#confused about fanon /canon anon

[wingsofachampion]

OOC Ask Game based on Pokemon Spinoffs!

Feel free to reblog! In fact, please do reblog! But please send an ask to the person you reblog from!

Mystery Dungeon - What's your favorite thing you've done in Pokemon IRL?

Ranger - What's a Pokemon IRL blog idea that you've had that you haven't gotten the chance to make?

Stadium - What convinced you to join Pokemon IRL?

Colosseum - What's your opinion on high stakes in Pokemon IRL?

Rumble - What was your first impression of Pokemon IRL?

Dash - Worst experience you've had in Pokemon IRL?

Trozei - What's something you want to see more of in Pokemon IRL?

Snap - What's the most memorable experience you've had in Pokemon IRL?

Masters - What's a canon character that you'd like to see a Pokemon IRL blog for?

Detective Pikachu - What's something you're looking forward to doing with one of your Pokemon IRL blogs?

Pokken - What's something you really like about Pokemon IRL?

Duel - Something about Pokemon IRL that you feel is underappreciated?

Quest - What's your favorite piece of Pokemon IRL fanon?

Cafe - What's your opinion on off-blog RP in Pokemon IRL?

Go - What's your opinion on events in Pokemon IRL?

Sleep - What's your opinion on Musharna Mail?

Picross - What's something confusing about Pokemon IRL to you?

Magikarp Jump - What's a Pokemon species you want to see get more representation in Pokemon IRL?

Typing Adventure - What's your favorite Pokemon IRL post you've made?

Art Academy - Have you made any art for Pokemon IRL? What's an art piece you've made for it that you really like?

Unite - What's a Pokemon IRL event you might like to run someday?

Smile - Is Pokemon IRL fun for you?

Pinball - What's your preferred term for Pokemon IRL?

Conquest - What's your opinion on Pelipper Mail?

Puzzle - What's your opinion on Magic Anons?

TCG - Do you plan on ever leaving Pokemon IRL? (It's ok if so!)

Pokepark - Shout out a Pokemon IRL blog you really like!

[ardafanonarch]

Welcome! This is an Ask-based meta blog for looking into the intersections of fanon and canon in The Silmarillion fandom. 

What does that mean?

“Fanon archaeology” means digging into the canon texts to theorise about where fanons come from. It's a bit like a "fanon mythbusters" blog except that nothing is being busted. The aim here is to investigate in a spirit of curiosity and fun that celebrates fandom creativity. It is not to criticise or argue against. It is also a great place to send in a Ask about the various “versions” of canon you hear about in this fandom.

Ask Guidelines

To be revised as the blog evolves.

Currently only taking Asks primarily to do with the Years of the Trees and First Age.

Please be respectful in your wording. Avoid language that is judgmental or generalising. For example, instead of saying, “I hate that everyone thinks Sauron tortured Maedhros, can you set the record straight?” just ask the question: “Where does the idea that Sauron tortured Maedhros come from?” 

We don't do meta on the canonical basis of ships (Vingilot excepted). This topic is very subjective and outside the scope of the blog.

Responses will focus on links to canon, not fandom history.

We will try to answer approx. one Ask per week. 

Replies to anon asks will be tagged #anon.

More info below the cut.

Why bother with this?

The entire corpus of works published by J.R.R Tolkien or his son Christopher is massive, difficult to navigate, and not always accessible. Many fans are curious about the relationship between fanon and canon but perhaps don’t have the time, energy, or resources to dig into the texts. We’re here to do the archaeology: excavate the quotes, dust off the footnotes, and report back on the findings. 

Who are you?

Currently this blog is run by one person, but to avoid any confusion between my individual takes and the intended objectivity of this blog, I am keeping my fandom identity on the down-low. I am not a scholar or an expert, but I love researching and writing meta. For now the blog is Silmarillion-focused because that’s my area of interest and knowledge. If and when the blog grows, I hope to expand to include other Tolkien canon and invite fandom community members to contribute responses to Asks.

This is a positive space.

We love fanon, canon, and the creative process that connects them. Positive, constructive, and supportive engagement with our posts is encouraged. Negative, hostile, offensive engagement is not, and we may block users who choose to engage in this way. 

Please be respectful of the community and remember we are all just here hanging out because we love the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. 

[decepti-thots]

hello !! wish you a good day !

if you don't mind, I would like to know your thoughts about ratchet's and drift's age. I'm feeling hyperfixated on age in general, but these two keep me extremely confused. I like the concept that drift is waaaay younger than ratchet, but does it just come from fanfiction ? some places tell me that they're the same age, and some say that drift is actually elder than ratchet ! so, what do you have to say about this ? thank you ((:

That is indeed a fanon idea, and one that doesn't really work with what we know of canon! We don't have specifics on their ages in relation to each other, but we know that Drift and Ratchet were contemporaries, because of the fact that they ran into each other well before the war, with both of them clearly having been around for a while already. While there's no reason we couldn't assume, with what we know, that Ratchet is overall older- there's not really a way to make him much older relatively speaking. He's clearly not like, Cyclonus' contemporary, or anything like that, which would probably be what would be needed for him and Drift to have a meaningful gap in age or experience.

I do seem to recall there being confirmation Drift is older that Megatron in the canon- so yeah, he's not super young.

I believe the idea that Drift is actually the older of the two is something Roberts tweeted when asked, IIRC. He seemed to think there was something in MTMTE/LL itself which did make this canon (rather than word-of-god) but I don't believe anyone could ever work out what he seemed to be referring to? Regardless, if you see people say that Drift is older, they're probably referring to this word-of-god statement. (Unless there's something which proves Ratchet is not older than Megatron..? God, I can't keep this shit straight, they're all vaguely contemporaries, it doesn't matter as much given how long they live who is a few hundred years older, lmao.)

As to why fanon casually assumed Drift was so much younger for ages... combo of 'Ratchet calls Drift 'kid' as a nickname' (which is probably Ratchet acting creakier than he really is as usual and being mildly condescending, lmao) and 'fandom tropes just Assume ships with their dynamic are old guy/young guy' stuff.

EDIT: aha! I misremembered slightly; got myself mixed up. The word of god confirmation was for Drift and Megatron, apologies anon. Here's the thread:

I am... not sure if there is an actual way to 100% infer this from the text tbh, I'm not quite sure what he means now I think about it, but it's in line with everything else we see so I'm not inclined to quibble. Drift's older than Megs and Rodimus (who are of course around of an age with each other, as per EC), which I think probably just puts him around Ratchet's contemporary if you look at the other context clues there. No big difference of note, either way.

