#i feel like even the most obscure.. super unpopular fandoms have the same issues

[shayneysides]

BBC Ghosts for the fandom ask 🤸🏾‍♀️ or Ted Lasso if someone already sent Ghosts

No one already sent Ghosts, but I can't decide between fandoms, so I'm just going to do both lmao but keep the answers short for Ted Lasso bc I know that's not what people follow me for

Answers under the read more bc it turned out to be super long:

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

Ghosts: That's gotta be Humphrey. God I think about Humphrey so much!! Too much even!! His existence is just heartbreaking. He's a character that is so indescribably lonely. He's acknowledged so little that he's happy to be hit around like a ball. The only time he gets attention is when telling his death story, and even then he's interrupted constantly. His life is so tragic and his death even more so, and the worst part is he seems used to it. I want to pick Humphrey up and give him all the love and attention in the world. My boy my man!!

Ted Lasso: It's basic, I know, but Jamie. His character is just so interesting, and there's just so much to say about him. His redemption arc is so well executed, and thinking about him too much makes me cry.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

Ghosts: I don't think I really find any of them cute, to be honest? Almost all of them are grown ass adults, and the only one who isn't (Kitty) doesn't really feel cute to me, even though I really do love her as a character in other ways.

Ted Lasso: Will Kitman!! My boy!! My small little man!!! I just think he is so fun and little. Look at him. I also think it's so funny that they straight up made his last name his job title.

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

Ghosts: Fanny! She's less underappreciated now that she has a backstory episode, but still, on other social media platforms I see people being such assholes to her. It's really, really irritating seeing people calling her shrill and annoying cause yk. it feels a little misogynistic!! And people also really don't think about why she is the way she is now. I just think Fanny deserves all the kindness and love in the world. Also she is so so smart and I easily fall in love with women in STEM!! I love her!!

Ted Lasso: Coach Beard. God I love Coach Beard. He's such an enigma, and he has so much unexplored depth. I know a lot of people hated Beard After Hours, but it's one of my favorite episodes. It just has the same feelings as Beard does as a character entirely, like everything is just a little shifted to the left. He's so interesting.

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

Ghosts: I guess Vin and Nev, the burgulars? I think they're very funny, and I would totally watch a spinoff show with them. I don't have much to say, I'm just really curious about their backstories and I think they're really fun characters.

Ted Lasso: Just more of the players!! I want to see more of the team than the main side characters!

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

Ghosts: Julian! The only Tory I like! I just like characters that hate themselves, and he has SO many issues to dive into. If he were alive, I would honestly hate him because he would be having real negative effects on real people, but now that he's dead and he can neither create new harm nor change his old ones, he can be appreciated as just a shitty fun character developing dude! I'm gonna dump so many sad backstories on him!!

Ted Lasso: Oh my god Nate. Nate Nate Nate. Holy shit Nate forever. I genuinely love Nate. I think he's such a good character and a good person. He's just made a lot of mistakes and has been treated like shit for so long that he doesn't know how to act when that changes. The fandom is absolutely horrible to him (and I could go on a WHOLE thing about racism in the fandom) and he really doesn't deserve it. I've seen more hate directed toward Nate, a misguided and sympathetic and heartbreaking character who is definitely going to have a redemption arc, than Rupert, the literal piece of shit villain.

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

Ghosts: Probably Francis Button. Like yeah he's a terrible person for killing Thomas then stealing the love of his life, but also his face is just so punchable. I want to break his dumb little glasses. He deserves it

Ted Lasso: James Tartt, big huge asshole, what more do I have to say

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

Ghosts: Kitty's sister. I hate her, she's cruel and manipulative, she probably fucked Kitty's mind up (I feel like part of the in-universe reason Kitty is so innocent is bc she's blocking out bad memories with her sister, but as a result, still feels kind of stuck in her childhood? idk how to explain it sorry), and she's probably racist. I hate her and she gets to go to superhell

Ted Lasso: Rupert Mannion, big huge asshole, what more do I have to say

#bbc ghosts #ted lasso #tysm for sending this!!

