VERY good essay, and VERY well written. I do think that the first version would need to be dragged out into the street and shot, but I also think that that version's pretty blown out of proportion. I must say, I HATE pink. Barbie pink. Hot pink is alright, but Barbie pink? That's just wrong. I think a lot of the hostility directed toward Relena stems from the fact that the fanfic author (most likely female in this case) has a crush on Heero. It seems to me that the common attitude is "he's mine not hers." Well, as this is most likely the longest review I've ever written, I've gotta end it somewhere. _

Ja,

Saiya-jin Patricia

P.S. You say on your bio that ff.net hates you. Well, I'm not a representative of ff.net, but I can say right now that I don't hate you. Sad that you feel that way tho, I do hope you continue to write fics here, as I would love to read them after reading your wonderful essay. _

I would like to see some of your ideas for fics, i'm sure it'd be interesting. feel free to email me some time. (So much for ending this review ; lol I guess it'll end when it ends...)

Ja. (Later.)

For as long as the show has existed, there have been the precious few of us who have advocated, fought, and argued for Relena's presence in the show. We didn't believe a single word of her so-called selfishness, nor did we accept that she could be so easily (and stupidly, if I'm allowed to be opinionated) written off as yet another girl who's sole purpose in life is to chase after another guy.

As one of those precious few, I've had to deal with people mocking me for my like and love for her. I've had people call her 'bitch', 'whore', 'stalker', 'freak', 'Peacecrap' to my face, literally. I've heard of the hundreds of ways to 'kill Relena Peacecraft' and each are more disturbing than the last.

Even the most distinguished writers, who I had admired before the Relena-debate, chose to portray her as a single-facet, overly-done girl who seemed to have no important purpose in GW, even though in truth, she *is* the most important character in GW. Wars cannot be won by fighting, no matter how hard Bush and his lackeys try to convince us. War abets war, and the show's creators themselves chose to end GW in a way that shows Relena has the defining force in a long fight for peace. Japan has always been tortured about it's place in WWII and the atrocities they committed and the atrocities committed to them. The war ended for Japan with Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but at what cost?

Relena was one character who *changed* and *matured* during the process of the show, not a small feat considering she survived the destruction of a kingdom, not once, but twice. She saw her father die before her eyes and was forced to choose to either surrender her kingdom (and thus allow the survival of her people) or to fight so-called 'courageously' on (thus ensuring their death).

I've only felt pity for the writer's of GW fanfiction (and it's not just yaoi writers) who choose to portray her as someone without feeling and without cause to the show. I have never believed that they understood GW, nor do I think they truly loved the show, to choose so callously to overlook this truth. They allowed their own bigotry (against another woman at that. I still marvel at this fact, that most of the writers are women themselves, yet choose to misunderstand the goals of Relena) and prejudice cloud their judgement, and from that, not only did Relena suffer, the pilots, from Heero to Wufei, and the show were ruined in part.

To praise their 'growth' and 'new vision' astounds me. We have written that of her since the beginning and we've only been ridiculed and mocked because we chose to believe in her, to love her, to defend Relena Darlian.

Finally someone who sees Relena in the same light that I have the whole time. Your Essay was impressive, but I am sorry to say that I haven't seen much of a change. I am saying, Relena is not as annoying as some people think, and this essay has brought into the light that Relena is not annoying as some people take her for. I feel sorry for those who are writing Relena in a good light and getting flaming reviews from the avid anti-Relena yaoi fans saying KILL HER!

I am adding to your essay for the Anti-Relena activists: watch the series and the movie again and see it from Relena's point of view, it is rather surprising. There is surprisingly more layers to her than many realize, more than Heero in fact, which makes her an intriging character. I also like to point out, Relena was a silent child at eleven (See Episode Zero manga) I myself am a quiet person, Whenever the silence is broken by a quiet person it has to be important.

Thank you for writing this, it is appreciated._

Well I'll be damned... someone who agrees with me. I've always hated seeing Relena, or Wufei for that matter, bashed. I love finding stories that make them real. This is a very good essay. I also enjoy stories that make them have faults but not morons... I wrote some essays on characters that are frequently bashed. Heh... I liked this. It points out what a lot of the rabid 1x2 fans won't acknowledge- Relena is a human being.

I'm wondering if you're writing from a yaoi or non-yaoi perspective here.

From the yaoi view, things may have improved, from the het view, things are about the same.

What I see is that when yaoi fans try to portray Relena in a positive light and with a possible match up whether it be Heero or Duo or some other main male character they tend to get irrate reviews about it that in short don't call for anything less then Relena's death along with calling her various names, the nicest one being bitch and all while using ALL CAPS.

Then the author feels obligated to write her as the reviewers want her written, thus destroying any type of good intention that they started out with.

And when yaoi author's write her and pair her with Heero or some other main male character, why do they apologize for it? It's because they're hoping that they can soften the blow of possible backlash from yaoi fans irrate with them about them giving Relena a little bit of a personality and change other then what they're used to, or want her to have.

So has there been change? You may think so, but from what I see, no not really. You have to be able to change most yaoi fans views in general, not just a few here and there. And there's too much hatred of Relena and non yaoi relationships for there to be much hope that real change will occur.

Plus you have to be able to view Relena as a whole being, not just focus on the good aspects of what you yourself can tolerate. It's a matter of author change thy self.

Well, I still see my fair share of Relena bashing fics around, and I see change, but not really enough.

True people seemingly treat her with more compassion and respect then they used too, but they still cannot portray her as anything more then the compassionate person who accepts Heero being with someone else and not giving her his love instead. Why? because they are yaoi fans first and foremost and no woman, especially Relena, is going to get "their" guys who in their own delusion they think are gay.

I mean, it's good to see her as a girl who can make it on her own, but that doesn't mean you need to write her alone.

They still cannont find it within themselves to give her love, or write her romantic or even pair her with another pilot if not Heero(and suddenly makng her a lesbain and pairng her with a girl doesn't count nor does creating her some OC to be with). And, who says Heero can't love her in a romantic sexual way (hell, Duo is written more femine then she is). Why must she always be the one left alone to accept that she doesn't have love but it's okay cause she's a strong woman and can deal.

You can be a strong, independent woman but that doesn't mean you have to be some type of Queen Elizabeth I that must nyx's all sexual feelings and romantic relationships.

Maybe the yaoi fandom has improved, but now they're putting her into a different stereotype that isn't much better.

When they can get over their hetrophobia and start writing her as a whole being with all the range of of feelings emotionally and physically and let her have at least one of the main pilots, and stop treating her like a nun and little woman/child ex-stalker, then maybe I'll give 'em a few more kudos.