What's so exciting about shipping, anyway?
Since shipping has become an inseparable part of all anime fandoms, it's impossible to ignore this phenomenon. And this omnipresence has led to many issues and questions among the fans.
The main reason why non-shippers bring this topic up is usually irritation. They are annoyed at the amount of romantic and even sexual content provided by the fans. Fan content is what makes staying in the fandom so entertaining, and a lot of people use arts, video edits and cosplay as their way of prolonging their experience with a particular series. That's not the only bothersome thing about it, though.
Does Shipping Ruin The Concept of Platonic Bond?
Some fans think that shipping destroys the meaning of friendship bonds. For example, if two characters are really close in a series and are capable of showing vulnerability around each other, they are meant to be shipped. Not everyone thinks it's a good idea, since this ruins the concept of platonic bonds.
Fans are just tired of this treatment of human relationships and want to bring good old friendships back. Levi from Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) following Erwin out of his duty and great respect for the older man would make their relationship much more impactful than seeing them as lovers.
There's also the matter of ships being problematic.
For example, Black Butler (Kuroshitsuji) was extremely famous for its main pairing, which is Sebastian and Ciel, and not everyone shared the excitement for this couple. We've also recently mentioned Gilbert and Violet from Violet Evergarden, whose relationship ruined the movie for a number of viewers.
Shipping Keeping Fandoms Alive
Still, shipping and fanfiction is not an inherently bad thing. First of all, fans are the thing that keeps fandoms alive. Countless content creators don't let series be forgotten, and it just happens that many of the said content creators are shippers as well.
We can't be sure that Yuri on Ice would still ever be talked about if not for its shippers. This is their way of having fun, it's what they truly enjoy, and they're not hurting anybody by writing a short story about their favorite characters being in love.
On top of that, shippers can influence the industry a lot, mangakas and anime creators listen to them and can even adjust their content a bit. When was the last time you saw an Attack on Titan poster without Eren and Levi or Mikasa by his side?
Moreover, fans' discussions and debates over their faves and who they should be with only promote series more and attract fresh attention to a project, which is always good for a show.