(TEAL DEER* ALERT!! )

I should preface this by saying that I'm not one to give a shit about canon in a pairing. When a pairing becomes canon, it tends to become cliched, at least in fandom. There are, of course, exceptions, but this is my over-all view.

Spoiler: CATEGORIES AND SUBCATEGORIES

I'll break my lists down into multiple categories: Those I support, those I don't have an opinion on, and those I don't support at all. Furthermore, however, I will break it down into three categories -- erotic, platonic and familial. I will not differentiate in the context, except where Erotic is concerned if it requires this classification, the pairings that are Yaoi versus those that are het, because it should be obvious. I will also not bother with pointing out what is crack and what isn't -- again, it should be obvious.


Spoiler: SUB-CATEGORY DEFINITIONS
I will hereby define how I use these words.

Erotic: (pairings will be labeled in RED BOLD text). Romantic, to the point of lemons/limes. Pairs I can see ending up sexually involved, crack or not; these are pairings I find especially hot, even if they aren't plausible in the context of the canon. These would be pairings I read or write lemons for, and have NSFW images of stored because I think they're hot. Yaoi, yuri and het are equal here. By the way, I hate the whole "seme" and "uke" concept -- romantic relationships are relationships of equals in my opinion, and sexual position has nothing to do with it. Topping from the bottom, and all that. It's all a matter of give-and-take.

Platonic: (pairings will be labeled in BLUE BOLD text). Friendship bonds. Bonds of two (or more) people on equal footing with each other. Basically, pairings that I don't see getting sexually involved but that are every bit as tightly bound -- or more -- to each other.

Familial: (pairings will be labeled in MAGENTA BOLD text). sibling relations and parent-child or student-teacher relationships. Relationships where there is either a noted blood-bond or a bond of guidance (one is the mentor to the other; one is the "parent-figure" to the other). Again, this bond can be extremely strong, potentially stronger than that of lovers. This is in some ways interchangeable with Platonic, so it may be used interchangeably with it.



Spoiler: A NOTE ON NAME ORDER

I notice that some people will fight tooth and nail over "SasuNaru" versus "NaruSasu" -- when the fact is, to me, it's totally immaterial. I don't give a damn who "tops" or whose name is listed first in pairing. In every case, I don't care if the names are the other way around. LeeGaara is the same as GaaraLee to me. Therefore, I will list them in my preferred order, which is usually, in heterosexual relationships Male & Female, and in homosexual relationships is Alphabetical A & Alphabetical B. There are some exceptions based on personal preference (KakaIru is more pleasing to my eye than IruKaka... just personal preference).

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PAIRINGS I SUPPORT
Lee & Sakura: This is my OTP. They are so cute together, and I think they complement each other beautifully, he is the passionate extrovert who smiles through the pain and aims as high as the stars, unafraid to fail. She is the calculated semi-introvert who needs coaxing to show her true colors and needs to learn to aim higher. This is the pairing in my multichapter Naruto fanfic series "Just Go My Way" and "The Flower In Adversity"

Kakashi & Iruka: This pairing is one of two that totally turned me on to yaoi. Canonically implausible, but fucking adorable. The fanart out there makes me melt into a puddle of goo.

Gaara & Lee: The other pairing that turned me on to yaoi. Again with the perfect complementary personalities. Lee doesn't hold grudges, while Gaara has a history full of baggage to make an airport jealous. Both have experienced some kind of emotional pain. I'd also like to take a moment and blame Maldoror_GW for my obsession with this pairing. Her fic "Diplomatic Relations" is the most in-character yaoi-fic I've EVER READ ANYWHERE. Incidentally, I don't see a "seme" or "uke" in this relationship. Lee might be outgoing and energetic, but Gaara is the really arrogant, aggressive one. I don't see him being anyone's uke, nor do I see Lee being anyone's uke.

Gaara & Naruto:
Another yaoi one that is freakin' adorable, and the most canonically plausible, in my opinion. They understand each other the best of anyone. I can see Gaara developing feelings for Naruto because Naruto was the person who saved him on so many levels -- giving him a new purpose in life, and then helping to restore him when all hope was lost.

Naruto & Sakura: I still cannot believe the number of people who hold Sakura's earliest comments against her. She's not allowed to grow up?! Since I don't see Sasuke ever developing the level of feelings that Sakura deserves her lover to have towards her, I think Naruto is the best choice (canonically, probably even better than Lee, which makes me a sad panda)

Shikamaru & Temari: They're just cute. I love how she's "just like" his mom, which he finds terribly troublesome. And yet... it's all good. I love the fanart for these two, too. Sadly, I really don't know any good fanfics of the two that keep them both in-character, but there are some good doujins on DeviantArt.

Kiba & Hinata: GODDAMN they're cute!

Gai & Shizune: I blame the LeeSaku fanclub for this! It is pure unadulterated crack, and it is DELICIOUS!

Jiraiya & Tsunade: Screw you, Dan. You died too young. Jiraiya gets your girlfriend now!

Gai & Kakashi: They're buddies. That's all. And yes, they ARE friends. Kakashi might think Gai is a goofball, but he also respects Gai.

Ino & Sakura: Same as above. They really are friends, even though they're rivals. Rivals can and usually are friends.

Naruto & Sasuke: I'm on the fence about them as a romantic couple, but I definitely love their friendship dynamic. Rivals as friends, and all that.

Lee & Neji: Same as the above.

Chouji & Shikamaru: Shikamaru is the first person to show Chouji respect and friendship, and Chouji rewards that by being someone that Shikamaru can always count on to come through for him. I don't see any romantic tension between them, but man do they have a bond of friendship!

Kakashi & Naruto, Sakura or Sasuke: He's their teacher, people. He's not a goddamn p*d*p****. I can't see him ever developing romantic feelings for any of them for any reason at all, but he does care very deeply for them because they're his students.

Gai & Lee: Again: Just the teacher, role-model, guidance instructor. Imagine falling in love with your own father (or mother) -- that's the equivalent of what Gai and Lee are to each other. Gai is a father-figure to Lee, a guidepost for his road of glory. He is not a romantic interest at all, and not even someone that Lee seeks to defeat. He's someone Lee seeks to be like.

Jiraiya & Naruto: Naruto is a substitute for Jiraiya's star pupil Minato, but he's also a brilliant student in his own right. Jiraiya's too focused on boobs to notice Naruto in anything but a teacher-like way, and he respects Naruto very highly, even if he doesn't act like it.

Gaara, Kankurou and Temari: They clearly love each other. Gaara confides in Kankurou, who is willing to risk his life for Gaara. Temari worries extensively about both of her brothers when they're in danger. While Gaara shows little canon preference to Temari, I get the feeling that Temari wouldn't be so devoted to him if he didn't show some respect to her. And to Gaara, respect = love.

Um, that's all I can think of. Stay tuned for the next part -- the pairings I'm indifferent on -- ones that I can see both sides of.