Sunday, December 30, 2012

10 Ships that ruled 2012



These are not my favorite ships (although some of my favs did make the list), these are the ships that I think have had the most impact this year. These ships either have super active fandoms, win all the polls, are the most talked or simply have the most potential. That said, I’m not an impartial observer and I don’t pretend to be – this list comes from my own observations and it’s the best that I can come up with when I have a killer hangover.




10: Murora – Mulan and Aurora (Once Upon a Time)


There are a bunch of reasons why femslash is not as popular as slash and one of the main ones is that the powers-that-be just don’t give us the same kinds of epic friendships that are so prevalent for male characters. Therefore when it does happen it’s something to talk about. Once Upon a Time is full of amazing femslash ships (it’s a show about magical lesbians) and while all the ships are pretty amazing (shout out to Swan Queen) there is just something about the relationship between Aurora and Mulan that rises above the rest. It’s probably because their relationship is seeping from the realms of subtext into actual text.

All right, so the chances of this couple actually becoming canon is pretty slim but I’m running out of reasons why they shouldn’t. Whatever happens I’m excited to see how this ship fairs in 2013 because I have a feeling it’s only going to get bigger and bigger. 


9: Caskett – Castle and Beckett (Castle)


I only started watching this show recently and I’m still not completely caught up but you don’t have to be part of this fandom to know that the Caskett shippers are a passionate bunch. While it’s not unheard of that people will ship these kinds of buddy-cop romantic pairings, this genre is not generally as active within the world of Internet fandom. Not so for the Caskett shippers because they are just as crazy as any slash or femslash pairing you will find around. It’s been a good year for this couple because they finally sealed the deal… in the biblical sense and while the drama is far from over this is pretty much the moment that all shippers dream off.

The shippers also showed their support a couple of months ago when they got Caskett into the Hypable Battleships poll even though Castle was not one of the fandom’s the website currently covered. Now that’s the kind of passion and involvement that makes me love shippers.


8: Lizzie and Darcy (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries)


We all know how this story goes, or at least I hope you know where it goes, so it says something about this modern adaptation that it has fans jumping up and down praying that these two hopeless kids can get it together (don’t believe me then check the comments on youtube begging for news about Darcy). I’m pretty hard to please as far as modern adaptations of my favourites goes… that’s mainly because most of the time they suck. This is definitely not the case with The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, which has almost surpassed the BBC miniseries as my favourite Pride and Prejudice adaptation. Considering it’s a web series, it’s even more astonishing.

Seriously though, if you’re not watching The Lizzie Bennet Diaries then you’re wrong. Join the rest of us that are getting all giddy for one of the greatest romances of all time all over again. Watch it here.


7: Faberry – Quinn and Rachel (Glee)


These lady-loving songstresses started out the year well, the second half of season 3 had a number of fantastic moments for these two… that’s kind of cancelled out by the fact that we have yet to see them interact this season but in spite of this set back this ship is still going strong.  Back in February Faberry took the top honours in EOnline’s TV’s Top Couples Tournament against popular slash ship Destiel (Dean/Castiel). They did it again for AfterEllen’s Femslash Maddness and they even managed to defeat the powerhouse that is Sterek in the Femslash/Slash Face-Off.

Faberry is an amazing ship with a talented and active fanbase (although things have slowed a bit this season), it’s also one of the most popular ships in the Glee fandom, something that doesn’t usually happen with femslash ships. Faberry might not have had the best year in canon but their love will live on in fanon forever.


6: Delena – Damon and Elena (The Vampire Diaries)


Don’t shoot me Stelena fans, you had 2 seasons of coupledom, but let’s face it, it’s Delena’s turn. The love triangle at the heart of The Vampire Diaries has been the source of many a ship war since the show began but up until this year it was really all about Stefan and Elena. Sure Damon and Elena had a bunch of URST and a few flirty moments but Stefan and Elena were together and it didn’t look like that was going to change any time soon. That all changed this year – with a number of Delana kisses and even some sexy times. Of course it’s not happily ever after for the couple but things are really starting to heat up.

You will probably find this couple on pretty much every list of the biggest couples of 2012… and that’s because everyone has been waiting for them to get it on forever (even the Stelena shippers expected it to happen). That’s why they make the list this year, although I’m pretty sure the shippers luck is about to run out.


5: Klaine – Kurt and Blaine (Glee)


Another ship that has had a bit of a rocky year really, it’s upsetting because it started out so well. At the beginning of the year Klaine were one of the power couples on Glee and in shipping in general. But when Glee returned for Season 3 it was less happiness and more angst. That doesn’t stop the shippers though because those Klainers know how to fight for what they want. Say what you want about this couple but the fans that love them are one of the most active fandoms around.

