pairing name conventions and pairings

[lazulisong]

So I was thinking about pairing name conventions and being annoyed at the younger fans because I am allowed after five years, as long as I don't actually hurt them. The thing is that a lot of W-fen come into JP fandoms and -- I know what I am talking about, because I did the same damn thing -- don't understand the logic of the pairing name

Comments

[beckerbell]

You know I agree with this--Really? Is it that hard to write the pairing label properly?--but I will admit something in favor of the A x B x A label for switching, that I've seen a fair amount of Japanese fen doing it. I'll occasionally deign to poke at the Tezuka x Atobe x Tezuka circle map if I'm particularily desperate for the pairing. They nickname themselves TAT, which makes me wonder if it's an exception, an evolution on their part, or if it's spillover from Western fans, much in the way we have spillover from them often times. (Which sort of boggles my mind, that thought.)

I also realize there's such a thing as fandom evolution, but... isn't the x label strictly for the whole Tab A x Slot B thing? I've always gone on the idea that it's the one doing the penetration that comes first (or the one that would be on top if it's PG rated), I was told that was the definition of it when I got into fandom, no matter who is the pursuer or pursuee, so seeing Sakura x Syaoran listed still weirds me out a little

[lazulisong]

You know what I realized? Most pairings are based on the DOS file system -- eight characters or less. So in theory you could do a system where you abbreviated the names to eight or nine character, then a three or four letter code indicating the type. So you could do SyaoSaku.het or ToyaYuki.gay or Kinomoto.sib (for siblings) or RenoRude.fun (for funny) or CCScast.gen for general, or KadCloud.ust for UST based fics.

I think I need to work that one out, it would be a great filing system for my fics, man. Except half the time there's more than one designation.

[akatonbo]

Then there's the numbers game, like in Saiyuki and GW -- I have never, ever figured out the GW pairing names and I never expect to figure them out, although the Saiyuki ones, at least, are based on the names. (Fandom is always a little elitist anyway because we're not part of the mainstream and we know it, but honestly people, how do you keep track of the numbers? or is it one of those 'if only Meg had a brain' things?)

Everyone in Gundam Wing is named after a number in the first place, that's where they come from.

[catystorm]

The Gundam Wing "numbers" game came about from the model numbers of the mechs. Wing is 01, Deathscythe 02, et cetera. Once you get out of the five pilots, thou', I have no frikkin' clue.

GWing numbers, more

[muimi07]

It's also analogous with their names:
Hiiro (Heero) / 1 - the "hi" of his name originates from　一 . At least, that's what I recall seeing somewhere but I was a fan of this back in, oh, 1999? x.x;

Duo / 2- the english meaning of the word "duo"

Trowa / 3 - Stretching here but he's 3 somehow. I guess it's the "Tr" in his name? :P

Quatre / 4 - like "duo" it's easy to see the correlation with the number 4

Wufei / 5 - the first syllable of his name is the Chinese 五 (wu)

Re: GWing numbers, more

[catystorm]

I always found it easier to point people to the mech model numbers because I could never remember how Heero = 1. *amused* (You would think it would be some variation of 'ichi'.)

Re: GWing numbers, more

[tatsu_ko]

The "hi" = 1 probably comes from the counting system you hear sometimes "hi, fu, mi..."
The pronunciation of Trowa = "trois" being French for 3.

[xen0glossy]

have never, ever figured out the GW pairing names and I never expect to figure them out, although the Saiyuki ones, at least, are based on the names.

Actually, the GW numbers are based on the names, too- the five main pilots (and Zechs and Treize) were actually named after numbers to begin with (obviously, whoever was in charge of coming up with names for the characters had no creativity whatsoever). I've never been able to figure out what language some of them are supposed to be in, but some are pretty straightforward, like Duo, Quatre, and Zechs.

... Sorry, GW was one of my first fandoms, so I felt the need to jump in and explain.

[teleute12]

Twee pairing names/name mashups confuse my brain and hurt my soul. I remember that Roswell fandom was in love with the cutesy names for every possible pairing, and no two fansites could agree with how the names had come about. And then there's Buffy fandom, with their "Bangle" and "Spuffy" (which annoys me not only because it sounds like something you'd name a poodle, but also 'cause Buffy would so top).

The numerology thing in the Saiyuki fandom baffles me, but it does come in handy for labeling AU or reincaration fics.

And hey, let's talk threesomes! How are pairing names supposed to go with that? Names according to sexual positions only works so well, and doesn't work at all if there's no sexing being done. (I tend to go with just "whatever sounds good at the time" when I label fics, but that doesn't work as well for an interests category.)

[sakura_no_prey]

randomly buffy on top=bike? scurries off to hide now