I’d been on various other kicks for a while, but this week Fire Emblem: Three Houses pulled me right back down the fan-fiction rabbit hole. I’m not even sure what kicked it off.
There are a few series that I find myself coming back to. What are yours?
The most prolific one I keep returning to I’m not sure really counts because it never had a full fandom. Dino Run by PixelJam was very popular when it came out (2008?). But aside from a few fanart pieces there was never any fanfic. So I would have this cycle where my brain would be consumed by this game for 1-2 months and then go dormant for 2-3 years. Every time left sad/disappointed that there was never any fanfic for it. Then in 2021 I was finally inspired to write for it. Only 2 people who have played the games have read, everyone else has been fandom blind lol.
Any of Minekura Kazuya’s work. But purely for fanfiction as I have never meshed well with the artists nor general fandom. Her work while very pop also has a lot of emotional density so whether I want to or not I have to take years long breaks. But once and a while whether I’m updated or not on her stories I will check out what is out there fanfic wise. I’m usually not there for long because the most popular dynamics are not the reason why I read her works.
(will think of other examples later but these are the major 2 to come to mind)
Sometimes the fandom is more compelling than the work itself. Sometimes the fandom makes me like the work more.
That is 100% Pokémon for me lol. The fans put more passion into plots than the franchise itself has for years.
The Pokémon fandom in particular has an incredible grasp on building lore from virtually nothing. These two characters appeared in a single scene together with no lines? THEY ARE BEST FRIENDS FOR LIFE AND YOU WILL BE IN AWE OF THEIR BOND.
And it 1000% works and I am here for it!