Whenever we discuss fanfics, we usually talk about the awful. Occasionally, we praise the good. Once or twice, we comment on just mediocre fics. However, there is one type of fic we almost never discuss: the debated ones. The ones that the entire readership just cannot decide if this is one of the best fanfics ever written, or a trainwreck of a fanfic that is full of clichés and Mary Sues/Gary Stus. Half of the fandom praises it for its phenomenal characters, while the other half wants to see the main character on top of a spear.

Note that I am not talking about the traditional Mary Sue fics and their legions of Sue lovers: I speak of those fics that cause two people who have a relatively similar mindset about what makes a good or bad story find themselves in a screaming match heated debate over the quality of the fic. Seeing as this community is built around mocking what we have agreed to be badfic, as well as writing and analysis, why don't we try and settle it once and for all!

Here is what you are to do. To enter a fic in to be debated, respond to this post with the name of the fic to be debated, and a link to the story, nothing else. I will provide one to start with, though anybody can add fics to debate as they see fit. To start the debate/analysis, respond to the fic you wish to analyze and head it with something like, "This is goodfic," or "This is badfic." You may phrase it how you wish, though please make it clear which side you are on in the heading. From there, respond to each other, make counterpoints, agree, disagree, whatever.

Some rules:
1. No insulting fellow boarders or authors. This is part of Da Rules, and is good advice anyway, but I want to make it clear now.

2. This is not to decide if the fic is bad enough to mission! The point of this is to decide what is good and what is bad, and to have fun reviewing fics. We try to only mission near-universally-hated badfic. If there is enough contention in the fandom in the first place to make it debatable, it probably should not be missioned.

3. Have depth to your arguments. It does not help anyone to just say, "This fic is good because I like it." It helps even less to say, "This fic is bad because the main character is a Mary Sue." Why is the fic good? Why is the character a Mary Sue? We have to charge the Sues for a reason. Just explain yourself to the best of your ability, and we should have no problems.

Finally, have fun! Analysis and debate is entertaining (at least for me), so don't ruin it for everybody by taking it far too seriously. If you find yourself becoming mad, just step back, breath, and come back to it later.

Alright everybody! Get ready... Set... Debate!