MW: This took me long enough. I really don't have an excuse for tardiness this time around. Nonetheless, here is the cheat sheet, our Q/A, and acknowledgements! I hope you enjoy.
Please remember that I did not list everything meaningful in the cheat sheet. Any storyteller will tell you that you need to find your own meaning in a work. What I say pales in comparison to the meaning that you can infer by yourself.
The Fandom: Symbolism Cheat Sheet~
Theme
Unlike the previous two installments that had the very lovely themes "treat others the way you want to be treated" and "nothing is ever as it seemed," The Fandom is about how right and wrong are relative. It's seen in how each person takes the Fandom and the Canon's solutions to the same issue. It's in how many of the good guy characters become a little villain-ish as the story progresses and how even the worst of the bad guys start to seem good. There's no clear line of right or wrong in any universe.
The Fandom (Sayaka Hoshi) and the Canon (Bella Moon)
I'm well aware that both Sayaka and Bella's true purpose in the series is a little offsetting to many of my readers. At this point, there is not a whole tone I can do to lessen the blow. What I can do is explain what I can about why they are what they are while shedding some light on some of the hinting I weaved throughout the series.
Let's start with physical appearances. One may note that even though Hetalia in a product of Japan, only one of the girls is Japanese. Bella, the Canon, is notably Caucasian. The Hetalia fandom and canon is torn between wanting to appear ambiguously European or strictly Japanese. The canon focuses a great deal on the history of Europe and seems to believe that it is accessible to every person in every country. In tribute to that and the blond majority of the canon cast, Bella is of European origins with perfect blond hair. But while the canon is focused more on Europe, the fandom is intrigued with Japan. Everything is drenched in what one may call "weeaboo culture." If there is a Vocaloid video, there is bound to be a Hetalia version of it out there. The fandom ignores the European influences of the original work and instead trains in on the Japanese part. Sayaka, being the fandom, reflects this through her nationality.
Additionally, their personalities also match what the fandom and canon stands for. Bella is a bubbly person. While she is not overly goofy or obnoxious, her optimism matches the tone of the show and webcomic. Meanwhile, Sayaka's stoicism is a callback to Japan's (the character) personality. I mentioned in The Fanboy cheat sheet that by cohering to Hetalia's stereotype for Japan, she demonstrates how "writers will make an original character of a certain nationality pertain to the stereotypes that Hetalia gives us."
And then there's their relationships with others. I briefly brushed upon this in I believe the epilogue, but I'll indulge you guys a little more. Bella (Canon) and Sherry (Fangirl) are best friends, though their relationship isn't completely loving. While they do adore each other, Bella constantly curbs Sherry's will (see "don't swear" and Sherry's jealousy). Sherry almost follows alongside Bella, whom she puts upon a pedestal. Meanwhile, Sayaka (Fandom) and Larry (Hater) are dating. It is a bit strange that two mortal enemies would be portrayed in a romantic relationship, but look at it this way: haters want to love the fandoms they despise. They are so passionate in their hatred because, deep down, they want to like it. But they don't and they don't understand those who do like it. The betrayal they feel fuels their hatred for something, and this betrayal is seen in the last two chapters in which Larry becomes conflicted in his feelings for Sayaka.
Now that we got all of the sticky explanation parts out of the way, let's talk about some of the hints I did for their big reveal. There are a lot of small stuff and I did on a whim and forgot about, so there may be more. If you noticed something that I forgot about, feel free to tell me and I'll add it to the list.
For Sayaka:
-Her obsession with names, which can be linked back to the fandom's debate over human names
-While Himaruya, she always seems to act nicer to Larry than Sherry
-Or at least took him more seriously than Sherry
For Bella:
-While posing as England, she occasionally referred to Sherry as "Sher-Bear," Bella's nickname for her
-In the same vein, England would also scold Sherry for her swearing
-Bella attends college in England
-Her tattoo is of a fox, the symbol of stealth, and a nasturtium which England wanted to have at the festival
Sherry, Larry, and Jerry
I think I did a pretty good explanation of their roles in the epilogue, so I'll just copy and paste them here.
"Jerry was the fanboy- but more specifically, the casual fan. It never mattered to him which side was chosen as long as he got what he wanted from the fandom and canon."
"Larry is the hater, and an irrational one at that. But he's the one who critiques, who curbs back the reign of the fandom and sees through the facade of the canon. They need him to bring some sense to their crazy world."
"And [Sherry is] the fangirl. [She is] not on their spectrum of fandom freedom and canon confines. [She is] the spectrum. Fangirls have and always will decide on which parts of the canon to ignore and what sectors of the fandom to make law. Larry and Jerry could pull me back, but [she] was here before either of them. [She is] in the ultimate control."
Please note that I portrayed the role of the fangirl as a very positive one. I believe that fangirls don't deserve as much shit as they get. They are valuable for all of the above reasons and, as much as people may hate how obsessive or obnoxious or stupid they may be, fangirls are in control of the stream of the fandom and canon. They are the ones with the real power in the little world of fanbases.
