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Post by carcinogeneticist on Nov 18, 2012 12:25:11 GMT -6
Exactly what it says on the tin. What are your major pet peeves in Zutara fanworks/fanfics?
I'll start out. I fucking loathe Zutara slave stories Katara flops around like a wet rag and Zuko rapes her or some shit like that. They're out of character and they're nothing but fetish fics wrapped in a pretty Zutara package, like a chocolate éclair that turns out to be filled with fucking hot sauce. I've yet to see a good Zutara slave story, other than maybe Tempest in a Teacup, but that doesn't exactly fit what I'm talking about.
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ladyavatar
Pro-Bender
Ozai Fangirls, Represent!
Posts: 418
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Post by ladyavatar on Nov 18, 2012 12:29:51 GMT -6
Ah, excellent idea for a thread! I've got one: Zutara stories that start post-show and either make Aang a whiny kid or immediately kill him (or Mai) off rather than creating a story that explains why Zutara works better than those other ships. I feel that making Aang or Mai OOC or killing them off is a cheap route to Zutara. It's too easy. I like a story with significantly more complication.
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Post by harpalyce on Nov 18, 2012 12:39:48 GMT -6
Oh man, do I have a lot of these.
#1 is any fic in which Katara becomes completely passive and especially becomes completely willing to toss away ALL of her Water Tribe heritage to become a nice little Firelady for Zuko. Not saying that I hate fics that have a royal marriage happening, but if you're going to do that, don't toss away what's a good delicious 3/4 of your fic. A little spirited conflict is what Zutara is all about; these two characters need to rub on one another to sharpen each other like you're sharpening a knife or something. If you toss that out it becomes dull and boring.
#2 As long as we're talking about characterization issues: fics who feel the need to inexplicably butcher Aang's character. Look, he's probably going to be a bit sad or a bit upset, but it's obvious he cares for Katara AND Zuko enough that if he sees them happy together he's going to respect their choices. Suicidal Aang, homicidal Aang, abusive Aang - what the fuck is this shit.
#3 Zero political ramifications. Ok, yes, I think Hakoda might warm up to the idea a bit more quickly because he's seen Zuko in action at Boiling Rock (risking his life to save Hakoda's, no less), and he can probably say that if his daughter is happy then he is happy too, even if I fully expect him to stare down Zuko every so often with an air of 'you break my baby girl's heart and i will break YOU'. What I can't stand is when everybody in the Fire Nation is absolutely a-ok with it. So many delicious missed opportunities!! It's a period of massive political instability and there are probably many noble houses who were banking on the continuing war for power, prestige, and money. So while everyone may have at least paid Zuko's coronation lip service when it was backed up by the Avatar, marrying a water tribe peasant probably isn't going to go over as well. Not saying Katara will be universally loathed - but some people will definitely have a problem with it. And that's a terrific story element to play with. So why would you pass it up?!
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Post by carcinogeneticist on Nov 18, 2012 12:48:16 GMT -6
Ah, excellent idea for a thread! I've got one: Zutara stories that start post-show and either make Aang a whiny kid or immediately kill him (or Mai) off rather than creating a story that explains why Zutara works better than those other ships. I feel that making Aang or Mai OOC or killing them off is a cheap route to Zutara. It's too easy. I like a story with significantly more complication. Don't even fucking get me started on this. A few weeks ago I was reading this one Zutara fanfic - can't remember the name - that basically involved Mai dying in childbirth and Katara subsequently moving in and seducing Zuko. Just. What! What the everloving fuck is going in this fanfiction? Zuko's a douchecanoe, and the "Jerk of the Week" song was probably dedicated to him, while Katara suddenly running in on a recent widower is out of character as Long Feng in a ballerina costume tapdancing the flamenco on the fucking moon. I remember loving the writings to bits but the goddamn plot turned me off more quickly than fucking animal abuse or something. I want the author to write a better story or shit because the writing itself was gorgeous. Fuck bad writers with good stories. Fuck good writers with bad stories. Fuck Zutarians who pull shitty cop-outs with abrupt character deaths. It makes the entire story like a gilded cage: Pretty on the outside but empty within.
