taotrooper | Did you know... that I could go to Japan? And back.

I've been pondering a bit about the CCS fandom these days, and I think I figured out why, besides the visual squick, why there are so little Eriol/Kaho shippers. It all comes down to most Eriol fans disliking Kaho, and most Kaho fans disliking Eriol. So in the end, we have a tiny intersection of mutual fans. And yet, not everybody in the set likes the ship anyway. So it's not only that the ship is hard to swallow, but that both characters also are, and are commonly labeled wrong by other fans (EVIL!) (WHORE!) (EVIL AND WHORE!). And even the fans who live either of them sometimes aren't even into the character in canon or understand them: they only serve to make a hawt pairing with their character of choice.

Personally, it's not so rare in the fandom and it's not restricted to Eriol. Take Tomoyo fans: some love her for being pretty and perfect, caring little for her sexuality; some love her because they're Eriol or Touya fanbrats and want a pairing for them that isn't slash or "slutty" or "pedo"; some love her because she's a lesbian and that's hawt. Now, I gave a damn about her in canon and think she's overrated and all, but I pity her for having such a batshit fanbase. You can count her real fans with an abacus.

Funny fact I just remembered: I met a dude once in my message board days, years ago, who said to be an Eriol fan. He admitted several times it was because he had the hots for Kaho, so he merely admired him for scoring with such a babe. That was... different. At least he liked the couple, I guess?

So, back to subject, we're only left with people who don't hate either Eriol or Kaho, and who have really read the manga, and who aren't a rabid alt shipper, and who aren't squicked by the physical "age difference". The figures are low. Not abacus-counted: FINGER-counted. ETA: Yeah, Laurus reminded me there are some who like the characters but aren't interested in the pairing, and some people who don't care about neither character. Still... I'm not sure what my point was when I wrote that, anymore.

But anyway... I'll leave you with something less monofandom. I saw this video the other day, and it's so surreal and amusing XD I'm not sure who was more stoned, the boy at the fishtank or the one who came up with the video concept. But it's still very well animated and shiny, and you can always trust The Chemical Brothers to pull some refreshing WTFness. So here's The Salmon Dance!

It kind of reminds me of the Donkey Kong rap. Anyway, wish me luck today: I have to give Math lessons to my brothers T__T

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Oi! I love Tomoyo!

I can't get into Kaho/Eriol because even though I quite like them both, neither of them are particularly interesting to me. And I must admit that even though I'm not insane and I know there isn't a big age difference as such, I am still squicked out by the fact that Kaho is an adult woman who is attracted to somoene who LOOKS like a ten year old boy. I realise that I am reading too much into the world of CCS by thinking like this, and probably missing a bit of Clamp's "different kinds of love" message, but I can't help it. If I totally loved both characters I might feel differently and accept their relationship I suppose.

Don't get me started on Terada though. He IS a peado!

are commonly labeled wrong by other fans (EVIL!) (WHORE!) (EVIL AND WHORE!)

And you aren't counting all the people who don't hate Eriol or Kaho, but who aren't particularly interested in them or in the ship either. So, yeah, it's really small.

I think it's also that some fans aren't vocal about it? Obvious example: I like the ship, but I only ever wrote it for someone else, and it doesn't have the same level of 'squee' for me as, say, Touya/Yukito. For small subfandoms, it really makes a difference - it's not like popular pairings, where only a small percentage of the fans are active but it's enough to produce a lot of fanworks.

Yeah, you're right. Edited the post with that part.

Dunno, I'm not sure what my point was when I wrote the rant.

Ranting is the point. X3

I didn't mean to correct you, though. D: It's true that these two get a ridiculous amount of hate.

They're still better placed than other characters. I can get people not getting them because they're ambiguous and look creepy sometimes in the anime -I'll still fume when they call them evil because it's a peeve. But Yukito...

See, the Yukito thing I don't get at all. I mean, I understand people disliking him as a character, thinking he's boring, too sweet, anything... but the levels of WTF we've seen are just too much.

