Things you really don't care for in fan-fiction

[khammel]

Though the majority of fics, especially in the past few years, have Akane way better than she is, because after all "zomg ranma and akane are soulmates 4ever zomg"

Perhaps this points out one thing I don't care for. All other loves of Ranma are shown as unrequited on the relationship chart Takahashi herself drew. Certainly other match ups are possible, but it takes more than what a lot of non-canonical matchup fics do to break up Ranma and Akane. Consider, at least, that their relationship is based on something other than objectification. A strong objectification component is obvious for Shampoo and Kodachi. When Ukyou fantasized about a future with Ranma in manga canon, he was there mostly to pull her cart and help with her business. Not to pursue his own dreams.

[Spokavriel]

Makes me wonder. Has anyone ever tried to do a realistic falling out with Akane from where they are at the end of the Manga? Maybe even going into actual dating in stead of pushing an author fiat relationship?

[Spica75]

Makes me wonder. Has anyone ever tried to do a realistic falling out with Akane from where they are at the end of the Manga? Maybe even going into actual dating in stead of pushing an author fiat relationship?

Depends on exactly how you mean it of course, but taken loosely i think i can say i´ve already read several like that.

[Noy Telinú]

As I said before the crash, it would take something BIG and/or a couple of years before those two won't be together realistically if things go south.

They're both insanely stubborn.

And, fact, Akane's behavior gets better towards the end, not worse.

Shampoo has the whole society thing/hurting Akane going against her.

Kodachi has the obliviousness and crazy.

Ukyo might be stuck in the friendzone.

Nabiki is money centric.

Kasumi hasn't shown any interest.

Akane... well...

I understand that a lot of fans hate Akane. I can understand that because she does...

1. Abuse double standards. Ok for girls to do this, guys can't, etc...

2. Has anger problems. Really thin skin... let's leave it at that.

3. Serves people her cooking. She should know its terrible.

4. Hitting Ranma around. (Even though everyone else does as well)

Now, what I don't understand is hating her for...

1. Being a terrible cook. She tries hard and wants to do better. And guess what, she improves.

2. Not being able to swim. Hating someone because they have no natural buoyancy is mean.

3. Lack of skills in other feminine things. Since when is that ok? So she doesn't fit the stereotype, isn't that a good thing? Or at least, neutral?

4. Not being as pretty as the rest. Now you have serious issues. Hating people because they aren't as good looking or as blessed in the chest is just cruel.

Somehow there are a crazy amount of fics depicting Akane as a downright monster. Why? Can't you have a soul? You can depict her that way, but come'on!

My complaints on this.

[Dumbledork]

One thing that annoys me a bit in crossovers is that writers always think they absolutely have to use the complete cast of all the crossover universes.

Especially in Ranma crossovers with harem series like Love Hina or Negima. You have the same character types in both universes so why use them all? For example you often have Akane go with Ranma, although there already are violent tomboys in the crossover series. Sometimes I think that most writers simply can't imagine a Ranma crossover without the Tendos.

[three headed dog]

I don't like when people mix anime with manga cannon for the Ranma series and would much prefer that they be kept separate since there are quite a few differences between them (and I like the manga much more). The same is true for other series but not to the same extent of annoying me.

I dislike when authors don't even try to keep characters in character. For example I recently reread some of Robert E Howard's Conan the Barbarian stories followed by a few other Conan stories written by others (DeCamp, Perry, Jorden, etc.) and quite a few of them don't resemble the original in personality at all or have Conan act contrary to the original version of the character (for example DeCamp's Conan sees writing and reading as being emasculating though the original Conan often the first thing he did was to learn how to speak and read the language of the area he is in (with one of the stories even have him stopping to pick up and read an ancient scroll as an important part of the plot) and Perry's Conan shuns armor when offered to him freely seeing it as a weakness when the original Conan frequently wore heavy armor since he was strong enough to do so without it hindering him very much).

I dislike when references to continuity are not used. I want the story to make some types of references to the original story for fan fics (or books not written by the original author for that matter) in the stories. They could be obtuse but without them it too often is an original story with characters that just happen to share a name with the story if I wanted to read a piece of original fiction I would have instead.

[Spica75]

One thing that annoys me a bit in crossovers is that writers always think they absolutely have to use the complete cast of all the crossover universes.

Especially in Ranma crossovers with harem series like Love Hina or Negima. You have the same character types in both universes so why use them all? For example you often have Akane go with Ranma, although there already are violent tomboys in the crossover series. Sometimes I think that most writers simply can't imagine a Ranma crossover without the Tendos.

