Pokemon anime viewers divided over “toxic” character shipping wars

Some Pokemon anime faithful have grown tired of shipping wars within the fandom because of “toxic” bickering that degrades the community.

Shipping isn’t exactly new to fandom in general, but the act of shipping fictional couples certainly became much more prominent with the rise of social media. This applies to the many incarnations of Pokemon anime, too.

While Ash and Misty arguably constitute the original fan-favorite couple pairing, the former has been the cornerstone of several other ships throughout franchise history. Ash paired with Dawn counts as but one example.

Other beloved ships include the likes of Ash and Serena, Brock and Lucy, May and Drew, and Jessie and James. For some fans, though, the discussions around these pairings have veered too far into toxic territory.

Shipping wars divide the Pokemon anime fandom

User Rokudo241 has sparked conversation on the Pokemon subreddit about shipping wars ruining the “quality of the community.”

In a long post, the user wrote: “In recent times, the shipping wars within the fandom have escalated to the point where they are damaging the overall quality and unity of the community.”

They went on to note how incessant bickering about in-fiction relationships divides existing fans and repels potential newcomers.

Overall, the Redditor wants the Pokemon anime fandom to spread more positivity in hopes of creating a “welcoming environment” for all fans.

Increasing ‘Shipping Wars’ within the Fandom are degrading the quality of the community as a whole. from pokemonanime

Responses from other Redditors seem split on the matter, thus far. Wrote one user about the Pokemon anime‘s “toxic” shipping wars: “Bro, it’s not that serious.”

Another person said something similar arguing that “you guys give too much importance to a couple of dudes arguing on the internet.”

However, there are those in agreement with Rokudo241’s opinion. One Redditor said they feel the same, explaining that “the toxicity about ships” made them abandon the anime during the XY era.

Someone else added their frustrations to the chorus, saying “it’s difficult to be ANY shipper” in the Pokemon fandom at this point.