On Fri, 21 Nov 1997, Sean Gaffney wrote:

Something happened to me recently that made me realise how
far some of these fanfics have taken our preconceptions of
'in character'.

I was reading a fic that featured Kasumi, and while reading
it, I thought to myself, "Now, will this be the kind, wise,
all-knowing Biles/Lawson Kasumi, or the airheaded moron

Even when it appears to not be the All-Knowing Kasumi, it's still the
All-knowing Kasumi.  She's just psyching you out.

This should take care of your worries.

I found myself wondering why I assumed Kasumi's 
characterization would vary from the manga/anime.  There
have been many, *many* stories lately that use 'fanfic'
characterization as canon - the wise Kasumi, the smarter
than he lets on Kunou, the not completely bonkers Kodachi - 
abusing the originals, of course. :-)

Ukyou is the person whose character really gets argued about :)  I've had
some epic brawls with Caroline on this question. :)
 

Since I view Takahashi's characterization as, with a few
exceptions through the series, rather 2-dimensional, I
think this is not especially a bad thing.  Any other opinions?
Does anyone despair of the fact that fanfics are getting 
farther away from Takahashi's original creation?

All stories evolve over time.  Mallory's Lancelot bears little resemblence
to the trembling, mewling pansy who when imprisoned, painted the story of
his adultery with Guinevere on the walls, when being held captive by
Morgan le Fay.  The Mabinogion Arthur is a hill-chieftan--Later versions
eventually even let him conquer rome.  

While I tend to prefer stories that do keep the original characterization,
as long as it doesn't twist it beyond recognition, there's room for
manuever.  A story where Kodachi is sane and Kasumi is a raving maniac
probably would turn me off :)



 John Walter Biles :  MA-History, Ph.D Wannabe at U. Kansas         
ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu       
rhea@tass.org              http://www.tass.org/~rhea/falcon.html
rhea@maison-otaku.net      http://www.maison-otaku.net/~rhea/

     The Moon Hill Gymnasium was crowded with students, most from Moon 
Hill, but some from other schools.  The special committee to pick the 
theme for the first spring dance had argued for weeks over a theme.  Many 
ideas had been suggested:  Love--American Style, Spring Sock Hop, Can't 
Stop Doing the Monkey, The Black Plague, Enchantment under the Sea, Zinc 
Oxide and You, Space Viking Vixen Women from Venus, The Progressive Era, 
and The First Spring Dance.  After extensive argument, the sole remaining 
conscious committee member had selected the theme "Our Gym Covered in 
Crepe Paper."  
--Sailor Moon Z #7