Kyou Kara Maou: Yuuri/Wolfram
TITLE: Baseball Boy vs. Pretty Boy
AUTHOR: fencer_x
FANDOM: Kyou Kara Maou!
PAIRING: Shibuya Yuuri/Wolfram von Bielefelt
SPOILERS: Entire series; both anime "seasons" (up to and including episode 65), novels, and manga chapters 1-6
DISCLAIMER: No money is being made from this essay, it's simply a fun way to get word of my OTP out.
Welcome to the world of Kyou Kara Maou!, or if you prefer an English title, "I'm the Demon King From Now On!" (but really, let's be honest with ourselves, Kyou Kara Maou is both easier to say and abbreviate, so I'll be using it in this essay). This is a world where demons and humans live side by side--sometimes in relative harmony, sometimes in not-so-peaceful conditions. A world where the only surefire way to tell if someone's a demon is by the color of their hair (black, for the curious, though very few demons actually have hair this color). And a world where unlike our earthly kingdoms of yore, the new ruler of the demon race is chosen arbitrarily by the spirit of their Original King, sometimes manifesting the choice in the oddest of candidates.
Shibuya Yuuri, Harajuku Fuuri
Meet our protagonist, Shibuya Yuuri. Yuuri's a relatively normal Japanese kid of fifteen, if not a little baseball crazy--he loves the sport with his whole being, and eventually makes it onto his school's team. He makes decent grades, has friends, though he isn't overly popular, and all in all leads a relatively quiet life. His family's equally normal, though a little quirky in their own ways. His father's a 'salaryman' and works for the local bank, while his mother is a housewife who wishes she had daughters instead of sons--or at the very least cross-dressing sons; she loved to dress Yuuri up in little girls' clothes when he was too small to know any better. As for siblings, Yuuri has one older brother, Shouri, about whom we don't know very much until much later on in the series. He keeps to himself, is a university student studying to be, as far as Yuuri knows, a metropolitan governor. While Shouri wishes desperately that Yuuri thought of him a bit more as a brother (he even wants the boy to call him 'Niichan,' a very feminine term of address, rather than Yuuri's preferred 'aniki'), the boy seems completely oblivious, a trait that's at times endearing, but more often than not infuriating.
You see, Yuuri's got a little problem in having a slight hero-complex. He tends to jump into situations to defend the underdog without thinking--an admirable trait, but it's not too good for his health when the enemy consists of a group of three very large, burly high schoolers intent on making him their new plaything. This is the situation Yuuri finds himself in one day when he comes upon a group of bullies harrassing a schoolmate of his, Murata Ken. While Murata takes the chance to high-tail it out of there with the bullies distracted, Yuuri's not so lucky, and winds up on the receiving end of a nice swirlie.
But such mundane things as swirlies in anime are never just swirlies, we should know, and it turns out this toilet conveniently leads to...another world. Yes, our protagonist is flushed down a toilet. Please keep the bathroom jokes to a minimum, as I swear it isn't nearly as strange as it sounds.
The world he is sent to is, at first glance, a lot like Earth--he winds up in a province that looks straight out of The Sound of Music, while other provinces look like sets from a western, and still others lend a medieval feel to the scene. In short, it's like one big amusement park setup--which is what Yuuri's first thought is upon arriving. But Yuuri's Japanese, and if you'll recall what I said before about demons, it's well known in this world that anyone with black hair must be a demon--and demons and humans don't get along too well here. So of course the first people he meets, confused and lost as he is, immediately begin attacking him, throwing stones at him and yelling curses in a language that he doesn't understand. He's "saved" from these attacks by a burly man who looks like a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, and it is this man, Adalbert, who performs the first bit of magic on Yuuri, allowing him to understand the words being spoken around him.
At this point, though, another group of riders comes charging in on the scene, and at their leader's order, Yuuri is snatched up and carried off by a flying monkeyskeleton. But we mustn't fear for our protagonist--these are the good guys! Yay! Rejoice! This tall, dark, and handsome savior of his is Sir Conrad Weller, and upon fleeing far enough from Adalbert and the other humans, he escorts Yuuri to a safehouse, where he meets another man, Sir Gunter von Kleist. Upon being addressed as, "Your Majesty," though, it appears some introductions are in order, and Yuuri is told he is the new king of the demon race, the 27th Maou!
Much ado is made as Yuuri tries to come to grips with this title, unsure of whether he's dreaming or having the world's greatest joke played on him. Reassured by Conrad's presence, he agrees to at least travel with them to the castle until he wakes up from whatever dream this is, and the next day they set out for New Makoku, the capital, and Blood Pledge Castle, his new home as the Maou.
Lord Wolfram von Bielefelt
Here we'll change tracks and talk about Wolfram for a moment. With previous characters having been spoken of in introducing Yuuri and the world he lives in, we can now introduce Wolfram. He is the third son of the 26th Maou, Her Former Highness Cecilie von Spitzberg (or "Cheri" as she prefers to be called), and has two elder half-brothers--Lord Gwendal von Voltaire, and Sir Conrad Weller. While both Wolfram and Gwendal are full demons, with a demon mother and father, Conrad's father was a human, leading to his half-blood status and no small amount of resentment from Wolfram, though deep down he cares greatly for the man.
