Kitsunegari

Issues in Gundam Wing Fanfiction

Hello, and welcome to the results of the survey I conducted in April of 2005.  The 200 most recent users of the Gundam Wing section of fanfiction.net participated in an e-mail survey. Participants were asked to respond to a list of questions, which can be found at the bottom of this page.  Respondents were not required to answer questions that they did not feel comfortable answering.  This page was created to share some of what I learned while doing this.  Hopefully, this page will prove useful for both the merely curious as well as those who wish to better understand their fellow fans.

All of those who responded indicated they were readers of Gundam Wing fanfiction, and 73 % of respondents said that they were also authors in this fandom.  Other statistics are toward the bottom.

SUMMARIES:

Only 7 % percent of respondents indicated specifically that summaries were important in helping them choose stories to read, but 94 % of all who participated indicated a specific way in which summaries helped them choose what stories to read.

• 41 % indicated that a mentioning of which characters or pairings that the story dealt with was important to them.
• 25 % said that an interesting and/or informative plot summary would lead them to read a story, even if it was a genre/character that they would not usually read.
• 14 % mentioned that bad spelling or grammar in the summary would make them pass over the story.
• 11 % said that there were keywords that helped them in choosing what stories to read, such as "yaoi" or "AU."
• 9 % said that a familiarity with an author or looking at the title of the story, or the number of reviews it had received, was more helpful to them than the summary.
• 5 % added that they particularly disliked seeing the phrase "I suck at summaries" and that this would lead them to pass over a story.

On the writing side, authors confessed to a certain level of bewilderment when trying to write summaries and titles for their stories.  "I try to make my titles original and deep," one participant said, "like I actually thought about it."  "It's hard to be sure that what you write in the summary will garner interest," another participant confessed. 

• 44 % indicated that they tried to give a summary or teaser of the plot, but that this was difficult to do without giving the plot away.
• 28 % said that made sure to put warnings and/or pairings information in their summaries.
• 21 % responded that they tried to use quotes from the story or questions that the story posed in order to draw readers in.
• 5 % said that they tried to write "to their audience," using words or key phrases that they felt the audience would respond to.
• 2 % said that they made sure to indicate the state of completeness of the story.

  FILTERS:

  A feature of fanficiton.net is the filters which allow readers to screen stories based on update/publish date, genre, rating, language, length, and two main characters.  Only 7 % responded that they did not use the filters.  As one participant said, "I usually don't use the filters because they sometimes make me miss really good stories that are in a different genre than what I had filtered."  However, 17 % of respondents said that the filters were indeed helpful, versus 2 % who said that the filters were unhelpful, and 74 % indicated a particular filter that was helpful to them.  Of those who indicated a filter:
  

  • 40 % said that the character filters were the primary filters they used.
  • 36 % said that genre was the most helpful.
  • 12 % used length to search for longer stories, saying that longer stories tended to have better plots and characterizations.
  • 10 % eliminated unwanted stories by using the rating filter.
  • 2 % used the last update filter.

  ENJOYMENT:

  When asked what factors prevented them from enjoying a story, once they had chosen to read it, an overwhelming majority responded that the quality of the writing was a large factor in enjoyment.  "There is spell check after all," one participant said, though participants were slightly more forgiving when it came to poor grammar.
  

  • 38 % indicated a poor level of grammar/spelling would make them stop reading a story.
  • 18 % said that originality, or a lack of "lameness" as one respondent put it, was a key factor in their enjoyment.
  • 15 % said that the actual plot was a major factor.
  • 13 % mentioned that point of views had to be in character and that having characters act "out of character" (OOC) was a major turn off.
  • 7 % said that the story had to interest them within the first few paragraphs or they would stop reading it.
  • 6 % said that the format was important, and that stories that were just one long paragraph were a huge turn off.
  • 2 % were bothered by extensive use of Japanese words without translations.
  • 1 % found longer stories more enjoyable because they took more time to develop characters.

  Interestingly enough, about half of those who responded said that OOCness, poor grammar, and other things could be overlooked if the plot was intriguing.  And as for originality, "there is no avoiding repeated themes," one participant said, "but it's how you recreate the theme and make it your own that counts."  Another participant adds, "Sure there are a crap-load of (for example) 'Angsty-Duo-loves-Heero-but-isn't-loved-back' stories, but a majority of them all have their own turns and twists, making them original."

  The author's level of enjoyment when writing was also important.  As one participant said, "If the author doesn't like what they're writing about, it usually sounds like crap."  Accordingly,
  

  • 67 % of authors said that the character they usually wrote about was their favorite or the one they identified with the most.
  • 19 % of authors try to write about character they find interesting, intriguing, or complex.
  • 14 % said that they enjoyed writing about all the characters impartially.

