I can't be the only one who thinks that Shiina and Eririka's relationship was more a business thing? They had odd chemistry in some of their stuff.
you're not the only one, its obvious marketing trick
I don't even know if there's a real distinction to be made here. Not claiming to know a lot about Japan's relationship culture (especially lesbian) but seems clear that it's quite different from our understanding in the outside world. How to understand "lesbian dating" in Japan? How is that different from regular BFF? (1) lesbian sex, mutual masturbation? Remember in Japan it's common for BFF, same-sex regular friends, even common teammates, classmates to take baths together or sleep in the same room or bed; and heterosexual boys may do things that you consider gay (2) exclusivity (and how's that defined?). Ultimately, in Japan (and much of East Asia) traditionally homosexual behavior (e.g. cock-sucking, pussy-fingering) doesn't count as "sex" in terms of relationship. (e.g. a married man/woman doing some hanky panky with same sex person isn't considered really cheating) Because it doesn't cause pregnancy.
So if lesbian relationship isn't really in the category as heterosexual dating/love/marriage, how can we use those language (X dumped Y and dating Z now; or A and B relationship is marketing trick)? It's pretty hard to distinguish between lesbian dating and other intra-JAV friendship that Tia talked about earlier. Unless somehow we know who's licking/fucking who.
Apart from the fact "lesbian relation" might be an oxymoron in Japan. There's another problem is that a "pure" relationship completely free of "business" is pretty rare in Japan. Most boys and girls pick a dating/love/marriage prospect/counterpart with a conscious consideration of business potential/implications. "Pure" romance is the matter of elementary school or high school stuff. "Freedom" isn't a right or even a luxury, "freedom" is a narcotic for the lower class/poor people "I have nothing I own nothing, I have no responsibility and all the freedom!" Sorry guess I am going off on philosophy/social commentary...
Anyway my point is that some of you (and Tia) are talking about "real" relationship, implying it shouldn't be "contaminated" by business or marketing. But I think it's impossible to draw a boundary between the two in Japan (and to less extent, it's still in East Asia), relations usually include business thinking (remember Shiina's agency/studio made a banner ad out of her relationship with Eririka) but calling it "marketing trick" miss the point that it's probably as "real" as any marriage.
Of course, there's a whole other level of a two-person relationship that might be closer to what is considered "love" in the West. But it's extremely private and there's no way for us in the
interweb to know or discuss. For all we know Shiina might have such a relationship of the heart with Eririka but is fucking Aya now for a "marketing trick". Or she might have that with some dude who she had never slept with (despite having fucked quite a few AV sluts and most AV studs). We'd never know, nor do I consider it interesting even for a gossip.
