Romance in Animorphs

[KleenexCow]

I really like both couples. I like Tobias/Rachel more, but I like Cassie/Jake, too. I like Cassie and Jake a lot because when they're crushing is the only time they're not old people. They're so awkward around each other, and I think it's sweet. As as much as it would have been nice to have more romantic moments on-camera, I totally buy their lack of imtimacy. I mean, I think that the war itself was more than enough to keep them from dating like normal teenagers, especially since they bore so much responsibility. And Cassie does mention...in 34, I think?...that they kiss off-camera, although it's mostly after tough battles.

I also like Cassie/Jake because I have a big ol' crush on Jake. When I was younger and reading the books as they first came out, I had a crush on Tobias, but as I've matured so have my tastes. If I could Build-A-Boyfriend, he would come out pretty much like Jake. As Rachel says (in MM4, if I remember correctly), Jake is the one guy in a million who really cares who you are, not what you look like. And he's strong and sweet and a leader...plus, I do love them tall boys. So I like Cassie/Jake because I really can't fault the girl.

But Rachel and Tobias are great, too. And you know what? I personally believe they were banging ALL THE TIME. I know I said up there that I didn't think Cassie and Jake were as much in love as they could have been because of the war, but I don't think this is true for Tobias and Rachel. I mean, Cassie and Jake were both very serious, responsible, duty-bound characters. But both Tobias and Rachel were impulsive and far more emotional. And they were both to some degree the other's last link to normalcy. Besides that, they're flirting ALL THE TIME. I love the sweet, affectionate way that they always tease each other even when it's not one of their books. I'm telling you, I think their relationship was all precocious, impulsive sixteen-year-old. And then it's SO TRAGIC. Oh man, Tobias/Rachel is awesome.

I think that both of the main romances in this series were written really well. Both relationships were balanced very well. Cassie and Rachel were such real, fleshed-out young women who were capable of getting into relationships without sacrificing their badassitude. In popular culture and even in real life I've seen lots of girls who change themselves either to get into or to stay in the relationship, but neither Cassie nor Rachel never, in the name of love, operate at less than Maximum Burn. I don't know if I would call either of their relationships 100% healthy, but still Cassie and Rachel remain my most enduring fictional female role models, particularly when it comes to keeping "being in a relationship" and "being true, independent, and totally fierce" from being mutually exclusive.

Loren and Elfangor are awesome.

[MoppingBear]

Tobias/Rachel for sure.  It was pretty dynamic.  I mean, its obvious that Rachel is his tie to humanity, but more than that, I always felt that Tobias was Rachel's tie to it as well.  I mean, she gets pretty axe crazy towards the end, yet she is still caring for him.  I think it was him keeping her from going over the edge.

[zaprowsdower]

Tobias and Rachel for the previously stated reasons, they just had more development on page and seemed to fit each other like a hand and a glove.

Though kleenexcow's thought is interesting, and I will ask everyone here-do YOU think that they were all virgins at the end of the war? Also, if the series were written for more of a high school/college crowd, should references and/or allusions to sex have been included?

Now that I think about it, it does seem weird that a bunch of teenagers from thirteen to sixteen hardly ever even mentioned sex, let alone discussed it. Scholastic probably wouldn't allow it, but how many high school/college crowd books do they publish?

I guess they can't all be as honest as Degrassi Junior High.

[franken_stein]

My favorite has to be Elfangor and Loren because, gosh, I really think that it might have been the first book I ever read where I got a bit emotional over a relationship! Plus, later on, you learn that both of them wanted Tobias and that his parents didn't just forget about him like he thought they did.

But, the other thing I wanted to mention was how sad I got over basically the disintegration of Jake and Cassie's relationship. I really liked them together, and I felt like KAA just... didn't care towards the end. I KNOW I'm in the minority here, but I thought that the scene in the snake house was tragic and romantic, and I just love that scene. I'm sad they didn't work out, but I guess that was just one more thing thing in the last book to add to the realism of the ending. Ugh, that just depressed me though, to see Cassie with some random dude.

[Chad32]

Which scene was the snake house scene?

