Fans thinking that fanon is better than canon...
It wasn't my intent at first to make a post about it, until I saw a Tumblr entry that really pissed me off...
Basically, the whole entry was talking about new characters in Hetalia. The poster wished Himaruya would stop making new characters. If this was because the others haven't got a lot of appearances, I would be okay with this, but it wasn't. ( Read more... )
Basically, the whole entry was talking about new characters in Hetalia. The poster wished Himaruya would stop making new characters. If this was because the others haven't got a lot of appearances, I would be okay with this, but it wasn't. ( Read more... )
In some instances? Yes. I do think some original characters are better than canon.
I’ve seen some amazing Romania OCs in the past. They don’t look like the canon design, some didn’t match the canon gender, and you know what? They didn’t have to play up the vampire stereotype to hit it home they were Romania. (This is actually a problem I have more with fandom than with canon, as fandom plays up the vampire aspect far more).
It’s the same thing with India. I wasn’t exactly enthused to see India pop up in the Halloween event. Sure, he had the curse of the eyebrows but… He was not the classy, elegant woman I pictured in my head who held her own against England. He was not the beautiful India OC a friend created, or the fabulously written ones I’ve seen in the fandom.
So in these two instances, do I think fanon portrayals are better than canon portrayals? Absolutely. I also believe that if certain other nations are revealed in the future, I’ll be just as dissatisfied with them as I am with Romania and India.
I’ve seen well-developed, rounded, historically and culturally accurate portrayals of nations Himaruya hasn’t touched yet. And, should he decide to suddenly make Croatia or Portugal or Wales or any other nation I already have a favorite fanon portrayal for, why should I have to give those portrayals I love up?
People who aren't happy with what Himaruya give us will automatically hide into fanon's skirts… about fan-characters.
I will say that all of those things you just listed? I hate them, too, which is why whenever I make a fan work or RP, I make sure not to include those tropes in my work and not to encourage those tropes in others. It’s the same with bad fan characters because, let’s face it, this fandom does have some bad ones.
However, just as there are people who can write a smashing England, there are people who can create amazing fan characters. I think a lot of people underestimate the amount of time, research, and work some people put into these characters just because others won’t put forth that effort.
It are those fan-characters, the one that obviously have a lot of work put into them, that I tend to privilege over new canon designs because, well, let’s face it. Himaruya barely pays attention to half the cast he’s created as is. Why should I try to find contentment in a blank slate of character when I already have a fully developed one in my grasp?
It's okay to be disappointed with Himaruya's decision, it's okay to not worship him, but don't go saying something as diverse as fanon is obviously better than canon...
I have a feeling this is part of what is making my unpopular opinion so unpopular, isn’t it? Look, I’ll admit, Himaruya has done some great things, and created an amazing series that I absolutely love. And it’s not like I hate every character he’s made ever; I’m just dissatisfied with the newer ones.
Yet certain fans out in the fandom have also created things I love. Those fans, in some cases, have created things I love more than the things Himaruya has created. So why not combine the best of both worlds? Why can’t I have my favorite Hetalia characters interact with my favorite fan-characters for the series?
Sure, it will mean you’ll probably never see the canon India in my stories, but as long as I label it properly, don’t try to force it on anyone, and don’t try to claim the India I use is canon, where’s the harm?
Sticking to your fanworks won't help, moreover. Better go ahead with the canon and new characters or go away from the fandom.
See, people keep telling me I should either completely accept canon for what it is and embrace it, or get out of the fandom. Why? Why should I have to give up something I love just because it contains some aspects I don’t like, or put up with things that make me grumpy-faced just for something I love?
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