I want to see Zuko choosing Katara and vice versa, not Zuko going with Katara because Mai died, or Katara going with Zuko because Aang did. No. Fuck that.
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Post by harpalyce on Nov 18, 2012 12:55:25 GMT -6
I'm not entirely opposed to early character death mostly because i do it to mai at the start of tbopi ahaha oh god i never said i was a good writer SORRY EVERYONE, just as long as it's ACTUALLY ADDRESSED. Mostly because if it's just completely passed over, it makes my head hurt... because it's a brilliant opportunity to do some great character exploration. You're passing up a great opportunity for character depth. It makes the situation deliciously complicated, and that's a fantastic thing, because one or the other can get stuck on the "wait, what if I'm the rebound fuck?" worry, and I love my Zutara full of worries and doubts that are eventually overcome.
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ladyavatar
Pro-Bender
Ozai Fangirls, Represent!
Posts: 418
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Post by ladyavatar on Nov 18, 2012 13:21:12 GMT -6
It makes the situation deliciously complicated, and that's a fantastic thing, because one or the other can get stuck on the "wait, what if I'm the rebound fuck?" worry, and I love my Zutara full of worries and doubts that are eventually overcome. I think this basically depends on an individual reader's personal beliefs and values. In real life, there are people who choose to remarry after the death of their wives or husbands. There are also people who remain loyal to the lost love one for the remainder of their lives. For some, the idea of rebound after a spouse's death is unthinkable and invalidates the entire story. For others, not at all. That's why there are so many different types of fanfiction stories out there in order to give each unique reader what he/she is looking for. You can't please everyone with every story and shouldn't try. Also, political ramifications are a must. I agree completely.
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Post by carcinogeneticist on Nov 18, 2012 13:22:18 GMT -6
I'm not entirely opposed to early character death mostly because i do it to mai at the start of tbopi ahaha oh god i never said i was a good writer SORRY EVERYONE, just as long as it's ACTUALLY ADDRESSED. Mostly because if it's just completely passed over, it makes my head hurt... because it's a brilliant opportunity to do some great character exploration. You're passing up a great opportunity for character depth. It makes the situation deliciously complicated, and that's a fantastic thing, because one or the other can get stuck on the "wait, what if I'm the rebound fuck?" worry, and I love my Zutara full of worries and doubts that are eventually overcome. I'm not saying that that's the mark of a bad writer, but I'd always be wondering if Zuko only got with Katara because Mai up and fucking died like a mayfly. And when authors brush off the dead person, it makes me more fucking mad I could rip a sycamore from the ground and sharpen a spear with my teeth.
By the way, agree with you on the political ramifications thing. Politics in my fanfic is like spice in my tea. It's not necessary but it makes things a whole lot more fucking interesting.
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Post by carcinogeneticist on Nov 18, 2012 17:25:57 GMT -6
Zutara fanfictions centred around Aang and Zuko fighting over Katara is a sure-fire way to make me close the tab with enough force to kill an elephant. Or fanfics where Aang's childish attempts to woo her are treated as comic relief. Ugh.
Katara using bloodbending for smut purposes troubles me in more ways than one. Yeah, I understand it's funny or what have you, but about the only time she used it after she learned it was when her rage overpowered her sense of morality/self. I don't know if it'd be in character for her to seemingly randomly use it for pleasure's sake.
And don't even fucking get me started on the number of Zutara fanfics that have Mai being able to generate lightning. What the actual fuck.
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Post by advocaat on Nov 18, 2012 17:34:54 GMT -6
Mai generating lightning??? Seriously? I haven't run into one of those yet. I dislike stories where Zuko has had concubines before his banishment. Like really? He was thirteen when Ozai kicked him out.
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Post by dynamojacks on Nov 18, 2012 17:41:21 GMT -6
When they make Aang sound too young. I get that he's still kid-like in the latter part of S3 but really? He's not Ikki for goodness sake- he's got some years to him.
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