  In addition to character, authors tend to write in genres that they enjoy reading.
  

  • 84 % said that they wrote in genres that they enjoyed reading, found easy and enjoyable to write, or which fit the mood they were in.
  • 16 % said that they preferred challenging themselves, and tried to use genres which allowed them to explore different characters.

  Two third of authors indicated that Gundam Wing was the primary fandom that they wrote in.

  ORIGINAL CHARACTERS:

  A hotly debated issue in fanfiction is adding original characters (OCs) to stories.  Opinions are extremely divided on the issue.  While according to one participant original characters "are necessary to the plot," another participant said quite clearly, "They weren't in the series, so they shouldn't be in the fics."  Most fans come down in the middle, saying that original characters can be useful in small parts for which there is no   The most debated type of original character is the self insertion character- or, as she is better known, Mary Sue.  Mary Sue and Gary Stu, her lesser known male counterpart, get a lot of hatred directed their way but they do have their staunch defenders.
  

  • 39 % of respondents said words to the effect of, as one put it, "All Mary Sues should be shot."
  • 23 % said that OCs were all right in minor roles.
  • 22 % said that they would tolerate OCs, including Mary Sues, if they were well written.
  • 10 % said that OCs/Mary Sues were necessary for plot.
  • 6 % said that OCs of any kind have no place in "fan" fiction.

  While many bemoan the abundance of Mary Sue stories in the Gundam Wing fandom, some authors take a pragmatic approach. "If I don't like it," said one respondent about stories with Mary Sues, "I don't read it. Simple enough."

  On the other side,
  

  • 61 % of authors said that they try not to use OCs, except in minor roles when needed to build plot.
  • 24 % said that they had no problems with using Mary Sues.
  • 15 % said that they would not use an OC under any circumstances.

  YAOI and YURI:

  Another major issue in many anime fandoms is the prevalence of male/male and female/female relationships.  Known as shonen ai (or yaoi) and shojo ai (or yuri) respectively (note on term usage), the issue with this type of writing is twofold.  First is the issue with the depiction of GLBT (gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender) lifestyles, which some readers find objectionable.
  

  • 69 % of respondents said that they have no problems with gays or lesbians.
  • 24 % were passionately pro-GLBT rights.
  • 7 % were vehemently opposed to the idea of same sex relationships.

  As one participant said,"I think if you are lucky enough to find someone who you can love and have that love returned fully then it shouldn't matter if that person is of the same sex as you."  Even in the minority opposition group there was no open hostility; "Now I won't totally ignore a gay person," said one respondent, "but I am not going to tell them that it is alright for them to be gay."  However, some respondents said that the relationship was working conversely- that yaoi in the fandom was affecting their real lives rather than their real lives dictating what they read.  "Since I have been reading more fics on gay relationships," a participant said, "I have come to accept it in the real world."

  The second issue with yaoi/yuri is the fandom is the issue of canon, or believability with the characters.  In this survey:
  

  • 37 % of respondents said that they read yaoi/shonen ai simply because they enjoyed it.
  • 23 % said that they preferred it to the possible het (heterosexual) pairings in Gundam Wing.
  • 17 % would only read it if it was well written.
  • 9 % would only read certain yaoi pairings.
  • 7 % refused to read yaoi because they felt that it was not in character.
  • 4 % refused to read yaoi because they were morally opposed to same sex relationships.
  • 3 % read yaoi, but don't think that it's true to the characters.

  As one respondent said, "I think most of the fanfics which feature yaoi pairings are based on a crap theory that the characters are gay, but I still read them."  One reason for this, as several participants mentioned, is the fact that yaoi is so abundant in the fandom.

  The other side of yaoi is yuri, or female/female relationships.  While most readers said that they didn't think of yuri as a reactionary response to the prevalence of yaoi, they did say that the two "do go hand in hand it seems," as one respondent put it. 
  

  • 58 % said that they found yuri enjoyable to read.
  • 32 % either did not have a strong opinion of yuri, or indicated that reading it did not interest them.
  • 10 % felt strongly that yuri was a bad thing, either because they were morally opposed to it or they found reading it disturbing.

  The majority of respondents felt that yuri was overlooked in the fandom of Gundam Wing, but most felt that that was an acceptable thing. "Face it," one respondent said, "[the show] was mostly about the Fab 5."   Another said, "[Yuri] will never replace yaoi, but it's a good read."

