...

[lunesque]

I don't like it when I go in search of information about something (in this case, the Kyo Kara Maoh! Hajimari no Tabi game and novel spoilers) and find character bashing instead. >:0

Case in point, on kkm_wolframfans, there's an entry where the mod asks for favorite pairings involving Wolfram, and someone mentioned Conrad/Wolfram. Then the mod said, "You know, there was a third place that I didn't put in my chart and it was ConWolf before Julia and Yuuri came. But in the end, it's just that I don't think Conrad deserves Wolfram..."

I can't even begin to say how much that angers me. Perhaps I don't know very much about the novels, but who is the one that turns his back on his brother? Who is the one that belittled him at every turn for years (and still does, a little, by the end of the anime?) Who is the one that can't trust his brother with the king because of his own jealous insecurities, despite the fact that there has never been any reason for him to distrust his brother (other than two incidences [that we know of] in their entire life together: when Conrad neglected to tell Wolfram he was half-human [to preserve the status quo of their close relationship] and when he betrayed Yuuri on Shinou's orders?)

Conrad isn't perfect, but neither is Wolfram. And Conrad's sins aren't worse than Wolfram's because he's Conrad.

Dude, that makes me unhappy.

Why are people so... lame?

Comments

[makishef.livejournal.com]

Haha, I just think it's silly to dislike characters to the extent that you treat them like real people. "He doesn't deserve him!" I mean, really. I don't think Sirius would deserve Remus; knowing this, I've totally written Sirius/Remus slash and enjoyed the process, and if my portrayal of Sirius wasn't always favorable, it wasn't bashing him either.

I guess that's just how some people take fandom, though. They grow personal attachments to certain characters based on who they could see themselves with or who reminds them of someone they know, etc. I don't know that what she said was necessarily "bashing" in the sense of "ZOMG HE'S SO FUCKING STUPID AND UGLY AND I HATE HIM!" but I can see how it's lame to have to deal with it.

[lunesque.livejournal.com]

I really feel kind of silly taking it so personally myself, but this is, like the general attitude of 85% of the fandom-- that Conrad is too boring, in the way of the Wolfram/Yuuri pairing, is a rapist, etc., and it just wears on me.

I genuinely feel that this kind of attitude is worse than just outright bashing. It's subversive. If it's just 'OMFG I HATE HIM', that kind of attack is easier to deal with, because it's obvious irrationality. But when it's quieter, it's harder to defend yourself against, and (at least for me) if I try to respond, it makes me feel like the bad guy because 'they don't mean it' or whatever kind of excuse people use and accept.

I don't know. I'm just frustrated.

[lunesque.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

I didn't see the actual post that was written, because the entire thing happened while I was sleeping (;_;) but it caused a lot of Conrad fans to go on the defensive, and the person who wrote it deleted it and offered a half-assed apology.

I only recently discovered what the entire thing was about.

[lunesque.livejournal.com]

The thing is, Conrad isn't a rapist, and there's absolutely no evidence to prove the claim. It's completely unfounded in every possible way.

[makishef.livejournal.com]

Haha, if I knew shit about this pairing, I would totally write you Conrad/Wolfram where Wolfram was definitely his equal, if not a little less, just for petty vengeance. <3

But I understand. I run dry_ice, which is an (X-Men movieverse) Iceman/Pyro OTP community, so of course the typical bashing is Rogue-bashing. Okay, that's something I've learned to deal with, because in the movies, I agree that she's kind of lame and wussy, and it's just what happens in fandom. Some slash shippers are just ALWAYS going to bash the female that stands in the way of their OTP.

The thing I don't get, though, is occasionally, I'll see someone make a snide comment about one of the guys or suggests that one is victimized by the other. It's totally okay for John to say these things, as a character, because he's kind of petty and says nasty things, sometimes true, and it's why we love him (at least if we're being honest and not pretending he's the best thing since sliced bread). But for one of the writers to express it themselves? I'm so confused by that. Besides, poor Bobby doesn't get enough love. Haha, when Kasi and I first started the comm, we were the only ones who seemed to prefer John. The trend has definitely changed, though, and now it seems that even though John is the "bad" guy, he's the more sympathetic character, and everyone loves him and hates Bobby.

I think it's just bound to happen. Shippers are always going to get fussy. I mean, shit, when I said any female characters standing in the way? I meant ANY character standing in the way. So if this chick is an avid Wolfram/Yuuri shipper, and she's just one of That Kind of Shipper, of course she's going to hate Conrad. He's a threat to her favorite ship's happy ending. Lame.