[unproduciblesmackdown]

you said random number so.. gimme 5, 17, 24, 26, 38, and 43

#epic thank you!!!! sorry this is so long, gang, but you know me. press J if you have that keyboard shortcut option

5)favorite fics?

soph nothingunrealistic’s!! click the link & peruse any of the dozen gifts to this world on ao3. also just go right to her writing tag

17)a fandom you wish more people were in/you had more people to talk to about?

well i don’t Really have an answer for this one, but just yesterday it was once again time to talk abt how jaclyn moriarty’s 4-book ashbury/brookfield YA series is a lot of fun and unusual in good ways, but like, i guess what with being published throughout the aughts and like, not being super obscure but also not being explosively popular, and idk maybe they were also more Known in australia than the US, and, idk, but there’s not exactly what you’d call a Fandom online, or even very many traces of one. and i just like to mention the series as Fun To Read because they are very lively and focus on girls and have a real variety of Girl Characters (and also some boy characters who are also varied and fun but that’s just a bonus) and in particular i like to talk about how the third book has a really Unusual Choice Of Protagonist (the unfun unpopular Best Grades by-the-book overachiever etc etc etc nerd girl, kinda having the personality that ppl misinterpret alana beck’s personality to be lol, like something of a killjoy goody-two-shoes lol, but also with that earnestness and drivenness that alana has as well)......and the format of each book is Epistolary, but in different and creative ways each time, and it’s fun how like, the characters who are telling the story (the ones whose letters are used and etc) rotate with each book [tho emily and lydia are Storytellers in the 2nd And 4th books] and it’s very neat how like, you do get that sense that just b/c someone’s not being Focused On as much from different people’s perspectives doesn’t mean they aren’t still existing and present and doing stuff and having their own story, even when that’s not being mentioned by whoever’s writing down the events that we’re reading. we love that sentiment. anyways i just like to always Promote them.

24)who are you at the end of this decade?

hmmm!! i mean in many ways i am who i have been the whole time but yknow, 2009 - 2019 was a tumultuous period. i was always furiously trying to think through Who Am I As A Person for various reasons, even though like, when you’re in ur mid-teens that’s always In Progress rather than there being a really set answer to be discovered, and for a while it was a lot of frustration with myself all “why are you like [this], why can’t you do [that] right,” etc etc. but eventually i had like, a better frame of reference for a lot of what was going on, and even why i never quite felt like i had a great sense of Who I Am and What I Like and etc in the first place, and more understanding and respect for myself lol. even now it’s like, yknow i’m ~self-consious~ in ways often lol and i’ll sometimes Use that to be like, okay try to improve [this thing] about yourself!! and yknow on the one hand i feel like stuff i’ve been Working On for years Has paid off in ways, but then recently it’s like......okay hang on but like, it’s not a bad thing to like, have some traits that maybe aren’t gonna be seen as “perfect” or might be annoying or yknow, your Demeanor and Vibe isn’t always like, the most important thing to focus on lol or something where like, oh being sweet & saintly & coming across as utterly pleasant to everyone always gets to be The Objective Ideal. like, i’m opinionated and can be argumentative and sometimes impatient?? like, there’s a balance here between “good to be trying to Improve Yourself always or whatever lol” and “but also everyone is People with Traits and Different Personalities and everyone doesn’t have to just sand themselves down into an edgeless smooth sphere” and like, sure it’s like “haha i’m a bit more temperamental than i’d like still” but also i sure sympathize w/ the fact that like, oof, depression makes it tricky sometimes! and i do pretty okay at like, being Aware of when my mood is cursed and trying to be as chill about it as poss! or like, “haha wish i was better at conversation lmao” but yknow also understanding that like.....i’m just kinda Not great at it and that’s what’s Natural for me and like, again, a balance between “trying to be easier to talk to, lol” and “being okay with the fact that i’m not super easy to talk to and most ppl aren’t very easy for me to talk to either, lol”