To say he's a snobby, whiny, prejudiced brat is something of an understatement. Wolfram can be compared to the 'purebloods' of Harry Potter's fame, in that to him, blood is everything--only full demons can perform magic, and having human blood taint their nation is something to be avoided at all costs. He's resentful towards Conrad because he feels he was deceived--for much of his life, he believed Conrad was a full demon, like himself, and when he learned otherwise, he never forgave the man.
Wolfram's a "pretty boy," in most every sense of the word--it's the first thing Yuuri notices when he sees him (his only thought--"Bishounen...!"), and Cheri takes no small pride in noting how much he's growing up to look like her. "I'll bet the men just can't keep their hands off you!" she notes beatifically at their first dinner with Yuuri. Though don't let his looks fool you; he's an excellent swordsman and a well-trained soldier, as well as a quite competent fire-magic user.
Used to getting his way and being spoiled by his mother and the servants around him, Wolfram is thrown off his game with the arrival of the far-from-royalty-material Yuuri, and expresses his displeasure with the newcomer quite vocally. Why, he wonders aloud, can't Gwendal be the new Maou? Pretty much anyone, he feels, would be a better candidate than this nobody from another world who's not even full demon! A father who's not even nobility on Earth, a mother with cheap human blood in her veins, and they want to let this guy be their new ruler? Preposterous!
Now, with our setting and characters introduced, let's get down to the nitty-gritty! Just what proof do we have exactly that even hints at this pairing in canon? Well, I'm glad you asked!
Yuuri/Wolfram, or Yuuram as it's often referred to in fandom, has one thing going for it from the start (or, well, from episode 2 on) that other pairings don't, one little detail that gives it a headstart in the fandom game: Yuuri and Wolfram are engaged. Yes, that kind of engaged--you know, the kind that usually leads to marriages.
How this came about is a funny story indeed that involves some nasty words on Wolfram's part, Yuuri's temper getting the better of him--as per usual--and a nice little New Makoku custom stating that when one noble strikes another on the left cheek, this constitutes a wedding proposal. Yuuri probably could get the proposal thrown out at any point in time now, though he chooses mostly to ignore it--he's more the type to cross that bridge when he gets there rather than dealing with it now, which might prove more than a little heartbreaking as we'll see.
So Yuuri mostly ignores the fact that they're engaged, but how does Wolfram treat it? He hates Yuuri, right? Can't stand the fact that a virtual country bumpkin from Nowheresville is his new king, right? Well, he certainly felt that way at first, until he challenged Yuuri to a duel and got the crap beaten out of him when the spirit of the demon king that often lays sleeping within Yuuri--the true Maou--awoke and manifested. After this point, he realizes there is far more to Yuuri than meets the eye, and while his pride prevents him from saying it out loud, he slowly gains a new respect for Yuuri. And more, as is shown in various scenes.
If Yuuri is silent about their engagement, then Wolfram is anything but. He would proclaim it from the rooftop of Blood Pledge Castle if he could (and who knows, he probably has), and routinely takes the opportunity to remind all and sundry that Yuuri is his fiance, that they are engaged, and that if anyone so much as looks at his Yuuri in that way, he'll slit their throat. He's more than a little possessive of the other boy, sticking as close to him as possible and asserting his duty to protect Yuuri as his fiance. He even takes their roles as fiances so far as to presume it means they're allowed to sleep together, which he does so every night starting with episode seven (though he does at least don a skimpy nightgown later, unlike the first time he slips into bed with his maou seemingly en dishabille).
While Yuuri's a naturally outgoing boy and is friendly with everyone, treating Wolfram the same as he treats Conrad or any of the female characters, in Wolfram's eyes there is only Yuuri. This results in the frequent accusation of Yuuri being a cheater and flirting with anything that moves--be it male, female, human, demon, animal even.
But despite all his possessiveness and wild accusations, it's demonstrated on numerous occasions that Wolfram's feelings for Yuuri are The Real Thing. In episode 18, Yuuri and Wolfram are trapped inside a pit they've fallen into and are surrounded by coccoons of unknown origin, presumably some nasty monsters that are going to hatch and eat them. Wolfram's response is the typical, "Smash first, ask questions later," and while Yuuri at first agrees with this, he starts to get a funny feeling from the pods and tries to thwart Wolfram in his attempts. Wolfram grows increasingly annoyed with Yuuri's careless actions, stating that as a soldier he has a duty to protect Yuuri no matter what. Yuuri states defiantly that he can protect himself and challenges Wolfram to a duel for it--which he promptly loses. At the tip of Wolfram's sword he is posed the question, "Can't you understand my love?" It is one of many instances where Wolfram shows in a very Wolfram-esque way--the only way he knows how--that he's more than willing to put Yuuri's life over his own.
