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spiralpegasus)
I have Christmas cookies!
and i didn't even send a card back D:
i'll just have to give you an awesome gift
myaru)
asdjagsdkfjhl FSN movie ad. Damn, that makes me excited.
Hi! I need to procrastinate from my exchange fics some more. :D I will reply to more comments later, but that takes a bit more brain power than what I'm going to say here - and now that I've said that, you should leave.
.
So, I'm about two thirds through Heaven's Feel, and think I can honestly say that Unlimited Blade Works is my favorite route in terms of both story/plot and characterization, despite the sad lack of Ilya scenes. Her death in UBW tempered my fondness for Gilgamesh, but other than that, the storyline is made of pure awesome.
HF, on the other hand, makes me like Sakura a lot less than before. It sounds strange to say she's a repulsive character, but even knowing her history and the style of "training" Zouken put her through, this glimpse into her thought process shows she's corrupted in ways I can't seem to ignore. Sakura is the type of character that harbors deep resentment and thoughts that aren't generally acceptable to normal society - for example, her wish that Shirou would get hurt so he wouldn't be able to leave the house - but while it's human to have these thoughts, Sakura isn't made more sympathetic by confessing them to herself. The game depicts her as thoroughly ashamed of everything she wants or thinks, usually about things society would want us to be ashamed of (sex outside of marriage, wishing harm on someone), but that shame is exactly what makes her impure - because she doesn't try to resist. She doesn't try to change.
On one hand, she was taught not to rebel against the lessons her family instilled in her - I understand that. But she doesn't try to improve herself at all. She says, does, or thinks something bad, then berates or punishes herself later, but doesn't try to stop herself from doing so the next time, even when she knows she'll feel bad about it later. Sakura is thoroughly messed up, yes - to the point that she's utterly unlikable to me. She represents an extreme stereotype beyond that, which I also dislike.
Gilgamesh doesn't inspire the same loathing because, unlike Sakura, he's an unrepentant bastard and glories in his own corruption. This doesn't make him likable, but one can say his character is pure - i.e. he lacks honor, but also doesn't try to hide his dissolute nature behind a mask of kindness. Perhaps it's also arguable that being drenched in the contents of the Holy Grail is the source of some of his er, personality flaws, but from the way Saber talks about him, he was an asshole even before the curse hit him.
That said... unfortunately, I have a lot less to say about things I like in HF - mainly the larger roles Ilya and Rider are given, both of whom I really like. Shirou treated Saber more like a servant in this route, which I certainly appreciated, but I can't comment for real on how much he's improved until I've seen the end of this route. Kotomine is more likable this time around as well, though I don't know I'd go so far as saying I do like him - only that he's more interesting, and the scene in the Chinese restaurant was made of Win and Awesome.
In short, I guess, what was revealed about Sakura has tainted my view of her character, and the jury's out on whether I'll be able to ignore it in the future or not. Also, I haven't finished HF yet - it might change my mind. You never know.
spiralpegasus)
The winner of the 2009 edition of Ukraine's Got Talent.
edouard_stevew)Haven't posted in, well, a long time. I'm trying to stay busy to help stave off my depression.
Perhaps inappropriately, I am making a film about despair, but I sure feel happier when I am working on it.
makou)MURA
MURA
Fucking CONFIRMED. I don't care if they haven't actually named her yet, she's fucking in.
makou)I think it's safe to say that despite certain advertisements, I officially suck at Street Fighter IV right now.
But we can work on that, right?
myaru)Apparently the option to reply to reviews at FF.Net is somewhat recent history (compared to the life of the site, that is). Being fairly new as an author on this site, I really can't remember a time before that option existed, and before I registered, I never left reviews, so this may be influencing my perception, but I wonder - is it just me, or does the existence of a system that allows you to respond to your reviewers turn it into an obligation?
Over the years I've posted fan fiction in four types of venue: the older webpage archive (eg. here), the mailing list, the message board, and Livejournal. Of these options, only the webpage lacks an automatic reply function, but back in the day people put in the effort to click on your email address to tell you when they fell in love with your story, and email also presents an easy/automatic way to reply. I resisted registering at FF.Net for reasons I can't remember, so I've never presented my work in a medium that doesn't allow conversation between the author and reviewers. As a result, I feel that every comment I receive deserves a "thank you" at the very least to acknowledge the effort made to review and show my appreciation - because I do appreciate most responses, even if they're only a few words long. I consider it an obligation, but without the negative connotation of the word.
Now, at first, I didn't reply to reviews on FF.Net because it requires me to log in, and I'm not constantly browsing the site or checking my stats, which makes that an extra step and therefore inconvenient. After leaving reviews to stories and getting no response, however, I changed my habits and started replying to people. While the lack of response may not be negative - as in my own case - I found that it discouraged me from reviewing stories by those authors again because their silence gave the impression they didn't care, or (more illogically) that they took offense to something I said or happened to dislike me personally for reasons unknown. These are unfair assumptions to make, but if you consider a review your way of speaking to the author, or showing sincere appreciation for something you consider well-done, then the lack of response becomes a kind of rejection. Nobody likes being rejected, especially when they're going out of their way to be nice or encouraging.
To be fair, I'm paranoid and timid in fandom, generally; I have a history to look back on in which people really did hate me by reputation alone, at times, and without a position of so-called authority to fall back on - moderator status at a given community, BNF status in a fandom - I'm reluctant to put myself out in the first place. However, I don't think my thought process up above is that strange. Several of my friends avoid commenting on journals or stories written by people they don't know well, or consider to be part of a different circle, and I think the same kind of fear or paranoia drives that insecurity. You want to be nice, but you don't want to be rejected - and silence is rejection. This is why posting a story in any medium - FF.Net, one's journal, a message board - comes with the expectation of response, and why zero reviews (or just one) is so discouraging, especially if the number of page views far exceeds the number of reviews or favorites.
