Fanon/Anime and Manga: Difference between revisions

* The [[Ki Attacks|Shi Shi Hokodan]] uses the [[Battle Aura]] generated by a depressed, miserable person to unleash a [[Kamehame Hadoken|crushing blast of spiritual force]]. At one point in the battle, Cologne call the technique a terrible one and that it's foolish to fight with it, likening it to two lions clawing at each other even as they tumble down a cliff. Though this is clarified to mean it's pointless to duel with the Shi Shi Hokodan (as the worse you're doing, the more powerful it is -- but the better you're doing, the less powerful it is, so the fighters just end up seesawing back and forth until they pummel each other senseless), many fans adopted the stance that the Shi Shi Hokodan actually ''induces'' despair, causing a martial artist who learned and uses it to become more and more depressed and melancholy. This despite the fact Ryoga went out of his way to ''make'' himself as miserable as possible for the fight, so he could stay "focused" and beat Ranma no matter how well the fight went, his personality was unchanged in subsequent stories and Ryoga was, frankly, [[The Eeyore]] of the series anyway.

* There's a whole "hierarchy of bust sizes" many fans subscribe to that puts [[Hot Amazon|Shampoo]] or [[Gender Bender|Ranma]] at the top (oddly enough, in lemon [[Yamato Nadeshiko|Kasumi]] often seems to get top billing) and [[Tsundere|Akane]] and [[Unlucky Childhood Friend|Ukyo]] at the bottom -- especially in Ranma/Shampoo fics where this is presented as proof positive of her greater suitability, [[Buxom Is Better|buxomness being next to goodliness]], evidently. Actually, as far as manga canon goes the ONLY thing we know about relative sizes is that Ranma is bigger than Akane, and both grew over the series. The artwork varies a bit, but none of the girls are noticeably flat nor overly busty, so it's really impossible to assume ANYTHING beyond that.

* Some fans believe that Ranma does not show a strong reverence for life, to the point of being dismissive if he kills someone. However, this is inaccurate, as he tends to avoid killing combat even when an opponent more dangerous than himself is attempting to kill him, and saves any lives he notices in danger, including said people who just attempted to kill him and could pose a future danger, such as Herb, or people he genuinely despises, such as Happosai and Nabiki, even taking damage for their sake. On the other hand, when outclassed by the [[Lawful Evil|reprehensible Saffron]], with Akane's life on the line, he stated that he would make a specific exception. He is obviously also not worried about knocking out superhuman opponents by burying them in rock slides of ambushing them with blunt objects from behind.

* Genma is not fat. It's probably bleed-over from his panda form, plus the shapeless gi he wears, but a lot of fanfic writers tend to depict him as a blubbery mass of lard. While it's true that he's not slender (or as good looking as most of the rest of the regular cast), every time he's shown without clothes in the series, his build seems to be fairly flat-bellied for all his stockiness -- in fact, the first time he's shown without his shirt on in the anime, he's shown with a six-pack. Its especially egregious in fics where Ranma is shown gagging at seeing Genma's allegedly bloated body nude when he is shown regularly bathing with his father all throughout the manga and anime.

* Despite what is often shown in fanfics, Ranma actually does not use the [[Ki Attacks|Moko Takabisha]] technique that often. In fact he barely uses it at all after his fight with Ryoga.

** It's also much more evident in the manga then in the anime. For example, he relies on a "Double Moko Takabisha", two blasts fired at once, as part of his gambit to beat Miss Hinako in the manga story that introduces her. Since his use of the technique was so rare and novel, the manga had to make an aside to explain what it was all over again.

* According to most fanfiction out there, Ryoga only ever makes his entrances by jumping out of nowhere to try to kill Ranma, usually calling out "Ranma, prepare to die!" Even though Ryoga is, as far as pure fighting is concerned, one of the most honorable combatants in the series, and the only time he pulled the above was his introduction scene. For all the manga that came afterwards, if he's ''looking'' for a fight, as in, an actual duel, he ''always'' sends formal letters (or postcards) of challenge citing Ranma at a specific date and place. If he's simply angry about something (he thinks) Ranma did (to himself or Akane) and wants to vent, he also makes his presence known and THEN attacks, he never ambushes Ranma if he can help it. Ironically, it's ''Ranma'' who tends to show up out of nowhere to annoy Ryoga while the latter is distracted, either monologuing or deep in thought.

