In Defense of Fanfiction

Image from Stackoverflow

Anime has one hell of a crazy little sister: Fanfiction.

Fanfiction shares anime’s long list of possibilities, even breaking the rules of the universe it works within. Sometimes it’s just someone wanting to change the stories.  Other times they add on a new chapter to keep the excitement going. Or they may just want to take the characters to a new setting. No matter what, the goal is to explore and participate within something the fan likes.

As someone once explained to me, the fans are taking the toys of someone they admire and playing with them, hopefully treating them with care, and putting them back at the end of the day. It’s a practice that’s both loved (J.K Rowling) and hated (Anne Rice), but I’ve always been a big supporter. Fanfiction is a must not only for budding writers, but for dedicated fans as well.

In its purest form, Fanfiction is a breeding ground for ideas, and a free space to explore them. It’s not always a safe place, as the internet has effectively ruined the walls beetween normal humans and jack-asses, but it is a good place to flex those creative muscles. You can do just about anything with the material in front of you, something invaluable when you’re staring at a computer screen trying to be the next Neil Gaiman.

Speaking of Gaiman, he said on his website that Fanfiction is a good thing because it helps writers hone their skills:

“It’s a good place to write while you’ve still got training wheels on – someone else’s character or worlds. I remember, as a nine-year-old, writing a Conan-meets-some-Ken-Bulmer-sword-and-sorcery-characters. And it’s fun to head over into someone else’s playground.”

Writing is a daunting task; It’s not just throwing words on paper like an angry monkey. It involves the creation and understanding of people more than anything else, and the ability to string together events that logically connect. Like any craft, it takes practice to perfect, and there isn’t a better place than the fanfiction community. Since the world is already laid out in front of you, and you’ve hopefully seen enough to know how characters function within, all you have to do is practice connecting event A to event B. Even if the story amounts to little more than “Hiei kisses me my original character,” it’s practice all the same.

Furthermore, with an active community around it, you can get some feedback on how to get better. The judgmental gaze of the internet is cold at best, asshole-ish at worse, but here you’ll find that rare third option: helpful. Here you have the bespeckled stare of a fellow fan, who also has a deep love for that character, and is willing to indulge your fantasies.  They love the universe you’re working with; they love the idea of more stories. Your job is just to provide them with reading material and, usually, they have no qualms in telling you what needs improvement, or just praising you for what they liked. Sure you get the “YOU SUCK!!!111” too, the Flame Wars have long since gone to kindling.

In the end, it’s the playground all writers need, a fun and easy to use tool. It’s imperfect, messy, and very chaotic, but it serves its purpose better than anything else.

 

What are your thoughts on Fanfiction? Got any good ones? Feel free to comment below. I have a few recommendations myself, so sit back, pull out some popcorn, and get ready to revel in the rewrites.

1. Past and Future King — A pirate on the Grand Line should know to expect the unexpected, particularly when he’s the King. Little did Roger know just how unexpected the results of calling out to a stranger in the fog would be. Who knew there were islands that could warp time? This meeting would always be one of his treasures. Oneshot.
   • WARNING: Spoilers
   • Author: Kitsune Foxfire
   • Rating: K
   • Fandom: One Piece
   • Genre: Humor
2. Plot Holes — [Complete] Koenma blinked and looked around. “Where am I and what are we talking about?”
   • Warning: Spoilers. Meta-fic
   • Author: Nightwalker3
   • Rating: K+
   • Fandom: Yu Yu Hakusho
   • Genre: Humor/Supernatural
3. Hope Springs Eternal: A Subterranean Romance — (1998) Disney’s “Hercules” sequel – In which Hades’ kingdom is in danger, an immortal witch wants control, the Fates predict a miracle, and Hades falls flaming-head-over-smoking-heels in love. The usual stuff of myth. [SEE PROFILE PAGE FOR LINK TO ILLUSTRATED VERSION]
   • Warning: Sexual content and a lot of swearing.
   • Author: Quantum Witch
   • Rating: M
   • Fandom: Hercules
   • Genre: Romance/Humor
     • Pairing: Hades x OC
4. Castlevania: All his Engines—For centuries, Dracula has warred upon humanity. For centuries, Dracula has been certain in their inferiority. For centuries, Dracula has never been proven wrong. Dracula is about to get a different answer to his question of what a man is…
   • Author: Legend Maker
   • Rating: T
   • Fandom: Castlevania
   • Genre: Drama/Adventure
5. Black Ice— It is the first anniversary of Elsa’s coronation, and the queen is, at best, unenthusiastic. That is, until a mysterious prince in green catches her eye across the ballroom. By then, she is simply unimpressed.
   • Warning: Again, language, and a lot of violence
   • Author: plaguedbynargles
   • Rating: T
   • Fandom: Thor/Frozen
   • Genre: Romance/Tragedy
     • Pairing: Loki/Elsa

