On Fics & Ships

[kamiyashi]

Due to the fact that the recent post on fic shipping seems to have either disappeared or got deleted, I’ve decided to take up the topic in my own post with a slightly different angle because the potential for discussions is definitely present and I encourage a healthy debate!

Comments

[kamiyashi]

I agree, the pairing needs development to be interesting and realistic. I guess I'm just biased because I like fully fleshed out relationships that show that. It's fine to have an already established pairing, but it just feels lazy when there's antagonism involved because I want to know how they got together. :x

When I used to read fics, I got so fed up with the same boring lemons. I mean, it was pretty much Slot A, Tab B, repeat to completion. I don't necessarily think "experience" is required, because I'm not a gay man or a teen that's saved the world with a children's card game, but it does throw you out when there's that moment of, "Yeah...more research would have made this less painful..."

I'm with you on the demonizing of female YGO characters. I don't understand that at all; character bashing is just such an extreme that it makes no sense to me.

And I second you on the characterization thing! Otherwise it's just a story with characters that happen to have the same name and nothing else in common.

[Edit for spelling typo]

[kamiyashi]

It is possible to make OCs without them being self-inserts. Personally, I think OCs, when done right, are useful to a story. When I first started writing in the YGO fandom, I never wanted to include them because of the attached stigma. But when people started responding to them positively, they crept in a couple of times. I actually feel very fortunate that I haven't had anyone really hate/complain about them. I figured AA was going to get me slammed and cost me readers, honestly.

If you're altering characterization, that's one thing. But if you're just reading a story and all the sudden Yuugi is going on and on about what a bitch Anzu is, there's nothing realistic in that unless it's some bizarre AU where it better be thoroughly explained and justified. The mindless bashing is just unnecessary and it sounds like it happens with a fair amount of frequency from what I've been told--and I admit that I haven't read a YGO fic in almost four years, so I could be wrong.

[aphotic]

why should i do the work takahashi didn't?Personally, I think this is kind of purposely missing out. Half the fun of chaptered fic is planning and conceiving it, is it not? Even plotting the flow of one-shots and short drabbles is pretty enjoyable, I think

[aphotic]

I don't think any fic or author even has the capability to cover absolutely everything like that -- since, well, even answering some mysteries the canon brought up but never solved itself usually has a tendency to bring up more questions and possibilities.

It depends on what kind of fic it is, and who/what it's about, I guess. I mean, as far as I know, the female characters don't get a lot of character-specific attention in fic, so I think a story like that, het or gen or even yuri, would be interesting. Nobody should have to touch upon everyone and everything in any given fic, sure, especially if it's just a short thing, but sometimes in the longer-spanning fics, side scenes for fans of the less-developed and less-loved characters once in a while is nice. Maybe it winds up a little episodic as a result, but so is the series we're writing for, when you think about it.

[forlan]

I think it really just depends on the writer's preference and what sort of fic it is? Some people like examining characters, fleshing them out, figuring out what made them the way they are... I find it fun, really. Then again, it doesn't work for every fic, and if you're trying to keep a plot moving instead of doing a character study I could see where you're coming from.

[forlan]

Yep! (Here's the full fanart - it's probably from pixiv but it'd take me a while to find it ahaha)

[kamiyashi]

Very, very true. I'm always surprised by how many people compliment the way I handle Anzu and Rebecca in my works. It wasn't until then that I realized just how badly they must be characterized normally because I just portrayed them fairly and with personalities. The show is an ensemble cast and I think it makes it more realistic to make sure everyone gets a part in the fic (when applicable of course).

[kamiyashi]

I see not reason to be mean to them, honestly. When I started, I actually couldn't stand Anzu, but I realized that it was fandom!Anzu I didn't like when I rewatched the series and saw she was actually a decent character (disregarding the painful friendships in the beginning). That's when I sort of made an effort to show her in a good light, something that's really coming into play in the later part of my current fic.

Kisara as a partner to Seto is actually a pretty interesting idea. Could definitely do something with that~.

[aestover]

"...I also like most of the girls, and wish they weren't always shunted off to the side in favor of it, because some of them are genuinely good characters on their own."

This actually happens in quite a lot of shounen/seinen series, which I personally believe stems from the traditional sexist ideals present in many oriental cultures. It's done less and less as the years progress, but it's definitely present in the early shounen/seinen series, notably the DBZ series, YGO!, Naruto, Bleach, etc....

And I totally agree with you in wishing that Takahashi had provided some more solid background on the female cast! At least with Mai we got that crazy ex-boyfriend we all knew she had somewhere in her closet... But damn, he could've given us some more details on some of these girls' lives! *sob*

But this is where fandom comes into play; we're given so many windows of opportunity to create our own interpretations for these characters and successfully show our appreciation for them :3

[hemntjrseth]

Completely with you on the characterization aspect. Many fanfics suffer because the author writes the characters as static and boring, and may even be afraid of allowing them to develop beyond their templates.

[raichu100]

Interesting line about YGO females. In my work I'm actually going to quite some effort to dimensionalize Tea because...she just has so much potential that's just not there in canon. (also I ship her with Yami...so yeah for that to be interesting she needs depth)