With the arrival of the mid-20s episodes comes the entrance of a new character who further solidifies their relationship--a young human girl by the name of Greta. Greta at first tries to assassinate Yuuri in the hopes that if she takes down the hated Maou it will make her relatives take her back in--she can't find her mother or father. Yuuri, of course, upon ascertaining that the girl's not got any other weapons stashed on her person, quickly befriends her as a surrogate father figure, and eventually officially adopts her as his daughter. This, of course, means that Wolfram then takes to the girl like he birthed her himself. In his own words he says, "If you're going to be Greta's father, then that means I'll be her father as well, since I'm your fiance. What's wrong with spoiling my daughter?" He feels the need to fully take advantage of his future position as one of her guardians. The trio are frequently seen eating together--Wolfram reads her stories and plays with her while Yuuri is away, and they both go and meet him upon his subsequent returns; Greta ties them together all the more strongly with her presence, and they truly seem to be a family with her.
However, just because they're tied together this way via Greta, it says nothing of their personal interactions. It's rare that the two are left alone (for good reason :P), but when they are, if Wolfram can lay aside his jealousy for long enough, and if Yuuri can hold himself back from making too-rash decisions and actually listen to Wolfram's cautioning, the pair make a good team. Wolfram will follow Yuuri to the ends of the earth and be there to catch him should he fall--sometimes quite literally. In episode 31, Yuuri's drained himself by manifesting as the Maou, and is hanging from a cliff by one hand, certain to fall. Just as the rock face gives way, another hand reaches down and grabs him--Wolfram, one of the last people he'd have expected, since the boy hadn't traveled with him this time. He warns Wolfram as he's pulled up that if he keeps it up, he'll fall in too. Wolfram simply smiles softly and says, "...Then I'll fall with you."
It's shown over and over, from tiny details to expressions like the above, that Wolfram is pretty much madly in love with Yuuri. He'd have no other, even when he's actively pursued himself, as in episode 45, when it's revealed that he actually already has an intended--a beautiful girl by the name of Elizabeth. The two had been childhood companions, and one day in the garden Wolfram slapped her (which is later shown to be an attempt to swat a butterfly), though he's completely forgotten it until she shows up at Blood Pledge Castle looking for him. Wolfram, however, makes it very clear that he's engaged to Yuuri now, happily, and his engagement to her no longer matters. She's convinced he's somehow been hoodwinked by the Maou, and challenges him to a duel for Wolfram's hand.
Yuuri, though, sees this as a chance to get out of the engagement properly--he's convinced Wolfram will be happier with Elizabeth in a relationship with someone who's madly in love with him--and so conspires to subtly throw the duel (the duel is centered around who can force the other outside of a boundary first). Wolfram figures out his plan and stops him with a sword to his back, daring him to take the final step over the line, and so Yuuri's forced to continue the match. He's obviously outmatched, though, and just as Elizabeth is about to win the duel, Wolfram steps in and stops her blow, claiming that he cannot allow Yuuri to come to harm, even if it means interfering in the match. "You lie..." she hisses, "The truth is, you saved His Majesty because you like him, right? If so, you should say it clearly!" Wolfram doesn't respond, but Yuuri takes a moment to stare, completely dumbfounded, at the boy, as if seeing him in a different light. Wolfram continues the fight in Yuuri's stead, and is about to be dealt a punishing blow by Elizabeth, Yuuri throws himself in front of Wolfram to save him, manifesting as the Maou and halting the duel. With this display of power, Elizabeth is satisfied that Wolfram is in good hands, and leaves him to be engaged to Yuuri.
Here lies the conflict--Yuuri doesn't seem to quite realize that Wolfram is serious in his pursuits, that though he might not be the most adept at expressing it, he really does care for Yuuri. Yuuri's thickheadedness and ability to completely miss the point of why Wolfram accuses him of cheating all the time does nothing to help the poor boy's case. So often in canon Wolfram tries to express his feelings as best he knows how--which is not very well, admittedly--and so often that expression just flies right over Yuuri's head. Yuuri, one comes to realize, would not know true love if it pranced up to him completely nude and gave him a wedgie.
It is my firm belief that this pairing's feasibilty and longevity will rely mainly on Wolfram--on Wolfram's changing attitude, on his perseverance to win Yuuri over, on his pride falling and sex appeal rising. Yuuri at this point is fair game, and Wolfram, truth be told, has good reason to be jealous. He's got to get past gentle Conrad, clingy Gunter, the entire female populace of New Makoku, and even his own mother to have a chance with his fiance. Yuuri's a boy having adventures, not yet ready to settle down any time soon despite having a daughter and betrothed. Romance is one of the furthest things from his mind, and this is something that will help Wolfram in the long run--being a friend.
Yuuri's already accepted Wolfram as a friend, and relied on him in many situations as a protector and source of strength. This much is obvious. But it is chiefly Conrad that Yuuri goes to for deep talks--the single time that both boys were primed for a deep talk, Wolfram fell asleep to the chagrin of Yuuram shippers everywhere--proof that Wolfram can be surprisingly tactless at times, if that wasn't already obvious.
