This is a static copy of In the Rose Garden, which existed as the center of the western Utena fandom for years. Enjoy. :)
Seitokaichou wrote:
OC(s) are fine-as long as-the writer makes a decent effort to associate these characters with the existing ones and have them blend in with the story as opposed to having them ruin the plot. I can't picture them taking the lead in all honesty; more like background characters.
I've written a grand total of two Utena fics, one oneshot and a smutfic in progress as of this post. In one of those fics, an OC steals the stage with ill intent.
The biter is that she's not even human or Alien. She's a fucking daemon.
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I hate it when there's an emotional connection between Akio and Touga. Call me sadistic, but the more mocking and subtly degrading Akio is, the better. Sex between them should never be fluffy. Nor, for that matter, should it be ball gags and leather. They don't need the illusion of dominance/submission.
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BioKraze wrote:
I've written a grand total of two Utena fics, one oneshot and a smutfic in progress as of this post. In one of those fics, an OC steals the stage with ill intent. The biter is that she's not even human or Alien. She's a fucking daemon.
If said daemon has a special scene with Touga, I demand you share.
Jellineck wrote:
I hate it when there's an emotional connection between Akio and Touga. Call me sadistic, but the more mocking and subtly degrading Akio is, the better. Sex between them should never be fluffy. Nor, for that matter, should it be ball gags and leather. They don't need the illusion of dominance/submission.
Was that a sneak preview of what you are planning to do with my Touga, dear Chairman? *smirks* Elaborate please. You have piqued my curiosity. *grins*
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Quite the contrary, my dear. I was merely observing an irritating trend in the fandom. But if you insist on gaining a hint of my intended plans, you have only to glance at my signature.
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"You said you would do anything for me, right Mamiya?" Mikage purred as he slithered close. "Yes that's right" Mamiya said with a rosey blush. Mikage's smile was evil and cinister as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a banana. "Eeny meeny myny moo. I wonder where my banana will go?" - The Forbidden Passions of Nemuro
LOL IRL. And here I was about to send you a PM with the question: So how are we going to have sex? ( without the realization that the question sounded kinky saying it OOC-wise ) *clears throat* And I just realized this is not IFD. *thwaps* You are such a bad influence, Rijichou.
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Onllllllly, I feel the same about Kageyaku Means To Shine! When it first hit the scene, I thought it was really interesting. Despite my own misgivings about childbearing, I stuck with it, even finding the idea cute. But sure enough, as you said, the tale turned to the made-up characters storyline and it was just boring. =/
Seitokaichou wrote:
As for my pet peeves, ( well, I won't call it pet peeves; more like something I don't enjoy reading to the fullest though I appreciate the piece for the author's effort and hard work ), it would be including characters that come from a different anime/game/manga series.
Lordy Lordy! I hate that! Usually happens in funny stories, but you'll see it sometimes in serious ones too. Plots going well, everybody's laughing and intrigued with where the story is gonna head....suddenly, 3 or 4 (or more =/) toons are thrown in from other stories. It's like the old sitcoms from the 90s, like Roseanne & Family Matters & Boy Meets World - those shows all went downhill in the end when all sorts of new people showed up as regulars. When that happens in fanfiction, I invariably stop reading. I just never know who these people are. On the off chance I recognize one, I surely don't remember their entire past and complexities of character so that other anime character just looks like a Mary Sue thrown in. I think to efficiently handle the problem, if it's an Utena fic - and there's gonna be people from another series thrown into the story...at least devote a paragraph, if not an entire chapter, giving a brief synopsis of the world/story the character comes from.
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I stopped actively seeking out fanfics midway through High School because it just started getting same-y. And it was the small things that got to me.
If everyone was OOC I could tell right away and just stop reading. But a fic in which only ONE aspect of a certain character was off? I'd be halfway through and involved before it would show up, and then it would bug me for the rest of the story.
A totally weird, implausible pairing? Well, it was usually advertised in the fic's blurb, so I just wouldn't read it. But PLAUSIBLE non-canonical pairings treated like OMG TRUE FLUFFY LUV without any explanation or character development? To take an Utena example, I can buy Utena/Touga, but tell me HOW they grew to love each other and WHY I should care. And for the love of God, don't just kill off/ignore/make Anthy evil/a 2D bitch/an idiot, that doesn't explain anything and pisses me off.
Pairings of characters who have very close but not necessarily romantic relationships with eachother: Oh god, make it stop. I can only take so many of my favorite characters ukefied and seme-fied until they're perfect stereotypes calling each other by pet-names they didn't even have in the series, but which their fans use all the time, and fanfic authors COMPLETELY MISSING THE POINT of the original canon relationship. /thinly veiled references to Yu-gi-oh.