[ratrrriot]

Dear anon: i fucked up and instead of saving this ask to my drafts, i accidentally posted it halfway through writing my answer and then impulsively deleted it. So now i'll have to answer to this screenshot and ask you to pretend its the real thing ,ok? Thank you for the ask and sorry!!! i'm really hoping you'll see this long ass answer🙏

I actually talked about this idea once on twitter but YES, I do think Shadow would certainly have a reaction when seeing Sonic act all brother-ly towards Tails. Especially because i like to think seeing them could trigger some real -not previously manipulated by Gerald- memories of him and Maria. However,rather than jealousy,i believe he would be emotionally confused and have mixed feelings about this.

Note: This is complete headcanon talk, so don't take this as an analysis of who Shadow,sonic,tails and Maria are in canon! Its fanon interpretation

Don't get me wrong. Do i think he was bitter at first,knowing they had what was taken from him? yes, absolutely,but do i think that could fuel his hostility towards Sonic? not really ,Because i don't think that Sonic & Tails reminded him of his own sibling when they first met, mainly because i don't think Shadow remembered Maria was a sister-figure to him until he started recovering his real memories (cuz i doubt Gerald knew they tought of eachother as siblings when he put the fake memories in him),Plus i don't think he noticed how truly brother-ly the bond between those two was until he got to meet them better,which i believe must have happened after a few games anyways. I believe that S & T's relationship reminds him of his and Maria's now.

I think that more than the angry, hurt person he used to be,he is now just a really broken one who's trying to somewhat fix his relationship with the world and his own existence. So while i agree he must have been bitter about this issue at the beggining,i don't think it was the most prevalent feeling this situation caused him.

I believe that in the present -emphasis on present time cuz we all know he hated him with a passion at the beggining- He's mean to Sonic because their egos clash and he doesn't like his attitude (they kinda make the worst side of eachother come out lol) ,but its clear he actually respects him when it comes to their shared values. Their competitivity seems to be a consequence of his superiority complex and more of a source of entertainment to him than anything else. So I think that when Shadow sees how good of a brother Sonic is to Tails,he can't really hate him for it or say that "he doesn't know what he has",cause he knows he is seeing someone who actually knows exactly how precious the bond they have is. Someone who wouldn't hesitate to give his life to protect his little brother, someone who feels inspired by the support and presence of their sibling. Someone like Maria. (At least the Maria from my headcanons;;). The reminder of Maria's absence is always painful and enfuriating ,sure,but more importantly, i think seeing Sonic like that would make him uncomfortable,because the fact that his rival,someone who he used to hate and has fought so many times, can suddenly have SO MUCH in common with the one person who mattered the most to him,is incredibly confusing. Even weirder is the fact that in this situation,the one who's taking his place is Tails. TAILS of all people!!

And that brings A LOT of questions!!! Especially because these could be clues to what kind of people Maria and Shadow used to be,something very important to him and that he has lots of trouble remembering. Like,when Shad was a younger brother too ,was he anything like Tails? and if Tails wasn't born by Sonic's side and instead was found by him...Could Shadow maybe find someone like Maria out there and form a familiar bond again? Did Maria treat him just as Sonic treats Tails? Could Maria have even more things in common with Sonic and Shadow just doesn't remember???

My guy is NOT ready to answer any of these questions (he might be recovering the missing pieces of his broken memory and healing a bit but he still has a long way to go before he can be anything close to emotionally stable) and i'm not sure if he'd like the answers anyways. Plus,at least in my headcanons,his real memories of Maria might bring him joy and nostalgia but also tons of frustration,not just because he can't remember her at will,but also cause he gets the impression that Maria was hiding a lot of sadness and he doesn't remember why.(I imagine she tried to not bother Shad with the weight of her emotions),nor if he could help her in any way.

At the end of the day,Shadow's backstory and the reasons for his creation are the source of his trauma ,And wether he likes it or not,Maria is one of the main parts of all of that. So sometimes he doesn't know if he wants to move on from her or keep dwelling on the past,which is why i believe being reminded of her always brings him comfort ,but also emotional exhaustion ...

And In this case,he is too exhausted to be jealous of Sonic and Tails for having what he has lost.

ANYWAYS. That's just my opinion on the matter,If you think seeing Sonic and Tail's brotherhood would fuel Shadow's hatred,i think that's valid, especially cause at the end of the day it depends on how you'd think Shadow deals with his baggage,and there can be many interpretations for that.

Again,Thanks for the ask!

[allovesthings]

Okay, so I saw you one Jason and Dick fic, I raise the idea we need more focus on it being in universe lore, so we get to a time where Jason is confused on why that is the narrative in the Batfam lore, because like why? And Dick is just like over in the corner like going "look, someone took my genuine upset at Bruce not telling me you died and then punching me, as me not liking you".

Jason: "there is so many thing wrongs in that sentence, why don't we throw out the suitcase, with Bruce in it"

Hi anon 💜

I was so confused for a minute because I thought you were talking about a fic I wrote about Jason and I was like: "🤔 when did I ever write a fic about Jason ?"

..And then I realized, you are talking about the post I made about this idea that Dick resented Jason coming from that time Bruce hit him in the face after Jason's death and how that's not really true in canon...

Actually, I think your idea could be a fun thing to explore. It would be a way to talk about some of the misconceptions in Jason and Dick's relationship in fanon and how Dick reacted to being replaced (he was actually the chillest compared to literally all of the other Robins being replaced and only yelled at Bruce, which was fair) and their relationship with Bruce in general !

Although, the problem is who is spreading those ideas that Dick resented Jason within the Batfam ? None of them were in the story but Babs,Alfred, Dick and Bruce at that point ?

I think that's such an interesting way to go about it ! I really like the idea.

[transformers-earthspark]

REASONS why people really shouldn't be mad about Bee's "cassette exploding" line in Earthspark:

- A real cassette "exploding" just means that the tape has come unwound. This can usually be fixed by rewinding the cassette tape with a pen or pencil.

- Younger generation of humans (Robby and Mo) would not know how cassettes worked. That explains why they were horrified, while Bumblebee thought it was funny and was then confused and stopped telling them about it. "Ohh. Maybe that's not the best story to share with you."

- Do y'all really think Bumblebee of all characters would make a joke about someone's death, in a show for children??

- Said exploding cassette was not confirmed to be Rumble. Many people assumed it to be Rumble because we haven't seen him yet in Earthspark, but popular fanon does not equal canon.

- Even if the explosion was real, and said cassette did die, there is no confirmation that the cassettes are children. By Cybertronian standards, they are likely adults. The line was not a joke about child death, and likely not a joke about death at all.

