Of headcanon

[vampirenaomi]

I think it's generally agreed that fighting about headcanon is pointless. Live and let live and all that. However, you can't just make shit up and say that nobody can argue about it because headcanon is sacred. In order for an idea to qualify as headcanon, it needs to work with actual canon. That's the whole point. It's something that's not

Comments

[hoshiko_2000]

'In order for an idea to qualify as headcanon, it needs to work with actual canon.'

No, not necessarily. Some of my headcanon for various fandoms involves basically re-writing some elements of plot/canon. Headcanon is headcanon. It can be as cracky/non-sensical as you want. I saw one person's headcanon which was that Denmark was a mermaid and would swim around the world. Because it's just canon that exists in a person's head. I'd just never go and insist/argue that my headcanon was true, but it, well.......isn't. When people go and insist that their headcanon is canon, then that's a different manner, and that does piss me off as well. But I think that's more to do with 'opinion whoring' than the issue of plausibility; i.e. 'My opinion, is right, yours is wrong - don't question it ):< !!'. My problem with headcanon is when people insist that their headcanon is unquestionable gospel truth, and if you question it/disagree/think otherwise you are an idiot, that it is better/truer/more intelligent than other people's, if there is an

[vampirenaomi]

Then we have completely different definitions of headcanon. In all fandoms I've ever been in, headcanon has meant something that has to work with canon. If it doesn't, I see it just as a cool/funny/cracky/etc. idea that you like. There's nothing wrong with those, but when I see someone say "X is my headcanon", to me it automatically translates as "X is plausible within the framework created by actual canon and is what I consider my personal canon about this issue".

[hoshiko_2000]

Well, I've always personally defined headcanon as ideas that you hold in your head which you like, and link at least vaguely to the plot. Or rather, as I see it, there are two types. The kind that is based on canon, and based on plausible (or semi-plausible) elements of the plot. And then the kind that may or may not have any place in real canon, or could even involve re-writing elements of established canon, but are just simply ideas that that the fan likes. If you are going to state that you believe that your headcanon is true however, then it of course needs to be able to be plausibly backed up by established plot or canon. But I'd be interested to see how other people define it :).

[vampirenaomi]

I guess terms develop differently in different fandoms. In one of my fandoms, I got into wank about the term OTP. To me, that means someone's personal favourite pairing, but to the other person it meant someone's personal canon pairing, so they threw a massive fit when people kept referring to non-canonical pairings as their OTPs.

About headcanon, to me it has always been something that you consider canon while accepting that it's not real canon, so others can disagree and have different opinions about it. Like saying that you think America's favourite ice cream flavour is vanilla but admitting that it's okay if someone else thinks it's chocolate.

Rewriting elements of established canon (such as bringing dead character back to life with crazy plot points) is one of my favourite things to do in fanfiction, but this is the first time I see anyone refer to it as headcanon. I've never had a term for that, just "wow, this would be cool!". Interesting. :D

[mizu_takishima]

headcanons are pretty darn awesome, even the zany ones, but the only times I don't like it are when:

A) Someone insists that their headcanon is TRUFAX and will actually argue with you if you don't agree with them
B) When they act like the creator SHOULD make their headcanon actual canon, otherwise the series is total crap.

B is especially disrespectful. I generally don't like it when people act like headcanons are better than real canon, but I can at least understand it so long as they don't act like the creator owes them anything, or that the series would be terrible without their ever-so precious headcanon >_>

[vampirenaomi]

There are pretty much only two occasions when someone's headcanon gets under my skin. The first is when it's implausible, but that's because I work with the definition that headcanon has to work with real canon. I didn't even realise some people use the term to refer to any kinds of ideas they have. The second is when people insist that their headcanon is better than someone else's when the two ideas are both plausible. That's just a matter of taste, and there's no point in fighting about it.

I've never actually ran into your example B. Wow, some people think highly of their own ideas. :O

[mizu_takishima]

Agreed! If they're both Plausible then why fight about it? XD

My definition of headcanon is pretty much what you have in mind, (at least, that's how I govern my headcanons. I try to make 'em work/plausible otherwise I'm just making shizz up!) but sometimes it depends on the series. Then there's AU's to consider. (for example, if your fandom is about animals, and you wanna imagine the bazillion types of lives they could live "if they were humans", or even if you switch around who the main focus is...it can get pretty multiverse-y!)

But yeah, I think example B is pretty rare but it can happen @_@ (Or people only like the series because they adore ONE CHARACTER...but that's another story!)

