(no subject)
Again, started this on Twitter, but it was getting too long.
Is it wrong for me to feel exasperated whenever I see someone complain about the lack of their favorite characters? Sometimes I feel guilty about it because my favorites are so often the main characters who get lots of spotlight. But I don't usually mind when other characters who aren't my favorites get the spotlight either (unless it's a weird case like adult!Simon not getting a figure until just now even though he's the main character).
This bothered me in FMA fandom too. People would always complain about Roy not being in a new chapter and that got annoying. Ling is one of my favorites and he was absent in the manga for like five volumes. Winry's often a no-show too. But I like all the characters so I still enjoy it no matter who's in the spotlight at any moment. Same with Gurren Lagann.
Will I be happier if my favorites get attention? Of course. But I don't hold it against the author or other characters if they don't. Well, okay, I might be annoyed at Yoko sometimes because she's the Queen of Merchandise, but I still liked all the extra attention she got in Gurren-hen and the manga, and the S.t.a.r.S. PV was pretty fun.
But there are characters who are even more neglected than Yoko or Kamina who, even if they don't get as much attention as Simon and Nia, still count as the main characters. (Actually, let's throw Viral in there too, he's a favorite of both the staff and the fans and gets a lot of attention thanks to that even if his role isn't quite as important.) Again, I love all the characters, so I can still sympathize with people when their favorites are left out. And I've seen fans of the more neglected characters complain about wasted potential, and while I do think there's no helping that since those characters are very minor, I can sympathize with them too.
So when I see these neglected characters finally get their chance at the spotlight, I'm happy for them, and I can recognize that it's partly thanks to the fans letting themselves be heard all this time. And when this happens, I don't think it's fair for fans of the more popular characters to complain.
But of course it's awkward for me to say this because one of the seven new videos is friggin focused on Simon and Nia, pandering directly to my tastes, and this is after Lagann-hen was focused on them too (and all I can say in defense to that is...They're the main characters! And fans love them! I'm sorry!). So it's probably unfair for me to complain about the complaining, and I probably come off as a hypocrite too. >_>;
But still, you know. It's not nice to rain on other peoples' parades. Especially when the characters you're in defense of still feature prominently in merchandise and book/DVD covers. It makes you look paranoid and ungrateful. (And I can say the same about Simon/Nia fans too when it happens; I saw some grumbling in Japanese fandom that Simon's standing with Yoko on this DVD cover instead of with Nia, which is honestly stupid, because Simon's been with Nia plenty of times already and him being with Yoko one time doesn't mean a damn thing.)
And not only is it not nice, after a while, it gets annoying. So yeah, that's my problem with it. :/ It would be great if we could all enjoy things equally, but I guess that's just not the case.
...And for the record, I think "Kiyal's Magical Time" looks adorable even though it probably won't be one of my favorites, and the side story with Kittan & Kiyal in Volume 5 of the manga made me squee. :D
Is it wrong for me to feel exasperated whenever I see someone complain about the lack of their favorite characters? Sometimes I feel guilty about it because my favorites are so often the main characters who get lots of spotlight. But I don't usually mind when other characters who aren't my favorites get the spotlight either (unless it's a weird case like adult!Simon not getting a figure until just now even though he's the main character).
This bothered me in FMA fandom too. People would always complain about Roy not being in a new chapter and that got annoying. Ling is one of my favorites and he was absent in the manga for like five volumes. Winry's often a no-show too. But I like all the characters so I still enjoy it no matter who's in the spotlight at any moment. Same with Gurren Lagann.
Will I be happier if my favorites get attention? Of course. But I don't hold it against the author or other characters if they don't. Well, okay, I might be annoyed at Yoko sometimes because she's the Queen of Merchandise, but I still liked all the extra attention she got in Gurren-hen and the manga, and the S.t.a.r.S. PV was pretty fun.
But there are characters who are even more neglected than Yoko or Kamina who, even if they don't get as much attention as Simon and Nia, still count as the main characters. (Actually, let's throw Viral in there too, he's a favorite of both the staff and the fans and gets a lot of attention thanks to that even if his role isn't quite as important.) Again, I love all the characters, so I can still sympathize with people when their favorites are left out. And I've seen fans of the more neglected characters complain about wasted potential, and while I do think there's no helping that since those characters are very minor, I can sympathize with them too.
So when I see these neglected characters finally get their chance at the spotlight, I'm happy for them, and I can recognize that it's partly thanks to the fans letting themselves be heard all this time. And when this happens, I don't think it's fair for fans of the more popular characters to complain.
But of course it's awkward for me to say this because one of the seven new videos is friggin focused on Simon and Nia, pandering directly to my tastes, and this is after Lagann-hen was focused on them too (and all I can say in defense to that is...They're the main characters! And fans love them! I'm sorry!). So it's probably unfair for me to complain about the complaining, and I probably come off as a hypocrite too. >_>;
But still, you know. It's not nice to rain on other peoples' parades. Especially when the characters you're in defense of still feature prominently in merchandise and book/DVD covers. It makes you look paranoid and ungrateful. (And I can say the same about Simon/Nia fans too when it happens; I saw some grumbling in Japanese fandom that Simon's standing with Yoko on this DVD cover instead of with Nia, which is honestly stupid, because Simon's been with Nia plenty of times already and him being with Yoko one time doesn't mean a damn thing.)
And not only is it not nice, after a while, it gets annoying. So yeah, that's my problem with it. :/ It would be great if we could all enjoy things equally, but I guess that's just not the case.
...And for the record, I think "Kiyal's Magical Time" looks adorable even though it probably won't be one of my favorites, and the side story with Kittan & Kiyal in Volume 5 of the manga made me squee. :D