There's nothing wrong with having theories about the exploded cassette or Rumble's absence, but it is not okay to get mad at the producers for something that wasn't even canon in the show.

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk. If you're mad at me, take it to the DMs-- anon hate isn't cool, guys.

[buckybarnesss]

I'm not sure if you've talked about this before, my apologies if you have, I'm a little confused. The transfer of werewolf power through families. I see a lot of people say Laura inherited Talia's spark after her death. I'm not saying it's not possible, but how did that theory come to be? I know it's not really touched on, but I thought you could only become an alpha by killing one or the true alpha thing. Was it mentioned and I missed something? Thanks :)

no need to apologize anon. i've got a few posts that address the topic of power transfer within the universe of teen wolf. it is a confusing topic.

(here and here)

it's confusing for a few reasons one being that in the show we often have unreliable narrators so what is said and what is shown do not always align. another reason is that the show doesn't really do very much exposition on it.

it's also confusing because of the fanon that developed over the years trying to fill in the gaps of canon because that's what fanon is for.

this is my analysis of canon that has come from rewatching the show over the years.

here's the rules as i understand them:

sparks are inherent to everyone and they are a source of power. taking someone else's spark enhances another's power and can be used to fuel rites, sacrifices, rituals and so on.

disregard what peter says in visionary about blue eyes meaning one has killed an innocent. innocence is a made up, arbitrary human moral concept. the same for guilt. what i think is far more likely is that there's a stigma attached to having blue eyes in the supernatural community due to it representing power hungry werewolves who kill people to increase their own power (ie: someone like duecalion).

duecalion straight up tells us how stealing power works in the beast of beacon hills when he explains to to theo:

“that’s the secret to taking power. pain. take their pain, take their life, take their power. It’s all or nothing. you take until there’s nothing more to give. that’s where you find the spark of power. and then, you take that as well. pain, life, power. in that order and only that order.”

4. scott becomes a true alpha due to his own willpower transforming his spark which is why true alphas are so rare. they do not steal power from others but create it. their sparks cannot be stolen by killing them because it's specific and unique to them. it can only be transferred/inherited by another werewolf who was created by using that spark ie: liam or hayden.

5. there are 3 ways to obtain alpha status in teen wolf.

killing an alpha for their alpha spark. this is by far the most common way we see alphas rise to power. violence begets violence.

becoming a true alpha by force of will which is rare.

inheriting the alpha spark which is what happened with laura.

laura inheriting talia's spark isn't really a theory. it's what happened. what's unclear is the hows and whys of how it works exactly but i have an idea on that.

i believe the answer lies with the knowledge that scott's true alpha spark is only being able to be taken/inherited by a beta created by it and malia halving corrine's power by virtue of being born.

my theory is that that laura inherited talia's alpha spark upon her death because talia's children share a piece of her own spark and therefore a little bit of her power. this is how born werewolves happen. laura being the oldest, more experienced and powerful of the three is the one the spark went to when talia died.

[wetcatspellcaster]

First of all, thank you so much for all you do! Your work has gotten me through a really rough few weeks dealing with the first anniversary of my mom's death. I'm so excited every time I get an ao3 notification for one of your stories. ❤️

Also I'm a huge Buffy fan and your Ascended Astarion has such presouled-but-in-love-with-buffy Spike vibes I love it. Especially his not understanding why his super romantic gestures of murder and abduction are not working on the object of his affections. I love how frustrated and baffled Astarion is by Rose's refusals. "These things are the *height* of vampire wooing? how's she not swooning?? She must be playing hard to get."

Also every time they get into a physical altercation, it absolutely feels like it may end in building destroying sex. 😏

I did have a question about Astarion's expectations about Rose (which feel free not to answer if its spoilers or you dont feel like it). I know he dumped her after she wouldn't be turned by him post ritual but it seems like he's definitely spent years getting things ready to have her living with him since then with the custom bedrooms and the rose gardens. Did he expect her to come back on her own since then? even after telling her he basically wanted nothing to do with her?

Anyway this was long 😅 but thanks again for sharing your talent and imagination with us. good luck with your surgery! ❤️

Hello anon, thank you so much for messaging me. I use fic writing as a mental health lifeline (and guess what! I have also bereaved a parent in my time!) so I'm glad I can pay that comfort forward to you and anyone else, in some small form. I hope the anniversary and any related feelings that come up pass smoothly.

(also, Ascendent/Spike parallels are such a call out at the particular moment I am in drafting. I think my approach to souls in D&D is very coloured by what meaning they hold in BtVS).

To your question! I'll try to answer as best I can.

The initial reaction and break up is obvious dictated a little by canon, but in my version of events, it's also coloured by the violent/traumatic nature of the Ascendent's 'birth'. On the one hand, Ascended!Astarion is drunk on power and his first real sense of freedom, but on the other, it has come at a dramatic and awful cost that everyone around him witnessed and cannot deny. Also, not to spoil, but I have aligned my reading of the events with the fanon interpretation that a romanced Astarion justifies his desire for Ascendency through Tav, or fear of losing that relationship. So Rose's initial rejection causes a lot of anger and deliberate cruelty, because of the confusion and pain behind it: he did the Rite, partly for her, Rosalie watched him do the Rite and didn't stop him, and now? she's suddenly having second thoughts? When it's irreversible? When he's stuck here, now? And she refuses keep him company?

The anger and pain around that was real, I believe, and causes him to lash out. Hence, the break-up. Much with the way I write the Ascendent in all guises, he does an extremely stupid thing, then commits to the bit and doubles down. Oh, he's dumped her now? He kind of didn't mean to do that, but now he can't be desperate and take it back, so he has to lean in and pretend that was what intended to do all along, etc.

Then she leaves for real? Well, fuck her. He didn't need her anyway - that's why he dumped her, after all. Nothing to do with the trauma, or his mistakes. So then, he commits to the bit, twicefold. He leans in further. Starts to perform the exact life he'd said he'd have without her. Gets new friends, new lovers, an underground network of power, etc. That takes a few years.

Oh. Wait. Why does none of this feel good? Why does it all feel awful???Must be because his girlfriend, the one he did this all for, isn't here (and who's fault was that again? by this point, he's forgotten).

But pride is still a major factor in the way the Ascendent conducts himself, and he can't go to her - he can't look desperate, or unhappy, or like he regrets his decisions. I've used this in a justification of why he never sought her out in places he couldn't pretend he found her by chance, even though he can smell her blood and knows she goes to Waterdeep - he can't be the one to go to her. And she must be miserable, right? He is. So he starts to engineer things for her return, because she'll be the one to cave first, and besides, he's got eternity anyway. He's so patient (lol).

