The pairings rant from FF.N profile.
Jun. 30th, 2004 07:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
perpetuityThe ol' profile needs a change. But I like this rant.
Rant:
You know, I am sick of everyone hating this couple for THIS reason and liking that couple for THAT reason... It's so stupid.
I dislike the romance genre. Unfortunately, fanfiction seems to be nothing but. Whether it's the sexy bishounen and his best friend/main foil/archenemy or the lead with their knight in shining armor... I dislike it. (Doesn't stop me from reading/watching it, but I do.)
I was at a website where someone commented that the reason they began to believe in the Kurama/Botan pairing was because of one scene in the OAV (I'm pretty sure it's an OAV, it's only a half-hour long.). Botan is in danger and falls out of the sky, and Kurama does a very cool sequence of Rose Whip and catching the damsel in distress, if I remember correctly (ex-friend of a friend *broke* my DVD with this episode on it). It's a nice sequence, I rather liked it. But it is not a declaration of love. Remember the Yukina arc, when Yusuke and Kuwabara fight that spider demon? Kuwabara cuts Botan from the web and Yusuke catches Botan... the exact same way Kurama did in the OAV! Check it if you don't believe me. The OAV can be bought at Suncoast; last I checked it was $20, without tax, combined with a similar Ninku OAV. The Yukina DVD is about $27, tax included.
Granted, I'm not slamming Yusuke/Botan or Kurama/Botan with the above example. I like both pairings enough that if you find me a fic with no bashing that's well-written, I may read it.
Another point I found interesting at a seperate website; the maintainer commented that every male character in anime seems to be paired with the closest male character they stand next to. This made me laugh hysterically. Why? Because except for one minor detail, this person was absolutely right!
The minor detail in question?
Um, ANY character in anime is paired with ANY character they stand next to!
Or in any fandom. An intelligent yet short-sighted observation. Don't you love it?
Let's keep with YYH example, because these were both YYH sites, and I don't care enough about pairings in other fandoms to complain.
Let's take one of, if not the, most popular pairing in YYH fandom today: Kurama and Hiei. I am a Kurama/Hiei fan, despite evidence to the contrary (namely, that Kurama/Kuwabara fic below...).
A lot of people base the Kurama/Hiei pairing on looks alone. And the fact that they stand next to each other. Refer back to the OAV, with the infamous Prince Kurama, Princess Botan scene. Right after he catches Botan, Kurama goes into one of the most popular KH poses on the 'net: the infamous back-to-back, butt-to-butt battle pose.
[ Extra note: This sequence of events had me rolling on the ground laughing when I first saw this OAV. (after, of course, I complained at the OAV being only a bad half-hour, plotless, cheap little escapade into stereotypical...)It was like "Hi, Kurama and Botan fans... bye, Kurama and Botan fans! Kurama and Hiei fans pay more for merchandise, sorry!"]
Oh my God! Do you know what that means?
THERE IS EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PAIRINGS! Lame, loose, insubstantial evidence, but evidence nontheless...
And that's just the mainstream. Don't make me get into the secondary pairings. Don't make me detail the scene where Yusuke carries Kurama out of the ring in the exact same style as he and Kurama held Botan. Don't make me pull out my pictures of Kurama cradling each of his teammates in their shirtless states (or mostly shirtless, in Kuwabara's case.). Or what about the way Shizuru slung her arm over Botan's shoulder before the Kurama v. Karasu fight? Or Botan's reactions TO Kurama v. Karasu?
Here is more or less what you're saying, using the boys as a medium.
When Kurama holds Hiei, it's love.
When Kurama holds Yusuke, it's friendship.
When Kurama holds Kuwa-chan, it's contempt.
He treats them all exactly the same, and look at what we get! It makes no sense!
But there is a simple solution:
DON'T BOTHER JUSTIFYING YOUR PAIRINGS.
You should not have to. My friends, this is called fanfiction. We are fans of Yu Yu Hakusho together. We all love our boys and girls from the demonic, spiritual and human realms.
And we love seeing our boys and girls in love with each other.
