The End of the Year Fandom Meme

[rogueslayer452]

Which TV shows did you start watching in 2023?
The Last Of Us, Beyond Evil, The Glory, Love O2O, Once Upon A Time In Lingjian Mountain, The Journey of Chongzi, Dropout.tv (A Court Of Fey And Flowers, The Seven, Game Changer, Make Some Noise, Dirty Laundry, Breaking News: No Laugh Newsroom), Watcher (Mystery Files).

I'm actually surprised that I didn't watch that much this year. I think I ended up revisiting older shows/fandoms more, especially during the last half of the year. I guess I've been kind of in a lull at the moment, I don't know.

Which TV shows did you let go of in 2023?
The Mandalorian. As much as I really enjoyed the first season, by the third it's not exactly what I wished for with the direction of the show. I love Din Djarin, and Pedro Pascal portraying the character, which is the entire reason why I started watching the show in the first place, but it's become quite clear that The Mandalorian has more or less become The Grogu Show ft. New Character Introductions To Become Future Star Wars Spin-Offs, even more evident as it's been stated outright they have no plans on an ending for the show proper. Unless there is actual character development for Din Djarin, as in understanding who he is as a person outside of his Mandalorian identity, then I'd say it's time for me to let it go.

Which TV shows did you mean to get into but didn't in 2023? Why?
The Fall of the House of Usher. I'd been curious about it, heard some great things and seen the gifsets/some clips from it, but somehow I just didn't get around to it.

Till The End of the Moon is something I was intrigued by due to Luo Yunxi as Tantai Jin, I cannot resist a pretty face and being tortured and getting a little bit of revenge as a treat. Unfortunately the only thing putting me off is the main romance angle which I'm not sold on based on the minimal things I've seen from it. Aesthetically it looks good, but it does make me question whether it's worth watching all forty episodes or if I can just get a compilation of Tantai Jin (and Pian Ran's) scenes only.

Which TV shows do you intend on checking out in 2024?
Orphan Black: Echoes is the only newer show that I'm going to be checking out next year, so far at least.

Aside from that, I've been intrigued by Hotel de Luna, which has Yeo Jin-goo (from Beyond Evil) and Lee Ji-eun (aka IU) after seeing little previews from it. Pit Babe, which is currently airing but I'm going to wait until all the episodes are out before I can find a way to watch it, but trust me, I'm definitely going to be checking it out once I'm able to. The second season of Heaven Official's Blessing donghua. There's quite a bit of Asian dramas that have been on my list that I want to check out eventually, so I'm hoping I'm in a better mental capacity next year to at least try those out for the ones that I didn't this year.

And while not shows, there are some movies that I wanted to check out: Lost in the Stars and Only the River Flows, because I've been hearing good things about them, particularly the former, due to Zhu Yilong's phenomenal acting. Also Golden Spider City (2022) because I'm trying to go through Chen Mengqi's filmography and I'm curious.

Which TV show impressed you least in 2023?
Love O2O. I tried, but I couldn't make it through the first episode. I much prefer the movie version. The Journey of Chongzi was a cdrama I tried briefly, mainly because of Wang Zhuocheng since he was playing a demon lord kind of character and that was new and interesting for him, but I found myself kind of bored and only fast forwarding to his scenes just wasn't worth it.

While it wasn't bad necessarily, The Mandalorian wasn't something that impressed me that much this year. The direction isn't what I wanted it to be, and while there were some good parts (Din Djarin and Bo Katan teaming up) it was pretty lackluster. I think opening the show up with Din Djarin and Grogu already back together after an emotional farewell in the S2 finale because they reunited on another show was a tremendously bad move. That, along with some of the things that Jon Favreau have said, it's quite unimpressive and leaves me feeling less confident in continuing on with the show.

