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Joe/Cherry
This article or section needs expansion. |
| Pairing | |
|---|---|
| Pairing: | Nanjo Kojiro/Sakurayashiki Kaoru |
| Alternative name(s): | Matchablossom, Joe/Cherry, Kojiro/Kaoru |
| Gender category: | slash, mlm |
| Fandom: | SK8 the Infinity |
| Canonical?: | No |
| Prevalence: | Popular |
| Archives: | AO3 tag page |
| Other: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Joe/Cherry, also known as Matchablossom, is a popular slash ship from the SK8 the Infinity fandom.
Joe and Cherry are two of the original founders of S alongside Adam, and are longtime friends. Flashbacks during the series show they skated together as teenagers, and director Hiroko Utsumi later confirmed in a Q&A that the two have been friends since kindergarten.
Despite constantly bickering and insulting each other, it is clear they are very close and comfortable with one another. They're popular with fans given their 'old married/divorced couple' vibes, pink/green aesthetics, complementary personalities, and longstanding relationship since childhood.
As of January 2025, the number of fan works tagged for this ship on Ao3 was approaching 6,500. It is the second most tagged ship in the fandom, slightly behind Renga.
Fanon
- As Hiroko Utsumi revealed in a trivia Q&A that Cherry struggles to sleep,[1] a popular headcanon is that he can only sleep soundly with Joe and that the two of them shared a bed as young kids, a habit they may or may not have grown out of.
- The most common headcanon for their sexualities, which is shared by their voice actors in the dub, is that Joe is bi or pan and Cherry is gay.
Common Tropes in Fanworks
- Childhood friends: Cherry and Joe are canonically childhood friends, so there are a lot of pre-canon fics about their school days
- A subtrope in fics which start when they're small children is one of them saying he'll marry the other when they grow up and never stopping meaning it.
- Joe and Cherry going from friends to lovers.
- Make Up: Joe and Cherry dating in high school, breaking up, eventually reconnecting as friends, and eventually entering a relationship again, sometimes after a period of friends with benefits while secretly pining.
- Pining: This is often portrayed as Joe pining for Cherry, as Cherry is implied in the anime to have been interested in Adam (sometimes resulting in a love triangle dynamic). However, the two are often characterised as mutually pining for one another, each afraid to ruin the friendship or convinced the other is only interested in being friends.
- Joe having been aware of his feelings for Cherry since they were children but Cherry only catching feelings much later on or having a much later feelings realization.
- Travelling: During the anime, Joe and Cherry argue about various incidents that happened while travelling around Europe, revealing that they had travelled abroad together. Fanworks are often set during their travels or have the two deciding to take another trip together. Some fanworks also explore the time when Joe studied abroad as a chef in Italy, with Cherry coming to visit him during his studies.
- Sickfics in which Joe takes care of Cherry as Cherry recovers from the injuries he gains in one episode.
- Joe and Cherry acting like the parents of a found family with Chinen Miya or Reki being like their son.
- Alternately and less commonly, AUs where Joe is a single father to Miya and later gets into a relationship with Cherry.
- Joe and Cherry being married but the other characters not being sure whether they're in an established relationship, exes, or still pining.
- People taking bets on whether or not Joe and Cherry are in a relationship or about what the nature of their relationship is.
- In Hanahaki fics, Joe most often coughs up actual cherry blossoms and Cherry most often coughs up sunflowers or other yellow flowers, probably in reference to Joe's sun tattoo.
- In Omegaverse fics, Joe is most often an alpha and Cherry is most often an omega.
- Joe styling Cherry's hair for him, either because Cherry is injured or because Joe claims he wants the practice so he's better at doing women's hair
- Joe finding Cherry's piercings attractive
Example Fanworks
Fanfics
- A Little Closer to the Edge by cosmicbluebells (rated T, Joe struggles with newfound feelings for his friend and roommate Cherry)
- Exes Play Truth or Drink: Kaoru & Kojiro by KAZ1167 (member restricted, rated M for references)
- double or nothing by numinae (rated Gen, in which there's a longstanding betting pool at S which anyone who can get proof that Joe and Cherry are dating will win)
Fanart
- Black and brown 🍵🌸 by @45liza109
- I can't believe that actually worked by @pochiikou
- they're cute by @astercoringa
- matchablossom x unnecessary feelings... by @mint-mango
- someone get these two a honda odyssey by @ratcarney
Miscellaneous
- Daman Mills and Jonah Scott (the dub actors) posing to recreate matchablossom art posted by @treetries
Archives and Links
- Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom tag on Ao3
- #joe x cherry blossom, #matcha blossom, #matchablossom, and #joecherry on Tumblr
References
- ^ Tweet by soukatsu, February 9, 2023.