Some things really turn my crank. Turn a character to a robot and I'll have endless fun fleshing out the implications in my mind and annoying fanfic writers about the possibilities. But generally, AUs where everything is the same except in a different setting? Bleh. The characters fall flat, you can tell where the story is going, and aside from sexy robot fun tiems, there's nothing new here.
Then again, AUs where you tweak one or more characters in a drastic way is also no fun. Anthy as a man? Cool. Anthy as an albino cream-puff? Not cool.
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Frau Eva, Seitokaichou, Jellineck, Frosty and Mishi = MOTHER F***ING TRUTH!
Last edited by OnlyInThisLight (08-21-2008 07:54:10 PM)
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Mishi wrote:
Anthy as an albino cream-puff? Not cool.
Where did that one come from, Mishi?
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Seitokaichou wrote:
BioKraze wrote:
I've written a grand total of two Utena fics, one oneshot and a smutfic in progress as of this post. In one of those fics, an OC steals the stage with ill intent. The biter is that she's not even human or Alien. She's a fucking daemon.
If said daemon has a special scene with Touga, I demand you share.
No dice. She's purely practical in her mission. Sorry. But Touga was the first significant character she met in Ohtori, if that counts for anything.
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BioKraze wrote:
Mishi wrote:
Anthy as an albino cream-puff? Not cool.
Where did that one come from, Mishi?
I was trying to think of the most random thing possible, and I was thinking of Yu-gi-oh and a Ranma AU I once started reading where Kodachi was born albino with haemophilia and was granted phenomenal healing/chi powers by either Fistandantilus or Elminster from some Forgotten Realms/Dragonlance/Warhammer book series. And she and Ranma get together. And Ranma is a con artist.
So I was thinking albino, and in trying to think of a suitable noun, I remembered that line from Yu-gi-oh Abridged. And thus, Anthy, Red Rose of Ohtori, became Anthy, White Creampuff of Alterverse.
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I guess the only thing that really bugs me is when fanfiction changes the canon storyline. A fanfiction should be able to fit within the story that the original creator envisioned. I guess I'm picky like that, because I wouldn't like people changing my story around in the name of artistic license. Even Mary Sues don't compare to a fanfic author deciding that their way to tell someone else's story is better.
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Depends on the author.
There's a lot of wasted potential in some series, like, say, Sailor Moon, and a lot of authors take that potential and realize it, in the process obliterating a lot of the canon. In some of those cases, the fanfic is BETTER than canon.
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mh... the only thing i REALLY dislike... Crossovers. Makes to me so sense really :/
I have nothing against OC's though... when stuff is plausible and well-written I buy nearly everything. Good, that depends on the view of each individual...
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Frosty wrote:
Seitokaichou wrote:
As for my pet peeves, ( well, I won't call it pet peeves; more like something I don't enjoy reading to the fullest though I appreciate the piece for the author's effort and hard work ), it would be including characters that come from a different anime/game/manga series.
Lordy Lordy! I hate that! Usually happens in funny stories, but you'll see it sometimes in serious ones too. Plots going well, everybody's laughing and intrigued with where the story is gonna head....suddenly, 3 or 4 (or more =/) toons are thrown in from other stories. It's like the old sitcoms from the 90s, like Roseanne & Family Matters & Boy Meets World - those shows all went downhill in the end when all sorts of new people showed up as regulars. When that happens in fanfiction, I invariably stop reading. I just never know who these people are. On the off chance I recognize one, I surely don't remember their entire past and complexities of character so that other anime character just looks like a Mary Sue thrown in. I think to efficiently handle the problem, if it's an Utena fic - and there's gonna be people from another series thrown into the story...at least devote a paragraph, if not an entire chapter, giving a brief synopsis of the world/story the character comes from.
My sentiments exactly.
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Swearing. Yes, people do swear. Still, it seems off when having most of the characters in SKU do so. Most of them repress their desires in one way or another, so giving most of them a foul tongue seems unrealistic.
Making no attempt to put any meaning/symbolism or poetry to the story. There are many fandoms where this can be completely acceptable, and I'll enjoy it. SKU is full of these things, so when a story is lacking in it, it seems to be doing the fandom ill justice.
Idealisation of characters. Not to say that every one person is a perfect writer, that would be an impossible expectation. But, often writers will become too attached to their views on one, and become defensive when someone else goes against it. Just bugs me.
