Discussion post

[sarajayechan]

So there's this thing in various fandoms where people think that if a character is prone to trouble or messing up, their friends and loved ones need to Call Them Out instead of being concerned with their well-being. "Eirika just handed over the Sacred Stone to the Big Bad? She needs to be slapped, why is everyone asking if she's okay?! Rinoa got in

Comments

[slayerofgod]

"Rinoa got in trouble again? They should be yelling at her for being stupid, not happy that she's safe!"

Funny thing about this. Both Squall and Quistis do criticize her for thinking with her heart and not her head, among other things. You can look it up, it's in the script.

Hell, the whole point of you needing to rescue Rinoa from Edea's stone monsters was to point out Rinoa's primary character flaw, and one that is true of many teenagers. She didn't listen to what her dad and the other party members said, and she put herself in grave danger. Her terrified reaction afterwords was meant to indicate the lesson was driven home.

But I digress.

Anyway, I find there are two types of people in your rant. The reasonable ones that just want the flaws of these characters acknowledged in some manner, and then there are the much more numerous immature people who hate these characters for whatever reason and want them defamed whenever possible. The trick is to differentiate the two.

[sarajayechan]

Anyway, I find there are two types of people in your rant. The reasonable ones that just want the flaws of these characters acknowledged in some manner, and then there are the much more numerous immature people who hate these characters for whatever reason and want them defamed whenever possible. The trick is to differentiate the two.

Unfortunately it can be hard at times, because the haters are loud enough to drown out the reasonable folks.

[chickenperson52]

This.

The problem with some people is that they can't differentiate between how they feel about the character and how everyone else feels about the character--including other characters. They impose their viewpoint onto everyone.

Yeah, you may think that every time someone fucks up they need to be chastised to the max, but the rest of the world is not your hive mind. If Character A screws up, their loved ones may be worried. They may be angry. They may be confused and upset and forgiving. Or all of the above.

[sarajayechan]

The problem with some people is that they can't differentiate between how they feel about the character and how everyone else feels about the character--including other characters. They impose their viewpoint onto everyone.

A common fan fallacy, and one of the most annoying at that. Fans tend to think too much in their own worlds, and as a result think their standards should be foisted onto that of their fandoms. I think we've all done it at some point, sadly. :/

[thenicochan]

What's even worse is when people pull a "Die for our Ship" by imposing their opinions on other characters. A good example being the FF7 fandom. In fanfics, Tifa will complain about having to rescue Aerith from Shinra in the beginning of the story, and bitch at Cloud about how weak Aerith is...except in the actual canon, Tifa was worried sick about Aerith and was one of the first to say they needed to rescue her.

[sarajayechan]

God, yes. I've actually read Zutara fics where Zuko hated Aang, one in which he smugly held Katara close when he saw Aang was nearby. Never mind that he and Aang are BFF after "The Firebending Masters" (discounting Zuko's unfair shots at Aang in TSR).

[kankurette]

And in Naruto fanon, Sakura scolds Hinata harshly for charging at Pein and nearly getting killed...but in canon, although she does tell Hinata that her behaviour was risky, she still heals her and IIRC is happy she's OK.

[mean_cookie]

Orihime should be beaten up for causing all the Hueco Mundo and Lust Arc BS! *Facepalm*

Whenever I remember this comment I die a little bit inside. Because being a human being, bringing decisions in a pinch and caring about your friend's life you deserve to die or rather kill yourself.

It's just sad that character didn't deserve to live because it didn't fulfill expectations of the 'fans'.

[sarajayechan]

Seriously. D:

[kankurette]

I actually think Orihime was as brave as hell in both those arcs. She'd been punished enough. G-d forbid Ichigo and co actually be happy that she's still alive or anything.

[shotglass]

For real. We, as outsiders to the story, can say "Oh my god, what she did was so stupid! Someone should call her out/they shouldn't be comforting her once consequences have happened and it's over!" but would their friends really do that? Probably not, because most friend dynamics don't work that way. I dunno - if my friends called me out on every single stupid thing I did, never comforted me for things that were bad that happened (even if I may have had a hand to play in it), overall treated me like dirt for not being a Perfect Being? I wouldn't be friends with them for long. The reverse is true of them.

[sarajayechan]

I dunno - if my friends called me out on every single stupid thing I did, never comforted me for things that were bad that happened (even if I may have had a hand to play in it), overall treated me like dirt for not being a Perfect Being? I wouldn't be friends with them for long. The reverse is true of them.

Word. It makes me wonder about people who think that way...just like people who berate you for not apologizing enough during arguments (that whole "tell me what you did wrong and why you're sorry and why what you did was very bad and stupid" business), where you wonder what kind of childhoods they had. Do people who think characters should be scolded instead of cared for have friends who treat THEM like that?

...nah, probably not. I'm probably reading too much into things again, lol.