This being said, yes, change is going to have to start with Wolfram to make this pairing work--and the good news is, it's already started. Wolfram of the late 60s and early 70s(the episodes now airing in Japan) is a completely different person from the Wolfram we were introduced to in episode one. He's a more caring, forgiving person now, more trusting (of Yuuri, wholeheartedly), and more altruistic. He still fiercely protects what he views as "his," and while he's on far better terms with Conrad now, still stubbornly keeps up his mask of disdain around the man. He's a teenage demon (who's actually 82 years old, since demons age more slowly than humans), and he's still got maturing to do, but Yuuri's influence on him is obvious, and it's helping. Wolfram's become a better person, more likeable, and that is precisely what drew me to this pairing in the first place--a point I'll address next.
While Yuuri is loveable in his naivete, Wolfram stole his spotlight the moment he stepped into view. His obsession with Yuuri at times borders on the comical, while at other points the sheer heartbreak one feels for the as-of-yet-unrequited nature of it can send one to the brink of tears. In a recent episode, 65, Wolfram and Yuuri are sheltering in a cave on a mountain while they wait out a snow storm--and though they don't know it yet, Wolfram's been possessed by a miasma that makes one unable to trust the words of anyone around them, and so he begins to suspect Yuuri of conspiring against him, believing the other boy's the one who's been possessed. However, so strong is his trust in his fiance, he doesn't even believe himself. He engages in internal monologue that's to die for--"I'm all alone with Yuuri, and he's been possessed by this miasma...what kind of doubts might I be faced with? My very life might be in danger! No...no, that doesn't matter...if I'm to die by Yuuri's hand, then...THEN I'LL PUT MY LIFE ON THE LINE FOR THE SAKE OF LOVE!"
At the opposite end of the spectrum lie episodes like the previously mentioned 45, the conflict with Wolfram's previous fiancee, Elizabeth. After their duel, Yuuri still tries to give Wolfram away to Elizabeth, stating that he lost the duel fair and square, and wishes them both a happy life together. Wolfram stands by and watches this exchange with his back to the duo, and when he hears Yuuri all but give him away, a look of such pain and frustration crosses his face that it can be expressed only in image form. It's a virtual slap in the face that after all this time, Yuuri would still toss him away so easily, brushing aside his confessions of love as nothing.
It's in cases like this that we see Wolfram as a character to be pitied--he's working so hard to make Yuuri really notice him, and yet Yuuri's so thick-headed that it's all but impossible. Wolfram was indeed what drew me to this pairing--his borderline obsessive love with Yuuri, his will to better himself, to overcome previous prejudices and all the while keep true to his own heart and mind, never throwing aside his pride and self-worth. To see all this returned by Yuuri, who's been shown to be deeply caring, with a heart of gold, if a little dim at times, would be icing on the cake--he's pursued so fervently, it's only a matter of time before the series comes to a head and he must acknowledge Wolfram's feelings, either with acceptance or rejection. In this writer's eyes, the probability of acceptance only increases over time, with each new day, each new trial and tribulation.
So, why Yuuram, for others? I've told you why I personally ship it, but what's there for this ship to offer others? It's far from unsinkable--Yuuri's got himself a virtual harem in the demon world, plenty of ladies would offer their left arms to be in Wolfram's boots, and a few men as well. Yuuri's not the romantic type right now, but he'll have his hands full when he gets interested. The Conrad/Yuuri faction is just as big as if not bigger--for good reason, admittedly--than the Yuuram faction, so what's to make this ship special? Why ship Yuuram?
For one thing, it's cute as hell. Wolfram is many fans' favorite character, and his obsession with Yuuri only serves to make him more attractive to many, and the sight of Yuuri's gentle nature melding with Wolfram's fiery personality certainly produces some sparks that are a sight to see. Fans of angst will get their fill, as will fans of fluff--there's plenty of both with this pairing!
Yuuri/Wolfram follows a tried and true fictional archetype of having two people with strikingly dissimilar personalities thrown together in an engagement. What happens in these situations usually? The people grow, mature, and fall in love then have wild hot passionate sex. While admittedly it's a fictional archetype, and more than a bit cliched, it works in this situation--neither boy's going to be settling down any time soon, and in the mean time the proximity such a relationship as fiances brings about can prove a great influence on them both. It just works.
At this point, I'd like to thank all the lovely members of kyou_kara_maou for their great reccs! I certainly couldn't have compiled such a great list as this without their help! Thanks so much guys! I'd also like to thank reppu for her editing help as well!
Fanfiction
Most anything by kiyasama can be found here.
Fable by michechu; NC-17
Wedding Day by mahoubunnybell, PG-13
Lucky Ball and Chain by mousapelli, PG-13
Taking Advantage by kaitou_marina, NC-17
Falling Snow by akumaneko, PG
Seeing the Other World by akumaneko, PG
Dance With Me? by akumaneko, PG
Marital Bliss by reisha, PG
Dance Lessons by sabershadowkat, PG
Utterly Pretentious by aquariankiss, M
Mother of the Bride by fencer_x, PG
Iinazuke Talks by fencer_x, G
Communities
kyou_kara_maou, yuurixwolfram, kkm100
Other
nenena has a wonderful site compiling scans, screencaps, and the like here.