Akio being outdone by any character besides Anthy. GRR. In all fairness, it makes sense it could happen, but... It's AKIO. NoooOooooo....
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I find it annoying how so few people write the older guys of the Student Council correctly. I find it odd that people who have read my Utena fic of doom have been amazed at my portrayal of a repentant Touga and Saionji. I also find it odd how not a whole lot of the minor characters are messed with...
I have also wondered if anyone would be daring enough to emulate Alan Harnum. Besides myself.
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Anthiena wrote:
I have also wondered if anyone would be daring enough to emulate Alan Harnum. Besides myself.
Maybe because people don't consider imitating someone as particularly 'daring?'
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Iris wrote:
Idealisation of characters. Not to say that every one person is a perfect writer, that would be an impossible expectation. But, often writers will become too attached to their views on one, and become defensive when someone else goes against it. Just bugs me.
Here here! I too cannot bear the "oh so perfect" character, even if it is Utena herself.
I mean come on, the character's flaws are just as important, and dare I even say attractive as their glowingly good points (what few there are ).
And whoever liked a person in real life who acts "too good"? So why would we like characters who have the sun shine out of their *coff coff*? What about telling the truth about the POV of all characters in a fic? (Not one character is a saint and the others have all been evil beasts to said saint). And why do these so-starry characters appear to be thinly veiled Mary-Sues? I mean if you're going to insist on writing a Mary-Sue fanfic, then please put that in your description so I don't have to click on it and read it. Don't pretend to be Touga.
And I'm sorry, every other SKU character did not fall over themselves to admire and flatter and have sex with Juri, and why does Juri dress like a woman suddenly, and why does she speak like this: "Oh Shiorry honey. How wonderfull it is to sees you! I had the dreaming about you last night...we was both nekedd and dripin wet and you was on top. And you said ull love me foreva."
*Gag*
Yay, ranting has made me feel somewhat better!
As a new SKU fan I am wading through fanfic.net at the moment, and OMG you would not believe the mountain of trash I have had to skim through to find a few (very few) nuggets of gold. Or bronze even. (Or if you've tried it yourself, I'm sure you will believe me!)
Feel free to PM me the good spots to look for quality Utena fanfic anyone, other than Empty Movement and its' linked sites. I don't really know where else to go...internet searches are not helping me much...most SKU sites seem to have died.
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Mishi wrote:
In some of those cases, the fanfic is BETTER than canon.
Probably why Anne Rice doesn't like people writing fics of her stuff.
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Baka Kakumei Reanna wrote:
Mishi wrote:
In some of those cases, the fanfic is BETTER than canon.
Probably why Anne Rice doesn't like people writing fics of her stuff.
Quoted for fucking truth, man.
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Baka Kakumei Reanna wrote:
Mishi wrote:
In some of those cases, the fanfic is BETTER than canon.
Probably why Anne Rice doesn't like people writing fics of her stuff.
we must be reading different fanfics. The majority of Vampire Chronicle fanfic authors I've read can't seem to grasp the fact that Lestat is pansexual, would never marry their Mary-Sue (because that would limit his options) and that vampires don't have sex and aren't physically capable of bearing children.
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Mishi wrote:
Baka Kakumei Reanna wrote:
Mishi wrote:
In some of those cases, the fanfic is BETTER than canon.
Probably why Anne Rice doesn't like people writing fics of her stuff.
we must be reading different fanfics. The majority of Vampire Chronicle fanfic authors I've read can't seem to grasp the fact that Lestat is pansexual, would never marry their Mary-Sue (because that would limit his options) and that vampires don't have sex and aren't physically capable of bearing children.
Well, I can't speak for all of it...
But I can understand her, or any others who share her view, beliefs on the issue. I love writing and I know I'd be torn between the idea of letting my fans interpret my stories how they wish, and wanting to bitch slap them when they changed up the canon radically or tried to put unwanted messages or morals in my mouth, or anything like that.
But I think I'd be more likely to troll the comment boards of the writers of the particularly crappy fanfic authors than disallow anyone at all from putting fanfics based on my work online. No reason in punishing everyone for a few doughheads who don't understand the boundaries of creative license.
But maybe I'm just really opinionated that way.
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Mishi wrote:
The majority of Vampire Chronicle fanfic authors I've read can't seem to grasp the fact that Lestat is pansexual, would never marry their Mary-Sue (because that would limit his options) and that vampires don't have sex and aren't physically capable of bearing children.
I can't help laughing...because your description of said fanfics gives me nasty flashbacks. Why have I had the bad luck to only find these kind of Rice fics and not the good glowing wonderful kind?
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