The Setting
I don't think many people caught on to what the setting of this little baby is. While The Fangirl takes place in the high school au and The Fanboy exploits the pirate au, The Fandom is a throwback to the ultimate fanfiction au: the coffee shop. Although not a lot happened at Spain's Café, the setting really helps to tie together the idea of this being the ultimate fight between fandom and canon. After all, the coffee shop au is one of the many AUs that are canon in the Hetalia universe. Spain and Sweden are shown in two skits to be the owners of two cafés of their own. The coffee shop AU is the perfect tie together of fandom and canon.
Tone and Style Shift
Anyone can note that The Fanseries has gotten progressive more serious and better written as each installment is released. Of course, this is once again done on purpose.
The tone of the series starts out very light-hearted with not too much emphasis on the more somber parts. The Fanboy is a little less funny and a little more serious, and The Fandom is mostly serious with the occasional instances of humor. When I initially planned this series, I remember wanting to make a statement of how the fandom tends to write such serious fanfictions that it ruins the humor of the original source, but looking at what I've written, I feel like I did not do enough to really drive that point home. So it's there, I just didn't do a really good job at establishing it.
What I did a good job at establishing is the shift in styles. I've had some readers comment on how my writing has improved over the years and, to some extent, I intended for there to be such a contrast in quality between the first chapter of The Fangirl and the last chapter of The Fandom. I knew back in 2012 that my writing was… not particularly stellar. But I also knew that the more I wrote, the better my style was going to become. I decided to use my poor skills to my advantage and use them to advance the meaning of the story. The Fangirl is supposed to be the classic OC-story twisted, so the quality mimics that of a bad OC fic. The Fanboy is the sweet point of both equal humor and seriousness and a writing style that matches the tone. The Fandom is the most mature installment of the series, containing my most advanced writing skills to date.
Note: I'm not saying that I've become an expert writer. What I am saying is that I recognized my need for improvement and decided to use it to further the meaning of the work as a whole. I still have many areas of writing I need to improve in.
MW: So that's about it for the symbolism cheat sheet. Like I said earlier, there's many stuff I elected not to outline this time around. Symbolism, allegories, satire, and themes are all relative to the reader. I encourage you all to look at this work and figure out what it means to you.
Now that that's out of the way, let's go on to some questions. I did not get many questions this time around, but the ones I was asked are pretty great ones. If you do not see your questions here, please note that I did not do it on purpose. If it happens, please go to my blog and tell me and I'll be sure to answer you there!
~Questions and Answers~
Q: What did Sherry end up telling Larry at the wedding?
A: Nothing. She wanted to tell him about her deal with Sayaka and Bella, but he decided that he would rather live his life without knowing anything more about what happened back in Hetalia.
Q: Do Sherry and Larry have a closer relationship that they do with Jerry?
A: I believe they do. While Jerry and Larry's relationship improved drastically, there is still a few barriers that exist between them. Larry feels too cautious around his twin, afraid he might do something to hurt him, while Jerry feels like Larry no longer trusts him. Larry needs someone in his life who understands what it was like going through THE WAR and everything Hetalia, and Sherry is simply the person who is more qualified to talk about it with him than Jerry (who had a rather tamed time in Hetalia when compared to his siblings).
Meanwhile, Sherry feels responsible for Larry now. She knows everything that goes on in Hetalia and she feels as though it's her job to use her knowledge of the truce to somehow ease his distress.
Basically, Sherry and Larry relate to each other a bit more than Jerry.
Q: Is Sherry's falling sensation based upon Majora's Mask?
A: Although I am a big fan of the Legend of Zelda games, I never made the conscious decision to base anything in The Fanseries off of it. Nice connection, though!
Q: Will the El Verdugo hiatus end soon?
A: Nope. I think that I might just drop it.
Q: Would Sherry repeat everything that happened in Hetalia one last time?
A: While I think she would be tempted to accept the offer, she would ultimately refuse. Going through everything once is more than enough for a life time.
Q: If Sherry had one day to spend in Hetalia, after they forgot her, would she explain to them everything that happened or just do nothing?
A: She would try to find them, just to see how they were doing, but she would never tell them anything that happened. She did not broker that truce for nothing.
MW: That's about it for the questions. Again, if I did not answer your question or if you have more, feel free to hit me up at on tumblr at miamaroo. My ask box is always open!
And I believe that concludes The Fanseries. All that's left is to do one last thing:
~Acknowledgements~
Thank you to SEK and Blue for all of their support, even when our hearts strayed from Hetalia and into different fandoms. Our interests now are as varied as our personalities, but we will always be friends.
Also extending thanks to various internet buddies I have made like Ashe, Hannah, Megan, Sebastian, and many others who have not told me their real names yet. Even if I have not talked to many of you in four score, I still adore each and every one and await the return of your bubbly faces.
Most of all, thank you to the people who have stuck with me throughout the years, who were there at the beginning or at the very end, who reviewed or stayed silent, who followed and favorited—every single person who took the time out of their lives to read this series. I have not always been the greatest author, but your endless support has always fueled my passions. I would not be where I am today without you guys. Thank you, each and every one of you.
Here is the end of an era. High school is over and now begins my life in college. Ladies, gentlemen, and others—raise your glasses! We've made it to the end. Thank you for reading!