That´s an easy trap to fall in. Actually i think most of the time it´s a matter of being afraid to use original characters, instead using people from the crossovers, drafting them into roles they often are not quite suited for.

Of course it depends a lot on placing, if you do a cross where Ranma is still the main and still ends up staying at the Tendos, it´s almost a must to include them. However, going one step further and include all of the "opponents" and assorted oddballs just because they have been part of the series at one point or another, that often goes very bad.

[Noy Telinú]

I don't like when people mix anime with manga cannon for the Ranma series and would much prefer that they be kept separate since there are quite a few differences between them (and I like the manga much more). The same is true for other series but not to the same extent of annoying me.

I do that mostly due to the fact that I can't NOT do it.

No matter what, I can only think of female Ranma as a redhead, Shampoo having purple hair, and Akane with blue hair. And if you perfer the anime but want to do post manga, how do you do that? Does the stuff past episode 161 happen?

And if you're only going by manga, what about the movies? Yes they're non canon you can say, but they have the best Akane/Ranma moment of acceptance in there. And that carry on ovas? They had characters Rumiko made.

I'm sorry, but I mix them because I they just blend together for me.

For other series, you have to look into the novelization or EU or something to fill in blanks and plot holes.

So, a difference of taste. Besides, a six year old Ranma for Nekoken sounds more like Genma and I like using Sasuke.

[Gnudist]

Simple swap-out fusions, a lazy form of crossover fanfic where the auther just inserts characters from series A into the roles of native characters from series B.

A lazy form of crossover fanfic that has been passed down the Kuno line for generations! *Tatewaki rips off his shirt and starts flexing*

[Konsaki]

A lazy form of crossover fanfic that has been passed down the Kuno line for generations! *Tatewaki rips off his shirt and starts flexing*

I laughed at that thought!

The one thing that really gets my goat; is when I check out a new, to me, fanfic because the gimmick it's using is interesting but then either creates a god character or a 180 degree shift in char alignment.
Curse locked due to Herb? Time to instantly wear frills and have tea parties.
Found a technique scroll while on a training trip? I can now shoot lighting out my ass and belch fireballs until even the Sailor Senshi are asking for lessons.

I'm not against changing a character, which is the entire reason to have some fanfics, but justification in the story is key to doing it correctly.

[khammel]

Simple swap-out fusions, a lazy form of crossover fanfic where the auther just inserts characters from series A into the roles of native characters from series B.

I would argue a well thought out fusion can provide illumination of both sources. As well as a totally different persecutive to see them anew.

Curse locked due to Herb? Time to instantly wear frills and have tea parties.

You forgot a common codicil in such scenarios "... and become a sailor senshi".

[Dumbledork]

You forgot a common codicil in such scenarios "... and become a sailor senshi".

Says the one who has a fukufied Ranma avatar

[khammel]

Says the one who has a fukufied Ranma avatar

But she's not stuck as a girl... though I realized this would be brought up...

[Gnudist]

I would argue a well thought out fusion can provide illumination of both sources. As well as a totally different persecutive to see them anew.

But simple swap-outs are by my definition of what it means exacty the kind of fusion that's never well thought out.

it's the type of "fic" that's nothing more than a rehash of (for example) the matrix with a ranma 1/2 paint job. Just cut neo out of the picture and add ranma doing neo things exactly(or almost exactly) as neo did them.

[Drawde]

I do that mostly due to the fact that I can't NOT do it.

No matter what, I can only think of female Ranma as a redhead, Shampoo having purple hair, and Akane with blue hair. And if you perfer the anime but want to do post manga, how do you do that? Does the stuff past episode 161 happen?

And if you're only going by manga, what about the movies? Yes they're non canon you can say, but they have the best Akane/Ranma moment of acceptance in there. And that carry on ovas? They had characters Rumiko made.

I'm sorry, but I mix them because I they just blend together for me.

For other series, you have to look into the novelization or EU or something to fill in blanks and plot holes.

So, a difference of taste. Besides, a six year old Ranma for Nekoken sounds more like Genma and I like using Sasuke.

My problem with this is expectations.

When reading a fic I, in general, know what to expect form the characters and situations. When you start mixing two different continuities together I loose that ability.

If I read a Tenchi story that has both Tsunami and Kiyone in it I no longer know ANYTHING about the setting. The point of fanfiction is tweaking canon. Seeing what has changed, while leaving enough the same that it's recognizable. If nothing's recognizable, I might as well be reading original fiction.

One Ranma cliche I don't care for is when Ranma is a girl for a long time, for ANY reason, and always has to go "full" girl. Why does Ranma ALWAYS have to start using makeup and wearing skirts? Can someone please show me the law of reality that says those are requirements for being a human female?