Daiken
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[edit] Introduction
[edit] About
Daisuke/Davis long admires the famous soccer player Ken from afar, and is ecstatic when they finally meet during a game. Although his team ultimately loses the match, Daisuke manages to knock the ball from Ken, injuring Ken accidentally in the play. This is the catalyst that pushes Ken over the edge, and when he meets Daisuke and the other Chosen Children again in the Digital World, he launches an attack. Ken singles out Daisuke as punishment for his action in the game, but in doing so, Daisuke is able to discover that Ken has been masquerading as the Digimon Kaiser. In the English version of the episode, Ken famously announces that he loves seeing Davis squirm (in fact, he calls it "delicious"), much to the delight of the Daiken fen.
The introduction Jogress evolution (or DNA Digivolution in the English dub) and Ken and Daisuke's resulting partnership further inspired those in the Daiken fandom. In her Daisuke/Ken essay "Courage and Kindness" on Shipper's Manifesto, Arislanchan writes about Jogress evolution:
We don't quite get this with any of the other Jogress evolutions - in that moment, Daisuke and Ken are close - after all, Daisuke mistook Ken's heartbeat for his own. Working together, they all eventually manage to destroy Ken's base, but it's this development in Daisuke and Ken's relationship that makes it possible. It's a really powerful connection they form then - of course, Daisuke's not afraid, and welcomes it - but the same can't be said for Ken. He was afraid of losing Wormmon forever; though his digimon later reassures him that that's not the case and he actually enjoyed it.
[edit] Daiken versus Kensuke
Jae summarizes the difference between Daiken and Kensuke on the website Skyless Oblivion:
As stated above, Daiken features Daisuke as the more aggressive member of the relationship. Often, this simply means that Daisuke is the instigator; he acts upon his desires before Ken. However, some authors place Ken into a stereotypical "weepy uke" role. This Ken is angsty and depressed, and his tragic backstory is emphasized to portray him as very emotional insecure. For example, Ken's parents are never able to recover from Osamu's death and they take out their frustration and pain on Ken or Ken is unable to forgive himself for the mistakes he made in his past. Kensuke is, as stated above, the opposite, and Ken is the active member of the couple. When Daisuke is turned into the "weepy uke", it usually revolves around how he is disliked by the other member of the Chosen Children (for example, Takeru and Hikari resents Daisuke's interest in her or the CC don't trust Daisuke as a leader). Kensuke fanworks occasional turn into Kaisuke; here Ken's identity as the Kaiser is emphasized. These stories tend to be darker with a more mature rating attached. Of course, not all Daiken and Kensuke stories rely on seme/uke dynamics; authors may use the term "Daiken" or "Kensuke" simply to inform the reader of the general nature of the characters' interaction (namely, that story will have a Daisuke/Ken relationship).
Kaisuke fanfiction and fanart tend to deal with issues that are darker, such as rape, torture, and/or mind control. Please see Kensuke for more information on Kaisuke.
[edit] Timeline
[edit] 2001
- In 2001, Herongale's "Reflections" was posted on FanFiction.Net.
- El Juno opened B*O*N*D*E*D, a site for yaoi and yuri couples in Digimon, including Daiken.
- Kendra and Flair began their Daiken story Lucky Charms, posting it on FanFiction.Net on February 12, 2001. It quickly became popular with the Daiken fen and amassed over 300 reviews.
- On April 22, 2001, Skyless Oblivion opens at Angelfire. Its most popular aspect was its long list of Digimon fanfiction authors.
[edit] 2003
- Crowskywalker created the Daiken Community at LiveJournal on January 1, 2003.
[edit] 2006
- On February 27, 2006, Chinpookle posted Roses are Red, a fanvid, on YouTube. As of September 2007, it has over 5000 views.
- Arislanchan wrote an essay for Daiken/Kensuke for Ship_manifesto at LiveJournal. It summarizes the relationship between the characters as well as gives an explanation for why they're capable of being a couple. It was posted on March 1, 2006.
- on December 14, 2006, Quinconcinnity posted Figured You Out, a fanvid, on YouTube. As of September 2007, it has over 4000 views.
[edit] 2007
- On March 1, 2007, Dragonlunch posted Taito Daiken Sorry for love on Youtube. As of September 2007, it has almost 3000 views.
[edit] Influential Fans
- Herongale's fanfiction "Reflections" is probably the most famous Daiken story, and is also amoung the oldest. Although unfinished, Reflections made a significant mark on the Daiken community. At least twenty chapters were completed before the story was abandoned.
- Aphrael was another popular Daiken writer. Her series entitled Rune Master is likely her most famous; it features an Alternative Universe where Ken and Daisuke are magic users who are thrown together in a moment of danger. It was followed by a sequel entitled The Next Level.
- Though no longer in the fandom, Irhista Lhail was major player in 2001 and wrote many Ken-based stories.
- Another important figure in the Daiken fandom was El Juno. His website B*O*N*D*E*D is still online, as are his stories, though neither are updated. He can now be found at Fandom Wank as a member of the cabal.
- Flair's Daiken stories were beautifully written and well received by the Daiken fen. She collaberated with other popular Daiken fanfiction writers, including Kendra, with whom she wrote Lucky Charms.
- Resuko was one of the first widely admired Digimon artists; her Daiken and Taito/Yamachi fanart are still popular today.
[edit] External Links
Aoi Ai (no longer updated)
As One (no longer updated)
B*O*N*D*E*D (no longer updated)
Daiken Community
DNA Digivolve
Kensuke Central (no longer updated)
Skyless Oblivion
Daiken @ FanWorksFinder
