Sansukumi

In Japan, there is a tradition called Sansukumi, which refers to a situation in which all three parties have one partner who is good at one thing and one partner who is bad at another, so that all three are stuck together. The most familiar to us is rock-paper-scissors. In addition, toads, slugs and snakes are also typical Sansukumi, and many people may think of them when they hear the word Sansukumi.

The relationship between snakes, toads, and slugs is as follows. Toads eat slugs, so they win over slugs. Similarly, snakes eat toads, so they wins over toads. In that case, if the slugs can win snakes, there won't be Sansukumi, but I don't think slugs can defeat snakes. The reason why slugs can defeat snakes is because people in the past believed that slugs could dissolve snakes with their body mucus. In reality, slugs mucus isn't strong enough to dissolve snakes, but snakes probably don't want to touch that slimy body if possible.

Fire, water, and grass are also Sansukumi.