[vampirenaomi]

Yeah, I agree. And even AU can be seen in different ways. For some people, it's staying within the canon universe but changing something about established canon (such as what would have happened if Spain had raised Veneziano and Romano had worked for Austria) or changing the universe entirely (such as when Germany is a baker who falls in love with France the struggling poet who visits his shop every day). I've seen so much wank about which definition is true that it's not even funny.

[sandfordstreet]

Personally, I have head-canons, like discussing them, but I hate it when people go way too far with them and began to act nasty about it. :C

Like saying it's totally 'canon' or saying/acting like other peoples' HCs are HORRRIBLE.

Ex. I got bitched at by this one girl, because my headcanon of Cameroon was that he could speak German as well as a bit of French. She vehemently was against that speculation, saying that he would 'only' speak English, because he was a British colony and part of the Commonwealth.

So I'm guessing German Kamerun & French Cameroons didn't exist?

[vampirenaomi]

Yeah, it's really obnoxious when people start insisting that their interpretation is the only valid one. There's so much in Hetalia that can be seen in various ways that it's a real shame when some people get so stuck on their own ideas that they feel everything else is terrible and feel the need to let the whole world know.

[ascend]

Some people confuse "irl" historical canon with actual Hetalia canon and think the former is somehow more "correct" than Himaruya's own direction. Frankly I find this irritating and obnoxious. I get having a love for history and international relations, as I do, but come on. Not every single thing that's happened in history is going to be canon in Hetalia, and just because the characters represent states doesn't mean you can call your headcanon regarding real issues Hetalia-canon. Because until Himaruya says it is, it's not, period.

[vampirenaomi]

Ugh, that's one of my biggest pet peeves in this fandom. I love it when people can make real life history work with Hetalia canon, but only if it doesn't happen at the expense of canon. When people start fixing things because "Himaruya got X wrong" or "as a person living in country Y, I know how Y should really be written as a character", it just sounds arrogant.

However, I don't think canon is so sacred that it can never be changed. For example, if someone wants to explore some historical issue based on how it went in real life, not in canon, fine with me. It's only when people insist that their version is better than Himaruya's that I get really irked.

[mizu_takishima]

lol hi me again!

Ugh, that's one of my biggest pet peeves in this fandom. I love it when people can make real life history work with Hetalia canon, but only if it doesn't happen at the expense of canon. When people start fixing things because "Himaruya got X wrong" or "as a person living in country Y, I know how Y should really be written as a character", it just sounds arrogant.
EXACTLY, I can't even get into how much Iove this comment! Besides, half the time Himaruya isn't even "wrong", he just went digging in places you wouldn't normally think to look =\ Half the time he at least tells ya when he knows he dun goof'd.

[nodokaotonashi]

I wonder how the said people would react with the fresh-chapter about France, Germany and Maginot Line ? Himaruya got the situation perfectly, his light-tone keeped. Again, I'm less and less aware of fandom stories because Himaruya is not as regular as before and my other fandoms have been active, so...

[miezen]

Yeeeeaaaah, I agree. Personally, I do not understand utterly implausible "headcanon". Things like that aren't headcanons, they're AU ideas. Doesn't mean they're bad, but...yeah.

Also seriously, nothing is more annoying to me than when people act like their headcanon is the only plausible interpretation, or the only ~historically accurate~ one or what have you. Especially when it's a ship bash-y headcanon. Like all of the people who equate the 1848 rebellion to domestic abuse, for instance. There are other ways to interpret that rebellion that jive with history just fine, so please to stop telling me your headcanon > any other on it ='/

[vampirenaomi]

Yeeeeaaaah, I agree. Personally, I do not understand utterly implausible "headcanon". Things like that aren't headcanons, they're AU ideas. Doesn't mean they're bad, but...yeah.

Yes, this is exactly what I wanted to say. AU ideas can be awesome, but I wouldn't call them headcanons.

When headcanon wank gets mixed with shipping wank, it must be twice as annoying. I haven't really run into it, but there are some obnoxious author's notes I've seen in fanfics that pretty much turned me off from the story even before reading the first line.

[miezen]

there are some obnoxious author's notes I've seen in fanfics that pretty much turned me off from the story even before reading the first line.

Yup, I've seen that, too. There's a pretty damn good Germany/femPrussia kink meme fill that got completely killed for my by author notes at the end. Basically it was carrying on about how it was meant to be the author's headcanon femPrussia because omg baww canon femPrussia is awful. Um. Ew.

[hoshiko_2000]

'there are some obnoxious author's notes I've seen in fanfics that pretty much turned me off from the story even before reading the first line.'

Ditto.