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so what if Saiunkoku were a huge fandom?
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Am still rereading the Saiunkoku book in preparation for summarizing it. Senka still enrages me. I feel kind of like the narrative gives him brownie points for something a parent ought to be doing anyway. (Though this is mostly just a feeling). IIRC, more stuff is added about the crown prince. This makes me think we'll eventually get either a gaiden about the succession crisis, or it'll come up in the main narrative.
On the second story, which I'm about halfway through now, I feel it's a bit too long, and that the author really should have written it before, and not put it in now, when we have all of this big suspenseful plot hanging over our heads. I also think that Saiunkoku has gotten much crueler as a story. If it had a big fandom, I honestly wonder what people would make of the increasing grimness.
If Saiunkoku were a big fandom with lots of people discussing the series and writing fanfic? Well, even if the novels were translated, it would be doubtful (shoujo with actual romantic plot elements are a fanfic-fandom inhibitor. I suspect that a female protagonist is also an inhibitor)
Well, the first huuuuge wank topic is debates over feminism. I don't know if I would make the claim that Saiunkoku is feminist, but issues which are obviously feminist are a big part of the plot. The plot of Saiunkoku really starts when the heroine rejects being empress in order to pursue her dream as an official.
The series does actually dare to ask the question of: instead of Shuurei giving up her dream, why doesn't Ryuuki give up being king? As Ruka says, that way he can be relieved of the burden of rulership and be with Shuurei. And besides, Ryuuki was being king only for Shuurei's sake, at the beginning.
Then, there are all the people who ship Shuurei with someone else other than Ryuuki, such as Seiga or Ensei. (I think Ensei/Shuurei would work in an abstract sense, though?)
I guess there could also be wank about Shuuei/Kouyuu vs. Shuuei/Shusui. (Well, in canon it's more like Shuuei-->Shusui, though) I....I have to come out here and admit that I do want Shuuei/Shusui to happen in canon, though. >_> /prepares for death at the hands of fangirls.
In a way, it's mistaken to call Saiunkoku a gyaku-harem show, because there are so many pairings in it that don't involve Shuurei, IMHO. However this is mostly apparent after you get out of the first arc.
I am sure that there would be more pairing wank. Unlike HP, most of the characters are totally of age, and in fact, a lot of the more interesting ones are in their thirties.
In a series where there are so many characters, and the main cast rotates out every arc, I can bet we might get a lot of people irritated that their favorite character has been offstage for books and books. The anime series makes it seem like the main cast is Shuurei, Ryuuki, Seiran, Kouyuu, and Shuuei. In the novels, Shuurei is the only character who is there 100% of the time in the main arcs, and is absent for much of the gaidens. (I would even argue in terms of the larger series, Shouka is the third most important character after Shuurei and Ryuuki, and in some ways, Reishin is more important than Shuuei, and arguably even Kouyuu)
There can also be tons of debate over Senka's morality (or lack thereof, really), and whether the "ends justify the means," and how everyone seems to be forgetting the age of bloodshed and atrocity.
Then, people can debate Ou Ki and his character, which is honestly, on a personal level better than Senka (but then it would be really hard to be worse...) Actually, in a really big fandom there would be some people seriously defending Ou Ki's plot to overthrow Ryuuki.
Am still rereading the Saiunkoku book in preparation for summarizing it. Senka still enrages me. I feel kind of like the narrative gives him brownie points for something a parent ought to be doing anyway. (Though this is mostly just a feeling). IIRC, more stuff is added about the crown prince. This makes me think we'll eventually get either a gaiden about the succession crisis, or it'll come up in the main narrative.
On the second story, which I'm about halfway through now, I feel it's a bit too long, and that the author really should have written it before, and not put it in now, when we have all of this big suspenseful plot hanging over our heads. I also think that Saiunkoku has gotten much crueler as a story. If it had a big fandom, I honestly wonder what people would make of the increasing grimness.
If Saiunkoku were a big fandom with lots of people discussing the series and writing fanfic? Well, even if the novels were translated, it would be doubtful (shoujo with actual romantic plot elements are a fanfic-fandom inhibitor. I suspect that a female protagonist is also an inhibitor)
Well, the first huuuuge wank topic is debates over feminism. I don't know if I would make the claim that Saiunkoku is feminist, but issues which are obviously feminist are a big part of the plot. The plot of Saiunkoku really starts when the heroine rejects being empress in order to pursue her dream as an official.
The series does actually dare to ask the question of: instead of Shuurei giving up her dream, why doesn't Ryuuki give up being king? As Ruka says, that way he can be relieved of the burden of rulership and be with Shuurei. And besides, Ryuuki was being king only for Shuurei's sake, at the beginning.
Then, there are all the people who ship Shuurei with someone else other than Ryuuki, such as Seiga or Ensei. (I think Ensei/Shuurei would work in an abstract sense, though?)
I guess there could also be wank about Shuuei/Kouyuu vs. Shuuei/Shusui. (Well, in canon it's more like Shuuei-->Shusui, though) I....I have to come out here and admit that I do want Shuuei/Shusui to happen in canon, though. >_> /prepares for death at the hands of fangirls.
In a way, it's mistaken to call Saiunkoku a gyaku-harem show, because there are so many pairings in it that don't involve Shuurei, IMHO. However this is mostly apparent after you get out of the first arc.
I am sure that there would be more pairing wank. Unlike HP, most of the characters are totally of age, and in fact, a lot of the more interesting ones are in their thirties.
In a series where there are so many characters, and the main cast rotates out every arc, I can bet we might get a lot of people irritated that their favorite character has been offstage for books and books. The anime series makes it seem like the main cast is Shuurei, Ryuuki, Seiran, Kouyuu, and Shuuei. In the novels, Shuurei is the only character who is there 100% of the time in the main arcs, and is absent for much of the gaidens. (I would even argue in terms of the larger series, Shouka is the third most important character after Shuurei and Ryuuki, and in some ways, Reishin is more important than Shuuei, and arguably even Kouyuu)
There can also be tons of debate over Senka's morality (or lack thereof, really), and whether the "ends justify the means," and how everyone seems to be forgetting the age of bloodshed and atrocity.
Then, people can debate Ou Ki and his character, which is honestly, on a personal level better than Senka (but then it would be really hard to be worse...) Actually, in a really big fandom there would be some people seriously defending Ou Ki's plot to overthrow Ryuuki.
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Me, too. She'll be good for him :)
"Then, there are all the people who ship Shuurei with someone else other than Ryuuki"
I remember reading a ship essay of Shuurei/Seiran - which pointed out a lot of valid hints like he got her pink roses and such.
Lots of food for thoughts here.
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Of course, I don't really have problems with any pairings, though admittedly the ones that are Shuurei/someonenotRyuuki make me sad. Although the rise of Shuurei/Ensei lately has made me hesitate, because I adore Ensei, but . . . but!
::is rather strange, yes:: The ones I don't like I just avoid, I have no idea why people feel compelled to start wank. There's room for everyone, surely?
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Oh, there really has been a rise in it in English fandom? I haven't seen anyone shipping it except for this one person I know.
Well, so far there hasn't been much wank, IIRC.
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Honestly, at this point I'd say that, as irritating as I find Seiga, the books get a lot more fanservicey (to the point of dubious taste) with Shuurei and Seiga nowadays.