Which TV show do you think you might let go of in 2024 unless things significantly improve?
This is less letting it go and more taking a temporary step back until either certain things have been resolved or once it's finished so I can go back to it, but the third campaign of Critical Role. Don't get me wrong, I've actually been enjoying this campaign a whole lot, but recently with the pacing and how certain events have been handled I'm not as into where things currently are at the moment. This happens, especially with long ongoing campaigns like CR runs, there can be a lull in the middle and I think that's where I'm at. I'm hoping that next year things will pick up, but if not then I'll most likely be taking that step back from it.

Which TV shows do you think you’ll never let go of no matter how crappy they get?
Eh, at this point I'm not quite sure. I think my only answer are some of the TTRPG shows that I watch, because they tend to have different stuff available that I can switch to if I'm not feeling whatever campaign they're currently doing.

Your main fandom of the year?
I feel like it's been Beyond Evil and Dropout.tv content for the most part, and then the Saw franchise. Although I am also still on my Detective L bullshit from last year, so, of course I'm going to be adding that into this year as well.

Your favorite film you watched this year?
Saw X, Donkey Skin (1970), Evil Dead (2013), The Hunt (2020), Best Mechanism Great Master / Weir Technician, Love O2O (2016).

Your favorite book read this year?
I started reading Guardian by Priest, the official English translation edition.

Your favorite album or song to listen to this year?
"DEMIAN" and "Propose" by Dreamcatcher, from their Apocalypse: From Us mini-album. I've specifically had these two songs on repeat since this mini-album dropped, which is the conclusion of their Apocalypse series era.

"28 Reasons" by Seulgi, from her debut solo album 28 Reasons.

"BIBI Vengeance", "BLADE", "Timeless", and "Animal Farm" by BIBI

"METALIZM" by BABYMETAL, from The Other One, their newest album released this year.

Your favorite TV show(s) of the year?
Beyond Evil. I'd heard good things about it, and once I started watching I was immediately hooked. It was all I could think about for a long time after watching it.

The Last Of Us, which was something I had been anticipating and it did not disappoint. It exceeded my expectations and it became perhaps the best video game adaptation in recent years. The cast and performances were amazing, the way the season was structured, the changes that were made actually made sense, and there's a lot of promise to what will be for adapting The Last Of Us: Part 2, especially when you have the same people involved.

Your favorite online fandom community of the year?
I think it's been primarily the TTPRG communities (Critical Role and D20/Dropout) and the Asian drama fandom communities. I definitely think the D20/Dropout fandom community was my favorite during the WGA/SAG strikes, and because I got around to really catching up on a lot of the series on there and the fandom provided a lot of entertainment as well. A lot of that made me smile and laugh, which is what I needed during the middle of this year so that was great.

Your best new fandom discovery of the year?
Beyond Evil, Luo Yunxi, BIBI, Seulgi, Forestella

Your fandom that made an unexpected comeback this year?
The Saw franchise making its comeback with its prequel, Saw X, and while I never stopped loving and being obsessed with those movies it actually got me seeking out more of the fanbase that is pleasantly still incredibly active. Sure, some people will make memes surrounding Saw that I've seen floating around, which are funny, but the fans of the franchise who make a lot of introspective and good discussion pieces about the movies, the characters, that's been a pleasant surprise for me this year.

Castlevania, mostly influenced by the series premiere of Castlevania: Nocturne, which I haven't seen, however I was mostly inspired to return back to the main Castlevania series. In fact, I ended up revisiting a lot of older fandoms this year which in a way kind of was an unexpected comeback on my end. I do tend to revisit old fandoms every once in a while but this year kind of made me go back to a handful of them.

I'm tickled that House M.D. has made a resurgence among the Tumblr fandom community, that was certainly unexpected. People are either baffled or amused by its existence or are just as giddy as I am that it's among the "older" fandoms that has made a comeback.

Your biggest fandom disappointment of the year?
Oh boy. Well, the first thing that comes to my mind is the WGA/SAG-AFTRA strikes, as in the fact that the unions needed to be on strike at all because of greedy corporations not treating their workers fairly. Furthermore, while the strikes were a success on the fandom side there was some disappointment when people didn't understand the definition of what "scabbing" was and there was a lot of incorrect information being spread around social media.