In any case - I started thinking about this when someone asked me why I hadn't added so-and-so to my Friends List here. My answer was along the lines above: that I'd reviewed several of her stories, received no response, and figured she wasn't interested in talking to me. Is that fair? Maybe not. But that's the impression she gave me with her silence, and since I have no indication she thinks differently, I'm reluctant to reach out to her in any other medium, nor am I willing to review more of her stories, though I read and enjoy them.
How do you look at the review and reply functions on FF.net, versus the comment system on Livejournal, or anywhere else you happen to post? Do you consider replying an obligation, or an opportunity - or unnecessary?
current mood: bracing for the impact
You're not going to like me after this. Cheers.
Fan entitlement, for the purposes of this post, refers to several practices, including but not limited to:
In short, I'm referring to the assholes on the internet who think we, fan writers, artists, or other producers, exist to entertain them when, where, and how they want it, and reserve the right to use our hard work in any way they see fit. No, this is not directed only at icon makers who use fan art, but-- to be honest, they're the easiest to pick on, because fair use as it relates to fan art and artists/image creators is much murkier than the issue of plagiarism in fic or essay-related circles, or so it would seem from the outside. This does not relate to artists or writers who state clearly that they don't mind if their work is used, of course, nor does it apply to people who actually ask permission before they draw on a resource that isn't tagged expressly for use in other work.
Now, to the topic at hand. :D
I'm astounded - honestly - at the assumption that, because a fic or work of art has been created and posted on the internet, it is free for you (general "you") to use in any way you see fit. Where did you get that idea? Uploading a fic to an archive is not an invitation to lift entire passages of writing, or plot, for use in your own story. Uploading artwork and sharing it with the fandom is not an invitation to take the piece, chop it up, slap on some new effects, and call it your own. The know-how required to use someone else's creative work is not equal to the skill necessary to produce that work from scratch. You do not deserve to demand credit for modifying someone else's creation.
And-- before you hit the comment link and tell me that using fan art is the same as using official artwork, or that the fan artist has no right to demand acknowledgment for their work, please take a look at your icon post and tell me this: are you demanding credit for your icons, or telling people that "textless icons are not bases" and therefore they had better not modify your work?
I hope you're making the same mental comparison I am. If not, think - really hard. You're producing derivative work - two times over, in the cases where you use fan art to create your icons. What gives you the right to demand credit when the original creators and fan artists aren't allowed that luxury? That's extremely rude to the artist who provided you (probably unknowingly) with material for your graphic design work, when they had no obligation to share that art with you in the first place.
There's a distinction between official and fan art that I think a lot of people who justify their iconning practices miss: that is, the official artwork released for a game, anime, or manga is universally acknowledged as a) "official," and b) as created by one person, or a specific group of people. Even if we don't know which of the three art designers drew a particular picture, we are mentally able to assign proper credit to one of them. Fan art, on the other hand, does not come with that fame, or popular assurance, except in rare cases - for instance, most fans of Fire Emblem have heard of Hanakago, and recognize the artist's work. However, the artist at Sapphire Forest, whose work has also appeared in icons all over the place, doesn't have the same kind of notoriety, and so people who snag those icons aren't mentally assigning any credit to that artist as they would for the official artwork, or someone well-known.
Not being official work doesn't lessen the value of fan art, especially if you assign value to it by using it in further derivative work. The very least you can do, if you don't have the courtesy to ask the artist for use of their work personally, is to credit them where everyone can see it - meaning, not on a list of resources buried in the farthest reach of your journal, but on the page in which you display those icons - and ask that people who use the icon to also credit the original artist.
I've noticed the majority of artists ripped off for icons are Japanese. This is another rant entirely, so I'll address it in short: on almost every Japanese art site is a comment somewhere in English asking visitors not to use material without permission. It has been such a problem in the past that Japanese artists went out of their way to create The OFP: Online Fanart Protection in which they make it clear - also in English - how they feel about unauthorized use of their work. (I would link, but it's coming up as a malicious software site on my computer, so it'll have to wait.) Here are a few examples:
+ this from Lunatic Gate
+ this from Yellowpart
These days, my own fannish participation is almost exclusively in the realm of fan fiction, which unfortunately is not immune to this problem - but the solution is much easier. When someone rips your fic wholesale and claims credit for it, you nail them with a plagiarism accusation, and they disappear. Black and white, cut and dry. In cases where the offending story isn't stolen, but only inspired by the original, the level of offense is variable according to the writers involved. This happened to me recently; there was also a highly public and wanky explosion in the Hikaru no Go fandom over fics that, in the opinion of two authors, were just borrowing from their own work too much.
Every time this happens in fic circles there's an uproar. I'm at a loss to explain why this isn't also true regarding fan art and icons. I know the Japanese artists care; I've seen so many of my favorite sites disappear over the years because of this issue, and they make it clear they're tired of being ripped off. Is the standard somehow different on, say, Deviant Art? I don't see much English-fandom artwork being used this way.
The bottom line is, Hanakago isn't drawing and posting fan art so they can be your pretty icon resource. It isn't the same as using someone's textures or bases - those are offered for public use (with the stipulation you credit the creator, usually) with the knowledge their work will be used for this purpose.
Why don't fan artists deserve the same respect the iconists demand? The hypocrisy of this practice blows my mind.