Greetings, Rowdyruff Boys x Powerpuff Girls shippers, it is your old pal Antoni here with another manifesto.
Here is something I am sure a lot of you already know. When you get older, you gain more perspective of the world around, become a lot more critical in your thinking, and broaden your horizons, thus becoming a more conscientious, open-minded, tolerant, and wiser person. It does not matter how big or small the changes are but they are there and they are inevitable. Such as the case with my experience being a loyal fan of The Rowdyruff Boys and The Powerpuff Girls.
This is going to be one of my most controversial entries to date because I am fully aware that some if not a lot of my friends, DA watchers, and fellow artists happen to be Boomubbles, Blossick, and Butchercup shippers. Moreover, if I were to re-title this entry it would be "Why I Cannot Stand the Color Code RuffPuff Couples Notwithstanding Boomubbles as The Sole Exception". I think you all know where I am going with this, even if I run the risk of sounding hypocritical or contradictory. This is because I used to be a color code RuffPuff couple shipper when I was in my tweens and teens. Nowadays, in my late twenties, I cannot even look at the color code couples the same way, which I am going to list my reasons as to why I particularly cannot stand Blossick and Butchercup as couples yet tolerate if not love and defend Boomubbles as the only color code couple that I deem as the best one.
Before the roasting begins, I would love to have a few words about Boomer x Bubbles aka Boomubbles aka The Blues.
Boomubbles aka Boomer x Bubbles aka The Blues: The Only Color Code RuffPuff Couple I Can Ever Enjoy and Love But Still Have My Reservations
Perhaps my own personal history with Boomubbles has been nothing more than positive considering how well this holds up with Professor Utonium x Miss Keane and Mike Believe x Robin Snyder as the OTPs I have been shipping ever since I was a young teenager who got himself acquainted with DeviantArt as a mere visitor. To this day, I am still proud to call myself a ProfKeane, Boomubbles, and Robike shipper because of how sweet and lovely these pairings are.
Going to Boomubbles, it is a popular headcanon that The Blues are the pacifists, the nicest ones, the most innocent ones, and, of course, the anime and manga fans of the two groups of siblings, seeing that Boomer is more a shonen anime type of fan while Bubbles leans towards shoujo anime and manga. As someone who continues to ship Boomubbles to this day, especially considering how Bubbles called Boomer cute in the episode "The Boys are Back in Town", I can attest that there are a lot of things to enjoy about Boomer and Bubbles as a couple. I can still take comfort that their relationship will not be volatile or troublesome and that they will always find a way to look beyond the surface and see a truly loving, kind, and generous soul. Boomer's super strength, rapid speed, and massive athleticism can come in handy when it comes to protecting Bubbles from all harm, all while being kind and chivalrous. While Bubbles' brand of mercy, kindness, and empathy would be the sole reasons for Boomer to say that she is his only reason for living. When all is said and done, I can never dislike Boomubbles in the slightest.
On the one hand, Boomubbles is the best color code couple in terms of how much positivity is present between the Blues. On the other hand, I cannot help but see some diabetic dullness with Boomubbles because even though they can be lovey-dovey with each other and there is a sense of loyalty and unconditional love, it all feels superficial and kind of shallow. In another time, I would have kept Boomubbles solely as a first crush basis and called it a day because when one cuts to the bone, that is just it. Boomubbles is puppy love but not genuinely pure love.
Regardless, I can still love Boomubbles for what it is and I am pretty grateful for keeping them together in my Team Xtreme headcanon. What makes this better is that I also made them polyamorous and eventually polygamous, which means that it is not just Boomubbles that is here to stay as my OTP but also Blossutch, Blossoomer, and Butchubbles because of how much I love all of them. The only RuffPuff couple that has been staying monogamous is none other than my beloved Brickercup but I have been gushing on my most beloved RuffPuff couples ad nauseam.
Now, let us get on with the constructive roasting for this particular set of overrated, overloved, over-abundant couples.
The Color Code Couples Are Bland, Uninteresting, and Dull as Pairings.
Yes, people, I have officially said it. As much as I love Boomubbles yet loathe Blossick and Butchercup, I can attest that the color code couples seem to have nothing fresh, new, flavorful or invigorating to put on the table because of how similar the Ruffs and the Puffs personalities and attires are. Boomer and Bubbles are the nice ones. Butch and Buttercup are the tough ones. Brick and Blossom are the leaders. That is all.
It could be argued that Brick and Blossom have the most differences because of how their personalities are the opposite to each other with Brick being fire and Blossom being ice and with him being crass, roguish, tough, rough, and large-and-in-charge and with her being intelligent, well-versed, elegant, articulate, and poised. While I can buy those reasons and while I can understand why Blossick is so popular, I still cannot overlook how boring and overrated this "couple" is to the point where I would rather keep Brick and Blossom as good friends.
