When I hear the term “shipping” I usually try to remember if I ordered something online that I can track obsessively until it reaches the office. But over the past few years I’ve heard it in reference to imagining romances between characters in games like Fire Emblem and Overwatch. I was happy to discover that Kotaku’s very own Gita Jackson is an OG shipper from the Harry Potter days. Not only that, but she has an extensive knowledge of shipping, which she wrote about a little while back in a piece that explains the origins of shipping.
It’s really good. So good that I fell into a rabbit hole of YouTube compilations and Tumblr fan art for “ships” that I didn’t even know existed. Once I returned from my voyage, I asked Gita to help me put together a quick video on the origins of shipping. Think of it like a three minute intro course that will then, hopefully, help you set sail towards your newly-discovered love of ships. You can thank us later.