The icon speaks for itself
Apr. 18th, 2006 10:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
windandwaterYou know, it's been a good long while since I've been embroiled in fandom... fandomness. I've always been in that sort of lurking part of the fandom, crawling out from the darkness only to review certain fics or answer the odd ficsearch. And even though I've been in the Gundam Wing fandom for 10 years (dear god, has it been 10 years already?), I didn't really start participating (albeit mostly on the GWAddiction board) and posting my fics until 2001 or so. Yeah, it took that long for me to gather my courage and post my stuff. XD;; That and I was mostly in the Sailor Moon fandom before then.
But, I was there for the gnarled and snarly beginnings, when we were trading VHS tapes with fansubs and wondering what the hell was up with the funky politics and changing mecha designs and OMG THE BOYS. And the claimings. And the character wars. And the ship wars. And the flame wars. And the in-fighting and growling and the "OMG STOP ABUSING MY BAAAAAABY". And you know what? I will freely admit that I more or less got interested in GW because of Duo Maxwell (or rather, his hair). Then I got into the politics of the plot of GW (especially when I took that Japanese history class and realized Relena was a metaphor for the Peace Party in Japan) and keeping track of the twists and turns and betrayals.
I started reading fics, trying to fill in the rather wide gaps that canon left so open and tantalizing. Duo and Quatre spent a month together in the desert, what did they do? Why did Wufei call his Gundam "Nataku" when it's obviously named "Shenlong"? If Trowa isn't really Trowa Barton, then who is he? Where does Heero go at the end of the wars? And, I'm not going to lie, I wanted to read the boys getting it on, because they were pretty obviously subtexty (helloooo flute and violin duet). And through the years, I've pretty much read it all. I read the safehouse fics. I read schoolfics. I read the blanket fics. I read the aphrodisiac fics. I've read the ZERO System insanity fics. I've read backstories and future fics and missing scenes. I've read AUs. I've read "Timeline What Timeline?" fics. I've read Heero self-destruct and not self-destruct dozens of times over. I've read brilliant and heart-rending fics. I've read utter and complete garbage. I've read the boys up, down, sideways, and hanging in Zero-G.
When the fics started talking about Solo and Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, I had to know who they were. When the fanon kept mentioning Odin Lowe, I wondered who this man was. When the name Long Meiran became important, I wondered why she wasn't in the show. And when I kept seeing the name Triton Bloom, I wondered if he was related to Cathy. I dove back into the canon. I found the manga, and the novels (or at least summaries), and then even more manga and technical manuals and interviews. Endless Waltz came into my greedy little hands and I practically wept with joy.
And then I threw myself back into the fandom. I knew what everyone was talking about now. I found a level of depth that I had completely missed in other fics. I found NEW fics and new situations. I read Trowa rape fics. I read Trowa not rape fics. I still can't tolerate the Original Trowa Barton. I read Quatre as a test-tube baby, and I read him as a natural born. Usually, Quatre ended up running Winner Enterprises, Incorporated no matter what he was. Wufei never let Meiran go. Wufei learned to let Meiran go. Heero went on to become Relena's bodyguard, a Preventer, suffered a traumatic mental break, changed his name to Odin Lowe, Jr., had a dog, painted for a living. Duo was a thief, a streetrat, a whore, a gangleader, the head of an underground L2 political movement, an ESUN senator, a priest, a mechanic, and a guy who wants to learn to crochet.
I've seen the GW fandom be born, crawl, start walking, and go through the awkward and gawky teenage phase. I watched the fandom be trained for war and shoved into Gundams. The fandom went on secret undercover missions in OZ boarding schools, got caught and tortured (because everyone knows Ozzies are Bad Guys), and blew their way out with a healthy amount of C-4 and rock 'n roll. And then things settled down, and there was peace.
I still consider Duo's eyes to be violet. I think Heero might not ever have a very good sense of humor, but he has his moments. Quatre should drink less tea and maybe go on a vacation in the tropics. Trowa will always be able to do the trapeze, even if he's hiding a six-pack under his ugly turtlenecks. And Wufei still practices his swordsmanship, but now he does it for himself and not as a tribute to Meiran. Zechs... might eventually not be crazy anymore, but it's a good thing he has Noin around to make sure he doesn't start running into doors or something. Relena's still awfully young to be Vice Foreign Minister, but Dorothy is on her staff and should be able to help or try to take over the world herself. Une, despite everything, is a very good mother to Mariemaia. Treize is still dead (except in AUs).
Is it fanon? Is it canon? I don't know, but I don't care too much.
GW became MY fandom. It's the only fandom that I consistently and continuously write fics for, even 10 years later. It's also the fandom that I consistently and continuously read fics for, even 10 years later.
I'm clinging to it to the bitter end.
But, I was there for the gnarled and snarly beginnings, when we were trading VHS tapes with fansubs and wondering what the hell was up with the funky politics and changing mecha designs and OMG THE BOYS. And the claimings. And the character wars. And the ship wars. And the flame wars. And the in-fighting and growling and the "OMG STOP ABUSING MY BAAAAAABY". And you know what? I will freely admit that I more or less got interested in GW because of Duo Maxwell (or rather, his hair). Then I got into the politics of the plot of GW (especially when I took that Japanese history class and realized Relena was a metaphor for the Peace Party in Japan) and keeping track of the twists and turns and betrayals.