But it's fiction. Both the show and what we write/think is fiction. Theorectically, we should be able to pair Yukina and Touya, who have never actually met face-to-face, and one of whom has a love interest, with no problem. Or Hagiri and Juri. Or Itsuki and Byakko. Or Musashi and Koashura. Hiei and Majari. Mukuro and Ruka. Rando and Toguro. Hinageshi and Ayame. Mitarai and Kuwabara. Doctor and Gourmet. Genkai and Suzaku. Rinku and that little kid Yusuke saved. Or what have you. Who cares?
There is at least one pro and one con for every single pairing in the show. And there is photographic evidence, no matter how slight, for any two characters who speak to each other directly.
I dare you; give me two characters and I will give you a pro and a con for a romantic relationship between them. It may be nutty, but I guarantee you: somewhere far out into the depths of YYH fandom, SOMEONE will believe in that pairing, even if they never log onto the internet. And it may be for the reason I give you.
If these characters ever speak, I will also attempt photographic evidence. Of course, said evidence may need a caption, but whatever. I don't have all the DVDs though, so you would have to bear with me.
In conclusion? If you want two characters to be in love, fine. They are.
But if someone else wants those two characters to be in love with different people, they can be, too. It's a cartoon, my friends. It's fiction in every sense of the word. We are in control of whatever the characters think, do and feel. But if we want to be able exercise this control in a safe and fun enviroment, we've got to realize we all have it, and that we all have the right to (ab)use it.
Think about it. E-mail me your thoughts and opinions, I'd love to hear them.
And before I bid you adieu, may I remind you that the only pairing among the main cast of YYH where both characters display an obvious interest in each other is Yusuke and Keiko. So go have fun with that.
(c) Kuwa-chan, 5:43P.M. Pacific, 6-26-04.
Rant:
You know, I am sick of everyone hating this couple for THIS reason and liking that couple for THAT reason... It's so stupid.
I dislike the romance genre. Unfortunately, fanfiction seems to be nothing but. Whether it's the sexy bishounen and his best friend/main foil/archenemy or the lead with their knight in shining armor... I dislike it. (Doesn't stop me from reading/watching it, but I do.)
I was at a website where someone commented that the reason they began to believe in the Kurama/Botan pairing was because of one scene in the OAV (I'm pretty sure it's an OAV, it's only a half-hour long.). Botan is in danger and falls out of the sky, and Kurama does a very cool sequence of Rose Whip and catching the damsel in distress, if I remember correctly (ex-friend of a friend *broke* my DVD with this episode on it). It's a nice sequence, I rather liked it. But it is not a declaration of love. Remember the Yukina arc, when Yusuke and Kuwabara fight that spider demon? Kuwabara cuts Botan from the web and Yusuke catches Botan... the exact same way Kurama did in the OAV! Check it if you don't believe me. The OAV can be bought at Suncoast; last I checked it was $20, without tax, combined with a similar Ninku OAV. The Yukina DVD is about $27, tax included.
Granted, I'm not slamming Yusuke/Botan or Kurama/Botan with the above example. I like both pairings enough that if you find me a fic with no bashing that's well-written, I may read it.
Another point I found interesting at a seperate website; the maintainer commented that every male character in anime seems to be paired with the closest male character they stand next to. This made me laugh hysterically. Why? Because except for one minor detail, this person was absolutely right!
The minor detail in question?
Um, ANY character in anime is paired with ANY character they stand next to!
Or in any fandom. An intelligent yet short-sighted observation. Don't you love it?
Let's keep with YYH example, because these were both YYH sites, and I don't care enough about pairings in other fandoms to complain.
Let's take one of, if not the, most popular pairing in YYH fandom today: Kurama and Hiei. I am a Kurama/Hiei fan, despite evidence to the contrary (namely, that Kurama/Kuwabara fic below...).
A lot of people base the Kurama/Hiei pairing on looks alone. And the fact that they stand next to each other. Refer back to the OAV, with the infamous Prince Kurama, Princess Botan scene. Right after he catches Botan, Kurama goes into one of the most popular KH poses on the 'net: the infamous back-to-back, butt-to-butt battle pose.