AUTHOR: fencer_x
FANDOM: Kyou Kara Maou!
PAIRING: Shibuya Yuuri/Wolfram von Bielefelt
SPOILERS: Entire series; both anime "seasons" (up to and including episode 65), novels, and manga chapters 1-6
DISCLAIMER: No money is being made from this essay, it's simply a fun way to get word of my OTP out.
Welcome to the world of Kyou Kara Maou!, or if you prefer an English title, "I'm the Demon King From Now On!" (but really, let's be honest with ourselves, Kyou Kara Maou is both easier to say and abbreviate, so I'll be using it in this essay). This is a world where demons and humans live side by side--sometimes in relative harmony, sometimes in not-so-peaceful conditions. A world where the only surefire way to tell if someone's a demon is by the color of their hair (black, for the curious, though very few demons actually have hair this color). And a world where unlike our earthly kingdoms of yore, the new ruler of the demon race is chosen arbitrarily by the spirit of their Original King, sometimes manifesting the choice in the oddest of candidates.
Shibuya Yuuri, Harajuku Fuuri
Meet our protagonist, Shibuya Yuuri. Yuuri's a relatively normal Japanese kid of fifteen, if not a little baseball crazy--he loves the sport with his whole being, and eventually makes it onto his school's team. He makes decent grades, has friends, though he isn't overly popular, and all in all leads a relatively quiet life. His family's equally normal, though a little quirky in their own ways. His father's a 'salaryman' and works for the local bank, while his mother is a housewife who wishes she had daughters instead of sons--or at the very least cross-dressing sons; she loved to dress Yuuri up in little girls' clothes when he was too small to know any better. As for siblings, Yuuri has one older brother, Shouri, about whom we don't know very much until much later on in the series. He keeps to himself, is a university student studying to be, as far as Yuuri knows, a metropolitan governor. While Shouri wishes desperately that Yuuri thought of him a bit more as a brother (he even wants the boy to call him 'Niichan,' a very feminine term of address, rather than Yuuri's preferred 'aniki'), the boy seems completely oblivious, a trait that's at times endearing, but more often than not infuriating.
You see, Yuuri's got a little problem in having a slight hero-complex. He tends to jump into situations to defend the underdog without thinking--an admirable trait, but it's not too good for his health when the enemy consists of a group of three very large, burly high schoolers intent on making him their new plaything. This is the situation Yuuri finds himself in one day when he comes upon a group of bullies harrassing a schoolmate of his, Murata Ken. While Murata takes the chance to high-tail it out of there with the bullies distracted, Yuuri's not so lucky, and winds up on the receiving end of a nice swirlie.
But such mundane things as swirlies in anime are never just swirlies, we should know, and it turns out this toilet conveniently leads to...another world. Yes, our protagonist is flushed down a toilet. Please keep the bathroom jokes to a minimum, as I swear it isn't nearly as strange as it sounds.
The world he is sent to is, at first glance, a lot like Earth--he winds up in a province that looks straight out of The Sound of Music, while other provinces look like sets from a western, and still others lend a medieval feel to the scene. In short, it's like one big amusement park setup--which is what Yuuri's first thought is upon arriving. But Yuuri's Japanese, and if you'll recall what I said before about demons, it's well known in this world that anyone with black hair must be a demon--and demons and humans don't get along too well here. So of course the first people he meets, confused and lost as he is, immediately begin attacking him, throwing stones at him and yelling curses in a language that he doesn't understand. He's "saved" from these attacks by a burly man who looks like a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, and it is this man, Adalbert, who performs the first bit of magic on Yuuri, allowing him to understand the words being spoken around him.
At this point, though, another group of riders comes charging in on the scene, and at their leader's order, Yuuri is snatched up and carried off by a flying monkeyskeleton. But we mustn't fear for our protagonist--these are the good guys! Yay! Rejoice! This tall, dark, and handsome savior of his is Sir Conrad Weller, and upon fleeing far enough from Adalbert and the other humans, he escorts Yuuri to a safehouse, where he meets another man, Sir Gunter von Kleist. Upon being addressed as, "Your Majesty," though, it appears some introductions are in order, and Yuuri is told he is the new king of the demon race, the 27th Maou!
Much ado is made as Yuuri tries to come to grips with this title, unsure of whether he's dreaming or having the world's greatest joke played on him. Reassured by Conrad's presence, he agrees to at least travel with them to the castle until he wakes up from whatever dream this is, and the next day they set out for New Makoku, the capital, and Blood Pledge Castle, his new home as the Maou.
Lord Wolfram von Bielefelt
Here we'll change tracks and talk about Wolfram for a moment. With previous characters having been spoken of in introducing Yuuri and the world he lives in, we can now introduce Wolfram. He is the third son of the 26th Maou, Her Former Highness Cecilie von Spitzberg (or "Cheri" as she prefers to be called), and has two elder half-brothers--Lord Gwendal von Voltaire, and Sir Conrad Weller. While both Wolfram and Gwendal are full demons, with a demon mother and father, Conrad's father was a human, leading to his half-blood status and no small amount of resentment from Wolfram, though deep down he cares greatly for the man.