* There is little evidence that Shampoo's village is especially hostile to men and absolutely none that suggests that the local men are enslaved. All we know is that Shampoo dislikes Mousse (in much the same way Ukyo dislikes [[Stalker with a Crush|Tsubasa]],) that the village is particularly renowned for its fighting women, and that any warrior woman of the village is required to marry the ''outsider male'' who defeats her, saying nothing about local men one way or another. You could just as easily say that the village's laws are misogynist, and it hardly seems likely that Cologne would waste her time teaching advanced martial art techniques to a 'slave'. Amusingly, one (non-canon) PC Engine fighting game used Shampoo's father as a final boss, even after Cologne, and was [[That One Boss|the most formidable]] [[Nintendo Hard|opponent in the game]].

 

* Up until [[The Reveal]], fans had a long-standing theory that the Fourth Hokage's name was Arashi. This had apparently come about through the misunderstanding of a scene in the manga where Jiraiya lays out his frog summoning contract, clearly revealing the place where the Fourth's name was written. The writing itself was illegible nonsense, with [[Word of God]] holding that the Fourth's handwriting was at fault from an in-world perspective. That didn't stop fans from trying to piece it together or photoshop in the blanks, though.

** Related to this is the reason Naruto was chosen as the host of the Kyuubi. Fanon was that {{spoiler|Minato chose Naruto because he was his son. This turns out to be true.}} However, the context was way off the mark: Fanon held that his reason was he was the Hokage and so {{spoiler|the sacrifice should be his.}} The actual reason was because {{spoiler|he trusted Naruto to handle the Kyuubi.}}

*** Also, [["What the Hell?" Dad|he usually tells everyone (Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi and the Third Hokage) not to say anything about him or his wife until]] {{spoiler|[["What the Hell?" Dad|Naruto reaches either Jounin or 16.]]}}

*** Also fanon is the notion that only a newborn could hold the Kyuubi without dying. {{spoiler|[[Jossed]] in ch.500.}}

** Fanon holds that Iwa holds a nearly psychotic grudge against the 4th Hokage for his victory in the war which would extend to {{spoiler|killing his son at first opportunity}} if they knew. Canon does tell us that {{spoiler|Naruto's heritage}} is a secret because the 4th had enemies but never who.

** It's also common in war fanfics for Iwa to follow the mantra of "quantity over quality" in its ninja forces compared to Konoha's smaller and more elite forces. Ironically, [[All There in the Manual|the second databook]] tells us that Konoha is the most populous ninja village (5 v. Iwa's 4 stars), and Iwa is tied with Kumo for the greatest military strength (4 v. Konoha's 3 stars). The fanon ''could'' still be true, but with the spotlight shining on the other villages in the Fourth Shinobi War, we're starting to see that they have their own share of unique bloodlines and legendary ninja.

*** And despite this the Sandaime does nothing but [[What the Hell, Hero?|cry and contemplate on his failure]].

*** Also when the subject of Naruto's parents come up the excuses are either: that it's for his ''protection'' from his parents' enemies or is expected to [[Go Mad From the Revelation]].

*** Fanon also states that Sasuke got preferential treatment from the villagers before his [[Face Heel Turn]], but we don't see much of this beyond his fangirls. In fact, in light of how the Uchiha clan was treated from the time of the Kyuubi's attack to the massacre, this seems doubtful.

**** Well, we only have Tobi's word on the Uchiha clan being persecuted by the village, and he's [[Unreliable Expositor|not exactly the most reliable source]]. It's true that the leadership of the village distrusted the Uchiha clan, but there's no indication that sentiment extended to the general population. In fact, it's likely that it didn't, because the circumstances surrounding the Kyuubi attack were secret.

** Also, in some stories Kyuubi can take over Naruto at the drop of a dime.

** He can even manipulate his genetics such as give him bloodlines or teach him new techniques or something.

** ...and then recent developments in canon about the nature of the tailed beasts and the relationship between Naruto and the Kyuubi {{spoiler|who's called Kurama}} happened and [[Oh God With the Troping|oh god with the irony...]]

* Evidently the [[Oddly Small Organization|Akatsuki]] live in the same building and share the same facilities, despite the fact that most of them don't even seem to know one another and are constantly on the move in pairs with minimal contact beyond the sealing ritual.

** [[Word of God]] actually states that pairs of members each get their own rooms when they stay at inns, for whatever reason.

* And let's not forget the most elaborate [[Fanon]] theory of all: [http://forums.narutofan.com/showthread.php?t=57918 "The Legend of the Tailed Beasts"]. Fans believe it to be a real Japanese myth which Kishimoto bases the designs of the beasts from. It drew upon both Japanese and Chinese mythologies, involving The Eight Immortals and several species of [[Youkai]]. The story, in actuality, is a Japanese fanfiction, and even though the author has admitted it to be fake, most fans still believe that's how they really look like. But that may change as recently their true forms and their most recent hosts have all been revealed in an recent artbook.