im trying to be a bit less cagey lol which i guess might not be the first word someone might use to describe me for a variety of reasons, But......and but then also, i just like, for me there is no simple Be Yourself, Just Talk Naturally As U Would conversation mode lol, but you know. it’s hardly a pressing issue, and at the same time, like, sometimes when i find it hard to talk to people it’s like “well this is just you needing to Be Nicer” or whatever, or like, well you’re just not used talking to Anyone so like, push through it, and then it takes me a while to realize like, well no you just don’t love talking to them, lmao......and at the same time i’m Really slow to realize when people *do* actually enjoy talking to me, lmao, i am just not used to it And used to people like, not really being super interested in interacting with me even if they think i’m alright lol. lord! so i’m still slightly surprised whenever Anyone likes me, but also like, then again there’s sort of always these repeated scenarios where it’s like [Glum Trombone Noise] i’m also the recipient of various ppl’s various contempt for various reasons........which like, i sure don’t Absorb that as like “way 2 go, you deserve that” but also like, sure also never is the most fun experience of your life. but i have a way more solid sense of the fact that like, i don’t inherently deserve that, and an understanding of Why people will be Like That sometimes, and that’s all been acquired knowledge from the whole journey of this decade lol

also like, i have always been and continue to be like, Basically A Cat lol.....cats-sonas for everyone, ___ the ___ cat, But Seriously Folks........like, oh, there’s a lot of ppl and/or noise around?? unless i have chosen to put myself in that situation for fun, i’m probably gonna be finding whatever quiet / distant corner to hide out in and try to remain as undetected as possible.......kinda wary about interacting with people sometimes, though then also, i like to be friendly w/ strangers (if they’re friendly with me) and won’t necessarily mind spontaneous interactions but only if it’s Plausibly Expected in the situation, and even then, i might just prefer that Nobody Talk To Me......and i’ve yet to be Really comfortable in a group of ppl if i’m there *with* that group lmao, like, i don’t like to take the lead or compete for attention or anything and just kinda will try to do my own thing on the outskirts, whereas if i’m by myself it’s just like, i feel a lot more comfortable and like i can just do whatever lmao..........and also i don’t like to make noise lol. unless again, it’s deliberate, and it’s Fun. like at a concert? i will be the death of whatever nerd like, wants it to be like a solemn “listening to a record” occasion or wants everyone to yell out complete sentences if a performer asks an Arena full of people How Are You Doing 2nite or whatever. i’m gonna yell!!! anyways. idk. i am always like “oh i am Very Much [this way], except for all the times i am totally [the would-be Opposite way]”........i can’t really opt out of having Anxious Qualities and that’s alright, even though it does get in the way of things sometimes for sure. like, c’est la vie!!! i understand why i am like this, and that like, while for my own sake i can try to hold my own hand here and encourage myself to be a little bolder, it’s totally fine that like, i have Problems and Difficulties. 

i’m also at like, maybe the lowest levels of Impending Dread that i’ve had since i was like, 8 or some shit lmao............like again kind of a Wild Decade and one where like, it was totally all like “wow am i even gonna make it to [a few yrs in the future] -> [a year in the future] -> [half a year from now]” aaand it hasn’t been a full year yet since i was last thinking like “lmfao oof i might not be alive by __, who knows!!” but even while that was going on it was at least an improvement from the times i thought i might like, hmm hope i don’t off myself. and like, this is probably the first Start Of A Year in like. well possibly the past decade lmao, where yknow, it hasn’t felt quite as dire. i mean im not really out here a cockeyed optimist about anything, and like, i’m aware that things are always a little tenuous and there’s other factors i’m always nervous about, but That’s nothing new, and i’m kinda more like, neutral about the future rn lol? feeling less Dread and Doom is new-ish lmao and like, allowing that yknow, despite how crappy the past decade has been re: how i felt in my Outlook, there’s been a bunch of surprising Good Things to come along, and i totally allow for the fact that that could easily continue to happen. having Less(ened) Bad Feelings about Things might not = Absolutely Thriving but i appreciate it!! i also try to be appreciative lmao. like, what with the dread and doom & (hope i don’t die this year, i guess,) feelings, it’s wildly hard nowadays for me to like, anticipate stuff in a ~fun~ way or at all, but yknow when anything nice, even a really small / unspectacular / ordinary moment and/or detail, is being experienced by me, i try to enjoy that. i like to be Appreciative. and i think i’m also sort of like, sharing more of myself than i’ve probably gotten to or felt capable of doing in the past, and i appreciate that a lot too. like, it can be really Depressing for sure to think of like, hmm i haven’t had the chance to like, feel in control of things and like things are Totally Fine and i feel Totally Okay & like i’m enjoying everything, and i can choose to pursue [things i might enjoy], and maybe i Won’t have that chance? [another glum trombone noise] but like. i appreciate the good experiences that i Do and Have gotten so far. and the fact i’ve ever been in situations to connect with people and enjoy things the ways that i can and like, it’s really nice that My Presence in other ppl’s lives, even as just like Some Online Rando re: some ppl lmao, has had some positive effect for them or even just been enjoyed is like, wow, this is pretty great lol.........not sure where i was taking this tangent but like, i am someone who appreciates this a lot.