And then there's how there's been so many actors and celebrities kind of showed their true colors this year, in various ways from different situations. Some were unsurprising, while others I was utterly gobsmacked. Some of it is current event related, others are individual incidents that have recently been brought to light that, upon learning, make my stomach turn. You know those sayings about never idolizing anyone or putting anyone on a pedestal otherwise you'll end up disappointed? It's sound advice that has never been proven more true when applied to this year.

The fact that it seems that, regardless of whether it continues on or not, the Scream franchise is most likely dead because of the unjust firing of its leading star and losing its other lead shortly thereafter.

There's also been some disappointing revelations from behind-the-scenes internal affairs with AO3/OTW and the treatment of some of its members.

Your fandom boyfriend(s) of the year?
Tantai Jin (Till The End of the Moon), Huo Wensi (Detective L), Lee Dong-sik (Beyond Evil), Han Joo-won (Beyond Evil), Joel Miller (The Last Of Us), Tommy Miller (The Last Of Us), Ha Do-yeong (The Glory), Joo Yeo-jeong (The Glory), Alucard (Castlevania), Trevor Belmont (Castlevania)

Your fandom girlfriend(s) of the year?
Pian Ran (Till The End of the Moon), Amanda Young (the Saw franchise), Moon Dong-eun (The Glory)

Your biggest squee moment of the year?
Discovering Beyond Evil and how it completely took over my brain.

I now own the official physical copies of the Detective L soundtracks!

The existence of Pit Babe, a canonical A/B/O story (based off of a BL novel), being aired in Thailand. While it's certainly not the first television show in history to feature something like this (Dark Angel did it first), it is the first time the extension of these tropes of what people know now as the Omegaverse has been televised, including the existence of MPREG, scenting, a main Alpha/Alpha pairing, and the discussion of male Alpha menopause, which is only just what has been revealed thus far from what I've learned. There's also supposedly a possible cdrama that's going to feature something like this, too, with Alpha/Omega and MPREG. What a blessed timeline we live in! :D

The most missed of your old fandoms?
I say this every year, but the sense of community.

But more than that, as I've been revisiting some of my previous fandoms, I do miss some of the fanworks and active discussions and overall presence of them in a fannish community. Especially shows that used to be big when they premiered. I saw some Tumblr polls about whether people know about certain shows, and while those polls aren't an accurate estimate of everyone in the Tumblr fandom community, it's pretty upsetting seeing the results of things that were popular years ago of people not even knowing what they are. To me, fandom should always be about keeping a piece of media alive and going even long after it is finished. And people moving onto one fandom to the next after it either ends or gets cancelled really blows, because imagine people just discovering that older fandom for the first time and wanting to see more of a fandom for it and finding nothing because nobody is talking about it or making anything from it anymore? It's pretty damn lonely. So yeah, this is a long-winded way to say: I miss it when people were still excited about older fandoms.

The fandom you haven't tried yet, but want to?
I still have yet to dive into certain Thai dramas, that's been on my "to watch" list for some time. I follow certain people who post about various ones on the regular, especially BL and GL based ones, and it's all very enticing.

Your biggest fan anticipations for the coming year?
Dune: Part 2, Saw XI, Orphan Black: Echoes, Heaven Official's Blessing donghua S2, Fantasy High: Junior Year on Dimension 20/Dropout.


I always feel like I'm forgetting something whenever I do this meme. But TL;DR, I didn't watch nearly enough newer stuff (to me) as I expected, but I did revisit a lot older stuff, and I'm still very deep in Asian dramas.

Comments

[silverusagi]

To me, fandom should always be about keeping a piece of media alive and going even long after it is finished.

Fandom moves so fast these days, I'm halfway convinced the word 'fandom' has become interchangeable with 'show I'm currently watching and reblogging gifs from.'