This year they fought for the release of a cut Klaine scene involving a certain Christmas presents… Dubbed The Box Scene Project – this campaign is one of the most successful fan campaigns in recent years. Not only did they get what they wanted but they raised a tone of cash for charity as well. So while it’s been a rocky, and emotional year for Klaine fans I have faith that they will make it through this turbulent time only to emerge next year bigger and more passionate than ever.


4: Clintasha – Hawkeye and Black Widow (The Avengers)


Of all the ships to come out of my favourite film of the year (The Avengers of course) I doubt anyone that knows me would have expected me to include this couple on my list. Surely Steve and Tony should be up here, but the thing is, while I love me some IronShield my love for them comes mostly from the comic books not the film. There is no doubt in my mind that the big ship to come out of this film comes from the sexual tension between Hawkeye and the Black Widow. This is definitely not my favourite Marvel ship but this definitely one of my favourite new fandoms of the year.

These fans are fun and creative and just super excited about this ship, which is pretty special seeing as it doesn’t get all that much screen time in the movie. The best part is the way that they have latched onto a throw away line about Budapest and run with it like madmen… seriously though if we don’t find out what happened in Budapest soon, someone is going to have an aneurism. 


3: Merthur – Merlin and Arthur (Merlin)


Speaking of fandoms that have had a tough year, hey Merlin fandom, how you holding up? Yeah, I too feel as though my heart has been dug out of my chest with a blunt stick… thanks for that BBC. Anyway before it broke our hearts into a thousand pieces Merthur was a pretty awesome ship to be on. Sure the couple wasn’t officially canon, but it was pretty damn close. I mean the relationship between Merlin and Arthur is really at the heart of the program so it’s pretty easy to read it as an epic romance.

It sucks that the reason this ship made the list is because it’s all over but just because the show has finished doesn’t mean this romance has to end. The series final has caused a spike in creativity within the fandom, there are fantastic new artworks and far to many new fics for me to possibly keep up with. The Merlin fandom (in particular the Merthur fans) are certainly going out with a bang. The best part about the show ending is all the reincarnation fics and pics that have begun circulating… Arthur is destined to return after all and when he does, Merlin will be waiting.


2: Larry – Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – One Direction (RPS)


RPS (real person slash) is always a controversial topic. Personally it’s not something I get involved in (apart from the occasional wink) but in this circumstance it’s impossible to ignore. Seriously if you have not heard anything about the subset of One Direction’s fandom that adamantly believes Harry and Louis are in a secret homosexual relationship then you have been living under a rock.

While the act of shipping ‘real people’ isn’t a problem in itself there is am extreme part of the group that might be seen taking things a little far (harassing their girlfriends is not cool) – there was all kinds drama earlier this year when Louis Tomlinson tweeted some negative responses to the shippers. That said, the Larry shippers are certainly a passionate and creative bunch and that kind of enthusiasm should never just be dismissed because you don’t agree with their subject matter.

Whether you see it as a good thing or a bad thing, 2012 was a big year for Larry shippers.


1: Sterek – Stiles and Derek (Teen Wolf)


It was going to happen, you all know that. I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not. 2012 was the year of Sterek and there is nothing you can say to change that. First I watched as everyone fell prey to the wonder that is Teen Wolf. Sure it had a small fandom after it’s first season but it wasn’t until season 2 that it really started to take off. From the beginning everyone loved Stiles (especially his interactions with Derek) to the extent that when people watched the show they were very confused to find out that Scott was the main character. While our love for the adorable Scott grew throughout season 2, Stiles and Derek still have the majority of the fandoms love.

As the Teen Wolf fandom grew so too did the Sterek shippers, and then TVguide gave us this video and all hope was lost…


When EW shunned the ship in a summer TV poll all hell broke lose and suddenly everyone was talking about Sterek. AfterElton took Sterek’s power and ran with it creating the Ultimate Slash Maddness Tournament, which Sterek then went on to win. And when Jeff Davis tweeted: “Well, if enough fans demanded it, who knows? I could be persuaded.” Sterek fans decided to take matters into their own hands setting up The Sterek Campaign, which has involved everything from baking cookies to auctioning off fan fiction to save real life wolves. 

Sterek has taken over all discussions of fandom, and while this does upset other shipper a little but most people appreciate the fact that Sterek is a slash ship with mainstream media coverage. I’m still not over it and I don’t think I ever will be.

Whether or not they become canon there is no doubt that 2012 was the year that Sterek ruled the world (okay well maybe not the world but at least Internet fandom)… at the moment it’s so full of potential, I mean anything could happen and we need to hold onto that feeling while we can because the other shoe is hanging over our heads and it’s going to drop as soon as season 3 starts airing.


Well that’s all from me in 2012, I hope you have a wonderful new years celebration (I plan on rewatching Merlin I mean partying).

What were your favourite ships of 2012? Let me know in the comments, or just you know tell me how wrong I am.

Happy New Year! May your 2013 be filled with lots of fluff and very little angst.