To say he's a snobby, whiny, prejudiced brat is something of an understatement. Wolfram can be compared to the 'purebloods' of Harry Potter's fame, in that to him, blood is everything--only full demons can perform magic, and having human blood taint their nation is something to be avoided at all costs. He's resentful towards Conrad because he feels he was deceived--for much of his life, he believed Conrad was a full demon, like himself, and when he learned otherwise, he never forgave the man.
Wolfram's a "pretty boy," in most every sense of the word--it's the first thing Yuuri notices when he sees him (his only thought--"Bishounen...!"), and Cheri takes no small pride in noting how much he's growing up to look like her. "I'll bet the men just can't keep their hands off you!" she notes beatifically at their first dinner with Yuuri. Though don't let his looks fool you; he's an excellent swordsman and a well-trained soldier, as well as a quite competent fire-magic user.
Used to getting his way and being spoiled by his mother and the servants around him, Wolfram is thrown off his game with the arrival of the far-from-royalty-material Yuuri, and expresses his displeasure with the newcomer quite vocally. Why, he wonders aloud, can't Gwendal be the new Maou? Pretty much anyone, he feels, would be a better candidate than this nobody from another world who's not even full demon! A father who's not even nobility on Earth, a mother with cheap human blood in her veins, and they want to let this guy be their new ruler? Preposterous!
Now, with our setting and characters introduced, let's get down to the nitty-gritty! Just what proof do we have exactly that even hints at this pairing in canon? Well, I'm glad you asked!
Yuuri/Wolfram, or Yuuram as it's often referred to in fandom, has one thing going for it from the start (or, well, from episode 2 on) that other pairings don't, one little detail that gives it a headstart in the fandom game: Yuuri and Wolfram are engaged. Yes, that kind of engaged--you know, the kind that usually leads to marriages.
How this came about is a funny story indeed that involves some nasty words on Wolfram's part, Yuuri's temper getting the better of him--as per usual--and a nice little New Makoku custom stating that when one noble strikes another on the left cheek, this constitutes a wedding proposal. Yuuri probably could get the proposal thrown out at any point in time now, though he chooses mostly to ignore it--he's more the type to cross that bridge when he gets there rather than dealing with it now, which might prove more than a little heartbreaking as we'll see.
So Yuuri mostly ignores the fact that they're engaged, but how does Wolfram treat it? He hates Yuuri, right? Can't stand the fact that a virtual country bumpkin from Nowheresville is his new king, right? Well, he certainly felt that way at first, until he challenged Yuuri to a duel and got the crap beaten out of him when the spirit of the demon king that often lays sleeping within Yuuri--the true Maou--awoke and manifested. After this point, he realizes there is far more to Yuuri than meets the eye, and while his pride prevents him from saying it out loud, he slowly gains a new respect for Yuuri. And more, as is shown in various scenes.
If Yuuri is silent about their engagement, then Wolfram is anything but. He would proclaim it from the rooftop of Blood Pledge Castle if he could (and who knows, he probably has), and routinely takes the opportunity to remind all and sundry that Yuuri is his fiance, that they are engaged, and that if anyone so much as looks at his Yuuri in that way, he'll slit their throat. He's more than a little possessive of the other boy, sticking as close to him as possible and asserting his duty to protect Yuuri as his fiance. He even takes their roles as fiances so far as to presume it means they're allowed to sleep together, which he does so every night starting with episode seven (though he does at least don a skimpy nightgown later, unlike the first time he slips into bed with his maou seemingly en dishabille).
While Yuuri's a naturally outgoing boy and is friendly with everyone, treating Wolfram the same as he treats Conrad or any of the female characters, in Wolfram's eyes there is only Yuuri. This results in the frequent accusation of Yuuri being a cheater and flirting with anything that moves--be it male, female, human, demon, animal even.
But despite all his possessiveness and wild accusations, it's demonstrated on numerous occasions that Wolfram's feelings for Yuuri are The Real Thing. In episode 18, Yuuri and Wolfram are trapped inside a pit they've fallen into and are surrounded by coccoons of unknown origin, presumably some nasty monsters that are going to hatch and eat them. Wolfram's response is the typical, "Smash first, ask questions later," and while Yuuri at first agrees with this, he starts to get a funny feeling from the pods and tries to thwart Wolfram in his attempts. Wolfram grows increasingly annoyed with Yuuri's careless actions, stating that as a soldier he has a duty to protect Yuuri no matter what. Yuuri states defiantly that he can protect himself and challenges Wolfram to a duel for it--which he promptly loses. At the tip of Wolfram's sword he is posed the question, "Can't you understand my love?" It is one of many instances where Wolfram shows in a very Wolfram-esque way--the only way he knows how--that he's more than willing to put Yuuri's life over his own.