And then, inevitably, when Rosalie continues living her life avoiding him, he's like "welp. I can't go to her (pride), and she isn't coming to me. Time to make her come to me (murderous intent)" and that's how he kills a ballroom full of people. He genuinely thinks what's keeping them apart is the distance, not the element of choice (because. um. we've seen what he thinks of free will). He believes that once they're in the same room together, it'll be impossible for her to resist. He can charm her. He did it once before. And he's not sad or conflicted about it this time. And he's the same person, right?

[author laughs in REDACTED]

So basically, his expectation of Rose was that she would be the one to break first. They both love each other, and she's a nice person. She's the bleeding heart. She's the one who was seduced the first time round.

When none of that happens, he decides to engineer the same set of circumstances in a lab, assuming that forcing her into returning will have the same outcome as her choosing to return (you may notice a pattern of behaviour emerging). So once the Ascendent has created forced proximity and given himself the chance to seduce Tav all over again, he's certain he'll win, because he knows the playbook, and it worked on them, and since he Ascended he's had proof it works on everyone else.

But unfortunately, a successful romance in this scenario relies on Ascended!Astarion not being awful, for 5 minutes which... um.... he hasn't achieved once in this fic, not once.

[khorai]

Same Anon as before. Do you have any unpopular opinions about certain characters?

A lot even but i will only talk about my opinions regarding the characters from the Naruto manga that I appreciate - if I expand, we'll be here tomorrow - .

Firstly, let's start with Sakura.

I don't understand why some—actually, many—of her own fans say she is poorly written.

She isn't...?

Sakura has issues concerning her character, but it has NOTHING to do with bad writing but more about her role in the story and how she was used. As for her character itself, she-is-not-poorly-written.

Honestly, I hate this claim because it gives the impression that her character is bad when that's not the case at all.

Coming from the antis, it's not surprising —they can't even understand the character of their own favorite, so understanding Sakura's character would be a miracle— but from her "stan"?

Just...no.

She is not poorly written, and that's my final word on it. I'm more than tired of hearing this nonsense. Yes, the narrative failed her many times— like many other characters, for that matter —but it's not the "bad writing" of her character to blame, but rather Kishimoto's inability to focus on characters other than Sasuke and Naruto.

Another unpopular opinion about her is that I HATE fanon versions of Sakura (and when I say fanon, I also mean popular headcanons about her circulating in the fandom).

It may sound extreme, but you'll quickly understand why:

Initially, it was actually the opposite. I loved it because I enjoyed seeing the different iterations of her that fans could create. It was always refreshing to read other versions of Sakura in fanfic—that admittedly had little to do with the original—growing and experiencing incredible things. I liked that.

And then things got worse.

For some reason, many of her fans —and antis as well— started confusing her canon version and her fanon version (some takes on her are so OC that I sometimes wonder if we're talking about the same person), while others began to claim that she should have had techniques like mokuton in the canon.

... What do they think Sakura is?

Naruto and Sasuke?

If they want their headcanon to be somewhat plausible in the context of canon, at least give her something that aligns with his philosophy of hard work.

Mokuton, from what I know, only manifests through the Senju lineage. If she had it in the canon, she would have to be descended from a Senju —naturally or artificially, it doesn't matter— and honestly... I disagree.

That's not Sakura.

This girl is a titan of her own making, partly thanks to her courage and hard work, and then thanks to Tsunade and Shizune -bless these ladies-

I would never want her to have power-ups like Naruto; it would negate everything she has done since the beginning of the manga, and that's just a big no.

I can understand her fans being upset about her treatment by Kishimoto —I am too, a lot— but that doesn't mean we should change her character to fit a shoddy female version of her male counterparts; that's just rude.

It wouldn't even be the same person anymore.

My last unpopular opinion about her (I have many more, but I'll just stop here) is that she deserved better.

... I classify this as an unpopular opinion because what I mean by that is not: "she deserved better than Sasuke" or "she deserved to be with Naruto" or AGAIN "she should have gotten over Sasuke" or some other thing like "she should have had some super powerful ability."

No, what I mean is that Sakura deserved her own arc.

An arc in which she wouldn't have to carry the weight of the shinobi world's guilt on her shoulders as usual - if Konoha is messed up, it's not her fault-

An arc in which we could see her actually experience her other skills, have other epic battles, build other relationships, break free from the grip of Team 7 in general.

She's supposed to be the heroine of the manga, but Kishimoto treated her like a supporting character with way too much screen time.

Damn, we don't even know what her home life is like.

We don't even really see her parents in the manga, and why is that?

Because she doesn't have an overly tragic background to make Hades pale?

Because she doesn't have balls?

Compared to her teammates, she doesn't matter, is that it?

The only thing we see her do again and again is blame herself for things beyond her control.

Like...why?!

Kishimoto made her some kind of martyr of pain, and it infuriates me every time I think about it.

The worst part is that many of her own fans sweep this under the rug and prefer to argue about who "deserves her."

Sasuke here, Naruto there... is she a piece of meat?

It's almost taboo to talk about the real problems surrounding her character in this fandom without someone mentioning how "Sasuke doesn't deserve her, and Naruto is much better" or how "Sakura is obsessed with Sasuke's dick."

...

Lol.

Next, Sasuke.

Sasuke deserved better...

and

Sasuke was wrong...

are notions that should more often go hand in hand.

His redemption journey was a good idea because, no matter what his most zealous fans say about it, Sasuke needed that journey.

Konoha hurt him, and it's easy to become an apologist for his character given all the crap he went through, mainly because of the incompetent authorities of this crappy village, but... that doesn't change the fact that he is not without blame and that he also did messed up things.

However... I don't like the resolution of his character arc.

Once again, Kishimoto reminded us in the cruelest way possible that Naruto is a classic Shounen, and the protagonist must always be right.

To the detriment of Sasuke.

Attention, I'm not saying that Naruto's view was wrong and Sasuke's was right because that's far from the case.

What annoyed me is the way the author handled it.

It seemed like Sasuke was almost wrong to think the way he did, when given his situation, his reaction was actually expected and normal. I really don't like how he put Naruto's opinions on a pedestal at the end of manga.

He gave Sasuke a completely independent story that didn't revolve around Naruto's sphere of influence -quite rare even today in the Shounen era- .

He endowed him with his own will.

Literally more than Naruto, it was Sasuke who led the dance in the manga, and why in the end?