The Top 5 Worst Anime Openings

(image from Giphy.com)

In a world of ever-shortening attention spans, a good anime-opening is crucial.

Good animators know they have a finite amount of seconds to impress both the average Otaku and the anime new-comer. They will spend painstaking hours to make sure their opening is a sample of filet mignon, just scrumptious enough to make you wanna dive in and eat the whole thing. Without this attention to detail, we wouldn’t have the fast-paced, rock n’ roll opening to Attack on Titan, or Ghost in The Shell‘s haunting opening melodies.

However a larger, sadder chunk of the industry underestimate how important it is, and the results can be devastating. After all, if your opening reeks of lazy crap, then how should the audience know the rest of didn’t come from the toilet? Below we have the worst offenders, ranging from bad intentions to just plain lazy. These are the worst anime openings.

Remember, these are just from my experience. If you know one worse, feel free to share the pain.

#5) Ikkitousen First Opening

Ikkitousen is about an underage girl fighting other underage girls and losing her clothes in the process. Yes it’s ecchi, yes it’s known for being one of anime’s cockroaches, but it still had potential. But, after watching the very first opening, it’s clear to me that the animators just didn’t care.

There’s nothing wrong with Pin-Ups, but no amount of rock and roll can make them exciting. You also can’t distract everyone with underage panty shots, but you can insult them with one or two animated shots. This opening is the epitome of lazy. Anyone who actually liked this show is sure to walk away feeling insulted.

Why is it so high on the list? Because what you see is what you get with Ikkitousen, and at least it wasn’t taking attention away from a good show.

#4)  Zatch Bell Season 1(English)

And then we had a good show with a bad opening.

Zatch Bell had a fun concept: people using spellbooks to control puppet-like creatures called Mamotos. It’s opening sounds like an overrated slog through the mud.

Short and anything but sweet, Zatch Bell’s first opening number is proof that the music you pick is everything. In what was an attempt to sound edgy and high energy, Z.B’s opening sounds like someone dropped a pile of rock band instruments into an echo chamber. Discordant, off-beat, and boring, you’d have never know that this show was funny and action-intense.

At least The animation is snappy and action-packed, and the music doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. If they’d pick a better song, this one could have been saved.

#3) Ranma ½

The same cannot be said here. We’re going slightly obscure here, into the deep waters of the oldies.

For anyone who missed it, Ranma ½  is comedy Manga, where martial artist Ranma Saotome is cursed to turn into a girl every time he’s splashed with cold water. His grandfather, an insufferable old man who constantly gets in trouble, affiances his son multiple times throughout the show, and several guys keep falling for Fem!Ranma. It’s funny, it’s chaotic, and it saddens me greatly that the anime opening is anything but that.

They picked a generic J-pop song, and the singer sounds bored out of her mind. They couldn’t be bothered to animate any backgrounds for the opening, and instead stuck to the characters running in the nebulous void for an eternity. Granted, a perky little love song wouldn’t be wrong for this series, but a better one is sorely needed.

#2) Rurouni Kenshin (Japanese and English.)

Yes, it’s a historical romance, but this opening forgets that it’s also a badass samurai anime as well.

