What kind of fanfics do you hate?

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What kind of fanfics do you hate?

Postby Dumbledork » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:16 pm

I for one can't stand reading yaoi fics (and there really is an unhealthy amount of those in the Naruto and Harry Potter sections at fanfiction.net). Although I don't have a problem with female Ranma/guy fics as I don't consider them yaoi per se.

What I don't understand is why there are so many yaoi fics but only a few yuri fics.
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Postby Neko- » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:25 pm

The fics I dislike... Lets see...

A fic that's based on continuety, but then throws out such an unbelievable plot-device (which isn't labeled as such) to 'force' the story where the author wants it to go. Taking the characters and mangling them to the point that they become an entirely different character without any plausible explanation of why. (real OOC behaviour). Doing this with a plausible explanation however makes it a lot better in my book.

A fic that's low on comma's, dot's and whatnot. Makes reading it a hard thing to do. Paragraphs also are a must. (one huge sentence is a printed page of paper? Doesn't read good)

Fics that have absolutely no plot or purpose whatsoever. (there were a few on ff.net regarding the phrase 'poopie'. I probably just rang a bell at an ff.net entry most of you have seen at some time, but would rather forget, so I'll shutup now :P )
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Re: What kind of fanfics do you hate?

Postby Metroidvania » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:42 pm

Dumbledork wrote:What I don't understand is why there are so many yaoi fics but only a few yuri fics.


Damn straight.

More yuri fics, especially since they're usually done with some taste, and are much better than the craptacular fan-girl Naruto/Sasuke...which is why there aren't so many in the first place, as fan_boys_ don't generally write as much as fangirls.

As for things that bug me.......

Bad spelling and grammar. I'll stop reading a fic if it becomes beyond recognizable.

I like odd pairings, but only if they're done well.

Something like Naruto/Anko or Ranma/Kiima needs to be _better_ than a fanfic, with say, Ranma/Akane to make it work. without effort, the fic falls apart.

Not enough research done on either of the series an author is crossing. Fortunately, this isn't as prevalent, but it still really pisses me off when an author disregards a main element of one series to allow the puzzle pieces to fit.

Hidden/altered personality traits, like Ranma's super-genius, unless they're _really_ well explained away. If Ranma's really a super genius, he better have a _damn_ good reason for hiding it, not just something like hiding it from Nabiki or Genma to keep them from taking advantage of him.

Basically, as long as something's done _well_, I'll give it a read, except for yaoi, which I've been disheartened of due to the crap that is Naruto and HP on FF.
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Postby P.H. Wise » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:51 pm

I have an intense dislike for 'forced feminization' stories, which are remarkably common in Ranma ficdom. You know the kind. "OK, Ranma. It's time you learned how to act like a girl!" where what is really meant by that is something to the effect of, "OK, Ranma. It's time you changed everything about who you are and embraced the stereotypical feminine gender role. Then, when you're not even you anymore, you'll be much happier."

I also tend to dislike OOCness, sloppy writing, and AUs that are so AU that the only thing that the characters have in common with their canon counterparts is a shared name.
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Re: What kind of fanfics do you hate?

Postby FriendlyEL » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:54 pm

Metroidvania wrote:Hidden/altered personality traits, like Ranma's super-genius, unless they're _really_ well explained away. If Ranma's really a super genius, he better have a _damn_ good reason for hiding it, not just something like hiding it from Nabiki or Genma to keep them from taking advantage of him.


We definately need more post manga fanfics that make Ranma out to be the dense and tactless despite being well meaning sometimes person that he is in cannon. Just because he's the main hero doesn't mean he's perfect, people.
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Postby Heaven's Deamon » Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:58 pm

Fics that try to pair two characters from the same series who 1. have little/no interaction with each other during the series, or 2. have personalities/histories that would be incompatible with each other, for no reason other than that they think it would make a cute couple.

Crossovers are one thing, there it is obvious that there would be no previous interaction so as long as it keeps to their original personalities and builds on that I'm fine. My main problem is that these are usually forcing the pairing by either taking the characters OOC almost from the get go, or basicly making their own background and characters and then giving the characters names from the series regardless of what the personalities are.

some examples in Naruto are Sasuke/Hinata and Gaara/Hinata.

With Sasu/Hina their personalities are completely different, some say opposites attract but that doesn't matter if they have nothing in common to build a relationship on. I can somewhat see Sasuke or Orochimaru wanting to use Hinata to "help" them renew the Uchiha clan/make a new bloodline, but I could never see her willingly agree, so it would be one sided if anything. you could use it as a plot point to set up another relationship for Hinata by having the guy protect/save her from sasuke/orichimaru, but I don't see it as a viable 'ship in itself.