So that everything would go in the direction of the protagonist?

And that, without even serious questioning of the Konoha system?

What was the point of Naruto knowing the truth about the Uchiha massacre then?

So yes, I don't like what Kishimoto did to Sasuke's character in the end; I find it unfair to him.

I classify this as an unpopular opinion because, even though I'm not a fan of the resolution of his character arc, that doesn't mean I'm "pro-revolution" or that I think Sasuke did nothing wrong, because he did.

This brings me to my second unpopular opinion about this character:

Sasuke is not a revolutionary.

He is not the character built to challenge the system that some of his fans think he is.

Like… since when did Sasuke become someone who could change Konoha's system in the first place?

That was never his goal; the only thing that led him to make that infamous statement was anger and betrayal he felt towards Konoha. It was his obsession with revenge that led to this thought, and nothing else.

Moreover, excuse me, but his plan was crappy.

Eliminate all Kage, okay.

Take the lead of all the villages, okay.

Launch a revolution and change the system...

As if the other shinobi of the alliance would just stare at him and do nothing -_-

His idea was doomed to fail from the start.

I'm theorizing a bit here, but basically, here's the deal:

Does he really think he can eliminate the entire Shinobi alliance? (because that's what he would have had to do to achieve his goal)

With what help?

That of Team Taka?

Lol.

Yes, Sasuke is powerful, but even he couldn't have pulled off this feat without becoming ridiculously overpowered (even more than at the end of the manga).

The only thing this plan would have brought if executed would have been to alienate all Shinobi nations against him (well, he already did it, but it would have been even worse).

And if, by some miracle, his plan had worked - if he had succeeded in his revolution - it would have just caused decades and decades of war between rebel factions - because there would be if we still follow the logic of the manga - wanting to return to the old times, others wanting power for themselves, and others simply refusing to let power go to an Uchiha (let's not forget the reputation of this clan).

Moreover, to change a system hundreds of years old in a world governed by the law of the strongest, it takes much more than violence and a strong desire for revenge.

He would need many brains at his disposal: tacticians, politicians, doctors, advisers...

In short, he would need allies he could trust and who would not betray him.

Unless he wants to be a bully, which honestly seems more likely to me.

He would need the help of countless geniuses in each field for this revolution to be successful, and from what the manga tells us, all these people are in the alliance.

... Who would want to work for him willingly after all he would have done?

And even if there are people willing to do so, it will always be with the fear of possible betrayal.

If even Madara and Hashirama - alias shinobi gods in their time - needed strong allies to create Konoha and make it a prosperous nation...

(even though it went to hell afterward, but still)

What will Sasuke do with a partially destroyed nation that he will have to rebuild with his own hands?

And let's not even talk about the fact that he was consumed by revenge and half-crazy when he talked about this revolution.

I still can't believe there are people who take these words seriously.

I really wonder what kind of revolution they expected with Sasuke in that state of mind?

If it had happened, it would have led to two possible situations:

The death of the last surviving Uchiha or an even more gruesome massacre than the one that wiped out his clan.

Although, considering those who support this pseudo-revolution among his fanbase, the latter option would have suited them just fine.

Another reason that honestly makes me think this thing is stupid is that it doesn't align with the manga's vision.

Kishimoto, despite the few innovative takes he has made several times regarding the plot and some characters, remains a staunch traditionalist. Sasuke would never have become a villain, and he would never have been killed either; that would go against Naruto's dream.

He would also never have become a "revolutionary" challenging the system.

It's not his role; he's not the protagonist.

The character of Sasuke - like all the others, in fact - exists within the limits of the plot; we cannot go beyond and make his character something it was never supposed to be.

Although, for me, it's a good thing that he isn't because his plan was just as bad as Naruto's flawed idealistic vision.

I still think that if Kishimoto had made them talk normally for once, without them having to almost kill each other, if he had made them come to a compromise that would have combined their two ideas, it wouldn't have been as half-baked in the end.

To choose between the plague and cholera, he should have just paired them together -_-

But no, he had to choose nardo's protagonist vision.

Another opinion about Sasuke is his relationship with Naruto, which I find... shaky? overestimated? poorly written?

They share a strong bond, that's an undeniable truth, and you'd have to be pretty stupid to deny that.

It's the main bond in the manga, after all.

But in terms of friendship... I have doubts.

For me, the only reason I believe Sasuke and Naruto are friends is that Kishimoto said so.

We hardly see it in the manga.

Their relationship literally built on years of objectification, selfishness, disdain, rivalry, misunderstanding, resentment, and a huge savior complex.

Naruto made Sasuke his priority not out of genuine concern but because he wanted to prove he was worthy of being Hokage, and for that, Sasuke had to come back at all costs.

That's not friendship; it's selfishness and objectification.

Oh, I don't doubt that he cared, but the problem is that the manga doesn't really show us that.

Moreover, this idea that "Naruto understands Sasuke" is, for me, a bunch of nonsense.

Maybe he does so at a superficial level because of their slightly similar experiences, but if we go deeper?

Naruto doesn't really understand him, and it showed particularly when he learned the truth about the Uchiha massacre.

For Sasuke, it's more complicated.

He has a lot of mitigating circumstances that actually explain his behavior (Itachi being alive, the curse of hatred).

But in general, he played the role of an antagonist for most of Shippuden, and the fact that his character arc didn't revolve around Naruto made him some kind of insensitive jerk to everyone - at least on the surface - .

If Sasuke wanted to take revenge on the world, Naruto wanted to save him.

And neither of them was willing to give in on that.

I'm not going to judge Naruto for not caring about Sasuke's goals after Itachi's death. Who in their right mind would support such a plan?

It was supporting a one-way ticket to self-destruction.

And I'm not going to judge Sasuke for the numerous attempts to kill Naruto because that would be unfair.

However, what I judge is how Kishimoto made their communication impossible.

When they start talking seriously, it always has to end with one of them almost dying at the last moment.

Even Vegeta and Goku had more civilized discussions than these two, and that says something.

I like their relationship, but I sometimes find it hard to label them as friends, let alone best friends.

There's a lot of things that haven't been well-managed in there.

Third opinion:

Sasuke is not evil.

He is not the cold, emotionless individual that more than half of this God-forsaken fandom wants him to be.

I never thought I'd classify this as an unpopular opinion, but considering the nonsense I've seen about him, I had to do it. According to this fandom, both among his stans and antis, Sasuke is abusive, sexist, possessive, indifferent, unfaithful, easily manipulable, selfish, a lousy father, and the list goes on.