hmm i am also a passionate person at the end of this decade lmao!!!! that has definitely always been true. i am Of That Temperament. it is funny b/c like, the fact that i am A Motormouth Actually But Often Not Saying Anything In The Least To People, they think i’m like, of this very mild disposition and Not someone with strong opinions that they will launch into, or else i would have been doing that already........but you know!!! here i am online, fully able to just dive into things and start talking about whatever for one million years. and i sure latch onto stuff in a Big Way sometimes, which is why anyone follows me at all lol, b/c if you like [whatever particular content] and i am just all about that too, it’s a beneficial situation for us both i guess lmao. i can get really excited and focused about stuff, obviously, and i sure Also Obviously like to explore the emotional aspects of things. which is a vague thing to say lmfao but you all know what i mean!!! it continues to be the only reason i draw lmaooo like i draw so much and like, Making Fanart And Sharing It Online has i think also been a journey of this decade for me, and i really only draw a) exactly that fanart that i feel like making, and b) what i feel like making is always also probably abt Feelings somehow, like the Three Emotions: kissing (aka gay), crying (sad), and angry (angry)........great news if you want to see the stuff i already happen to be drawing lol!!! bad news i guess if you were hoping i’d draw anything but whatever i end up wanting to draw. i cannot be diverted. and i don’t even draw for its own sake lol like, i’ve always doodled for fun and all that, but like, ive never been a “wow i want to make my own __ someday” or whatever, and if i’m trying to draw something which is anything other than [the exact thing i might feel like drawing] it is Such a chore that like, i just don’t do it except for like, total Exceptions. except exceptions lol. don’t ask!! anyways why did i get on that drawing tangent there........yeah it’s definitely lucky that i’ve been giving myself that Drawing Experience so that i can connect w/ ppl that way, cuz i’m godawful at like, necessarily providing other stuff lol Or at being the one to Make Connections Happen otherwise......and also of course sometimes it is easier to convey/communicate something via drawing. woohoo!!

anyways yeah i’m a bit excitable lol and i sure guess i’ve got that Chaotique energy at times, for better or worse lol........like sometimes my Contribution can be like, just an absolute wild card thrown into the pile, or just like, maybe adding some Boost to a situation that other people can run with if they so choose. just throw things out there sometimes and enjoy when other ppl find that fun lmao

what else is there about me??? lol.......oh yeah i’m always sort of an Office Goofaround (not actually in an office ever, though). like, when ppl Don’t have that sense of Collaborative Humor where like, if someone does something a bit silly u just roll with that bit, or if god forbid they have Exhausting Cishet Guy humor where they think everything is about Dry, “Intelligent” Sarcasm and that being “funny” is about making yourself look like the coolest or cleverest person there who Wins the Center Of Attention spot?? it’s like, eff that, where are my Get Silly gang. also puns are funny but also only b/c they are silly. you have to really lean into it lol. 

well anyways!!!! and when i am asked to talk about myself i can be very extensive and yet not necessarily cover everything. here we are

26)favorite look you had?

my look hasn’t changed too much! Tees n Jeans (or shorts? or jorts? lol) are pretty much my thing altho you Know i have at times added in A Layer, or even accessories.......as always, part of the first few years of the decade for me was the whole “aha, yeah okay i’m trans” process, but before that i wasn’t ever really trying to be more “””””””””fashionable”””””””””” than the tees n jeans type of look anyway lmao, and even nowadays like, i have some Wardrobe Items that like, ppl might consider ”androgynous” or whatever when cis dudes wear them, like leggings or a v-neck sweater........really some of the only significant Changes was getting binder/s eventually (by 2012?? ugh idk) and also like, by 2011 i cut my hair relatively short, and from there on i just like, every year went “ugh god i need it to be shorter” and even now i’m like, hmm, do i want it shorter or is this fine?? but also i’m somewhat limited styling-wise b/c i just continually cut it myself in a bathroom mirror, true chaotic. and! i’ve been like, god i wish i had a baseball cap that’s just like, solid [my fave blue] or yknow, black or something, or idk. one that i like. and also someday it would be nice to like, not only have an updated prescription of lenses but also Multiple Glasses Frames to choose from, even though my current ones are alright still lol.......this is me just talking abt my past looks and how i’d like to potentially update my look lmao i did Not answer the question but, as usual, i also don’t have a great direct answer lol