Rurouni Kenshin follows the trials and tribulations of former assassin-turned-wanderer Kenshin Himura. It’s a very action-tense, comedic piece, with an opening that couldn’t be more boring.

You took a show with some of the best swordfights ever animated, and a cast of well-written characters, and you gave it a limp, lifeless opening. This easy-listening number belongs to a slice of life, a drama, anything but an action anime. It’s forgettable and pathetic, with only a smattering of action scenes to perk it up. This is one I recommend skipping every time.

#1) One Piece (4kids rap)

Yeah, it’s predictable, but sometimes the truth hurts.

Yet another show close to my heart. This opening is a prime example of why so many people were angry at 4kids. They didn’t care that 4kids was bringing anime to the west, they were angry that 4kids was “westernizing” and dumbing down anime, and this god-awful rap is exhibit A.

Ignoring the annoying exposition dump in the beginning (because the original one does that too), I don’t have to tell you how stupid the lyrics are, or talk about the clunky character-exposition therein, but I will tell you just how phoned in it feels. The energy attached to this one feels so fake it’s painful. If 4kids doesn’t care, why should their audience?

 

What do you think is the worst anime opening? Feel free to comment below, and don’t forget to check out my other posts.

 

Devil’s Advocate: Can a Hero be Too Powerful?

Image from comicvine.gamespot.com

Today we’re trying something a little different. We have a dilemma in writing that’s quite common in anime, a medium known for making ultra powerful beefcakes that can crush planets in the blink of an eye.

By the way, mild Hellsing Spoilers. You’ve been warned.

When writing any kind of action piece, one must be wary of inventing the Invincible Hero. He/She is a powerful badass that has world-shattering capabilities but never seems to actually be interested in taking over the world. Enemies that come before them fall like vampires in the California sun: never standing a chance, and looking like fools in the process.

Anime is not immune to this: We have the likes of Alucard, an indestructible Vampire on the leash of the Hellsing Organization; We have Sebastian, who isn’t a hero, but who routinely saves Ciel with little to no effort. There’s old school heroes, like Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star, or Kenshin Himura from Rurouni Kenshin. This is so common that it spawned the parodic anime One Punch Man, where our hero, Saitama, comically disposes of enemies with one punch, becoming depressed that no one can give him a challenge anymore.

I enjoy watching these guys (and girls) wreck some havoc and take some names, but even I must step back and wonder if this trope is helping or hurting anime. Every fan must take a step back and admit that these uber-strong heroes can be detrimental if mishandled, and cause mind-numbing boredom.

Picture the last time you watched something that had you on the edge of your seat. Were you worried because Batman actually threw Superman halfway across the street? Maybe you gasped when Sherlock finally found himself caught in an impossible dilemma thanks to a very bad, very smart man? Both of these (even with one being more lame than the other) arise from conflict, the little gremlin that makes stories fun and make-believe lives miserable. It breaks down, in simplest form, to this: Problems arise, characters get knocked down, get up again, and vow to never be kept down again.

But this can get dull when you have a character who never loses, and runs the risk of being repetitive. You already know that the main character will win, making what should be an obstacle into another lamb to the slaughter. Kenshiro is never in any danger; fans never worry about Vash the Stampede losing a gunfight; the audience promptly falls asleep.

So how do writers get around this hurdle? The truth, painful as it is, is that this character cannot be the center of attention. The Murder Train character is best left as a side character, a supporting role for a lead who is vulnerable and capable of losing. Black Butler’s appeal may lie in its demonic servant, but its strength sits squarely with Ciel Phantomhive. After all, it’s far more fascinating to watch a child struggle with a demonic contract than following the ever bloody escapades of an undefeated dandy.

Further still, this tropes gleams rather well when subverted, or played for laughs. Seeing “the wall” come down, brick by brick can actually be entertaining when done in the correct fashion. Fans of Hellsing found that out the hard way when Herr General revealed his master plan. It’s arguable whether Alucard was a “hero”, but his copious amounts of screen time made  him a main character, and made the Big Reveal that much more shocking.  It turns out he wasn’t interested in destroying London, or even starting another war. No, instead, his goal was to reduce Alucard to a state where he could be killed, just to prove a point.