Of course, he is none of that, but it's always amusing to see people forcing their fantasies onto his character. This guy has always marched to the beat of his own drum; he has no more official truth about him other than this, and that really irritates a lot of people.

Now, onto his big brother:

Itachi... is not a good person (I still can't believe I have to say this).

He is not even a martyr from my perspective.

I really dislike how his character is glorified in certain parts of the fandom. But at the same time, I don't like how he's demonized among the antis.

Itachi is not an angel, but he is not a demon either.

He's selfish and an unparalleled manipulator, but that doesn't make him evil. He can also be gentle, warm, and incredibly loving - though he has a peculiar way of showing it- .

He's a character with a messed-up mentality, and I love him for that. I hate seeing his character being destroyed by people trying to fit him into boxes he doesn't truly belong to; it annoys me.

In the end, Itachi is a tragic character who found himself forced to make horrible choices. His life was just immensely... torturous.

I love him, but given all the mess he caused, his death was both expected and deserved.

He was tired, disillusioned, sick, and with a list of Uchiha deaths as long as Tobirama's (not to mention what he did to his brother). So no, the idea that he shouldn't have died is truly ridiculous.

Please, let this tormented man find peace in his death.

I'll stop here because at this point, these are not even unpopular opinions but downright diatribes.

[celaenaeiln]

Thanks for answering my questions previously!! I saw that you're not a big fan of fanon batfam and I've been wondering if you consider the batfamily: wayne adventures webtoon canon or fanon?

Someone told me that batman fans aren't happy about the WFA, but have recently accepted it over the Gotham War. Also I feel like WFA is one of the main causes of an influx of fanon fans(? If that makes sense)

WFA is fanon. It was meant to be a fun past time that DC decided to purchase under their name because it has characters they created which means they have copyright claims to it. Also webtoons in general are all fan-made so it's not something that should be taken seriously in the first place.

However here's where it gets confusing. WFA is fanon, but the characterization of the characters is not too far off. Like yes, all of them are way too happy to be truthful to the comics but also it's written that way on purpose because thats the intent.

Another anon asked me about this a long time ago but I've been holding off on it because I don't even know my own feelings about it! I've been religiously avoiding reading it because it mixes canon characterization and fanon in such a perfect way that it's hard to decipher what's true and what's not.

But because it's not canon, I can't use it to back up an argument or explain something because technically it's just digital fanfic that was acquired by DC due to copywriting and business profits.

About influx of fans from WFA - mixed feelings on that as well. You can't really help how you enter a fandom, it's just different and unqiue and it depends on what was going on at the time you entered the fandom. But also when you enter the fandom, you have certain expectations of characters because of what you saw of them them before you entered.

And that's...complicated. I guess I feel like it shouldn't be a problem if people understand that things in canon are different and shouldn't be fought against because it's not like how it's portrayed in fanon or WFA. And I think most people do get that but there's also some people who made some comments about how the Gotham War was terrible writing because the batfamily was fighting and that's not right. A comic shouldn't be judged on how many good feelings it provokes, it should be judged on character portrayal, plot events, character interaction, and excitement. And what Bruce is doing sucks but it makes sense because he's in the middle of a downward spiral. His struggle is way out of control and that's the whole point of the Gotham War. It's well-written for all the above mentioned things even if it isn't the happiest of storylines. But at the same time, I struggle to remember any batman arc that's happy. Hasn't been that way for decades unfortunately.

I'm really confused over WFA so I haven't said anything about it so far because I can't write about something I don't know. I refuse to read it because I just spent years decoding my brain from fanon nonsense and WFA mixes fanon and canon characterization in a way that regresses that effort. So the best I can say for people who enjoy WFA or are coming in through it is, enjoy the webtoon but also have fun exploring the canon comics. They're really great :)

[echobx]

these pics and videos spoilers im seeing is making me a bit sad as a jjpope shipper.... seeing jiara fans happy that rudy and madison are filming scenes between both makes jjpopes future look even worse. i was really hoping for s4 to be their season? pics of kiara and jj in same bedroom? i dont feel good at all for whats coming. how can the show ignore jjpope and their potential?

i feel the same anon. but I still have some hope because all we have got to see hasn't been very romantic looking in my eyes. and to the clip of Madison in bedroom next to a guy, that's JD, that's not Rudy. bc that video they screenshotted from was is on Madelyn's Instagram and I'm pretty sure it's JD based on the fact that he commented something on it that is visible on his body in the shot.

also, the fact that they zoomed in on a poster on a wall and then said "this is proof they live together" is just not holding up. bc (1) not just Kie can have this poster and just bc they used it in her room in s3 doesn't mean they didn't just use it to save money on new props (the surfshop of JB and Sarah has the same logo as the one we have already seen in s1&2 so unless they buy that thing, I'm just calling it cheap production and not wanting to create a new logo) (2) there was no confirmation whose house they are at in this clip, and (bc I'm that bitch) when you look out the window in the video, you can clearly see the marina. so they can't be at JJ's bc of the location of the house. I'm calling it and say their at Pope's or Kie has her own house.

on the other hand what still gives me hope, is that everything I have jiara shippers seen talking about (especially on twitter) has still no ground to stand on. tbh hey sound very delulu to me with all they are saying right now. I mean, I have seen more bts clips were Rudy and Madison don't seem as happy to be there, or aren't even in the shots together, than ones where they are.

I do have hope that the writers aren't that dumb and do what they did with KiePope and give us just a little and then let the characters realize that it's not working out.

I'm also super confused about Luke being there, and tbh I hate that they are doing it now bc they wanted to do that last season and then didn't bc bts leaks and jiara. but what I hate more is ppl going "omg luke is gonna throw JJ off Redfield Lighthouse!!" like why? why would they kill off the one character that keeps thousands if not millions of ppl interested in the show. bc if I'm totally honest, if they do kill him off I'm not gonna keep watching. same with Pope. if one of them dies, I'm done with this shitshow and it'll be fanon forever. (it already is bc canon is shit with holes)

ig my main issue with all that jiaras are doing isn't that they are shipping it, ship what you want, but the impact they get to have and the little media literacy they seem to have too. the homophobia and racism of it all

but then again, JJ is still wearing the bandana in the back right pocket. and I do hope for some good changes (for us) bc none of the official promo they gave us yet was in any instance showing anything about jiara. they gave them nothing. and maybe that's why jiaras sound so delulu to me right now, bc if how they say "this is jiara's season" was true, why wouldn't the short clips we got a few months ago have anything in them that gives jiaras genuine hope? no instead we got a group shot where the two are far apart, then the boys, and Sarah looking sad again. no jiara in sight. and maybe that's why I have hope, but that might also just be a marketing strategy idk.

they should let Kie cheat on him with a girl, that's what I wanna see. she should just fuck a girl and then come home and break up with JJ. that's what I want deep in my soul. bc just from the first intro we got into JJ (JB's pilot episode monologue) it's so damn obvious that they will never work, even if they weren't both raging homosexuals.