38)a prediction you had for this decade that came true?

lol this was not a decade where i was ever looking ahead to 2020 and making any assumptions about this Block Of Time as a whole.......i mean like, i was Really starting to suspect byyyy 2012 for sure that like, i could not like, be able to exist And have my parents be in my life at all lol and by 2013 it was just like. increasing confirmation of that. and i last saw / spoke to them prior to me just effing out of there at the end of 2015. snaps for me

43)an important relationship (of any kind) you had?

well a couple i appreciated that might not be obvious were pretty brief and fairly impersonal lol. so in 2015 i had this Nightmare Job for five whole months which was obviously miserable in most ways, but there was this other guy who wasn’t even a Coworker, we just had the same job and had similar routes of Stores to go to, so we would run into each other a lot of mornings, and he would talk to me and i’d talk to him and he was totally good-humored about everything and that was helpful lmao b/c it’s great to have Someone you enjoy seeing. i also struck up a rapport with a baked-goods stocker at one particular store, and that could be an enjoyable 14 seconds. it was a godawful job lmao and like, Any pleasantness at all / decent treatment from other people was very helpful

also at this other job the next year which was a lot less hellish, there was this customer lady who like, i can’t remember at what point she started talking to me but yknow it got to be that if we’d run into each other she’d kind of update me on her life. and she would be like “sorry i’m talking to you, a stranger, about all this stuff all the time, but my life is a mess and i don’t really have anyone to talk to” and i would be like, lmfao mood, do not even worry about it, and yknow this was someone i only ran into usually once every few weeks at my job, and could only listen to for however long, but she was Going Tf Through It all the time and as much as i am a chatterbox who will go on for a century about myself b/c i can’t be concise abt anything ever, i’m also decent at being in Listening Mode lmao or yknow, i was like No Truly i don’t mind you venting, and also yknow, i’m like well i know how much it sucks to have Nobody to talk to about Big Problems. and i am this random restaurant worker and if i’m one of the only people this lady can talk to, you can bet i’m going to listen lol.......and she was really goin through it all One Thing After Another and yknow i’d catch her two weeks later and she’d be all like, well [this situation] has gotten worse, or This One Problem is over but now New Problem has replaced it, etc, and a whole issue that i got updated on was like lol. she had this boyfriend who she’d kinda mention early on when she was talking abt trying to find a job, or losing a new-but-terrible job and once again being back in that Job Hunt Stress, and idk like. i just sort of have decent Relationship Instincts lmfao of like “hmm this doesn’t sound great” but like, a month or two later she’s straightup Married to this dude, and i’m like oh congrats :) and then when a month or two after That she’s talking about how like, she’s maybe having Job Probs again and her now-husband is really giving her shit for like, not having found a new one yet, i’m like internally all [ :)))))) Not Surprised :))))))) ] but i’m like. yknow you Sympathize n Validate but if you just up and tell someone who’s being treated real bad like “you are being treated terribly, this person is acting terribly” then they might just want to defend them like oh it’s not That bad, or minimize it, and blame themselves for making their terrible partner “look bad”.......and by extension when she once was in our restaurant With said husband and introduced us i was like, just getting further confirmation abt this dude’s shittiness from his Immediate Vibe lmao like....whenever i feel uncomfortable enough in someone’s presence in a [not just universal level of Anxiety] way, it’s like, that instinct is pretty reliable & accurate lol.....but i had to pretend Not to hate him or act too standoffish towards him lmao cuz like!!! i figured i could “get away with it” but yknow, this lady had already said how isolated she was and the husband sure seemed Controlling and like, yknow, if you act like you don’t Like the shitty partner or said shitty partner catches wind of you maybe telling this person that “hey your partner is being shitty” then it’s all, them telling their partner “don’t go around that person who is so obviously Against me >:(” and like. yknow i figured as Random Restaurant Employee this dude wasn’t about to be super on guard about me but i still was not wanting to risk it but luckily i only met him the one time and only had to casually pretend i didn’t think he was shit that one time. and anyhow! soon enough