[ Warning! Spoilers for The Brightest Night ahead. ]
No need for an author's note, since this is literally just a first-person rant.
Why??? Is?? Sunny? So??? Underrated?
I've seen it so often in the fandom, and it genuinely bugs me to tears. People personify her in memes, art and fanfictions as your everyday "mindless happy character" stereotype: giddy, optimistic, and unbearably stupid and ditzy. Despite the obvious situations, she never cries, and never shows any emotion other than happiness -
What isn't there to love?
Lots of things. I'm getting the feeling people completely missed the entirety of TBN, as well as the final part of Moon Rising and the beginning of Escaping Peril. So, just to recap, let's look at all those stereotypes the fandom has conceived and compare them to the actual character:
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ALWAYS NON-CONTEXTUALLY HAPPY;;
The Fandom...
Sunny, according to almost every fanfiction out there, is a rare breed of "consistently happy", despite circumstances in which others would normally be upset or unnerved. She's somewhat a child to the rest of the world, and is generally somewhat oblivious as to the goings-on around her.
The Canon...
Come on, guys - we had a whole book on this. Anybody else remember the point in The Brightest Night when, well, everything happened as a result of Sunny?
She was the only one of the Dragonets of Destiny to actually mourn their guardians, which suggests that she's definitely the most mentally healthy (as opposed to the other four, who appear almost estranged to the dragons who should in fact be considered their parents). Further, she kept this under control, knowing the other dragonets would not understand and that it would potentially hinder her opportunities.
She was nervous upon entering the Sand Kingdom, downright freaked out by Thorn's murder of Preyhunter, became increasingly annoyed with Glory's downputting descriptions of her and found herself distraught after Morrowseer's revelation in The Dark Secret.
She's also independent and determined - waaaaay more so than any of the other dragonets. Tsunami caved in to her mother's pressure almost immediately upon arrival, Glory refused to do marginally anything involving teamwork or self-preservation, Starflight spent about four books gaining enough independence to say no to the antagonist, and Clay is just too sweetly bewildered to truly stand up for anything outside of his siblings' or nestmates' desires.
Sunny, on the other hand, stepped out into the world, abandoning the dragonets for what she thought was right, and then brought them and the whole of Pyrrhia together in order to create peace.
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ANNOYING;;
The Fandom...
... appears to view Sunny as an irritating little pest. I've had waaaay too many people complaining about how annoying she is. How much they hate Sunny. How awful she is, how "horrible" she was to Starflight, how much they hate her for "competing" with Fatespeaker...
The Canon...
What? What? What?
How is Sunny annoying?
I've noticed that people tend to get frustrated with her optimism, so let me ask: what is it you dislike about it? Would you prefer another angsty Glory? A sobbing Webs to wet your pillow? Or a cold, emotionless, overly-haughty Winter 2.0?
Sunny is one of the most creative characters in the series, and is incredibly detailed once people manage to see past the initial "I'm optimistic" shell (why does it take people so long to get past that?). She's also very introspective, determined (BOIIIIII is she determined), creative, stubborn, courageous, loyal, independent and innovative.
She ended a freaking war.
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SUNNYFLIGHT;;
The Fandom...
Well, it's war at the moment. Sunny and Fatespeaker; the FanWings seem intent on demolishing one and glorifying the other. There can only be one suitor for Starflight.
Despite the obvious canon contradiction.
The Canon...
At the beginning of the series, I was a hardcore Sunnyflight shipper; however, as I read the series, I come to respect and love the idea of an independent Sunny unburdened by romantic interest. She's stated very clearly that no, she does not love Starflight - and, if things go accordingly, never will. I love the idea of aro/ace Sunny, simply because her personality is so UNLIKE what most people believe aro/ace characters to be. Nine times out of ten, aro/ace characters are emotionally scarred, sullen, quiet, arrogant or hostile. People need to be reminded that it IS possible to be happy and accepted without the need for romance.
YOU ARE READING
Insanitium Geographica
RandomI'll confess, I have no idea what was going through my head when I conjured up the title. But anyway, this will be my general book of Wings Of Fire. I'll include things like OC creation tutorials, fantribe tips, theories and ships and records of my...