With the arrival of the mid-20s episodes comes the entrance of a new character who further solidifies their relationship--a young human girl by the name of Greta. Greta at first tries to assassinate Yuuri in the hopes that if she takes down the hated Maou it will make her relatives take her back in--she can't find her mother or father. Yuuri, of course, upon ascertaining that the girl's not got any other weapons stashed on her person, quickly befriends her as a surrogate father figure, and eventually officially adopts her as his daughter. This, of course, means that Wolfram then takes to the girl like he birthed her himself. In his own words he says, "If you're going to be Greta's father, then that means I'll be her father as well, since I'm your fiance. What's wrong with spoiling my daughter?" He feels the need to fully take advantage of his future position as one of her guardians. The trio are frequently seen eating together--Wolfram reads her stories and plays with her while Yuuri is away, and they both go and meet him upon his subsequent returns; Greta ties them together all the more strongly with her presence, and they truly seem to be a family with her.
However, just because they're tied together this way via Greta, it says nothing of their personal interactions. It's rare that the two are left alone (for good reason :P), but when they are, if Wolfram can lay aside his jealousy for long enough, and if Yuuri can hold himself back from making too-rash decisions and actually listen to Wolfram's cautioning, the pair make a good team. Wolfram will follow Yuuri to the ends of the earth and be there to catch him should he fall--sometimes quite literally. In episode 31, Yuuri's drained himself by manifesting as the Maou, and is hanging from a cliff by one hand, certain to fall. Just as the rock face gives way, another hand reaches down and grabs him--Wolfram, one of the last people he'd have expected, since the boy hadn't traveled with him this time. He warns Wolfram as he's pulled up that if he keeps it up, he'll fall in too. Wolfram simply smiles softly and says, "...Then I'll fall with you."
It's shown over and over, from tiny details to expressions like the above, that Wolfram is pretty much madly in love with Yuuri. He'd have no other, even when he's actively pursued himself, as in episode 45, when it's revealed that he actually already has an intended--a beautiful girl by the name of Elizabeth. The two had been childhood companions, and one day in the garden Wolfram slapped her (which is later shown to be an attempt to swat a butterfly), though he's completely forgotten it until she shows up at Blood Pledge Castle looking for him. Wolfram, however, makes it very clear that he's engaged to Yuuri now, happily, and his engagement to her no longer matters. She's convinced he's somehow been hoodwinked by the Maou, and challenges him to a duel for Wolfram's hand.
Yuuri, though, sees this as a chance to get out of the engagement properly--he's convinced Wolfram will be happier with Elizabeth in a relationship with someone who's madly in love with him--and so conspires to subtly throw the duel (the duel is centered around who can force the other outside of a boundary first). Wolfram figures out his plan and stops him with a sword to his back, daring him to take the final step over the line, and so Yuuri's forced to continue the match. He's obviously outmatched, though, and just as Elizabeth is about to win the duel, Wolfram steps in and stops her blow, claiming that he cannot allow Yuuri to come to harm, even if it means interfering in the match. "You lie..." she hisses, "The truth is, you saved His Majesty because you like him, right? If so, you should say it clearly!" Wolfram doesn't respond, but Yuuri takes a moment to stare, completely dumbfounded, at the boy, as if seeing him in a different light. Wolfram continues the fight in Yuuri's stead, and is about to be dealt a punishing blow by Elizabeth, Yuuri throws himself in front of Wolfram to save him, manifesting as the Maou and halting the duel. With this display of power, Elizabeth is satisfied that Wolfram is in good hands, and leaves him to be engaged to Yuuri.
Here lies the conflict--Yuuri doesn't seem to quite realize that Wolfram is serious in his pursuits, that though he might not be the most adept at expressing it, he really does care for Yuuri. Yuuri's thickheadedness and ability to completely miss the point of why Wolfram accuses him of cheating all the time does nothing to help the poor boy's case. So often in canon Wolfram tries to express his feelings as best he knows how--which is not very well, admittedly--and so often that expression just flies right over Yuuri's head. Yuuri, one comes to realize, would not know true love if it pranced up to him completely nude and gave him a wedgie.
It is my firm belief that this pairing's feasibilty and longevity will rely mainly on Wolfram--on Wolfram's changing attitude, on his perseverance to win Yuuri over, on his pride falling and sex appeal rising. Yuuri at this point is fair game, and Wolfram, truth be told, has good reason to be jealous. He's got to get past gentle Conrad, clingy Gunter, the entire female populace of New Makoku, and even his own mother to have a chance with his fiance. Yuuri's a boy having adventures, not yet ready to settle down any time soon despite having a daughter and betrothed. Romance is one of the furthest things from his mind, and this is something that will help Wolfram in the long run--being a friend.
Yuuri's already accepted Wolfram as a friend, and relied on him in many situations as a protector and source of strength. This much is obvious. But it is chiefly Conrad that Yuuri goes to for deep talks--the single time that both boys were primed for a deep talk, Wolfram fell asleep to the chagrin of Yuuram shippers everywhere--proof that Wolfram can be surprisingly tactless at times, if that wasn't already obvious.