the lady is talking to me about how she thinks getting married to him was a mistake but like, again, she was real isolated and didnt have family or friends or ppl in the area to talk to, and like, yknow she would be pretty sure her husband was cheating on her but of course He was the one all like, wanting to be controlling and invade her privacy and accuse Her of cheating on him, and i’m like, internally screaming but again yknow, i’m just letting her vent to Anyone (me) and sympathizing. and iirc her talking about her “uh oh my husband sucks” was like, i had come back from this delivery so we were in the parking lot lol and she was so upset about all of it and like, “sorry i’m just this random person talking to you for twenty minutes in a parking lot and crying lol” and i’m like. i mean yknow if the only person you can vent to about this terrible situation is me, this random person in a parking lot, absolutely i am glad to do it, even though i would’ve done it anyways lol...........and i was so mad at our General Manager this one time lmao b/c. yknow it’s a couple weeks later and wouldn’t you know it, The Lady is really stressed b/c her husband was yelling at her and broke a window in their apartment, and the Cost Of Repairs added to their monthly rent meant they might not be able to make that rent, and she was in that crappy situation that gets pulled on Tenants Who Probably Don’t Have Much Money, where you’re supposed to get 5 Days Notice or whatever when they’re like “get out b/c your rent is overdue” but you get that Notice on like, friday afternoon when your Last Day is supposed to be the following monday, and nobody is at the office all weekend, so obviously that’s not five days and it’s really only One Day and that Last Day that you’d even have a chance to talk to anyone, which is also a monday when you’d probably have work, and yknow, good luck finding help over the weekend, when probably ppl will just want to spend that time rushing to just pack their shit up and leave anyways.....ANYHOW it’s just some particular heinous bullshit and it was like, the saturday after it had happened to her, and i sympathized entirely b/c that had happened to me and i now lived in my car but i figured i wouldn’t bring that up lmfao.......and anyways i was sitting down with her to listen to her b/c it’s an Insanely Stressful Situation and again like, whenever she’d show up i’d let her talk to me abt her Problems for however long she felt like. and anyways of course eventually the one By-The-Books manager gives me shit all like “what are you doing daring to Sit Down and Not be doing restaurantly actions, ugh” and i’m like. i mean, unsurprising lecture to get lol, of course, but i was just so impatient like. well this person was having a crisis so i prioritized that above keeping the coffee stirrers fully stocked at all times, bite me. ENNYHOW and i didn’t see her for a minute after that and i Was a bit worried b/c like. of course i had every reason to be and she was just always looking so completely exhausted but then like, actually the last time i saw her she was actually more upbeat than ever b/c like! turns out that during an argument her husband had assaulted her and had been arrested. which is of course like. i was like oh i am completely sorry about that trauma but congratulations at this person being separated from you!!! and like, i wish i could have kept up with her beyond that, but i couldn’t, but like, that was the first Improvement in her life that i’d heard since i met her, and it was a way better last-thing-to-hear-from-her than her stressing out abt eviction thanks to her abusive husband breaking shit. and like, weird relationship lmao but!! idk i did feel lucky that i could be The One Person This Lady Gets To Talk With b/c like, god forbid she have absolutely nobody to talk to about this shit or treat her with any sympathy, even if it was just me, the rando she only got to see on occasion. and i hope she’s doing okay still! wish i knew for sure of course, but i’m glad i at least got to be there for her in a tiny way for a period of time and did eventually like, Know that she both knew that this was a bad person to be with, and got that Reason to be separated from him.

#imsocatastrophic

[natsubeatsrock]

The Rewrite of Fairy Tail: Bonus (Mentality)

Is my rewrite of Fairy Tail supposed to be a replacement of canon?

Honest to goodness, I was planning on doing this for about two months. I feel as though this has been an elephant in the room of this series. While I have been saying that I love Fairy Tail and was okay with the ending of this series, I still decided to go through with this project. When I planned this post, I was going to compare the analysis done by Craftsdwarf on Fairy Tail and Nux Taku’s recent videos about Fairy Tail, as criticism done from different points of liking the series.