[llycaons]

hello!! as someone who loves cql wwx, i really love how you defend wwx’s canon characterizarion vs his fanon one. it’s all so good to read like that’s our boy!! so i wanted to ask as someone who wants to write fic from wwx’s pov, do you have any tips or advice? thank you! 💕

hello, anon! thank you! I'm not a writer, but I'm certainly happy to list some things that bother me in fics from a characterization standpoint (1/2)

sense of self-worth: in canon, flashback arc wwx thinks he's hot shit. he is slightly less obnoxious about it postres, but still has a lot of confidence and knows he's an incredibly skilled (and handsome) cultivator. I see a lot of fics where wwx has a super low sense of self-worth - he verbally talks about how he doesn't deserve another chance, how lwj is better than him, how he deserves punishment, etc. and it ends up with lwj needing to constantly reassure him that he's 'good enough' when in reality that's not their dynamic. wwx doesn't want platitudes, he wants tangible emotional and mental support from someone who believes him and has his back and will commit to him even though his reputation is in tatters. he does make enormous sacrifices, but it's less that he doesn't think he's worth anything and more that he considers his moral or familial obligations to be of higher importance. and he does have regrets but postres he truly doesn't want to suffer any more (dying was punishment enough!), and he certainly doesn't think he deserves more. he doesn't like to dwell on the past since it's so painful and he's rather move on but in theory this should wreak havoc on his mental health since he never actually deals with it? this is something canon doesn't explore as much as I'd want it to but I love reading about him coping with the trauma of his entire life after decades of ignoring it.

...and general emotional state wrt lwj: postres his behavior and dynamic with lwj is a little confusing, so honestly I kind of go with whatever the author's interpretation is. personally I see him in the flashback having a big crush, picking up a similar vibe from lwj after a few mishaps and being excited about it, then BAM the war happens, innocence is lost, and he realizes 1. he can't hope to live as a cultivator alongside lwj, ever and 2. lwj will probably reject him for using DC (which...he does), so he takes control and decides to be the one who cuts off that relationship before lwj can, bc having control over the terrible things that happen in his life is that important to him. but ofc they still stay close and I think by BM it's more like "we know how we feel but neither of us can do anything besides what we're doing' and then wwx loses it a bit and can't focus on anything besides the wens and his sister etc. and THEN postres his reluctance to involve himself with lwj is more due to being unsure about how lwj 16 yrs in the future would treat him, his habitual self-reliance and slight mistrust, and a desire to keep lwj safe and his reputation intact. wwx knows that lwj didn't do everything he could have back then, so he's still a little wary until lwj proves himself, AND he's worried lwj will be ruined bc of being associated with the yllz, famously hated mass murderer/heretic

dynamic with jc: hoo boy. I have seen so many authors screw this one up because they're biased towards jc never having done anything wrong, or the yunmeng sibling bond being sacred and unbreakable and or something. people love to write jc being verbally aggressive and even physically abusive to wwx, and wwx being happy because 'it means he cares' or some shit. drives me up a wall. jc is deeply insecure, chronically contemptuous, violently lashes out when angry, and has steeped in bitterness to cope with grief for decades. he has THE most rancid vibes and nobody likes him and wwx is very rightfully sick of his shit, especially postres. and their story is such a crucial example of how the people we're close to can badly hurt us, and the fact that they love us doesn't mean they're not hurting us or that it's okay. the drama softened jc a bit, but canonically to the novel AND the drama, jc and wwx have always had a rocky relationship. recall jc choking him nearly to unconsciousness after the LP attack, for one. the cracks started showing during the wen indoctrination camp, in which wwx wanted to help lwj, his personal friend and another high-ranking sect heir, during the hunt, potentially saving his life, and jc told him repeatedly to leave him behind since he's not family. and jc hunkers down and tries to protect his people alone, while wwx is fundamentally incapable of abandoning people who he could help. this ideological split between them continued through his (mutually agreed-upon) defection from the jiang sect, and came to a head during nightless city. you may recall that jc told wwx to go to hell while wwx was actively in the middle of committing suicide. based on this, the fact that jc then raised jin ling to hate DCers and wwx specifically, the fact that jc tried to immediately kill wwx when he came back, and the fact that he then tortured wwx psychologically using insider knowledge of his fear of dogs, indicates pretty clearly to me that this man is um. not really a safe person for wwx to be around mentally, emotionally, or physically. and wwx himself knows this! he stands up for himself when being tortured, he accuses jc of never changing, he compares jin ling unfavorably to jc, and he complains about jc's juvenile and cruel behavior frequently there are so many jc defenders in this fandom that interpret his behavior and actions as love or trust or simple ignorance, but the fact is that there is a long-established and extremely serious pattern of jc hurting wwx to vent his own anger, frustration, or pain, whether wwx had anything to do with it or not. and ppl talk about him like he's a defenseless victim even when he's a nearly forty-year old sect leader 🤡. not that he hasn't had his own tragedies or his own reasons for acting as he did, and I do see him as a very tragic figure, but the facts are that he's terrible to wwx and wwx knows that, and responds to it. wwx doesn't hate jc but he doesn't want to be hurt by him anymore and after the age of like 15 he would never respond positively to jc treating him like shit. if he was wary around lwj, you can imagine how nervous he is around jc. please, PLEASE if you're writing wwx, don't let this all be forgotten. I do think there's a way for jc and wwx to become close again, and I do think wwx has forgiven jc if not forgotten the hurt he's caused him, but a HUGE part of wwx's journey is finding and staying with someone he loves who's safe, who cares about him and will prioritize him and won't hurt him.

part two coming up!

[ahmedmootaz]

!!!LC Spoilers Below!!!

There's always been something that's been bugging me regarding X. Is X being a clone actually canon or fanon? There have been many interpretations I've seen floating around but no real final definite answer since we didn't see or mention X again after LC, only Ayin in LOR. Some people say that X has always been an amnesiac Ayin, a few of the older interpretations say that X is just a random schmuck picked off the street who gets overwritten with Ayin's memory, a few people consider X nothing more as an audience surrogate simply meant to be forever blank in personality and identity so we could imagine oursleves as him, and you helped popularize the idea of X being a clone of Ayin. So what is the truth? Is there even a truth? Or is PM just leaving it vague and open-ended on who X truly is?