[rogueslayer452]

Social media and streaming hasn't helped in that department, it makes it seem like fandom nowadays is about racing to that finish line of "consuming content" when it's new and fresh and then moving onto the next shiny thing because that's what's on their feed instead of, y'know, actually sitting and marinating with what they've just watched/read and connecting with other fans about it. It makes it hard to really be ecstatic about engaging in fandom spaces knowing that some people aren't as fannish about something as you are because they've "moved on".

[silverusagi]

It definitely feels like things have become content to consume. and in RL I've run into the expectation that OF COURSE I'm going to watch whatever show just dropped, because everyone else is and because it's new. And... I'm not. I'm not going to watch something just because it's at the top of Netflix's banner if it's not something that sounds interesting.

[rogueslayer452]

And... I'm not. I'm not going to watch something just because it's at the top of Netflix's banner if it's not something that sounds interesting.

Exactly, I'm the same way. I'm quite picky when it comes to checking out newer stuff, or anything in general. A lot of times, my interest in something can be so spontaneous and it'll be perhaps the most random thing ever. I'll end up discovering older shows or fandoms that I've been wanting to check out for ages and get really obsessed with it, despite nobody really being that into it anymore. Of course, if there is something new and it'll look interesting I'll check it out for myself, but I'm not going to do it just because everyone is talking about it online. I think anything that is overhyped can turn me off of that particular thing, and I'll wait until that hype has died down to see of it really was worth checking out or not.

And then, of course, I'm someone who wants that fandom engagement. I want people who have seen something for years ago be excited that I'm finally getting into it and get into discussions and share all the fanworks from it. The current social media platform of fandom seems to be that anything that has ended or been cancelled is not worthy of being talked about or shared, and that's the very antithesis of what fandom is supposed to be, imho.

(There also seems to be this mentality that if a show is cancelled, it deserved to be cancelled because it got poor ratings/numbers because nobody was watching it, nobody cared, so why bother, same with people not bothering watching something because it was prematurely cancelled because what's the point, and that's so ?????? to me.)

[silverusagi]

There also seems to be this mentality that if a show is cancelled, it deserved to be cancelled because it got poor ratings/numbers because nobody was watching it

Yeah, this is also weird, especially given how easily things get cancelled these days by streaming companies. I can't imagine just not watching a show because it doesn't have an ending. Honestly, sometimes I'd rather watch one that got cancelled than one that, say, has an ending that was absolutely terrible after 10 seasons that slogged.

[profiterole_reads]

Thai dramas are usually on YouTube, though you might have to look elsewhere for the cut scenes (sometimes, they're posted on Tumblr, so you don't even have to look very hard for them).

[verdande_mi]

The Last of Us was a fandom favourite of mine as well this year.

[rogueslayer452]

I remember being tentatively optimistic about the show, and then it exceeded all my expectations. It really was such a fantastic show, and it brought in a lot of newer people to the fandom and it's been so amazing watching their reactions to the story as it unfolded. It's been so great. :D

[potentiality_26]

I feel similarly about campaign 3 at this point. There's been some great stuff but also some things I think will be better once there's a larger context to put them in.

For me it depends on whether they just pick right up with the action after the break, since it's mostly the interpersonal bits that have lost my interest a little.

[rogueslayer452]

Yeah, the dip isn't unexpected, but it's a matter of how long this lull is going to be because right now my attention has been kind of drifting off and there have been recent things that occurred (re: shardgate) that kind of dampened my enthusiasm just a touch. Still love the show, still enjoying C3, but at the moment it's kind of hit a stride of if things don't improve within the next several episodes I might take a tiny break and wait things out before diving back in again.

[author_by_night]

Argh, had a longer comment, but DW ate it.

With you on being disappointed in the Ao3 team. Very disappointed.