And then, Voltron Legendary Defender ended and I decided to take this in a different way. If not for any reason, but this is my only real outlet to get my thoughts on this whole mess out.

Before we get farther into this, I need to make it clear that I haven’t seen Voltron. At first, it was because I didn’t have access to Netflix. Then, it was because nothing about it seemed appealing to me and I was told that it wasn’t written well (No comment on the writing.). About the only reason I have to watch it now is to understand it. 

And that’s the funny thing about VLD. Despite knowing and following people who were into the series, I don’t even really understand a whole lot about it, why this was the show that blew up how it did, or, despite all the salt I’ve seen, what is so bad about this ending that it effectively ruined the show for seemingly everyone who watched it. (Normally I’d say things here about it, but spoilers.)

But, oh my goodness, the Voltron fandom. I’m sorry to those unfortunate souls following me who have the misfortune to call themselves part of the Voltron fandom. The things I’ve heard you guys go through make me question if it’s even possible to have ever called the Fairy Tail fandom toxic. Like, this fandom has done some messed up stuff in the past, but Voltron is on a completely different level of bad. You guys deserve T-Shirts or something. 

So, why talk about a series that I have little to no interest in as a launchpad for my topic of trying to replace Fairy Tail? Because a lot of what I’m seeing from the fallout of it’s ending is exactly what could spark the mindset that one could go into making a rewrite of a series as a replacement of the series. 

As I acknowledged in my introduction, I am by no means the first person to think that it would be a good idea to retell the events of a series with changes made to it. Incidentally, much of the Fairy Tail fanfiction I’ve been reading recently can be argued to fall into this category in some way. The argument can be made that this is the driving force behind most fanfiction that seeks to exist within its parent series universe. And it’s not like this is a practice for only fanfiction. In a very real sense, abridged versions of a series are essentially rewrites of their canon material. 

But, that’s just it. They are re-writings of a story. They aren’t the original version of the story. They are, in fact, a re-presentation of what has already existed. Arguments can be made for how it is when compared to the original, but, by any definition, it is not and can never be the original. And here’s where the importance of my question lies. 

I do not believe that it is a good idea to come into the rewriting of a series without a thorough understanding of the series you are trying to remake. When you ignore any potential thought process behind what happened in a series, it’s hard to think of how what happened could be salvaged. It’s why part of my rewrite involves this series, where I explain my understanding of why certain events happened, filtered through the lens of being a Fairy Tail blogger for over three years and having gone through the series more than once. (Though not without bias.)

After all, despite how you feel about how a series was handled, you were not the one to make it. While this can be seen as a reason not to change a series any further than what exists, as usually is the case, this also means that your interpretation isn’t the primary interpretation. (Primary, in this sense, meaning the first, as opposed to the most important, for readers in the “Death of an Author” camp.) Trying to understand why someone would make a certain decision can help inform your change in direction.

In my opinion, the best retellings of stories come from people who demonstrate an amazing understanding of their source material. I think this is one of the big reasons that TeamFourStar’s work on Dragon Ball Z Abridged and Something Witty Entertainment’s take on Sword Art Online are as successful as they are. They don’t just tell the same exact same story with a bit more jokes, as other less successful abridging projects have done.

In the case of TeamFourStar, in addition to tight writing and clever running gags, they have referenced as many parts of the Dragon Ball universe as could possibly be referenced. Not just in playful nods to the versions of Dragon Ball, GT, and Super every now and again. They have referenced material from obscure and unpopular dubs. They even made a shot at the less than stellar Dragonball Evolution in an early episode. Even watching their Dragon Ball themed Let’s Plays and DBCember lists, you can see the love and respect the members have for (most of) the Dragon Ball Series.

SWE has had less time around in the abridging world. However, their work is already being considered as some of the best abridging work of an anime. It’s not hilariously uncommon for less than talented people to criticize SAO for its poor writing. While one could argue that any rewriting of SAO could show a better understanding of the universe than the series author, people calling the abridging of this series better than the original are justified. Even simple changes like retconning an in-series justification for Dual Wielding and the end of the final battle between Kirito and the final boss are enough to show some genuine thought was put into remaking one of the most popular modern anime.