[Ss112]

To be honest, I liked Tobias/Rachel most. I mean, Jake/Cassie was pretty much a given, but Tobias and Rachel were pretty much less verbal/physical about it (apart from the times Rachel cradled Tobias and things like that), but it was obvious they liked each other so much. I forget who mentioned it, but they do kind of complete each other in a way. But I did like the times where Jake/Cassie comforted each other, and I thought it was pretty cute when they kissed after tough battles and things. Tobias and Rachel never made it 'official', but it was pretty much unspoken, wasn't it?

The other pairings, to me, vary. Not much was ever said or ever developed between Ax and Estrid, and they seemed kind of unsuited to me. Elfangor and Loren was particularly resonant, I mean, it was like, a case of tragic love. Elfangor was born an Andalite and Loren a human, so were they ever going to stay together forever? That's why that has that stands out, to me. And Dak and Aldrea to me was cute also. They really went together.

[Venus]

Tobias and Rachel never made it 'official', but it was pretty much unspoken, wasn't it?

They did make it official, sometime 'offscreen' but by book 33 they were refering to each other as their boyfriend/girlfriend in their books and Tobias did refer to Rachel as his girlfriend out loud to the others in one of the books, though I forget which one. It was towards the end of the series.

[sherrilina]

Well this one is easy for me, though there are several great couples in the series--definitely Jake/Cassie, my first ever OTP/ship, even before I knew the concept!  Jake was by far my favorite character (and I admit I definitely had a literary crush on him!), and I liked Cassie as well (even if I'm the only one!), and I just loved their relationship, and was heartbroken when it ended in #54. 

I was always more invested in their relationship than in any other pairing, I never cared as much for Rachel/Tobias, for whatever reason.  As much as it pains me that they ended apart, I do love the tragedy that is Jake's character and J/C.  And going back and re-reading the books and collecting J/C-related quotes, I still think they are a cute and well-matched pairing as well as a tragic one in the end.  And not that it's a major factor, but I do think it's nice that they had an interracial pairing in the books as well, I can't really think of too many others in the book series I read and TV shows I watch...

I think my favorite moment is in #41, when Jake chooses saving Cassie over the world--if that doesn't show love, I don't know what does!

I do really love Elfangor/Loren as well though, it's a close second in terms of my favorite pairings, they were also pretty epic with their cross-species love and journeys and tragic end (I am an inveterate d00med shipper, it's in the genes I think, lol).  And Dak/Aldea were epic as well...

Jake/Cassie was just too bland to get really interested in. I swear the only development they get past the first few books is 26, and anything else that may or may not have happened, happened offscreen so to speak.

Did you forget about "The Familiar", #41, which was pretty much ALL about Jake/Cassie?  I'd say that Jake realizing he'd save Cassie over the world after his little AU test experience in which he saw her so changed as a Controller counts as a pretty significant "on-page" development in their relationship....

You also had plenty of other moments, like Jake and Cassie dancing and flirting more in #29, the various conflicts and growing tensions as Jake begins to lose it towards the end of the series, their temporary falling out over the Cube Incident, then their making up, and the proposal in #53 (which was perhaps a little random, but I can understand it, given Jake's deteriorating and desperate state at this point, eager to latch onto any promise of normalcy after the war), and of course their final disintegration as a pairing in #54.

There certainly were Jake/Cassie developments after #26, I wonder if perhaps as someone who considered J/C to be bland, you just might not remember them....

[Chad32]

I might not have remembred them. I really don't know if jake chose Cassie over the world or not. It's ambiguous.

Their relationship just wasn't as noticable as R/T. But I guess they do get their moments, and there is some focus on it in the final arc.

I could just be a bit biased.

[Meloda26]

I love Jake and Cassie. They are like awesome. I thought it was cool that you could see alot of things between the two. I love how they went to the dance at the end of the series. I wish they could of done more on the. It was a hard decision because I love Jake and Cassie and Rachel and Tobias as the couples. Did you see Marco or Ax with anyone just wondering?


Thanks again.

