Season 2 has officially been announced, and we couldn’t be more gayer! Gay in both senses, happy and homosexual, of course.

There are a lot of things to look forward to, including the skateboarding competitions, the new looks, and even the sarcastic English dub!

But you know what else we can look forward to? More Joe and Cherry shenanigans. That’s right - our resident founding gay fathers are about to return, and we couldn’t be more excited.

What is Matchablossom?

Machablossom is a ship between Kojiro Nanjo and Kaoru Sakurayashiki. These two are childhood friends/rivals who share a passion for skateboarding.

Now you might be wondering: Where did the name Matchablossom come from? It has to do with their “S” identity and hair color.

S is an underground skateboarding event that Kaoru and Kojiro co-founded. Many skateboard players adopt an alias to set boundaries between their careers and hobbies.

Kojiro goes by the name “Joe, while Kaoru goes by the name “Cherry” or “Cherry Blossom.” Meanwhile, fans often compare Joe’s hair to Matcha's, while Cherry’s looks like a cherry blossom.

As though it was fated in the stars, this led to the birth of the beautiful ship Matchablossom.

Is This Ship Canon?

Unfortunately, the animation studio has not confirmed anything. Since this is an original work, we cannot consult any novels or mangas.

But that doesn’t stop every fan from shipping them together!

Like every other sports anime, Sk8 the Infinity has a lot of moments that can raise your gaydar. While I can go on and on about how these Matchablossom have their questionably platonic moments in the series, it would be much better to show you.

So, without further ado, here are Matchablossom’s gayest moments!

Kojiro Ogling at Kaoru

You read that right. This one looks like a lie, but fortunately, it isn’t.

In the Bl community, fans often portray Kojiro as bisexual, with a strong preference for Kaoru (again, this is all fan canon!). This scene right here does NOT help the rumors at all.

Because what kind of straight man would ogle at another man’s legs? Much less blush at the sight of it?

Given, he was pretty surprised to see “it was just Kaoru.” But is that really his only reason?

Kaoru is not a woman. Looking at his legs, you can clearly tell he is a man—a skinny man, but a man nonetheless. And Kojiro openly ogled at this man's legs without question.

That’s definitely sus.

Kaoru Ruining Kojiro’s Date

We all know that Kojiro’s a playboy. He changes his partners as frequently as he takes off his shirt, often leading fans to speculate.

Maybe Kaoru is jealous. Maybe Kojiro is intentionally making Kaoru jealous?

Fan theories go wild, and this scene has only fueled fans' desire to ship the two even more.

Kaoru Skating Toward Kojiro

In this scene, Cherry is teaching Reki and Langa how to dodge Adam’s attack. For this demonstration, he had to skate so close to Kojiro - and by that, I mean face to face to the point they could feel each other’s breath.

Was that really necessary? Maybe. Did they really need to get that close to prove a point? Not at all.

Whatever the case, the animators must be BL lovers, given the number of suggestive scenes they’re including in this anime.

Kaoru Calling Kojiro a Thirsty Gorilla

If you haven’t watched the Dub version of Skate, you’re missing out on a lot. This scene of Miya, Kaoru, and Kojiro together is absolute gold.

For context: The cast of Sk8 goes on a vacation where they’re all together by coincidence. They go to Sk8 when Miya notices Kojiro is not wearing a shirt. According to Kaoru, “he’s charring his chesticles for locals in heat.”

Talk about a burn! Or sunburn, in this case.

But what really gets everyone is how Kaoru calls Kojiro a "thirsty gorilla" so sensually that it simply cannot be a coincidence. Though the English VAs of Kojiro and Kaoru have expressed their support for the ship, we cannot say for certain if the animation studio approved this.

Regardless, we're just glad fans have the VAs on their side!

Kojiro Talking to a Sleeping Kaoru

Now, this one is more angsty than it is romantic.

Most fans speculate that Kojiro, Kaoru, and Adam are in some sort of love triangle. This is how it goes: Kojiro loves Kaoru, Kaoru loves Adam, and Adam loves himself.

But Adam hurt Kaoru, so Kojiro is left to help Kaoru heal. Fast forward, and the two have dinner at Kojiro's restaurant. Kaoru falls asleep while Joe gets a refill for his wine and looks at the man fondly.

Whether you see it as platonic or romantic, you can't deny he truly cares for his friend.

Bonus Scene: Kojiro and Kaoru at the Onsen

Adding this scene for meme's sake.

"Two bros chillin' in the hot tub five feet apart 'cause they're not gay~"

Have something to add to this list? You’re welcome to join the Otaku Community and share your thoughts!

Everyone is welcome to join. Whether you’re a fujoshi or a waifu enthusiast, there’s definitely a place for you in the Otaku Community.