  *Note: Yaoi and shonen ai, or yuri and shojo ai, are usually used to indicate different levels of a relationship; yaoi/yuri is a more in-depth depiction while shonen/shojo ai is generally a lighter depiction of the relationship.  For the purpose of this survey, the terms are used interchangeably.

  TANGENT- Girls, boys on boys, and GW:

  Okay-
  

  • Fact 1: There's a lot of yaoi in Gundam Wing fanfiction.
  • Fact 2: The fanbase is primarily female; 93 % according to this survey.
  • Fact 3: Research has been done that indicates that women have a fascination with male/male relationships in media.  As one participant in this survey put it when asked why she read yaoi, "Because it's two GUYS... and 2 guys are hotter than... uh... a guy and a girl. Everyone knows what happens between a guy and a girl... I wanna know what happens between two guys."

  Now, these facts are inextricably related, but any attempt to analyze them brings up a chicken/egg paradox: Is there a lot of yaoi in the fandom because the fandom is primarily female, or is the fandom primarily female because yaoi comes easily to it?  Either way, self admitted rabid yaoi fangirls have made Gundam Wing their home.  "I actually started out as a pretty normal girl," said one, "then I watched the show, developed a deep seated hatred for the Pink Princess, and a lust for that braided Adonis and his sexy spandex-clad partner, and voila, yaoi shipper!  ...I can't have them myself, so they might as well have each other."

  TANGENT 2- Boys, girls on girls, and GW:

  Okay-
  

  • 7 % of those who responded to the survey said that they were male.

  Across demographics, the only place where the boys differed greatly from the girls was on the issue of yaoi.
  

  • 60 % said that they did not enjoy reading yaoi at all.
  • 40% said that they didn't have a strong feeling on the subject or didn't mind it, but did not usually read it.

  The boys had about the same breakdown as the girls on the yuri issue.  I found this surprising, both initially that the girls were so interested in lesbian romance and that the guys... weren't.  However, this was somewhat explained when several of the male participants indicated that romance and characters were not the primary attraction for them in this particular show.  "I mostly like Gundam for the mecha," said one respondent.  "The characters are pretty cool, but nothing to scream about."  The same respondent said about yuri, "Yeah, I enjoy this genre a lot more [than yaoi].  Stuff like Maria-sama ga Miteru [another anime, with loads of yuri subtexts] is all good."  Another respondent said that yuri just wasn't very prevalent in the Gundam Wing fandom- "this from a guy who actually looks."

  REVIEWS:

  Reviews are also an issue.  Not just the existence of reviews, but the quality of them.  Of the respondents who were authors:
  

  • 47 % said that they received reviews that were mostly praise.
  • 16 % said that they were happy to admit that they had received some critique.
  • 15 % said that the review they received were mostly requests to update.
  • 14 % wished they received more constructive criticism.
  • 8 % said that they had received a flame (a deliberately antagonistic and derogatory review) at some point.

  Praise is wonderful to receive, speaking as an author myself, but as one respondent put it, "It's nice that people like it, but I'd like to know what to work on, too."  Most authors viewed flames with humor.  As one participant said,  " I wonder, how can [flamers] read my story, which usually runs 8 or 9 pages in size 10 font a chapter, all filled with boys loving boys, and then send me an e-mail about how sick I am?  They could have stopped at any time."

  STATS:

  So who are these respondents/participants?  (Respondents were not required to answer personal questions)
  The group of participants identified themselves as:
  

  • 93 % female./li>
  • 81 % from primarily English speaking homes.
  • 77 % under 21-years-old.
  • 75 % Caucasian/European.
  • 73 % from the United States.

  When asked their own sexual preference:
  

  • 70 % were straight.
  • 26 % bisexual.
  • 4 % lesbian.

  They identified their religions as being:
  

  • 42 % Christian (Catholic and Protestant).
  • 27 % Agnostic/no religion.
  • 15 % Atheist.
  • 9 % Wiccan/Pagan.
  • 3 % Muslim.
  • 3 % Buddhist.
  • 1 % Jewish.

  Of the respondents:
  

  • 79 % had seen all of the Gundam Wing series. And the movie and read all or most of the manga.
  • 12 % had seen little or nothing of the actual show and learned all hey knew from reading fanfiction.
  • 9 % had seen about half of the show and some of the additional material.

  This one threw a pet theory of mine- that the yaoi in the fandom was propagated mostly by people who hadn't seen the show- out the window.  Of those who had seen all or most of the show, 83 % supported yaoi pairings.