And yes, agreed that fandom moving fast sucks in particular for new fans. I'm in an interesting position where I technically joined a fandom right at the peak, but that also means that as soon as I was making fandom friends and really finding my foot in writing fic for it, everyone got into new things and left. Not "everyone" obviously, there's a sizable amount of people, but it really isn't the same.

Though in my case, I also wonder how many people were Quarantine Writers? The fandom got very big right at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, which, well. I wonder if a lot of people just got busy with their social/family lives again and didn't have time to write fanfic. I started posting ficin March of 2021, for reference, at which point people were still limiting their social activities, and a lot of people were still working remotely. That said, I know from tumblr that a lot of people have just moved on.

Meanwhile, I'm one of those people who tends to have only 1-3 obsession(s) at a time, so. I was in the Harry Potter fandom for almost three decades before giving up. (Nothing to do with JKR - I mean, she didn't help in the end, but I was already more or less done by the time she started posting TERF BS.)

[rogueslayer452]

It really sucks that people end up "leaving" a fandom that you just got into. I'm thankful for those who are still active, of course, but you're right it's never quite the same as it was when a fandom was at its peak.

I wonder if a lot of people just got busy with their social/family lives again and didn't have time to write fanfic.

That could be a part of it, yeah. Quarantine was an interesting time for fandom, many people got into things during 2020/2021 and started a lot of different projects to keep busy and proactive during a difficult time, but once things started getting "back to normal" schedule wise, it's not like they abandoned a fandom necessarily so much that they couldn't keep up with the side projects they were doing because, well, life. And that happens no matter what. And I do think there is always a lull in fandom anyway sometimes, which doesn't make it easier when shows nowadays are streaming, it's quite different from the hiatuses we're used to back in the day. IDK.

Meanwhile, I'm one of those people who tends to have only 1-3 obsession(s) at a time, so.

Heh, yeah I'm the same. I'm quite multi-fandom, both new and older shows, but I'm also not someone who cannot hop from one show to the next. I follow people who do do that and I commend them for their multi-tasking skills, but I don't have the mental capacity for it. I need to be in the right mood and mindset to even begin something new. I like the marinate with the story and the characters and engage with the fandom (fanart, fanfic, discussions/meta, etc).

[author_by_night]

It really sucks that people end up "leaving" a fandom that you just got into.

Yeah. I'm so glad that with Harry Potter, I had a few years to really meet people and find my footing.

but once things started getting "back to normal" schedule wise, it's not like they abandoned a fandom necessarily so much that they couldn't keep up with the side projects they were doing because, well, life.

Yeah, exactly.

I like the marinate with the story and the characters and engage with the fandom (fanart, fanfic, discussions/meta, etc).

I think some people are much more into just writing characters together than they are discussions/meta and really engaging with the story, too. Which isn't a bad thing, but I think that's another reason a lot of people just move on - they got their fill, time for new things, whereas you and I are going "but wait, there's so much more story, so much more to talk about."

[elizalavelle]

I've only watched season 1 of The Mandalorian. I like the concept but I haven't felt super drawn to go back to it aside from wanting to see some of the guest stars.

With you on the strikes, I wish people could just be paid fairly. It's not as if the people at the top aren't still going to be rich. I want to sit some of the CEOs down and just have frank questions about "how much money is enough" and "how many people should be without housing or healthcare or food in order for you to have a 5th home and a private jet? Just really let the world see what kinds of sociopaths these people are.

Also yes a lot of celebrities have been truly awful this year.

For fandom I'm glad we have places like A03 so that even if the fandom isn't currently super active new fans have a wealth of fandom to go and see.

ETA - I'm also sad about the Scream franchise. It feels very much on the wrong side of history to fire someone because they said they don't agree with genocide. What a mess.

[rogueslayer452]

I'd say season one was perhaps the best season of the show, it was so fresh and new and had an interesting concept. But it's clear that beyond that season they had no idea how to proceed, and it's evident in the third season and in interviews with the creators. It was nice while it lasted, but I'm mostly just checked out from it.