* The Sharingan being a genetic offshoot of the Byakugan was stated to be a rumor and even then only mentioned once, but almost everyone took this to be undeniable evidence and started getting pissy when {{spoiler|it turned out they were unrelated and that the Sharingan was derived from the Rinnegan}}.

*** To the point that he states time and time again on how he's the only who can teach Sasuke about his Sharingan.

* [[Power Levels]] are frequently discussed, often using "Sannin-level" or "Kage-level" despite the fact that there is no set standard for these positions. Kages can be weaker than their subordinates but more trustworthy and skilled; the Sannin is a title given to Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru; each of whom has different strengths and skills.

** Relatedly, the ability of a village leader to announce themselves as a Kage when their village has previously lacked such a distinction is a dubious prospect. Lesser villages are led by jounin bosses, not Kages. Orochimaru as "Otokage" is the most common offender. In (anime filler) canon, only the master of Hidden Star had the brass balls to call himself a kage without being the leader of the 5 major villages, and hoped the star would enable his village to become a great nation.

** Also considering the fact that Sannin is just a nickname meaning "Three Ninjas," not a ninja class.

* In fanon Kiba has always had Akamaru ever since he was a child despite the fact it has been stated that Akamaru is 3 in the original Naruto.

* Jinchuuriki can identify each other at a simple glance. In canon Gaara and Naruto never knew the other was a jinchuuriki until he admitted it to him.

** In canon, the existence of "bijuu" as a series of creatures and the concept of "jinchuuriki" is a ''[[Retcon]]''. If you reread the chuunin exam arc with the benfit of hindsight it's ''painfully'' obvious that Shukaku and Kyuubi weren't meant to be actually related and Naruto and Gaara were merely meant to be "similar" (young boys who'd had monsters sealed inside them and had grown up lonely and neglected as a result). For one thing, Shukaku's nature and powers are NOTHING like any of the other bijuu to appear; for another Gaara actually ''explains'' the backstory of the Shukaku in chapter 97 and not only is it not a "tailed beast", it [[Was Once a Man|was once a HUMAN]].

* Another widespread idea is "ANBU are unstable/insane/frighteningly sane" because they do all the dirty jobs, like assassinating children or the like. Though it seems likely the elite ''would'' be given such tasks, we know nothing of the sort of missions the regular jounin are given, and the few ANBU who have appeared so far seem relatively normal.

** Similarly in Yaoi fics, Kakashi and Iruka are are almost always paired, with Iruka being a [[Tsundere]], and Kakashi (as well as all jounin) are described as being batshit crazy, in some form or another. Kakashi may also be angsty over something (his father's suicide usually, which he ''was''...over a decade ago), and may be feared and/or incredibly respected, which he is in-universe to an extent, but it's incredibly exaggerated to the point that no one will cross him in any way, fearing he'd kick their ass, despite the fact he seems really laid back.

** Iruka is often also described as having Kotetsu and/or Izumo and/or Anko as close friends and even part of his Genin team in his younger days, even though they are never seen together and Anko was Orochimaru's student in canon.

** Also, in response to Jounin being 'batshit crazy' and that's often the ''exact words'' used, fanon has it that you take a Jounin test to be made a Jounin. In canon no test has been mentioned, and you'd think one would have been.

* A popular concept is that Naruto's clones are different entities such as there a difference between the clone and that the clone has no idea what to do until Naruto tell him. The clones will know everything that Naruto knows and will instantly know what it is they have to do, but only if Naruto thought of it before he made them. If his plans change in any way he would have to tell them, as they do not share a mental link, and Naruto will only know what the clone even did after he disperses the clone. He is never really shown doing this, probably because the clones typically last about 2 seconds before he gets them killed, but this is how it is explained.

* When you become a ninja, you are an adult and therefore allowed to drink. Both Lee and Naruto have stated that they are to young to drink, which makes sense considering the drinking age is based on physical, not mental maturity.

** Related to that, there is the adage often stated in Naruto/older women fics, [[Squick|old enough to kill, old enough to fuck]].

* Danzo, the guy who believes that emotions are key to hatred, smiles (smugly) way too often..

** Also, a few stories believes that he wants Naruto dead just along with the [[Omniscient Council of Vagueness]], usually he is the leader.

*** Apparently Dobe aka (Dead last/ Bottom Feeder) is treated like an affectionate Nickname but when he calls Tsunade, [[Lost in Translation|Baa-chan it's treated like a grave insult]].

** Also the Villagers calls him a demon brat/scum.

** And of course Kyuubi's infamous Kit.

** It is never suggested in any form that Bulma was in an abusive relationship with Yamcha. Given how the two act around each other it is laughable to think that she would put up with a boyfriend who hit her.

