NOTE: This is offered up for the sake of argument, not as a flame and
I've tried to write it so that it doesn't come across as such. I've got
great respect for anyone who has the time and tenacity to review
fanfiction.

The Guy Under The Bridge Wrote -

If I had to respond to every self-insertion fic in this list I would
probably be banned for flooding the ML with flames (even though I never
flame, I just critique). I will now critique every self-insertion fic
ever made and all self-insertion fics yet to be made.

You must also realize though, that there will be some that set a new
standard. It's a veritable possibility. Just because an author writes
himself into a fic, it doesn't mean that the fic can't be just as
enjoyable as a regular fanfiction. To the contrary, it might be moreso.

As it is, most fics are part self insertion whether you like it or not.
A writer writes what s/he feels, has felt, has experienced, etc, into a
fic. A fanfiction isn't your run of the mill episode of an anime, which
I'm sure you're aware of... It's an embodiment of the author who wrote
it and also a reflection of the dreams, wishes, and so forth that said
author experiences or has experienced.

Nowadays more and more authors are writing to please others, which is
contrary to the very spirit of fanfiction. A fic should be written for
oneself and no one else. An author appreciates what others have to say
about it, good or bad, but overall, the only thing that matters is what
they themselves think about it. And that will affect how they write if
they continue to.

Sweeping generalizations like the one above dissapoint me to some
degree. While I expect them, of course we're all human and can't truly
be objective, I also expect that some would try to at least be
objective. You can't enjoy a fic if you place it into a bunch of
predefined categories. While you may like/dislike these categories there
are always the "diamonds in the rough".

A personal experience would be Zen's "Bitter End". I may be drudging up
an old debate on an old fic, but it still stands out in my mind as one
of the defining Ranma 1/2 fanfictions out there today. I don't usually
like sad and/or dark fics. They're too angsty for my tastes, but I'll
give them a shot anyhow. I'm glad I did in this case. His telling of
Akane and Ranma's not so happy marriage, while angsty and depressing as
it progressed, was one of the best works I've ever read, to date. In any
category.

My point is that if you're going to review a fic, you can't offer a
really good review of the content if you've got a bias against it before
you even get into it. It's hard not to be biased, but you've at least
got to be fair and give it a chance.
 

I will never understand the mentality behind self-insertion fics. They
have no purpose. They have no dramatic value. They are not entertaining,
except, one assuages, for the writer.

The mentality is simple. The dream of most anime fans, be it unfounded
and childish or not, is to actually be able to step into the scene and
experience the chaos, etc, that defines anime. The self insertion fic is
a way to do that just as a fanfiction is a way to continue or manipulate
an anime in any manner an author wants. It's more of an experiment of
sorts, really. An author's character reacting to situations just as they
would had those events actually happened, and the characters of the
series reacting in turn.

I admit that yes, there are some stupid self insertions out there, but
that's also opinion. What someone thinks "sucks" for lack of a better
term, someone else may think is pure genius.

I'll also admit that "super otaku", a phenomena which seems to happen
often in fanfiction, are somewhat annoying occurences, there are
occasions in which they're somewhat fitting.
 

Now, I -do- understand that people like to talk about themselves--this
is also a childish impulse that people grow out of (the cappuccino
silver-spoon carried-through-life adults are the exception). All
self-insertion fics are the products of minds that are (still) immature.

The last sentence is completely untrue. Sometimes it takes more than the
average fanfiction author to be able to envision themselves in the
setting. An imagination is needed, true, but imagination and immaturity
are two completely different things. Some of the most "mature" people in
the world also have great imaginations. Self insertions are a reflection
of creativity more than anything else. Maturity, or lack thereof, play
no parts whatsoever in the equation.

If anything, I find this argument immature and unfounded, no offense.
You're making sweeping accusations and generalizations without taking
each piece individually. You've grouped them all together without going
through them one by one and picking out exactly which ones you don't
like and why.
 

I apologize to all offended parties, but I call them as I see them.

There are as many perspectives as there are people. To really understand
something you can't simply look at it from one perspective. Tunnel
vision, while easier to deal with, doesn't give a realistic view of
anything. My only suggestion, if you are to continue offering quality
C&C, would be: Open your mind. A closed and biased mind will produce
nothing helpful, while it will simply delude your view of quality and
decrease your overall enjoyment.

Apologies if this offends anyone, including "Guy Under The Bridge".

Mark Eymer