User blog comment:BrutaLity/Shadouge/@comment-1829968-20100420103949

For me, Shadouge has always been one-sided, or at some point, not mutual when it comes to actual feelings, or just not as romantically obvious. The fact that we can apply Shadow's 'deeds' to other characters kind of shows that tunnel of light to me, and it just looks like SEGA's trying to build more and more on his dark-heroism. I also always figured they were trying to build on the Shadouge friendship, not romance. But if for romance, it would be on Rouge's side (which I didn't see at first or second glance), whereas Shadow is still getting the hang of friendship and teamwork. In the same light, Shadow and Rouge are partners and teammates; they're going to have more interaction, but it keeps fans from remembering his other interactions and responses to other characters, the smallest ones being the biggest ones.

Like I always say, see, and hear, Rouge was touched by Shadow but it isn't overly reciprocated by him; Shadow was touched by Amy, but it wasn't really reciprocated by her. Both 'less mutually affected people' have an appreciation to the person they've affected most, but the mutualism in feeling isn't on the same balance. That's what always made me put Shadouge and Shadamy on the same level.

SEGA's lack of effort to officially go into it like they more ambiguously yet blatantly do with Knuxouge (despite less interaction) is probably the reason for all the tension in the fandom.