[ Extra note: This sequence of events had me rolling on the ground laughing when I first saw this OAV. (after, of course, I complained at the OAV being only a bad half-hour, plotless, cheap little escapade into stereotypical...)It was like "Hi, Kurama and Botan fans... bye, Kurama and Botan fans! Kurama and Hiei fans pay more for merchandise, sorry!"]
Oh my God! Do you know what that means?
THERE IS EVIDENCE FOR BOTH PAIRINGS! Lame, loose, insubstantial evidence, but evidence nontheless...
And that's just the mainstream. Don't make me get into the secondary pairings. Don't make me detail the scene where Yusuke carries Kurama out of the ring in the exact same style as he and Kurama held Botan. Don't make me pull out my pictures of Kurama cradling each of his teammates in their shirtless states (or mostly shirtless, in Kuwabara's case.). Or what about the way Shizuru slung her arm over Botan's shoulder before the Kurama v. Karasu fight? Or Botan's reactions TO Kurama v. Karasu?
Here is more or less what you're saying, using the boys as a medium.
When Kurama holds Hiei, it's love.
When Kurama holds Yusuke, it's friendship.
When Kurama holds Kuwa-chan, it's contempt.
He treats them all exactly the same, and look at what we get! It makes no sense!
But there is a simple solution:
DON'T BOTHER JUSTIFYING YOUR PAIRINGS.
You should not have to. My friends, this is called fanfiction. We are fans of Yu Yu Hakusho together. We all love our boys and girls from the demonic, spiritual and human realms.
And we love seeing our boys and girls in love with each other.
But it's fiction. Both the show and what we write/think is fiction. Theorectically, we should be able to pair Yukina and Touya, who have never actually met face-to-face, and one of whom has a love interest, with no problem. Or Hagiri and Juri. Or Itsuki and Byakko. Or Musashi and Koashura. Hiei and Majari. Mukuro and Ruka. Rando and Toguro. Hinageshi and Ayame. Mitarai and Kuwabara. Doctor and Gourmet. Genkai and Suzaku. Rinku and that little kid Yusuke saved. Or what have you. Who cares?
There is at least one pro and one con for every single pairing in the show. And there is photographic evidence, no matter how slight, for any two characters who speak to each other directly.
I dare you; give me two characters and I will give you a pro and a con for a romantic relationship between them. It may be nutty, but I guarantee you: somewhere far out into the depths of YYH fandom, SOMEONE will believe in that pairing, even if they never log onto the internet. And it may be for the reason I give you.
If these characters ever speak, I will also attempt photographic evidence. Of course, said evidence may need a caption, but whatever. I don't have all the DVDs though, so you would have to bear with me.
In conclusion? If you want two characters to be in love, fine. They are.
But if someone else wants those two characters to be in love with different people, they can be, too. It's a cartoon, my friends. It's fiction in every sense of the word. We are in control of whatever the characters think, do and feel. But if we want to be able exercise this control in a safe and fun enviroment, we've got to realize we all have it, and that we all have the right to (ab)use it.
Think about it. E-mail me your thoughts and opinions, I'd love to hear them.
And before I bid you adieu, may I remind you that the only pairing among the main cast of YYH where both characters display an obvious interest in each other is Yusuke and Keiko. So go have fun with that.
(c) Kuwa-chan, 5:43P.M. Pacific, 6-26-04.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-06 10:34 pm (UTC)The only thing is, the characters must be *IN CHARACTER* when you pair them up. Otherwise, I fully agree with what you're saying.
The reason I said that is because you used Itsuki as an example. It would be very OOC for him to have a thing for anyone but Sensui, as he comes across as VERY VERY monogamously inclined...UNLESS, of course, he's having a threesome with Sensui and someone Sensui is interested in. >D (Just to make him happy.) Same goes for Sensui himself being with a female character...to me, that would be OOC since his ideals are #1 in his mind, and, since women produce human beings, ultimately...yeah.
And, of course, NO MARY SUES!! >O
no subject
Date: 2004-08-06 10:40 pm (UTC)Itsuki would put pink bunny slippers on his head and dance the Hokey Pokey if it made Sensui happy. ^^;; You're very SenItsu inclined. ^_^ It's interesting to observe.