*** [[Abuse Is Okay When It Is Female On Male|Who said anything about him hitting]] ''her''?

 

* Due to the fact that there was never much backstory given in the first place, many ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]'' anime fans have taken to creating their own theories, which can go in just about any direction. They range from the logical (Misty and Brock's surnames, the fate of Jessie's mother, [[MacGuffin|the GS Ball]]) to the utterly insane ([[Luke, I Am Your Father|Professor Oak or Giovanni or even Lugia being Ash's father]], to name one). And, mixed in with those are a crapload of loosely related fringe theories, that attempt to work in forgotten elements from the games (like Brendan from Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald being May's [[Forgotten Childhood Friend|long-lost childhood friend]], for example) or are based entirely on circumstantial evidence. It's about every bit as messy as it sounds. And don't even get started on [[shipping]]...

* Even fluff anime isn't immune. ''[[Azumanga Daioh]]'' has all sorts, ranging from ungiven names (surname for Kaori, given name for Sakaki and Kagura, and background extras such as Rachel Handlebars) up to unrequited crushes (remember, only ''one'' is actually shown). Add generous desire for [[Les Yay]] and stir.

** Well? Don't keep us in suspense! What ''are'' the fanon ungiven names?

** A very common belief is that Osaka has forgotten her real name is Ayumu Kasuga. This was never actually seen in either manga or anime, instead being taken from the ''Tsunami Channel'' webcomic.

*** In fact, Osaka was very distraught that she had apparently been kicked out of Miss Yukari's homeroom, as she couldn't find her name on the classroom chart. Turns out, she was looking for her ''birth'' name, not ''Osaka,'' as she was listed down as.

** Another common one is the Nyamo/Yukari pairing. Or, rather, that there WAS one. This appears to have most basis in the fact that [[Heterosexual Life Partners|they are still single]] and that Nyamo still puts up with [[Jerkass|Yukari]]. Quite a bit of fanon also revolves around the content of the [[Noodle Incident|"love letter" and Nyamo's drunken lecture in episode 14,]] mostly dealing with the aforementioned relationship. See the WMG page and the Headscratchers page for more information.

* Similar to [[Metal Gear Solid|Decoy Octopus]], Matt from ''[[Death Note]]'' received almost no characterization in canon; despite this, he is almost universally portrayed in fanworks as a [[Deadpan Snarker|snarky]] gamer and [[Only Sane Man]] to L, Near and Mello.

** Most fanfic has Matt calling Mello "Mells", while Mello calls him "Matty". [[Slash Fic|I think you can guess what kind of fanfic this originated in]]...

** Not to mention his hair. He's never shown in any color pages of the original manga, so a hair color was never defined for him. Fanon decided his hair was a lovely maroon color. When the anime came along, he was given a hair color somewhere between navy and dark green, depending on the lighting. Guess which hair color he is still usually drawn with.

*** Which miiight be because pretty much everyone else's hair is a normal color... Misa, as a pop star, probably dyed hers, and Light's could be bleached. Not that brown isn't a normal color...

** Also, at the end of ''[[Death Note]]: Relight'', we see a [[Shinigami]] that is [[Goggles Do Nothing|wearing goggles]] and torn up school clothes, during the scene where {{spoiler|Ryuk looks at Light's name in his Death Note}}. People assume that {{spoiler|the Shinigami is Light himself after dying. It was stated in the series that Light was more devious than a Shinigami by Rem, so people think Light got reincarnated because of how he used the Death Note}}.

 

* ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]!'' has a ''very'' vast fanon. The biggest one is the usage of the terms "yami" and "hikari". They refer to the three characters who share their bodies with other beings. Mutou Yuugi is the hikari, the Pharaoh is the yami. Bakura Ryou is the hikari, the spirit of the Ring is the yami. Malik Ishtar is the hikari, his dangerous separate personality is the yami.

**** Wasn't Prussia's transformation into [[East Germany]] ''confirmed'' by [[Word of God]]? I'm pretty sure it was mentioned in one of the author's notes that he was stuck doing menial jobs for Russia in those times.

**** Some evidence fueling the theory is that Prussia's nickname for Germany is "West", presumably short for West Germany.

*** If not made into a [[Broken Bird]], Vietnam will be shown as the East Asian's [[Team Mom]].

** Actually, when many characters are either just mentioned or show up only in [[All There in the Manual|supplementary materials]], [[Fanon]] is just around the corner. Since the fans have no real idea of what the characters are like, except for their looks and some basic personality traits spelled in the character profiles, you find yourself with ''many'' options to play/write/etc. them. Such as [[Perpetual Frowner|Hong Kong]] being depicted as a [[Sugar and Ice Personality]] and Belgium being a mix of [[The Ojou]] and [[Bottle Fairy]], personality wise.