I want to sit some of the CEOs down and just have frank questions about "how much money is enough" and "how many people should be without housing or healthcare or food in order for you to have a 5th home and a private jet? Just really let the world see what kinds of sociopaths these people are.

Now that would be a fascinating conversation, in a morbid kind of way just to see their responses and if they actually answer honestly or will just try to weasel their way around it by talking in circles. Most likely the latter to confuse and frustrate you to stop asking them questions so they can justify their entire billionaire existence.

I'm also sad about the Scream franchise. It feels very much on the wrong side of history to fire someone because they said they don't agree with genocide. What a mess.

Seriously, it's super fucked up. But at least Melissa is sticking to her principles and posting about it every single day, showing her support, not backing down. She's gained a lot of support and respect from fans because of this, so there's that. It's Spyglass who fucked up, and this isn't the first time either since they fucked over Neve Campbell previously, as well. They practically killed their a popular franchise by being assholes.

[elizalavelle]

I'm so glad Melissa took the opportunity to be a voice for change and honestly she's not said anything that was offensive, at least not that I saw. Like she correctly stated a fact and that got her fired because someone at Spyglass had a different opinion and was willing to blow up the entire franchise over it.

When they didn't pay Neve Campbell her worth that was a huge mistake. I'm so glad she refused to work for less. They had such a great revival of the franchise and just threw it away.

I'm sure the CEOs would wriggle out of it and wouldn't answer the question. I just think it's one that should be asked bluntly and often. These people are villains and should be treated as such. There's no ethical way to be a billionaire and more people should be told that so that we get less celebrity worship of these sociopaths.

[rogueslayer452]

It's astonishing, really, how badly they fucked up this beloved franchise.

I've seen speculations on what will happen to Scream 7, if it even happens at all at this point. Some think that it'll be an entirely new reboot with a brand new cast just so Spyglass can continue capitalizing off of the franchise, or they might continue with a fan favorite older character, if not Neve then perhaps Courtney or Hayden, but I'm hoping that won't be the case. (Because while I understand that actors need the work for that paycheck sometimes to make a decent living, doing this project now is going to sour people's opinions on them especially with how much Melissa risked and continues to risk.) I honestly think the whole thing will be in development hell for years before quietly shelved.

There's no ethical way to be a billionaire and more people should be told that so that we get less celebrity worship of these sociopaths.

Exactly.

[elizalavelle]

If they got Neve back I'd have to assume they showed up with a giant cheque for her which is what she deserved in the first place. I think at this point she may not even come back for that though. She seems pretty savvy. The studio took a speed run at destroying a franchise that seemed to be having a profitable comeback. What idiots.

[author_by_night]

They wouldn't GET it. Years and years ago, Mitt Romney was on TV when he was running for President here. I remember a reporter asking him about people with medical emergencies, and he just answered with, "well, I use my health insurance." I had to leave the room because if I hadn't, I honestly think I would have thrown something at the TV screen. There's just so much arrogance. It's great that you have health insurance. SOME PEOPLE DO NOT. Even if they do, health insurance only covers so much. That's why I call it "unsurance."

[elizalavelle]

I wish we could have a thing where EVERY politician has to live one month a year of their term at the wage level of someone on minimum wage. Not just get paid minimum wage (although I want that too) but actually have nothing for a month, no house to start from an empty kitchen etc. so they have to see what it's like to do it all from scratch.

If one is running for president they should have to live 6 months that way prior to campaigning. You're right that they're so unaware that they won't get it by being told, they need to experience that life to really understand what it's like.

I'd be livid about the insurance too - like dude your whole country has restrictions on insurance and you KNOW people can't afford it. Heck even here we have basic health covered (although politicians are trying to become more like America so... that's fun) but we don't have eyes or dental covered. Teeth are luxury bones and even though everyone knows dental issues can quickly become life threatening there are a lot of people who just can't afford to go to the dentist.