[dragonarmy]

But Rachel and Tobias are great, too. And you know what? I personally believe they were banging ALL THE TIME. I know I said up there that I didn't think Cassie and Jake were as much in love as they could have been because of the war, but I don't think this is true for Tobias and Rachel. I mean, Cassie and Jake were both very serious, responsible, duty-bound characters. But both Tobias and Rachel were impulsive and far more emotional. And they were both to some degree the other's last link to normalcy. Besides that, they're flirting ALL THE TIME. I love the sweet, affectionate way that they always tease each other even when it's not one of their books. I'm telling you, I think their relationship was all precocious, impulsive sixteen-year-old. And then it's SO TRAGIC. Oh man, Tobias/Rachel is awesome.

A hundred times, THIS. FTW.

[Loligo]

I personally wanted to see Marco/Rachel happen. For some reason, they always seemed to have more chemistry than Tobias and Rachel. And yes, I believe that all of the antagonism between them was shameless flirting. Ever notice how as long as Rachel goes along with it, Marco will keep pushing the envelope, but the instant she snaps at him, he stops? And the scene at the end of #30 was just precious...I loved the dynamics of their relationship.

And you know what? I personally believe they were banging ALL THE TIME.

I'd have to disagree there. I could see Rachel wanting to be more intimite, even coming up with ultimatums, but I think Tobias would be a little more cautious. Come on, the poor guy can't even handle an entire school dance! I picture that he'd be too concerned with the time limit or getting too caught up in the emotions (read: humanity) to go try it. So naturally, Rachel would have to turn to Marco...(in my make believe world) 

Actually, while I couldn't say that it was my favourite couple, I would have liked to see more of Eva and Peter's relationship. It's the only one in the entire series with a fairy-tale ending. I always thought that it was beautiful and romantic how Peter never really got over his wife's death (until Nora came along out of NOWHERE) and I literally began to cry when they were reunited. I really think I could have run around the free Hork-Bajir colony singing showtunes along with Marco.

[voodooqueen126]

The problem with Peter and Eva's relationship is that their only son probably died. If I were writing the series I would've probably put Rachel and Marco together: it makes more sense: Action girl and strategist rather than Action girl and Wet Blanket.

[amida41]

Tobias & Rachel by far. Besides the fact that they were my favourite characters from the beginning, their relationship was far more interesting and present than any other in the books.
Jake and Cassie kiss one, they say in the narration they 'like' each other, a couple books later Cassie doodles she loves Jake on a piece of paper and then at the end he's proposing to her. I get what he meant about having spent so much time with her that he felt he knew he'd always love her, but come on, we see almost nothing of their relationship, and what was present was bland. At most times it seemed more like a crush to me than love.

Tobias and Rachel had much more interesting chemistry. They frequently acted on their feelings and had to overcome a number of difficulties in order to be together. When Tobias became a nothlit, Rachel was upset. Whenever Marco took a shot at him, Rachel would defend him. When Tobias was given his powers back, Rachel was furious at the Ellimist's apparent betrayal. Those are only the first third of the series' moments between them, the list goes on and on.  They're also far more likely, in my eyes, to have been developing their relationship behind the scenes than any other of the Animorphs.
In my mind, it's a no-brainer.

[Loligo]

The problem I've always had with Tobias and Rachel is that their relationship seems a little out of character and one-sided. Rachel was the one who was standing up for him and saying how much he meant to her...in a way that never really sounded like her. I wanted to slap her when she said things like: "On a day like this, I'd follow you anywhere," in book #13. It seemed too mushy and puppy-eyed for Rachel. As for Tobias, I can't disagree that he was always watching out for her in battles, but I never attributed that to affection, as he did the same thing for the others. I imagined that he was just trying to do what he could for the team. Actually, the first time I read the series years ago, I completely missed the entire relationship aside from the handful of times they admitted to liking each other. Then later in the series, when they had an established relationship, I had to stop for a minute and think where that came from (so I re-read the other books). Okay, so they liked each other. But the all-consuming, star-crossed, meant-to-be, undying love Tobias/Rachel shippers harp on about? I'm a bit skeptical.