What are you reading?

[Brian]

This is not fanfiction.  This is CHALLENGE:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5357045/1/The_Dream_of_Suzumiya_Haruhi

How many chapters can you survive?  I lasted the first arc (20 chapters).  If no one can match (or beat) me, I can post a hilariously vitriolic summary of everything you did not in any way at all miss.

Bad philosphy!  Epic Flanderization in a 'serious' fic!  And ... MORE!

[Dracos]

I lasted 0 chapters.  Didn't click the link :)

[Olvelsper]

Rami-Dracos, read more Haruhi!

[Jason_Miao]

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3293331/1/Demiglace_Graffiti

Slice of life fic, with Ranma as Haruhi's father.  Interesting, even though I am only passingly familiar with Haruhi (having read a few translated chapters of the novels)- I suspect that there is probably more to the second layer of the story, beyond the obvious (i.e No one around Haruhi, at all, is a normal person), that I'm not quite getting. 


Not finished, but last update was a year and a half ago, so I suppose this counts as a probably-abandoned fic.

[Brian]

That was a big bummer for me as a Haruhi fan, actually.  'Ranma isn't a very good father, even though he tries, and it's not his fault' seems to be the extent of the story.

And yeah, abandoned after some really weird tangential arc that involved Haruhi trying to get Ranma to hook up with an older Ryouko (that Haruhi somehow managed to not recognize).

Ranma is the main character, but it's dissapointing to me (yet again, I suppose) that Haruhi is really just not likable most of the time.  Beyond that, Mikuru gets some scenes, and (as mentioned) Ryouko shows up in one scene.  Really, uh ... does not utilize much of the casts of either series, actually.  From the Ranma side, Nabiki is mentioned and shows up a bit -- I think Kasumi had a scene or three ... really, that's about it.

[Anastasia]

Tangent, but are you surprised that Haruhi wasn't done as likable? She strikes me as a character that is extremely easy to mis-write. She could slide into being annoying or complete asshole territory quite easily.

I'm not a huge Haruhi fan or anything so correct me if I'm wrong.

[thepanda]

Tangent, but are you surprised that Haruhi wasn't done as likable? She strikes me as a character that is extremely easy to mis-write. She could slide into being annoying or complete asshole territory quite easily.

I'm not a huge Haruhi fan or anything so correct me if I'm wrong.

Yeah, she's pretty easy to mis-write. For one, the series is told from the point of view of a character that is a) a natural snarker b) the focus of most of Haruhi's attention and c) often put in dangerous situations by the nature of Haruhi's power, not Haruhi herself. Outside if the SoSB she's just an eccentric beauty. And people seem comfortable enough with her to ask her for help with stuff.

[Brian]

Tangent, but are you surprised that Haruhi wasn't done as likable? She strikes me as a character that is extremely easy to mis-write. She could slide into being annoying or complete asshole territory quite easily.

I'm not a huge Haruhi fan or anything so correct me if I'm wrong.

You are correct.  She is exceedingly easy to get wrong.

The majority of the focus of the series is on the growth of the characters, particularly as Haruhi goes from Sociopathic Jerkass Genki Girl to Genki Girl Jerkass With a Heart of gold.  I've said it before, and I'll probably say it a million more times:

"The only thing more impressive to me than the Haruhi canon's presentation of character growth is the ability of the fandom to ignore it."

The big thing is ... she does some terrible things (many played for comedy, some of them bordering on rape).  But that's all in the first quarter of the school year ... or the first season of the anime.  She has another horrific moment in Sigh, which is the start of the second quarter, but it's a pivotal moment in her character growth that from that point, she backs off and starts to grow.  The anime stops right after that, and doesn't really show much of her growth.

The movie helps a little, but it doesn't catch the character that she becomes by the end of the second year.

Which is a problem, since most fanfics diverge in the second year, and take the initial characterization and apply that to all of the events (now without character growth).

[Dracos]

You really can't help that if the anime take gives a bad characterization, many people will end up taking that as the only characterization they see.  The fandom at large probably has a large percentage of "I watched the anime, it was so cool!"-Anonymous Trolled Fan. :P

I tease.

[Brian]

Well, you joke, but mostly what it is ... is that people will watch the anime and take the characterization, then get all of their events off fan wikis instead of reading the novels.

Anyway.  Back on topic, I'm reading this:

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7252550/1/Under_Review

Which happens to have a much better portayal of Haruhi, and all soulriders should review it.

[Olvelsper]

I want to write a Haruhi fic to be one of the cool kids.

[Brian]

I want to write a Haruhi fic to be one of the cool kids.

And I wish I had the required PHD in either the Nasu-verse or Touho to follow those things. ;)

[Olvelsper]

I have an idea! It's probably a terrible idea for your fandom, but I'll be working on it tomorrow!

Also, the first step is realizing that King Arthur is a girl in Nasu.
The second step is realizing that Reimu cheats in Touhou. And is poor.

[thepanda]

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7252550/2/Under_Review Chapter 2 is up. Good chapter.

Also, the third step is to realize Nasu-verse characters are haxor.

[Jason_Miao]

It seems like every time there's some significant discussion off something I posted, I have no internet access for those few days.  Just like this.

Anyway, I have no idea of anything of anything in Haruhi-land, except what occurs in the few parts of the novels I read, so I have no idea where this story is placed in the Haruhi timeline - was Haruhi not supposed to be like that?



In terms of Ranma stories, I found it notable since it's not a Ranma story where he's a world famous martial artist, married to Akane and running the dojo, holding chi-balls, or anything of that sort.  It's Ranma trying to be normal (despite the fact that he's anything but) for the sake of his daughter who is desperately trying to find something abnormal.  With the little of of the Haruhiverse I know, it's Ranma trying to aact normal to Mikuru and Haruhi, Mikuru trying to act normal for Ranma and Haruhi...rather like some of the better Wuxia stories I've read sans actual descriptions of martial arts.  It didn't go far, but I feel as if it could have been developed further, and was going to be, but was instead suddenly abandoned.


Of course, I've been writing a wuxia-slice-of-life fic, myself, so I might be biased here.  Also, my lack of exposure to all things Haruhi-related means I'm likely more nonchalant towards the lesser exposure to those characters,

The second step is realizing that Reimu cheats in Touhou. And is poor.

If this were actually true, I'd be much better when I play Touhou games.  Or maybe I just suck that badly.