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EVIDENCE!!!Is there any evidence that Walter and Seras have any romantic feelings towards each other in the anime or manga? Not a shred. And before anyone says it, I'm well aware she has a canon pairing in the manga... see "Other Pairings" for my opinion on that (which is in short, Yay! Not messing with it!) While much of this is anime references, some of it works in what I know of the manga too. (A note on the manga: Developments continue to make life odd for our "couple" in the manga. Walter is now a young-looking Millennium servant, controlled by Major, know in fandom as Dark Walter. Pip's personality now manifests itself in Seras. Perhaps it's indeed only in theory that the manga pairing exists, but I still love it.) Do I think there are going to be Walter x Seras romantic hints in canon, ever? Absolutely not. Do I think there will be further interaction or friendship? Not that, either, though I'd like to see it happen. Do I however have some opinion of why they go well together? Certainly. First of all, let's take a look at their respective personalities and situations: Seras is new at the vampire business and doing her best to handle it, and has been thrust into a fairly lousy situation in which she is essentially alone. Alucard is there but only so supportive, even in the anime, and Integra is more of a boss than anything else. (In the manga she does have Pip, until his tragic death attempting to save her, but she still has to function to a great extent on her own.) She seems like the kind of woman who could use the comfort of a basically caring, giving, older (yes, much, and more on that later) person. I don't find it at all unbelievable, strictly in theory mind you, that she could turn to Walter for friendship and possibly something more. Now Walter also seems to me to be alone to a great extent. He's friendly with Alucard but Alucard's basically busy kicking butt. Walter has Integra to take care of but she's also busy and a bit unapproachable. He's not at all the type to be afraid of Seras just because she's a vampire. Nor is he likely to feel threatened by strong women. I don't see it as impossible, again in theory, that he could grow attached to her in a friendly or even romantic way. While there's nothing romantic in their interactions, they do seem to show each other a basic respect and even caring at times. Walter seems concerned in the anime that Seras gets blood and remembers not to get too much sun. Even in the manga, where he seems to be getting frustrated with her, he does care to an extent. And they fight the Valentine Brothers together! This is where the title of the website comes from, Walter saying (manga translation) that they are a fitting team. (No, I'm not saying he meant anything but the plain meaning, but it's still cute.) They really do work well together to destroy the ghoul army and do their best with Yan. And in the anime, it's Walter who's able to call Seras back from complete bloodlust and ghoul destruction. (Integra does that in the manga). One interesting scene that occurs only in the anime is the part where Bubbancy, Integra's "sister" is controlling minds at Hellsing and tries to get Walter to attack Seras. Walter does in fact get the wires out... seems to me to be reluctant nonetheless to actually attack, perhaps because Bubbancy can only do so much. Seras, however, is instantly aware that something is wrong with Walter, and tries rather sweetly to remind him who she is and snap him out of it. Not to overanalyze this to death, but Integra's earlier warning to her not to feed on the servants indicates to me that nothing would stop Seras from hurting Walter if she wanted to, but she is reluctant to do it even in self-defense. In other words, she's nice to him. There's also a cute scene in the manga where they work together to keep Anderson and Alucard from publicly slaughtering each other. In other words, they communicate well, and they make good comrades-in-arms, and there seems to be a certain amount of understanding there. This could, theoretically, be the basis for friendship and even romance. It would be an interesting and possibly awkward friendship and a strange sideways odd sort of romance, but something to contemplate. A Note on the Age Difference: Walter's about seventy years old, and Seras appears to be in her early twenties. This is certainly a huge age gap. However I don't think it's completely insurmountable. Walter frankly looks and acts much younger. Seras has been forced into a great amount of maturity by what's happened to her. Besides, she is, after all, dead and theoretically immortal at the same time. Unless she finds another vampire or potential vampire (which by manga rules at least would have to be a virgin) whatever partner she might find is going to be temporary, though admittedly not as temporary as Walter. Actually, to me, the whole idea of a man who's facing only a few more years and a woman who's facing a potential eternity making a connection, especially a romantic one, has a certain poignancy. Would they ever really admit any feelings even in theory? Probably not. Get physical? Even less likely (viagra aside). Yet, I do like to write various scenarios, though even in fanfiction I'm talking stolen moments of sweetness and angst. But it's fun, to me. I can't stress enough that this is why I like to write about it and think about it, not why I think it's intended. But I hope at least some of this makes sense. |