And, of course, each episode of both (except for the first one of SAO Abridged for some weird reason) starts with both a recognition of not being the original owners of the series and a plea for fans to support the official release. Regardless of how cynical you may think this practice is, the fact still stands that there is a recognition that they wouldn’t be able to do what they’re doing without the original.

And, that is the mindset that I have with this rewrite. I don’t agree with everything that Mashima’s done regarding Fairy Tail or every sentiment he has. Heck, early last year, I shared my disagreements with Mashima over his own perception of Nali. If I thought that everything that Mashima did throughout the series was good, I wouldn’t be doing this. Even as much of this series involves the defense of Mashima’s established universe, much more has been trying to explain things that weren’t explained and even making up things that didn’t happen in the series (albeit, usually using canon material).

But, at the end of the day, I still do love the series. I love the characters. I love the world. Even some of the things I have and will complain about and change are things I struggle with as they’re part of this hilarious mess I’ve come to love known as Fairy Tail. I feel as though it would be a mistake to forget to make Fairy Tail something other than Fairy Tail.

More importantly, I don’t know that, if I were actually given the opportunity to start from near scratch, I would be able to make Fairy Tail again, let alone outdo the original. I don’t think anyone other than Mashima could make Fairy Tail what it has become. 

If this rewrite is considered to be good, it will only do it because I’m working with a heavily established series with close to a decade and a half worth of canon material and spin-offs, of which the creator has had and taken multiple opportunities to explain his reasoning behind the decisions, mysteries, and mistakes made throughout the series. And because I, recognizing this, do my best to keep the series as close to what it was, while also changing material to make things feel more refreshing than many felt them to in the original, after years of talking about and interacting with its fandom and detractors.

Now, I don’t say any of this to mean that it’s impossible to come away from a series thinking that it’s entirely terrible, try to rebuild it without regard for what was done in the original, and come out with a good product. I absolutely defend the right for people to dislike something for whatever reason they want to, legitimate or pedantic, provided they do so respectfully. Given my track record, I’m almost legally obligated to. 

In some cases, rare though they may be, it may even be possible to create something people can and do consider to be better than the original. (Though it’s worth considering that the only situation I can think of this kind of thing happening is SAO Abridged, which I’ve already explained doesn’t neglect canon.)

The issue is that I personally don’t think that, in succeeding to do so, you’ve replaced the original series. At best, you’ve likely created either a well-liked fan alternative to the original or something so wholly different as to not even be considered similar to the original, save in potentially sharing names, titles and, on occasions, themes and plot lines. At worst, your efforts prove that you have completely and fundamentally misunderstood what was happening within the series you tried to rewrite. Either way, unless you can genuinely convince whoever made the original to throw it out and accept your version as the new standard for canon (good look with that, by the way), you haven’t succeeded in “replacing the original”.

So, if I don’t want to replace Fairy Tail, why rewrite it?

I have a few reasons. I want to consider how the series would look if certain changes were made to it. I want to explain how elements of Fairy Tail succeeded or failed in canon, which I have been explaining through this series. As I have been noticing, I have come to think of ways that what Mashima has done throughout the series can make sense without having to break too much about the series.

But, as I’ve been learning while I’ve been rewriting this series, I’ve recognized how much I love this series. Some of these choices involved in rewriting this series have been genuinely difficult. Not just in deciding how much to change to keep Fairy Tail similar. I want to be very careful about how I treat the characters in this series I’ve come to love.

Doing this has given me a newfound respect for Mashima. Despite much of what I’ve said about him in the past, I think that what exists within canon is special. Fairy Tail really is something different from many of its peers. From plot direction to characters (which will be the topic of later posts), I don’t think Mashima gets enough credit for what he did different from those around him, regardless of how well executed you may think it was.

I’m not doing my normal “In Conclusion” for this, given this is technically a series post. But, long story short, I don’t want this to be a co-opting or replacement of the original series. I see this less as making a new house on top of an older one, and more restoration of that old house, with new additions. 

Based on the Introduction.

#fairy tail #the rewrite of fairy tail #yeah yeah #you're only riding the salt wave #to be fair #i got into rwby and... #let's just say #i could have talked about it #and its fandom #but voltron's a hotter topic #and i don't want to engage rwde #not that doing this won't draw ire from vld fans #but hey #new year new them?