As for Gaara paired with Hinata, the main problem I have with this is that Hinata saw Gaara in action during the Forest of Death part of the Chuunin exams, back when he still acted psycho. That would be a MAJOR bad point for her, and considering the importance of first impressions would be a major obstacle to get around if someone were going to pair them.
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Postby Dumbledork » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:04 pm

Another thing I dislike is if one of the major elements that defines a story is missing. e.g. Ranma not having a curse (I don't mind if later on there's a plausible reason as to why he got cured), Naruto fics where the charcters aren't ninja and don't use any justsu (most of the "high schooler Naruto" fics).
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Postby Staren » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:12 pm

P.H. Wise wrote:I also tend to dislike OOCness, sloppy writing, and AUs that are so AU that the only thing that the characters have in common with their canon counterparts is a shared name.


That's my main pet-peeve for any fanfic community.

"Ranma the dumb but caring prince meets Akane the kitchen girl." or "Ranma the vice cop saves Xian-Pu who is forced to work in Japan by her evil grandmother." are NOT AUs. They're orginal stories with ripped off names.
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Postby rmt » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:38 pm

I really don't like any of the Ranma willingly becomes / is permanently locked as / was born a girl fics. I don't like crossovers either, as a rule. Something has to be pretty damn good to keep my interest with either of these as the premise.

Other than that, I just hate bad fanfiction. You know the sort: unintelligible spelling, sloppy grammar and punctuation, blatant OOCisms, forcing the characters to follow the plot instead of the other way around, mis-spellings of characters' or settings' names etc.

To the people who said they didn't like yaoi: Is it the m/m pairing that is the problem, or is it the stupid cramming of two characters without any thought or reason? For me, it's the latter. I would love to see a properly done m/m (or Ranma/m) pairing with all of the character development required to make it work.
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Postby Climhazard » Fri Mar 16, 2007 3:58 pm

Really hate dumb character bashing and OOC. Reading in hell know how many time about "Devil Genma that torture poor Ranma" kinda... annoying... Same for "Super-bitch Akane". Also "Saint Nabiki that earn money for family".

PS. And Kasumi. In manga she not show any feeling for Tofu. She not "madly in love" with him. Deal with it!!! ^_^
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Postby Atlan » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:08 pm

My pet peeve is most often found in Harry Potter and Ranma fics.

It's the one where it turns out that everyone actuallly hates the main charecter, thinks of him as a tool, and wont stop at any legnths to controll him/her. Then the entire fic becomes a vessal of impotent adolesent rage.
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Postby bissek » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:29 pm

Regardless of what the story is about, fanfics where the author does not understand what carriage returns are for. I find that fanfics where the entire chapter is one solid block of text instead of being properly divided into paragraphs to be totally unreadable. This kind of thing is explained back in second grade, so most authors should know about it.

I'm willing to let the occasional spelling or grammar error slide, but unreadable format is an instant fic-killer for me.
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Postby claymade » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:42 pm

---Fanfics where an OC "permanently" shows up the canon characters--i.e. where the canon characters get shown up, and never "get their own back, with interest" by the end. Note that this is distinct from a "Mary Sue." It is, technically speaking, possible to write a balanced, nuanced, otherwise-good character that happens to make fools of the canon characters. I've seen a couple of them. I don't consider them Mary Sues per se--but I find them disrespectful to the source all the same.

---Crossovers that revel in one series one-sidedly pwning the other series.

---"Victory lap" fics. Something changes--either in the past as a "what if?" or in the present. And armed with this new change, the hero proceeds to fix every problem in the series, usually overcoming all obstacles easily. Now, this isn't so bad for a shortfic, but when you've got chapters and chapters of this it gets really old really fast.

I put the thing this way: "Any change to the basic operational parameters of a plot-verse made in the first two-thirds of a multi-chapter work should (as quickly as possible) result in AT LEAST as much hell for the principal characters as it alleviates."

---Angsty-hero-hates-his-life fics, when that's not a component of the main canon. Ranma, particularly.

---Character bashing for the sake of character bashing, far beyond the needs of the plot. I mean, come on... it's only common sense. Why risk alienating fans of that character if your plot doesn't need you to, when you could have gotten away with a more nuanced, humanized portrayal... or worst case, shuffle them offscreen, instead of focusing and pounding on them for no necessary reason?

---Fics centering around suicide.
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Postby Raneko » Fri Mar 16, 2007 4:46 pm

Cured Ranma fics. You take out a lot of the fun.
Ranma Locked in curse form and liking guys. (iffy) only if it is very well done and if ranma is bi.

Ranma is a reincarnation of someone. I hate it becuase your really not reading a story about ranma. Your reading a story about someone acting like ranma. I can handle ranma's soul mergeing with someone elses or inherting someone's memories, but it still has to be something of ranma.

Don't even get me started on yiao.
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Postby Southern Cross » Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:15 pm

Actually,I hate "Ranma fanfics where Ranma is stuck as a girl" too.Ranma's a GUY!!!!
Another thing I hate is "Akane's a psycho bitch" stories.
She's the sanest of all the fiancees people!!!!!!!!!! (which admittedly,isn't saying much).
(Besides,both these storylines have been done to death,much like the Ryoga/Ukyo & Nabiki/Kuno matchups,which don't make sense either).
I also dislike Harry/Hermione matchups too.Doesn't any HP fan read ANY romance fiction? Harry & Hermione are NOT compatible!
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