  SHIPPERS UNITE:

  Just for fun...
  Here's a list of the most popular ships in Gundam Wing, according to this survey.  Most participants responded that they didn't have trouble finding stories about the relationships which were their favorites to read about, and the same top five most popular ships were also considered the top five best written.  (The ships listed here are ones that had at least more than one vote for them.  If I listed every ship everyone liked... this page would be very long.  All pairings are done in number order or alphabetically, not dom/sub except for 1x2x1.)
  Of the respondents:
  

  • 30 % were fans of Heero/Duo.  Yeah but everybody knew that was the most popular...
  • 16 % loved a well written Trowa/Quatre.
  • 14 % were firm supporters of Heero/Relena.
  • 9 % enjoyed a good Duo/Wufei.
  • 5 % liked a juicy Heero/Duo/Wufei threesome.
  • 4 % were fans of Heero/Wufei.
  • 3 % supported Heero/Trowa.
  • 3 % plugged for a Duo/Hilde.
  • 3 % enjoyed the slightly more mature Zechs/Noin.
  • 3 % were supporters of the Wufei/Zechs/Treize threesome.
  • 2 % were unpicky, and said they enjoyed Duo with anybody.
  • 2 % were the underrated groupies of Duo/Heero specifically, making 1x2x1 the only pairing to make the list twice.
  • 2 % supported an under appreciated Trowa/Wufei.
  • 2 % were also unpicky, and loved Quatre with anybody.
  • 2 % were the only yuri supporters to make the list with a plug for Dorothy/Relena.

  CONCLUSIONS:

  That's it.  Hopefully you learned something from all this.  My conclusions?  Gundam Wing is a vast and incredibly varied fandom.  Which is what makes it so much fun to look at analytically...

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  SURVEY QUESTIONS:
  I. Readers of Gundam Wing fanfiction (Please answer questions or indicate here “Not a Reader.”)
  
  *When you look at the list of stories posted in the fandom, what determines whether or not you click on a story to read it?  Are there keywords in the summaries or titles that either make you choose that story or pass over it? 
  
  *What filters (genre, characters, length, rating etc.) do you generally use when searching the fandom for a story to read?  Do these filters help you to find stories that you enjoy reading?
  
  *When reading a story, what factors determine whether or not you enjoy it?  Some factors to keep in mind might be: quality of the writing (spelling, grammar, etc), quality of the storyline (originality), characterization (are the characters “in character”), etc.
  
  *What is your favorite pairing, or ship, in Gundam Wing?
  
  *May or may not be the same answer, but what pairing or pairings do you usually enjoy reading?  What pairing do you find is usually the most well written?
  
  *Do you read yaoi in this fandom?  Why or why not?  Does it matter if the story is well written, also contains “het” pairings, or is focused on some other facet of the action than the relationships?
  
  *What do you think about yuri/shojo ai?  Is it mostly overlooked?  Is this a good thing?  Is it the necessary response to yaoi? 
  
  *What is your opinion of gay/lesbian relationships in the real world? 
  
  *What is your opinion of original characters (OC), especially Mary Sues?
  
  
  II. Writers of Gundam Wing fanfiction (Please answer questions or indicate here “Not a Writer.”)
  
  *What genre do you usually write?  Why?
  
  *Is Gundam Wing the primary fandom you write in?
  
  *What do you put in your summary or title in order to get people to read the story or to inform them about the story’s contents?  Are there key words that you think will bring in readers?
  
  *What character or characters do you usually write about?  Why?  Is this your favorite character or is this just the easiest one for you to write about? 
  
  *What kind of reviews do you usually get?  What kind of things are you told to “work on” or do readers simply praise indiscriminately? 
  
  *Do you write yaoi or yuri in this fandom? Why or why not?  Do you believe that the pairings that you do write are the most true to the characters, or do you like to experiment?
  
  *What is your opinion of gay/lesbian relationships in the real world?
  
  *What is your opinion of original characters? Do you use them or shy away from doing so? Why?
  
  
  III. Personal Information ( If you do not wish to answer a question, or feel that it is too personal, please indicate “No Answer.”)
  
  *How much of Gundam Wing have you seen?
  
  *Where do you live? (Country, city or nearest metropolitan area.  If US, please indicate state and region of the country.)
  
  *What would you consider to be your race or ethnic group?
  
  *What is your first language or the language primarily spoken in your home?
  
  *What is your sex/gender?
  
  *What is your sexual preference?
  
  * What religion would you consider yourself?
  
  *What is your age?
  
  *May I quote your answers directly? 
  
  *May I contact you, for further information or to clarify an answer that you gave in one of the earlier sections?
  

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