I started reading fics, trying to fill in the rather wide gaps that canon left so open and tantalizing. Duo and Quatre spent a month together in the desert, what did they do? Why did Wufei call his Gundam "Nataku" when it's obviously named "Shenlong"? If Trowa isn't really Trowa Barton, then who is he? Where does Heero go at the end of the wars? And, I'm not going to lie, I wanted to read the boys getting it on, because they were pretty obviously subtexty (helloooo flute and violin duet). And through the years, I've pretty much read it all. I read the safehouse fics. I read schoolfics. I read the blanket fics. I read the aphrodisiac fics. I've read the ZERO System insanity fics. I've read backstories and future fics and missing scenes. I've read AUs. I've read "Timeline What Timeline?" fics. I've read Heero self-destruct and not self-destruct dozens of times over. I've read brilliant and heart-rending fics. I've read utter and complete garbage. I've read the boys up, down, sideways, and hanging in Zero-G.
When the fics started talking about Solo and Father Maxwell and Sister Helen, I had to know who they were. When the fanon kept mentioning Odin Lowe, I wondered who this man was. When the name Long Meiran became important, I wondered why she wasn't in the show. And when I kept seeing the name Triton Bloom, I wondered if he was related to Cathy. I dove back into the canon. I found the manga, and the novels (or at least summaries), and then even more manga and technical manuals and interviews. Endless Waltz came into my greedy little hands and I practically wept with joy.
And then I threw myself back into the fandom. I knew what everyone was talking about now. I found a level of depth that I had completely missed in other fics. I found NEW fics and new situations. I read Trowa rape fics. I read Trowa not rape fics. I still can't tolerate the Original Trowa Barton. I read Quatre as a test-tube baby, and I read him as a natural born. Usually, Quatre ended up running Winner Enterprises, Incorporated no matter what he was. Wufei never let Meiran go. Wufei learned to let Meiran go. Heero went on to become Relena's bodyguard, a Preventer, suffered a traumatic mental break, changed his name to Odin Lowe, Jr., had a dog, painted for a living. Duo was a thief, a streetrat, a whore, a gangleader, the head of an underground L2 political movement, an ESUN senator, a priest, a mechanic, and a guy who wants to learn to crochet.
I've seen the GW fandom be born, crawl, start walking, and go through the awkward and gawky teenage phase. I watched the fandom be trained for war and shoved into Gundams. The fandom went on secret undercover missions in OZ boarding schools, got caught and tortured (because everyone knows Ozzies are Bad Guys), and blew their way out with a healthy amount of C-4 and rock 'n roll. And then things settled down, and there was peace.
I still consider Duo's eyes to be violet. I think Heero might not ever have a very good sense of humor, but he has his moments. Quatre should drink less tea and maybe go on a vacation in the tropics. Trowa will always be able to do the trapeze, even if he's hiding a six-pack under his ugly turtlenecks. And Wufei still practices his swordsmanship, but now he does it for himself and not as a tribute to Meiran. Zechs... might eventually not be crazy anymore, but it's a good thing he has Noin around to make sure he doesn't start running into doors or something. Relena's still awfully young to be Vice Foreign Minister, but Dorothy is on her staff and should be able to help or try to take over the world herself. Une, despite everything, is a very good mother to Mariemaia. Treize is still dead (except in AUs).
Is it fanon? Is it canon? I don't know, but I don't care too much.
GW became MY fandom. It's the only fandom that I consistently and continuously write fics for, even 10 years later. It's also the fandom that I consistently and continuously read fics for, even 10 years later.
I'm clinging to it to the bitter end.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-19 07:25 am (UTC)(yes, i saw that. it was... well, i've been in that "how tall" discussion before. only less wanky. and i might've been drinking at the time.)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-19 11:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-19 05:11 pm (UTC)but!
regardless! why are they so hung up on how tall the boys get? why all of that analysis and pseudo-academic discussion? of all the fanon cliches to rant about! lol!!! i want to make the boys 7ft. tall. who cares? does it change their characterization?
omg... O_O do you think if i'd managed to grow to 5'5"... i'd have a Completely Different Personality? maybe i'd be more serious and solemn... yes... >_>
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-20 01:57 am (UTC)And since we don't know how tall they would be once they were full grown, we can take poetic licence on their height.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-19 08:03 pm (UTC)And I've seen those pics. His eyes change color during the series, too.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-19 04:52 pm (UTC)funnily enough, the last time i was in a "how tall do asians get" discussion, it was in law school... at a beer garden... we were allllll drinking... and it ended with the biggest ass in my year asking me: "how tall are you? cuz i wouldn't fuck anyone shorter than you... yeah... that'd be too short."
all *kinds* of classy! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2006-04-19 08:05 pm (UTC)Well, there might be problems with a REALLY tall guy fucking a very tiny girl (or boy). It might just be plain uncomfortable, or he might be too "big". And if the girl gets preggers, childbirth is sometimes more difficult. Ahaha... but that's in the real world and we're sticking to fandom. XD