kiahrhea

An interesting point that needs to be considered (perhaps for an entirely different article) is HOW creators and fans should interact. The stereotypical crazy fangirl shoving slash into the actors’ faces comes in part from the lack of experience and direction in these matters. Now that we have more and more interaction happening in a real-time setting, perhaps as a community, we can navigate how to approach each other without making the situation awkward or even offensive.

While YAL is a wonderful (and arguably the best) place to start, I think the rehabilitation needs to be extended into other genres to truly have an effect on society. In the same way that normalizing non-hetero characters depends on decentralizing their sexuality, attributing mental illness as one of many traits would reach a wider audience while comforting those who relate. For example, while I’m not ashamed of my bipolar disorder, it does not encapsulate who I am, and I would love to see a protagonist in the same situation.

I think the storytelling influence goes beyond high fantasy games. Think Mass Effect, Halo, and other scifi games. They also have their own mythos and extensive backgrounds, and have become huge hits because of it.