Dear Anonymous,

Good question! It's always difficult to tell the Fanon from the Canon when LC's story is very blurry in certain respects and when LC hasn't really been in the spotlight for a few years now, heh.

But if you ask me, I think he's a clone; he isn't some random schmuck that was picked off the street for certain, considering the Seed of Light scenario was hand-crafted by Ayin, and even the employees in the main branch were hand-picked by Ayin to not have a big family or a family at all and to not be popular people in order to avoid bringing any attention to their decade-long disappearance from the planet, so I don't think X would be a random schmuck in this otherwise very carefully planned scenario.

I believe the intention PM had with him was for him to be an amnesiac clone of Ayin, and while some people believe he is, in fact, an amnesiac Ayin, the reason I believe he's a clone is because we saw Ayin on Day 50. Unless you believe the man we talked to was an apparition of sorts, then the Ayin we saw on Day 50 was no us, X, and the way he talked about us being different from him made that very clear...at least to me.

At the same time, there's no explicit line, if I remember correctly, that outright says "Oh yeah X is a clone/X is just Ayin without his memories", and this is probably what causes the confusion because, admittedly, all of the theories mentioned above is just us trying to tie up the loose ends PM has left, so the true answer to your question is that PM has left the answer of X's identity vague and ambiguous, but my personal theory as AhmedMootaz is that he's a clone of Ayin with no memories at all who was supposed to become Ayin at the end of the Seed of Light scenario...or at least, a more enlightened version of Ayin.

Thank you for the interesting ask, Anon! Until next time, be well, take care, and see ya'!

[findafight]

tbh it's strange for me to think anyone finds eddie hot bc i just don't see it personally but also bc he is nothing more than a potential boyfriend/accessory for steve to me. i think this is the right path to take given we've seen what kind of destruction is unleashed by ppl who think eddie is hot: current st fanon.

Anon that's so funnyyy. This is Steve! He's everything. He's just Eddie!

Idk it's very hard for me to look at someone and figure they're hot because aesthetic attraction is confusing? Idk lol But I definitely see Eddie as kinda a gross teenage boy. Like I'm sure people find him hot but also they don't let him be kinda icky. He's just a bit grubby. He's yelling on tables he's a bit full of himself. Classic late teenage boy. He smells like ciggies and musk, he's got scraggly hair and he probably wears the same shirt twice a week. This is a very teenage/early twenties boy thing to me. Like he and Steve are very different that way! They both have a powerful teen boy stench I believe but Eddie is probably not putting in the effort of trying to reign it in. He isn't conditioning his hair at all, or doing anything other than the bare minimum of being clean in the morning.

Steve's all put together and groomed and has a hair routine that differs based on whether or not he sam before, and the contrast with Eddie just. Not even thinking about that kinda thing beyond shower, shampoo, soap, deodorant, is fun! The fanon with finding Eddie attractive but not allowing him to be kinda gross I guess does feed into more annoying aspects of fanon?

In my experience many teen boys with curly hair don't maintain it, and that's fine! It's sad for their split ends but find! They're also just. Naturally so smelly. Fifteen minutes in a room and it smells distinctly of Teen Boy Sweat. It's kinda gross but it's fine. It's normal. Swim boys down the hall it's wafting. What is that about. (After swimming though if you do any other exercise you are SWEATING the chlorine off your skin. It's very funny you smell like a cleaning closet lol)

People are so weird about letting them be kinda gross lmao and ""unattractive"" with things that they don't like even if they find them physically attractive? Like it sort of devices him from canon. Especially Eddie who must have been R I P E after being in hiding. But even in general? They don't let him be an icky boy. LET EDDIE BE KIND OF ICKY!! I've read a fic that let them be kind smelly stinky sweaty boys and I liked that like thank god someone who understands how 19 year olds smell. Like. If you want non gross men in ships there are grown ups not in the tail ends of puberty lol. (I love old men ships.)

Sorry this is scrambled. Oops!

[noroi1000]

im sorry that you're leaving the fandom, but what do you mean when you said the fandom is destroyed? (im a new fan so idk)

Dear Anon-chan.

I'll just tell you the truth. The JJK fandom has become toxic in places. Including threats to the author. Theories that will never come to light in real life. Ships that are starting to disgust me.

Everything becomes sexualized. Most fics are smut. The canon characters' personalities mix with the fanon version so much that people can get confused.

I wrote Smut. Even many one shots 18+ like this. I started to feel bad about what I was writing. Only my friend told me not to be disgusted with myself.

Sorry if I write too many unclear things.

I'm not writing this about people who like Gojo fanon, for example. But people who create things and make wars with other fans to prove that they are right?

For a new fan, this may not be very visible. But I am a young veteran who has spent over 3 years in this fandom. And everything has changed so much that you can't look at it the same way.

Not everyone is destroyed. But JJK fans fight with each other, but also with other fandoms. This society is growing, and I'm happy that anime and manga are so popular and I will be happy to read further chapters of the manga and watch anime episodes.

But honestly, three years ago, what was happening on social media was a lot friendlier than it is now.

This is just my personal opinion.

[beatora-truther]

hmm your point about the mcu brainrot actually makes so much sense. bc there was an actual mcu and that was different from the comics and had its own big fanbase who didn't want to and were never going to read the comics. they got to engage with characters they enjoyed without having to read through a convoluted and confusing canon and that's awesome.

my first batman experience was watching the nolan series. i was a joker fangirl. to this day my parents will ask me "why so serious" and we'll do the pencil magic trick. it made me love batman and i can totally see why it would make other people love batman too. but there's no mcu for batman. there's the dceu, which isn't great. but there's no cinematic universe and no way for people who like batman but don't want to read comics to enjoy the character they like in a medium they like. so they don't read the comics but continue to engage with character they like and find out about his kids and it's crazy. like i remember first finding out batman had kids on pinterest and reading screenrant articles about them.

sometimes you like a character and you want to see them in things without the baggage and i can empathise with that. but for the dc fandom it becomes a "i don't read comics but i make headcanons and write fanfic about characters that appear exclusively in the comics" and then it becomes a thing. so fanon is basically dc's mcu but there's no actual mcu. that's how i try to think abt it anyway.

also thanks for replying and i'm so sorry for leaving this essay in ur asks. it's really nice how you always take the time to reply to anon asks and it's been super encouraging for someone newish to comics

omg thank you so much 😭 i will always encourage essays in my ask box they’re so fun to read