As for Butchercup, let us just say that Butch's and Buttercup's rowdy, stubborn personalities will easily make them repel and it would get so tedious, tawdry, and peevish after a while. No salvaging can ever repair their relationship.
Boomubbles' case is lovely at best but boring at worst because there will be times that being sweet, cute, and lovey-dovey are the only traits that this couple has.
All things considered, I can no longer find any more inspiration in shipping the color code couples, which then leads me to my next reason and I will gladly reiterate it.
The Color Code RuffPuff Couples are Overrated as All Get-Out
I have a question for all of you RuffPuff shippers out there. How many times have you stumbled upon any fanfic about Blossick, Butchercup, and/or Boomubbles or all of the above? How many times have you seen Blossick pop up in the search engine no matter where you go? How many times have you stumbled upon fan art of Boomubbles, Butchercup, and especially Blossick? Do you see a pattern here with these questions I am posing on you? Exactly. The Rowdyruff x Powerpuff fandom is especially amassed with the color-coded RuffPuff couples. This does not mean that I do not like any of the color code couple shippers who, in turn, are wonderful artists, fine fanfiction writers, and, generally, well-meaning people, as they know how to make really great stuff. It is just that having to see or read any color code couple fanart or fanfic makes me bored to tears and indifferent at best and livid at worst.
I know that shippers will make the argument stating that Blossom kissed Brick, Bubbles kissed Boomer, and Buttercup kissed Butch in the show proper but what should be kept in mind is that the "cootie kisses" were meant to kill the Ruffs off. Fortunately, at least in my headcanon, they live, because Mr. Green and Miss Bellum are far better parents than Mojo Jojo will ever be but that is entirely beside the point. Yes, this moment was when the RuffPuff shippers were born and also created Bleedman's very well-known fan comic among many other works. However, at this rate, I am still questioning to myself what is so interesting, awesome, and great about the color code couples anyway? They have similar color attires and look similar but that is all.
What I also realize is that the reasons a lot of color code shippers have for shipping Blossick, Butchercup, and Boomubbles tend to go on the pretentious, shallow, superficial, and convoluted side at best and immature, puerile, obnoxious, and whiny at worst. Personally, there are many other better RuffPuff pairings for Brick, Butch, Boomer, Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles out there notwithstanding Boomubbles which is great in small doses and all right in big doses.
This then leads me to the next problem, which mostly focuses on Blossick as the most overrated color code couple of all time. At least, Boomubbles can rest assured that it will not receive further any further roasting and leave with a safe pass with the few pieces of criticism I give to this pairing.
Blossick? More Like BlossSICK! Big Egos, Mad Amounts of Hubris, Over-Competitiveness and All!
I cannot tell you how many times I have been harping on Brick x Blossom but I can assure you that I have my reasons for roasting this couple until it is burnt to a crisp. This is not just about me getting extremely tired of how many Blossick's praises have to be sung ad nauseam. This is not just about me no longer tolerating the Reds as an item to the point of spitting venom most poisonous on this overrated, over-loved, over-worshipped "couple". This is about me cutting to the bone on why this "couple" does not work in my eyes.
My Anti-Blossick sentiments seem to know no bounds, do they? So, it is time for me to state what makes me think that this couple is not all that.
It is true that both Brick and Blossom have strong, independent personalities. They are smart in their own ways with Brick being street smart and Blossom being book smart. They are even rather well-rounded in their own ways. However, with these gifts come something that rubs me the wrong way about their flaws and their dynamics as a couple.
As I rewatched some episodes and reread some fanfics, I started to realize that fanfic authors try to make Brick compatible with Blossom by making him smarter, more composed, and more gallant. I could credit the fanfic writers and fan-artists doing that but Brick is rambunctious, loud, and large-and-in-charge. Hence, I would not go out of my way to make him nerdy and classy. In my headcanon, Brick is the militaristic, tough, determined, large-and-in-charge, protective leader and the overall eldest member of Team Xtreme and Blossom is the elegant, intelligent, poised, classy only sane woman of a brainy beauty who is also a year and six months younger than Brick. Therefore, Brick is a better match for Buttercup and Blossom is a better match for both Butch and Boomer.
Now, as to why I despise Blossick as a couple aside from being really overrated, as this all boils down to their egos. All of the ego-rubbing, pride, and over-competitiveness Brick and Blossom would engage in when trying to one-up each other would start to become akin to having a migraine because of how these two will not quiet down or leave it be. It is as if their egos will not only consume them from the outside but also from the inside, which will lead to an unfulfilling relationship full of insisting that one partner is right and the other is wrong, thus finding themselves in the same rut all over again. Ergo, just because they can be high-and-mighty in their own ways, does not mean that they could end up coming down to earth that easily.
