I normally don't bitch about this stuff, but...

[asael]

I really shouldn't read D18 fics. Every once in awhile I think it might be a good idea, but it never really is, mainly because I really dislike how a lot of D18 writers characterize Hibari. I guess it's no secret that I don't really like how a lot of the fandom characterizes Hibari, but... yeah. I mean, everyone's free to like what pairings they want, I have never been interested in pairing wars (at least, not since I was a wee thing in fandom), but...

I just don't understand the drive that so many authors have to change Hibari's character so he'll work better as an uke. It's not just D18 I've seen this in, but 6918, 8018, basically any Hibari-uke pairing. I'm not saying he can't be - I'm generally of the opinion that seme/uke distinctions don't really matter (it just comes down to personal preference for each fan). And in fact, I much prefer fics where pairing order only matters when there's actually sex involved (despite the fact that I do have preferred orders in most pairings - that usually applies to sex alone, not character relations in general). I don't really want to be able to read a fic and have it blatantly obvious who is 'seme' and who is 'uke' when the characters in question really shouldn't fit the stereotypes. I think that generally is a disservice to the characters, as it sacrifices their characterization to make them more... well, whichever.

I'm sure you know what I mean. Mukuro gets more rapey than he is in canon, Hibari gets weaker. Dino gets more butch and less faily (I love Dino in canon, for the record, fail and all). Hibari turns tsundere and secretly longs for someone to dominate and take care of him (...were we reading the same manga? Is this the same Hibari who, when beaten by Mukuro, spends the rest of the manga wishing for nothing more than to smash his face in and make him crawl on the ground? That desire to be dominated must be buried REAL deep).

Don't get me wrong, I think it's pretty much okay to play with characterization to write the fic you want to write. It's just... there needs to be a point where you look at it and say "Why am I writing them this way?" If it's just for personal wank fodder, hey, go for it - write what you like, even if I'll shake my head and write rants like these, because I'm sure in that case you know how far you're deviating from canon. But... I don't know. I read these fics and end up feeling like people think this is what Hibari's character is ACTUALLY like. Tsundere uke slut? For reals? Maybe you need to sit down and review canon.

I mean, Hibari in a dress...? Well, I'll leave my rant about feminization of 'ukes' for another day, and condense it to this - although I do have set pairing orders I prefer, IF I WANTED TO READ HET, I WOULD. I don't want male characters I like so thoroughly feminized that I barely recognize them. If I wanted to read strong rapey seme/weak girly uke (or bitchy girly uke, in Hibari's case), there are a million yaoi manga just like that. And I am on record as really, really hating that dynamic. It's one of the reason I hardly read any yaoi manga - I LIKE set pairing order, but I also really don't like pairings that aren't somehow equal when it comes to strength of personality and characterization.

And hell, as a feminist, even calling it 'feminization' is fucked up. Most women are more interesting and stronger than stereotypical ukes (of the weepy OR bitchy persuasion) any day.

Buuuuut I said I was going to leave that for another day. (whoops)

And I'll stop now because, well, I think I've said enough. This is why I should not rant, and why I hardly ever do except to close friends. I have strong opinions and I get wordy, but I generally have no desire to insult other people's interests, even if I personally really dislike/don't get them. So I try to say nothing.

But hey, I'm on my period AND I've got a gross cold, if ever there was a time to be bitchy, I suppose this is it. Journals are for ranting, anyway.

Comments

[shiisora.livejournal.com]

Ironically, I just checked fanfiction.net no more than a couple of hours ago for some D18 fics... Oh the horror. I expected better because I happen to know some very talented writers who post their work there. But when I saw the D18 fics... Idk. Maybe this is harsh, but quite frankly, I died a little inside just from reading the summaries.