This being said, yes, change is going to have to start with Wolfram to make this pairing work--and the good news is, it's already started. Wolfram of the late 60s and early 70s(the episodes now airing in Japan) is a completely different person from the Wolfram we were introduced to in episode one. He's a more caring, forgiving person now, more trusting (of Yuuri, wholeheartedly), and more altruistic. He still fiercely protects what he views as "his," and while he's on far better terms with Conrad now, still stubbornly keeps up his mask of disdain around the man. He's a teenage demon (who's actually 82 years old, since demons age more slowly than humans), and he's still got maturing to do, but Yuuri's influence on him is obvious, and it's helping. Wolfram's become a better person, more likeable, and that is precisely what drew me to this pairing in the first place--a point I'll address next.
While Yuuri is loveable in his naivete, Wolfram stole his spotlight the moment he stepped into view. His obsession with Yuuri at times borders on the comical, while at other points the sheer heartbreak one feels for the as-of-yet-unrequited nature of it can send one to the brink of tears. In a recent episode, 65, Wolfram and Yuuri are sheltering in a cave on a mountain while they wait out a snow storm--and though they don't know it yet, Wolfram's been possessed by a miasma that makes one unable to trust the words of anyone around them, and so he begins to suspect Yuuri of conspiring against him, believing the other boy's the one who's been possessed. However, so strong is his trust in his fiance, he doesn't even believe himself. He engages in internal monologue that's to die for--"I'm all alone with Yuuri, and he's been possessed by this miasma...what kind of doubts might I be faced with? My very life might be in danger! No...no, that doesn't matter...if I'm to die by Yuuri's hand, then...THEN I'LL PUT MY LIFE ON THE LINE FOR THE SAKE OF LOVE!"
At the opposite end of the spectrum lie episodes like the previously mentioned 45, the conflict with Wolfram's previous fiancee, Elizabeth. After their duel, Yuuri still tries to give Wolfram away to Elizabeth, stating that he lost the duel fair and square, and wishes them both a happy life together. Wolfram stands by and watches this exchange with his back to the duo, and when he hears Yuuri all but give him away, a look of such pain and frustration crosses his face that it can be expressed only in image form. It's a virtual slap in the face that after all this time, Yuuri would still toss him away so easily, brushing aside his confessions of love as nothing.
It's in cases like this that we see Wolfram as a character to be pitied--he's working so hard to make Yuuri really notice him, and yet Yuuri's so thick-headed that it's all but impossible. Wolfram was indeed what drew me to this pairing--his borderline obsessive love with Yuuri, his will to better himself, to overcome previous prejudices and all the while keep true to his own heart and mind, never throwing aside his pride and self-worth. To see all this returned by Yuuri, who's been shown to be deeply caring, with a heart of gold, if a little dim at times, would be icing on the cake--he's pursued so fervently, it's only a matter of time before the series comes to a head and he must acknowledge Wolfram's feelings, either with acceptance or rejection. In this writer's eyes, the probability of acceptance only increases over time, with each new day, each new trial and tribulation.
So, why Yuuram, for others? I've told you why I personally ship it, but what's there for this ship to offer others? It's far from unsinkable--Yuuri's got himself a virtual harem in the demon world, plenty of ladies would offer their left arms to be in Wolfram's boots, and a few men as well. Yuuri's not the romantic type right now, but he'll have his hands full when he gets interested. The Conrad/Yuuri faction is just as big as if not bigger--for good reason, admittedly--than the Yuuram faction, so what's to make this ship special? Why ship Yuuram?
For one thing, it's cute as hell. Wolfram is many fans' favorite character, and his obsession with Yuuri only serves to make him more attractive to many, and the sight of Yuuri's gentle nature melding with Wolfram's fiery personality certainly produces some sparks that are a sight to see. Fans of angst will get their fill, as will fans of fluff--there's plenty of both with this pairing!
Yuuri/Wolfram follows a tried and true fictional archetype of having two people with strikingly dissimilar personalities thrown together in an engagement. What happens in these situations usually? The people grow, mature, and fall in love then have wild hot passionate sex. While admittedly it's a fictional archetype, and more than a bit cliched, it works in this situation--neither boy's going to be settling down any time soon, and in the mean time the proximity such a relationship as fiances brings about can prove a great influence on them both. It just works.
At this point, I'd like to thank all the lovely members of kyou_kara_maou for their great reccs! I certainly couldn't have compiled such a great list as this without their help! Thanks so much guys! I'd also like to thank reppu for her editing help as well!
Fanfiction
Most anything by kiyasama can be found here.
Fable by michechu; NC-17
Wedding Day by mahoubunnybell, PG-13
Lucky Ball and Chain by mousapelli, PG-13
Taking Advantage by kaitou_marina, NC-17
Falling Snow by akumaneko, PG
Seeing the Other World by akumaneko, PG
Dance With Me? by akumaneko, PG
Marital Bliss by reisha, PG
Dance Lessons by sabershadowkat, PG
Utterly Pretentious by aquariankiss, M
Mother of the Bride by fencer_x, PG
Iinazuke Talks by fencer_x, G
Communities
kyou_kara_maou, yuurixwolfram, kkm100
Other
nenena has a wonderful site compiling scans, screencaps, and the like here.