There's this one Spyro fancomic I really like, and the comic proper is written well. However, sometimes I read the stuff that isn't the comic proper (such as additional writings) and I go, "Yeah... no."
I've also been reading a few My Little Pony fanfics recently. I tend to find most of them... poorly written, but I do find a couple interesting and poorly written.
Fanfics are pretty cool in the sense that they can talk about stuff that canon cannot or will not. However, they do this, a lot.
I love reading MLP fanfics that really bring out that sense of these characters. And sometimes, seeing them go on the edge of their world is awesome. There's something really cool about a story all about the girls finding out that Fluttershy was in a porno. (Yes, that's a real fanfic, and yes, a really good one.)
I love reading Yugioh fanfics that bring out a new idea for a new series, or various fan cards.
I'm really into Pokemon fanfics that can delve more into this Pokemon like feel, creating a world for Pokemon, not just of Pokemon. This is awesome. But there's something lacking I've noticed.
What I'm saying isn't even a "me" thing. I find a lot of people agree when I say that fanfics, don't really feel like fanfics. They feel more like someone's original universe with some elements of someone else's ideas.
I had a roleplaying experience with Pokemon, where one person brought in their Pokemon with a homebrew item, as in a weapon that doesn't exist in games. And this really did bother me because, I was thinking this would be strictly vanilla. They didn't even ask about this, but instead just assumed I'd be fine with this item that had several different powers that would be OP and gamebreaking if they were real. Also, as a note, she was invited to this roleplay, so I was already doing this with someone else and we were very basic.
This is far from the only time someone's really enforced their own idea of Pokemon. A lot of times, whenever I'm trying to entertain myself with fan content, I'm shoved in the face with all kinds of stuff that doesn't feel right.
This is gonna seem kinda weird to most of you who speak with me on a regular basis, and know I have a sailor's mouth. However, cussing really bothers me, especially casually, with source material that's g-rated. I also think this usually goes against the characters.
The next part is blood and gore. I think this is really odd to see blood in a Pokemon fanfic after only one scratch, or for a Pokemon to get electrocuted to death when we see Jessie and James getting blasted regularly in the anime with millions of volts. (Before you bring up the manga, most of the horrifying examples were early on, and btw, the arbok survived). We also see Pokemon fight for minutes without getting scratches but in fanfics they're losing limbs like drunks in a factory.
And some cases are just the generic, unenthusiastic way authors deal with addictions or drugs. They take two generic people talking about drugs and drug use, and say "Oh, uh, Pinkie Pie has a drug addiction with... sugar? And here's Twilight Sparkle talking with her. And then they Les Miserables." If I ever have to see, by the way, another fanfic that talks about a canon event, and has a character apologize for "suffering", I will throw a fucking fit.
Apology scenes are the worst. How many people go and say, "I apologize!" anyway, with full details about what they did. Usually my friends and I just talk about how we can prevent the error from happening again, finding common ground, and moving on. But in fanfics, you would think accidentally stealing someone's chips could send them in permanent trauma and scars.
Okay this is a tangent, but back to my point:
Fanfics aren't rewarded by accuracy with source material, they're rewarded by applause for tickling what the fan's want. And usually, fandom has a very specific viewpoint of characters, whether really warranted or not.
The main complaint I have with fanfics is they don't feel like fanfics in the sense of these don't feel like the world.
However, in this, I have an internal turmoil. Fanfics SHOULD break the rules of canon, in fact, that's once again their greatest strength. But if they don't follow the canon, what are they breaking in the first place? There's something interesting about a red dot in a green vase. There's nothing interesting about a red dot in a green and red vase. And there's something off-putting about a red dot in a green, red, and blue vase.
Back to the Spyro fanwork, very tangentially is this even related to the series. In fact, a lot of the lore from this work isn't really stuff I'd associate with the series, such as real world topics that are very sensitive. But also, the work lacks a lot of the quirkiness that I associate with the world of Spyro.
The Legend of Spyro is dark and brooding, but also has the small mole species known as "Manweersmalls" and the giant mountain "boyzitbig."
Similarly, Pokemon is known for having larger than life characters. Think about Guildmaster Wigglytuff, think about Team Rocket. And realize that characters who are more serious or dangerous get amped up by this. Characters like Mewtwo. Same with Yugioh. In GX, you've got jokers like Crowler or Belowski, but this just makes Supreme King Judai so much more intense. Judai's presence is powerful enough that even war veterans are afraid of him, shaking in their boots. But no fanfic replicates this power. No fanfic shows me the character who plays giant pillows that make people obsessed with sleep. No fanfic shows me the dude who has the hot sauce (actually Alcohol, but 4Kids dubbed over that) cards.
I mean like, where's the wit? Where the cuteness? Where's the quirkiness? Where's the playful banter?
If you're gonna show me a story with people shooting up veins and churches, at least give me a story where they call the gun "pow pow Peter." Because that's what makes the world. Yes, you should stretch, but keep the essential feeling that makes people come here.
And before you say "well just because you have these expectations, doesn't means others do", well, no, everyone has these expectations. Otherwise, you wouldn't read fanfics. You read fanfics because you want the world you like and you want that material. You read fanfics to mimic that feel, to mimic what got you into a world. Otherwise, you'd only read fanfics on sheer accident.
That's my opinions however you may find yourself having those same opinions. That's because I have some of the best opinions there is.