Really, I don't know how can people hate characters like Yukito or Tomoyo, who don't give any reason to be hated *at all*. I get not liking them, sure, but they strike me more as the kind of characters you just ignore than the AAARGH GETS ON MY NERVES AAARGH kind.

You know, Eriol/Kaho squicks me to no end but... Eriol/Tomoyo makes no sense. And I say that as a Tomoyo/MeiLing shipper in MANGAverse. XP
Rants do not have to have a point. XDDDD

Duh, we're talking about the fandom that gave us evil!Fujitaka.
These guys can hate Gandhi for being a bastard.

The "excuse" I've seen for the level of hate directed at the characters is because supposedly their fans are batshit and want to ship everyone who doesn't adore the characters off to Fandom Re-education Camp. But while fans like that exist, they probably exist for almost every character, but there are so few most of the time that you might never meet one outside of your own imagination.

Now, there are plenty of creepy "Character X is much more perfect than any real person and must be kept pure (except when I'm perving over them)" fans, but that's not really a reason to hate the character. More a source of pity.

The thing about Kaho being attracted to Eriol is that I believe that she's the one person (besides Eriol's Guardians) who really understands that Eriol is an adult, and she's had years to come to that understanding and become attracted to that adult.

It makes sense because they have the same color hair, which can't be a coincidence!!1 And Eriol and Tomoyo are soooo similar with their plotting and want to matchmake Sakura and Syaoran!!1

...otherwise known as "it makes sense if you squint, apply liberal amounts of fanon, and use really shallow similarities as your basis" or "pastede on yaye" for short.

(Somewhat OT, I totally think that Tomoyo/Meiling is the most natural anime pairing for them. Episode 60 FTW!)

Yeah, but looks alone can be a strong enough squick (especially because it's a visual medium) even if one rationally knows what's "really" going on.

that's not really a reason to hate the character. More a source of pity.
I know. Poor Legolas taught me that. D:

That's why I'd never count "wouldn't touch Character X's fandom with a ten-foot-pole" as character bashing. It's a comment about the fans.

... yeah, I tend to forget about evil!Fujitaka. Poor guy.

XDDDD I don't care if it is fanon!OTP but some of the shippers seem to think it actually makes some sense in canon. I mean, I love me some good Sokka/Zuko but it makes no sense. XP

(Well, yes. The thing is that I ship them even when Mei Ling doesn't exist. See: Tsubasa. I totally ship Tomoyo-hime/Ninja!MeiLing and Piffle!Tomoyo/Bodyguard!MeiLing.)

I've read too much Touya/Yukito to ever forget.
It's just so mind-boggling. I mean, the guy is PERFECT. Even Sonomi admits it and she hates him. Agh.

Yes, I know 'rationally' what's going on... but Eriol still looks like a ~~creepy~~ kid.
~~And Kaho? Totally like Yuuko! Reincarnations have the same taste in women and all.~~

He shows up in Touya/Yukito badfic? As what, the homophobic monster who disowns his gay son? Is he worse than the abusive!Fujitaka from a particular brand of S+S fanfic that murdered Nadeshiko and rapes Sakura until Syaoran healing wub saves her?

Assuming that the batshit fanbase does exist for the character. Saying that you hate the crazy fans, when your definition of "crazy" is "they poke holes in my supposedly-objective reasons why the character should be hated using logical arguments" is still character bashing, even if it's framed around the fans.

Reincarnations have the same taste in women and all.

But then what about Fujitaka and Nadeshiko?

XP That's why it was crossed out. XDDDDDD
And who knows, maybe Nadeshiko had a wild side.

Exactly. I remember a particularly bad one when Touya becomes a drug addict and the only one that helps him is Yukito. They end up dying.

Even if I'm indifferent to CCS!Tomoyo/Meiling (although I think it's the pairing it makes the most sense for Tomoyo ever, crack silliness excluded), I must say that miko-princess/ninja I could get behind~

Did you know... that I could go to Japan? And back.

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