a lot of anguish.
Misha would fit fairly well with Rin. I can imagine it going it pretty well.

[bhtooefr]

However, a purely physical relationship between Emi and Misha could actually work...

[Potato]

However, a purely physical relationship between Emi and Misha could actually work...

Assuming Emi swings that way, it...Might...

Inb4 "THEY TOTALLY CANONICALLY WERE LESBIANS TOGETHER ONCE, THE SCRIPT TOTALLY SUPPORTS THAT!" - Fuck your baseless theory, no.

[bhtooefr]

Honestly, my personal opinion is that it happened once, and Emi realized she didn't swing that way.

[Potato]

Honestly, my personal opinion is that it happened once, and Emi realized she didn't swing that way.

"Personal opinion" You mean your fanfiction.

[Liminaut]

If I remember correctly, Emi x Misha is fanfic, but the fanfic was written by TheHiveMind, so I'd upgrade this to 'Apocrypha'.

[brythain]

Misha would fit fairly well with Rin. I can imagine it going it pretty well.

There's a long-term test-drive here. I thought so too.

[Sea]

Oooo, i see this got necro'ed, im ok with this.
Idea! I shall throw out a person and we can fight to the death over who is best ship.
I'lll just say Lily because no one can resist Lily, I'm rather sure that's canon. (After checking) Indeed it is, she references going to an all girls school and alter saying she received many confessions of love at her previous school.

[bhtooefr]

However, I'm pretty sure she subscribes to the "lesbianism is a phase" theory (and that she herself is straight), and she did say that she turned down all of those confessions.

I personally like this point of view on how Lilly handles homosexuality: http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=52&t ... 50#p199118 (and, you get an Akira x Hanako h-scene, too).