So can your hero be too powerful? The answer is yes: there is a point where a character can be too strong, too smart, too much of anything. But, like any other trope, it can be used to tell a good story. Anime’s Invincible Hero is a tool, not a sickness, that has to be wielded expertly. Whether it be parodic or ironic, I think there will always be room for the Murder Machine on the animated screen.

 

How Live Action Anime Gets Lost in Translation

Image from Geektyrant.com

Live action and anime are perpetual star-crossed lovers; two separate worlds, desperate to be together.

On the one hand, the idea sounds like it’d be the most jaw-dropping thing in a century. Who doesn’t enjoy the idea of their favorite cartoon being put in flesh and blood? Sometimes the results are good, but where a tiny handful have succeeded, a far greater number have tripped over their own feet and fallen head first into the direct-to-DVD bin. They still have their fans, naturally, but they never garner enough success to be little more than otaku oddities.

Not to say that these renditions don’t have their fans. I know souls who will defend the movie for Black Butler to the death, and others who say that the original Death Note films are exciting and cool.  My own opinions about their quality put aside, I think the community as a whole can at least come to one agreement regarding anime’s live action translation: it’s messy at best, frustrating at worst. In my own personal theory, it breaks down to one phrase: Willing Suspension of Disbelief.

When it comes to cartoons, it’s paradoxically easy to suspend your disbelief. An audience’s willing suspension of disbelief is when the viewer understands that what they are seeing isn’t real but they agree to treat it like it is for the sake of being entertained. You’d think this would be harder when the subject in question is little more than ink on paper, but it’s actually the opposite. Nobody doubts for a second that Superman can fly, Yosemite Sam can survive falling off a cliff, and that Cloud can lift a sword five times his size (though some are less accepting of it than others). Because it’s a drawing we accept a departure from reality more easily, making the sky the limit.

Anime could not be a better example of this. The only time anyone watches an anime expecting strict realism is when they watch a slice of life drama, and even then detours from reality are not questioned too much. As I mentioned in my Why I Love Weird Anime post, anime is not afraid to go the distance on crazy, but you won’t find too many fans that hold it to a realistic standard. Due to its cartoon nature, fans treat it more like a peek into another world. Whatever happens has a better chance of being taken at face value. The only way a viewer will reject it is when the animation is done poorly, or the story drifts into cliche, badly written territory.

This Random Crazy can translate well to musicals; after all, you already accept a world where people stop to sing and dance. All the story has to do is establish what the rules are and keep the characters interesting. Sailor Moon has had massive success in this area, with 29 different shows and over 800 performances. Naruto recently threw its hat into the ring, with Persona 4 following suit. Much like anime, there’s already an unwritten contract between you and the director that you willingly pretend that the world you see on stage is real to its own logic and that’s what makes it successful.

But live action movies are a horse of a different color. Imagine the time you went to a convention, and you saw someone dressed up as Goku from Dragon Ball Z. Remember how you felt when you saw the wig, the clothes, and the very obvious plastic dragon ball? That feeling right there is what live action movie-makers have to deal with for every project.   

Here we see what appears to be a real place with real people, and with that come a set of rules: men don’t fly; people die when they fall from great heights, and anyone who tried to wield the Buster Sword would be split in half from the weight. It’s your job, as the scriptwriter, to convince your audience that good things will happen if they just go with the flow. In the right hands, it’s awesome. In the wrong hands, it’s Dragonball Z Evolution.

So what does it take to make a good live action anime anything? It takes a lot of work, a good understanding of the material, and some very clever writing. I wouldn’t make a blanket statement that all live action anime is bad, but I would definitely say that the good ones are rare. So, with the onslaught of movies/musicals slated for this year, we here at the Otakudon are excited but cautious. Because the trip between two mediums is always tricky…but not impossible.

Why do you think live action and anime haven’t had much luck? Give your comments below, and don’t forget to check out any of my other posts: Weighing in on Moe, The Real Appeal of Yugioh, and others.