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Kung Fu Panda/Fanfic Recs: Difference between revisions
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''[http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4371270/1/Thats_Why_They_Call_It_the_Present That's Why They Call It The Present]'' by Luna Goldsun (minor sexual themes, violence)
* Recommended by [[Gattsuru]]
* ''Synopsis'': Fairly long [[Fix Fic]] set after the events of the film, bringing back and giving a [[Heel Face Turn]] to Tai Lung, just in time to fight off an attacking horde lead by the man who made Tai Lung a [[Door
* ''Comments'': Completed story. Shipping content features in some chapters, mostly between canon/non-canon characters or Snake/Crane, but is not focus of stories. Slightly [[Dark Fic]], or at least [[Darker and Edgier]] than the original [[Never Say Die]] storyline. Falls into a lot of common fanfic traps, like adding a wide variety of [[Satellite Character|satellite characters]], pulling extra legendary warrior statuses out of thin air, having [[Heel Face Turn|Heel Face Turned]] characters accepted a bit too easily, and 'borrowing' well-established jokes. Some [[Rape As Drama]] meets [[Prison Rape]] meets [[Unfortunate Implications]], too. All that said, it provides an ''incredible'' deconstruction of Tai Lung's motivation and what would had happened if he were made the Dragon Warrior (as well as Master Shifu's), keeps each character's tone of voice similar to the film, and has some rather artful moments that make it well worth reading.
** One thing to note: while it may seem like pulling legendary warrior statuses out of thin air, the author has actually done her research well: {{spoiler|the Dragon and the Phoenix have always been traditionally paired in Chinese mythology, and in fact are used to symbolize the Emperor and the Empire respectively.}} With Tai Lung's knowledge of the scrolls and his overall prowess as a warrior, it makes a lot of sense he would earn this position, particularly with all the ways he acts as a [[Foil]] to Po. Even if this seems like a bit too much to swallow for the snow leopard, it would not surprise this troper at all to see a warrior status like this appearing in one of the movie's sequels (obviously as someone else). The author is also currently working on a sequel, {{spoiler|"Soaring Dragon, Dancing Phoenix"}} which is doing an admirable job of both explaining the warrior's powers and role and also making it seem much less like a random [[Rule of Cool]] insertion.
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* ''Comments'': Completed story. This one is epic, often very much [[Darker and Edgier]] then the movie ever was, and though it's long enough to pretty much make a novel of it, and one might not agree with some of the happenings and sometimes falling into occasional fanfic traps, it never stops being interesting and does things very smartly. Tai Lung's [[Heel Face Turn]] is realistically treated in making it a slow and steady, and sometimes quite difficult, process. The main villain is a true [[Complete Monster]] who provides a feeling of dread and danger, and the addition of known characters such as Mei Ling is most welcome, especially in how the author effectively uses the Wu Sisters (canon characters unused in the film) in his own way. There is also plenty of well-executed humor, believable character interaction, and [[Shown Their Work|admirable research of China]] by the author. A long read, no doubt, but it makes up for it by being one of the best and smartest [[Kung Fu Panda]] fanfics around.
** [[User:Ingonyama]]: As a decidedly ''non''-Tai Lung fan, I have to say I was extremely skeptical about this one. But reading over it, once you penetrate the somewhat thick prose, it turns into an insightful redemption story that does a good job of making him into something forgivable, and even likable. The Wu Sisters are very obviously [[Expy|Expies]] of "[[Avatar: The Last Airbender|Ozai's Angels]]", but they work very well with the story's [[Anachronism Stew]]...which in itself isn't nearly as bad as it has been in other KFP fics. There's [[Crowning Moment of Funny|comedy]] (keep an eye out for a subtle [[Deconstruction]] of most [[Portmanteau Couple Name|"Taigress"]] fic), [[Nightmare Fuel|horror]], [[Tear Jerker|tragedy]] (the death of a fan-made character has never hit me this hard), and of course, loads and loads of [[Crowning Moment of Awesome|action.]] Not to mention a long, ''long'' list of [[Troperiffic|those things that make fiction go 'round.]]
** This fic had promise, and would have been good (by the normal standards of fanfiction, i.e., taking [[Darker and Edgier]] tone, [[Angst]], and heavy focus on [[Shipping]] as a given), had it been one third of its actual volume. As it is, it becomes barely readable halfway through, due to being waaaaaay too wordy and long-winded. In particular, battle sequences just beg to be pared down (or cut outright). As about the plot and characterization, on the good side, the author did a lot of research, and catches the "voice" of some characters well. Most of the secondary characters are well-done too. The overall direction of the plot is interesting. On the bad side, the author mostly fails to reproduce the over-the-top tone and power level of ''[[Kung Fu Panda]]'' ("That's Why They Call It The Present" above is also guilty of that, by the way). "Mostly", because the [[Big Bad]] and the (concept of) the final battle are appropriately epic. And on the ugly side, the author changes the canon characters for the sake of his plot, and changes them noticeably (this time unlike "That's Why They Call It The Present"). Yes, even if we entirely discount a "sudden" spike of interest in the opposite gender and romantic feelings in characters. Tai Lung's unreasoning drive [[To Be a Master]] no matter what is given a more sympathetic explanation, and he is assumed to be far less sane and more rage-filled during the event of the movie, than he actually was. Po is suddenly mostly inept again, instead of being on Shifu's level in general skill, and regresses in personality as well (both to make the villains be a threat at all, and to make Tai Lung shine brighter at his expense). As a lesser problem, this fic is an example of how [[
** Granted, while the fic can be very lengthy and wordy, by the author's own admission, the author does give a reasonable explanation as to Tai Lung's change of heart at the beginning, that fits in with the story's narrative, but does not take away Tai Lung's flaws. As for Po, he is not inept so much as the author showcases the fact that Po is actually still a beginner in kung fu, despite his defeating Tai Lung (which is also given further explanation as to what contributed to that victory besides skill). The events of the movie showed a training montage that seemed to take not very long, and in the fic, Po's initial defeat by the villains was displayed on the fact that he used the same techniques he used on Tai Lung on skilled opponents who would not fall for them, thus showcasing that Po's not invincible and needs more training and battle experience in general. Also, the author does not take away Po's natural skills and does a good job displaying the fact that some of the traits that make Po the Dragon Warrior is an intuitive, quick-thinking mind, and a very high aptitude for learning, seen especially when he manages to perform a very advanced kung fu technique on his very first attempt, much like in the movie with the Wuxi Finger Hold.
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