Girls who look like Kairi [expanded]
First off - I'd like to say that this is directed at a very specific branch of the hatedom. If your reason for hating Xion is her being added to the Organization, for example, then I have no real problem with you and you can go on hatin' as you please. This is an expansion of my original rant, which can still be found at my LJ. ETA: Sorry, forgot to warn for Days spoilers below cut!
That said...
Why does it seem to me that the majority of people who hate Xion and like Kairi or vice versa seem to have the same reasons behind both emotions? People will like Kairi for being a strong girl who loves her friends, but when Xion does so, she's "cockblocking" their precious AkuRoku. People praise Xion for being able to fight for herself, but call Kairi a Mary Sue for gaining a Keyblade in KH2. People go on about how adorable Xion is, but completely ignore that she has the SAME FACE as KH1 Kairi. Or they'll hate Kairi for being a glorified plot device, but choose to ignore that Xion is very much the driving force behind the plot of Days. ((All of these are reasons I've heard or seen implied for liking/hating one or the other, at some point in my fandom career.))
And while we're on the subject, let's talk about Namine. She's that kinda shy gal, Kairi's Nobody, messes with Sora's memories, you know. Yet out of the three, she's easily the best loved - I have yet to see a fervent Namine hater the way I do those for Kairi or Xion. But arguably, she has the most negative impact on the plot, causing Sora to fall asleep for that year of Xion's existance in the first place! Without Namine's interfering in Sora's head, Xion likely would have never possessed a face, personality, or the ability to use the Keyblade. Yes, Xion deserves the blame for Sora not waking up sooner, I'll give you that, but her absorbing Sora's memories isn't her own fault.
Yes, Namine is shy, and that's cute to some people. YMMV and all. Yet going back to the double standards... When Namine tries to fix her mistakes, she's a good person. When Xion tries to fix her mistakes, she's "turning on her friends" or "leaving Roxas to do everything." When Namine messes with Sora's memories, she's only doing it because the Organization made her. But when Xion unknowingly(!) does the same, she gets flack for it.
And then with Kairi. Repeat after me, people - Namine is Kairi's Nobody. She once replaced Sora's memories of Kairi with memories of herself, and then she put them back, after much hardship and Riku chasing Xion around and stuff. Can we please stop acting like Sora and Namine had something that Sora and Kairi don't? Namine took Kairi out and put herself in, and was darn ashamed of doing so, too. That undercurrent of apology is the only thing, in fact, that Namine has in relation to Sora that Kairi doesn't - she's sorry that she had to mess with his memories in order to get him to care about her. Namine wants to be friends with Sora on her own merits, not because she's taking Kairi's spot. So can we please stop taking the things Sora says to her in COM like they're the end-all of canon? Because even after Namine tells him that the memories of her are fake, they don't just go away - Sora is still acting on Namine-in-place-of-Kairi.
TLDR ; Namine, Kairi, and Xion all have their own strengths and they all care deeply about their friends. They're all plot coupons, yes, and if you want to hate them for that, then that's fine. But please stop picking and choosing your reasons to hate based on your opinion of the girl in the first place - if you're going to hate them for something, though, hate the others that do it, too, or it just makes you look like an idiot.
Blatant YMMV from a lover of all, obviously.
That wound up being way longer and somewhat off the topic I originally intended.
In addition, replying to everyone who expressed interest in a place for Universal Character Lovers to gather in response to my comments on the previous post - it now exists! Head over to kheveryonelove and spread the love!
That said...
Why does it seem to me that the majority of people who hate Xion and like Kairi or vice versa seem to have the same reasons behind both emotions? People will like Kairi for being a strong girl who loves her friends, but when Xion does so, she's "cockblocking" their precious AkuRoku. People praise Xion for being able to fight for herself, but call Kairi a Mary Sue for gaining a Keyblade in KH2. People go on about how adorable Xion is, but completely ignore that she has the SAME FACE as KH1 Kairi. Or they'll hate Kairi for being a glorified plot device, but choose to ignore that Xion is very much the driving force behind the plot of Days. ((All of these are reasons I've heard or seen implied for liking/hating one or the other, at some point in my fandom career.))
And while we're on the subject, let's talk about Namine. She's that kinda shy gal, Kairi's Nobody, messes with Sora's memories, you know. Yet out of the three, she's easily the best loved - I have yet to see a fervent Namine hater the way I do those for Kairi or Xion. But arguably, she has the most negative impact on the plot, causing Sora to fall asleep for that year of Xion's existance in the first place! Without Namine's interfering in Sora's head, Xion likely would have never possessed a face, personality, or the ability to use the Keyblade. Yes, Xion deserves the blame for Sora not waking up sooner, I'll give you that, but her absorbing Sora's memories isn't her own fault.
Yes, Namine is shy, and that's cute to some people. YMMV and all. Yet going back to the double standards... When Namine tries to fix her mistakes, she's a good person. When Xion tries to fix her mistakes, she's "turning on her friends" or "leaving Roxas to do everything." When Namine messes with Sora's memories, she's only doing it because the Organization made her. But when Xion unknowingly(!) does the same, she gets flack for it.
And then with Kairi. Repeat after me, people - Namine is Kairi's Nobody. She once replaced Sora's memories of Kairi with memories of herself, and then she put them back, after much hardship and Riku chasing Xion around and stuff. Can we please stop acting like Sora and Namine had something that Sora and Kairi don't? Namine took Kairi out and put herself in, and was darn ashamed of doing so, too. That undercurrent of apology is the only thing, in fact, that Namine has in relation to Sora that Kairi doesn't - she's sorry that she had to mess with his memories in order to get him to care about her. Namine wants to be friends with Sora on her own merits, not because she's taking Kairi's spot. So can we please stop taking the things Sora says to her in COM like they're the end-all of canon? Because even after Namine tells him that the memories of her are fake, they don't just go away - Sora is still acting on Namine-in-place-of-Kairi.
TLDR ; Namine, Kairi, and Xion all have their own strengths and they all care deeply about their friends. They're all plot coupons, yes, and if you want to hate them for that, then that's fine. But please stop picking and choosing your reasons to hate based on your opinion of the girl in the first place - if you're going to hate them for something, though, hate the others that do it, too, or it just makes you look like an idiot.
Blatant YMMV from a lover of all, obviously.
That wound up being way longer and somewhat off the topic I originally intended.
In addition, replying to everyone who expressed interest in a place for Universal Character Lovers to gather in response to my comments on the previous post - it now exists! Head over to kheveryonelove and spread the love!