Finally, all of that pride will bring out both Brick's and Blossom's dark sides, thus making them prone to selfishness and being controlling. Brick and Blossom would stop at nothing to deny their own flaws all while failing to realize that they can never have everything under complete control. In short, their own darkness will end up consuming them and they will never escape the huge, gaping hole they dug themselves into, especially when being in a relationship is concerned.
At this rate, I have been through with this couple from the very start. However, there is another color code couple I cannot stand that makes this and Boomubbles far more heavenly, which in turn are the definition of being Karmic soulmates far more than what Boomubbles and, of course, Blossick can dish out.
Butchercup aka The Stubborn, Aggressive Greens: A Clear-Cut Example of Karmic Soulmates
Shipping Butch and Buttercup as a couple is like asking power drills to make lacerations galore on my stomach, face, and brain and I would automatically be rendered dead. I wholeheartedly loathe Butch x Buttercup that much and that is saying something. Ergo, Butch and Buttercup are perfect examples of what it feels like to be in a Karmic relationship and a purely chaotic and violent one at that.
I am fully aware that these two are physically strong, show a lot of resistance, really tough, and very unwavering in their goals, which gets to the point of them being extremely competitive and loud towards each other. However, I always keep asking myself this gnawing question. What chances do these two green-clad hotheads have as a couple? Do they even have a chance in Heaven and/or Hell in even becoming one? My point exactly. They have no chance in Hell of becoming a couple because of the unnecessary friction present in their personalities, which I will gladly expound.
First of all, Karmic soulmates are addictive, irrational, and have repetitive patterns. Knowing how many times Butch and Buttercup would love to let their fists fly at the slightest provocation, this shows how unwilling they are to think things through and instead be extremely reactive at even the most insignificant of things. Their addiction to violence signifies how getting physical can give them a thrill without any second thoughts and will only lead them to have an insatiable need to beat each someone or each other up either to have fun or show how strong they truly are. All of these lead to dangerously repetitive patterns, which, in turn, are extremely unhealthy in a relationship. Trouble in Paradise does not even begin to describe Butchercup, as it is literally Hell on Earth when these two green-clad hotheads end up becoming over-competitive and loud towards each other and dig the same quagmire they got themselves into without respite.
Secondly, Karmic relationships are toxic, chaotic, violent, stressful, and overemotional. Oh, so one thinks that Butch and Buttercup shouting at each other means that they secretly love each other? Cut me an oversized break. The amount of emotional constipation, animosity, unhealed pain, unresolved conflicts, stress, and toxicity omnipresent in Butchercup is sufficient for me to say that they do not deserve each other. Butch and Buttercup will not only end up killing each other on the outside but also on the inside because of all of these problems, hindrances, and obstacles that are left unresolved or even solved without any proper follow-through.
Finally, Karmic relationships do not last. Sure, I do have the impression that Blossick will not last by any stretch of the imagination due to how competitive and high-and-mighty both Brick and Blossom are. However, with Butch's and Buttercup's case, their relationship will falter in a snap. Their bad habits would more than outweigh their good habits, which is why I believe that the Greens can do so much better. This is also what compelled me to be the hardcore Brickercup, Blossutch, Blossoomer, and Butchubbles OTP shipper that I am today because when it comes to the Reds and the Greens, these two can do a Hell lot better.
All in all, I am so tired of Butchercup because the Greens do not deserve each other and I would never want to set foot on another Butchercup-related piece of work nor do I ever want to draw Butchercup ever again.
Conclusion
I am fully aware of how much the color code couple shippers, especially the ones who ship Butchercup and Blossick, will end up repudiating me, call me a hater, and think I am being ridiculous. I say, who cares? Bring it on. All of you hardcore color code couple shippers can give me all the hate mail, hate comments, and all of the wonderfully venomous things you can throw at me. However, you will never break my spirit or even change my opinion of why I cannot stand Blossick and Butchercup yet am still capable of tolerating and loving Boomubbles. Ergo, you can do your worst but I will never falter.
As for the other more rational color code shippers, I also hope you took the time to understand where I am coming from with all of this. I do not know if everything I said thus far will change your opinion on Blossick and Butchercup or not but I just hope you could take this manifesto with a grain of salt.
As for the couples themselves, as much as I am still loyal to Boomubbles to an extent, I am done with the color code couples, especially where Blossick and Butchercup are concerned. I do not ever want to involve myself with Blossick's overratedness and constant ego-rubbing and Butchercup's boundless animosity. I have also shipped Blossick and Butchercup once when I was younger and I have given them up at the drop of a hat.
As for the rest of you, anti-color code couple shippers and fans, what do you think of this manifesto? Was there anything I missed out on what I wrote? Do you feel like you could agree with me on these points? Or do you feel like adding anything else to what I have written? Comment below and let me know.
I hope you all enjoyed this manifesto and I will see you all in the next submission. Take care and have a great summer, everybody.
