Frustration

So in lieu of a chapter update, you get a mini rant:

It's no secret that I hate a lot of the conventions that fandoms beat to death in fanfiction. I primarily use Naruto as an example because that's the fandom I'm most active in right now, but keep in mind that this applies to all fandoms.

So, children, todays' lecture is on drama. In particular, how it pertains to the Kakashi/Sakura pairing in Naruto.

Good drama pulls at the flinty heartstrings of the audience, draws a genuine emotional reaction from them, and sucks them into the character's plight. Drama is the glue that holds fiction together because there cannot often be conflict (and therefore plot) without some drama.

Which brings me to the subject of bad drama. An example of bad drama in the Naruto fanfiction: beating the fucking dead horse that is "Kakashi was Sakura's teacher and he's older than her! Oh NOES! The Village is trying to tear them apart and no one approves."

Question. Why? Why don't they approve?

I know that there have been a lot of scandals in the news that revolve around student/teacher affairs and that every now and then people talk about famous couples that have a significant age gaps, but you know what? In our world, kids don't graduate at the age of 12 to become ninja.

People too often apply the logic and morals from OUR world to fictional worlds without giving any thought to what is probably acceptable in the fictional world. Think about it: the kids in Naruto basically graduate to become mercenaries and hired killers. It's not a big stretch to assume that whenever a kid in the Naruto-verse graduates from the academy, they're officially considered and adult--no matter their age.

Also, why the hell would the Village care if Kakashi and Sakura started dating? "Oh no. Our two most powerful ninja are in an emotionally stable relationship that could very well be holding together their fragile psyches. But, you know, he was her teacher a billion years ago and he's fourteen years older than her and even though she's a consenting party let's fuck with them."

Now, I'm not accusing the Naruto-verse of being dictated by any kind of logic (God knows that's a dirty word in Kishi's world), so I'm not assuming that the fandom is either, but I'm guessing that no one is the village is quite THAT stupid, petty, shallow, and ridiculous. Why would they care if Sakura and Kakashi dated? Because it'd make their Genin program look bad? Yeah, I'm sure the parents would be up in arms about that: "Look, I'm okay with you training my son/daughter to be a ruthless murderer, but I draw the line at the possibility that in the distant future they might find an emotionally gratifying relationship with someone they trust and understand. You better get your shit together."

Because of the age difference? That's just weak. No one even raises a fuss about that in OUR world. For example: I like older men. I've liked older men since I was 16. When I picture dating someone, I always envision them being 10-11 years older than me because that's just what I'm attracted to. My mom, when she was 18, dated a man in his 30s. Even my grandfather who was so old-fashioned he thought television was a bit hoity-toity, didn't take issue with this.

There are so many OTHER factors in relationships that you can rely on for drama. What about their pasts and how they conflict with their present? What about personal beliefs? Baggage? What about old loves, lost loves, love triangles? What about their fears and hopes and how do they conflict? What about commitment and how they choose to face it? What about themselves or their current relationship is standing in their way of admitting their feelings?

You know, the shit you'd think about in a real relationship.