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evka8D — OC, FC: Not the same thing
Published: 2011-05-31 21:43:21 +0000 UTC; Views: 12122; Favourites: 283; Downloads: 54
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Because original character and fan character isn´t the same thing!First off this isn´t anti fan characters stamp neither anti original characters. I just want to say that these two terms doesn´t mean the same.
Apples and cherries are both fruits. They look different, they taste different but they still both fruits. So if you can see different between apples and cherries then why you can´t see different between original characters (aka OCs) and fan characters (aka FCs). They are both your own characters, they may have something in common, but they are two different types of characters!
Orignal character is a character which is completely created by you. And by completely I mean also whole backstory, their world, universe, other character in their story. They exist without any links to an existing book, tv show, manga, game,...
Fan character is a character which you created for an already existing universe. You create them because you are a fan. These characters are sill yours and they may be as original as completely original character but they must fallow the rules of universe they are in because you haven´t created the world and other characters around them.
That´s it. You don´t have a Naruto OC. You have a Naruto FC!
Really, no one is saying that fc characters can´t be original or that oc must be automatically the most original thing in the world. No! Differences between them doesn´t have much to do with originality.
I´ve always thought that the term original character was originally used to differ your own characters from fan art and other people´s characters. But then some people started to use this term also for their FCs (maybe they thought that it will automatically make them more original) and sudenly there was a mess.
Personally I think the best way to call them is just your own characters because they both are, just like apples and cherries are both fruits. But it is also important to specify which kind of character they are just like when you are asking for apples you don´t say that you want just fruits, do you? And terms OCs and FCs are commonly used and almost everybody know what they mean so I think that it is the best way how to call your character. Of course if you don´t like it you don´t have to BUT please poeple specify that your character is for some show, book, comics,... at the beginnig! I´m really tired when I find out that an OC is actually FC for some show I don´t even know.
I will be glad if you will use this if you agree with this saying
I know it is not the best stamp ever, it is actually my very first stamp, so I hope you don´t find it that horrible 
You don´t have to fave it but I will be really glad if you comment here if you use it.EDIT: After doing more research I now know that the term "OC" was first used for original characters in fanfiction and only later the term "FC" was invented to distinguish between original and fan characters. As I said, I don´t care which terminology you use as long as you clearly state if your work is a fan art, based on another work or your own idea (it is pretty obvious anyway that even if you decide to call your own character in a Naruto fan fic that you do not own Naruto manga
) Personally, I choose to use this therminology because I think that it has been around for a long time and most people understand it without any misunderstandings. Although the etymology of the world may say otherwise, it doesn´t mean that the things didn´t change since then. People have been using the term "OC" for their completely original characters for years (especially on this site) so I don´t see a reason to not use it (it is just my personal opinion as I said). This stamp was never aimed towards people who decide to use other terms for their characters, but towards those who do not ever bother to state the simple fact if they characters belong to some fanverse or not. So peace everyone base © fav.me/d2sfdpo
stamp © me
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Comments: 129
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But, what if I create a world or universe SIMILAR to an existing franchise or fandom in some ways, but with different characters, kinda inspired on some stuff from many franchises, but they have their own history and it does not connect to the original or any other universe in any way besides the similarities, like, imagine that I create an original world but, with undertale like roles for example, and I put a pre-existing oc of mine on it and kinda mix him up with, for example, Papyrus, but it's still his own species, has his own powers and most of his personality fight-style and appearance is 'original', in such world things even work differently, it's different from creating a character that coexists with those on fandom right?
I can understand these terminologies when I create, for example, an undertale monster boss that is supposed to exist in undertale universe, but when there is a different world with similarities or based on something, I guess it's an oc right?
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Just now I'm better off with this belief, and I've been using "OC" for my fan characters for years... I felt bad but I'll redeem myself so I shall present this stamp
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everyone let's praise that this post exist.
I just can't say enough, it just urks me when people say they have a Naruto "OC" while it's a FC.
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Exactly! My characters are OCs, not FCs, because they come from a universe I conceived on my own.
PS, I always thought OC stood for Own Character.
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I totally agree! I hate when I'm looking for tips on OCs or doing a quiz on OC's and it's almost always referring to just Fandom Characters!
I took a bunch of "Is your OC Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu?" quizzes and almost all of them had questions like "Is your OC in a relationship with CANON characters?", "Are they related to a CANON character?", "Are they dating the Main Protag?"(For a Mary-Sue quiz I think it's obvious it's referring to a fandom).
I mean, why don't people just say FC, as to not cause confusion for some...
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Huh. SO THAT'S THE DIF. Interesting. Didn't know that!
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OMG love the term Fc I've just been calling them fboc (fan base original character) your way is so much shorter and simpler than my way!!!!!! ^w^ I totally get what you mean
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OH~ ok I was wondering about that! Thanks for this info!
I wasn't sure myself what the difference was.... I hope I didn't upset anybody with my ignorance.
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I have mario FCs that I have called OCs~ (But I don't claim ownership where it isn't mine, or I'd like to think at least I TRY not too!) But honestly I do have some OCs!~ (Good stamp!~ And tanks for teh lesson!~ )
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Thank you. I am new to all of this and I was not aware what the difference was.
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Finally someone who knows the difference. I hate it when I see people call characters that they create for a fandom an OC rather than a fan character.
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Ugh, I hate it when people can't tell the difference, thanks.
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You just made me remember that I used OC instead of FC! I'm so ashamed!!
But I'm glad to find someone who knows the difference as well.
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I think it used to be like that before
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Oh well, anyway it was incorrect
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Thank god there is someone who knows the difference. oTL
Thought, I really don't like short "OC" since it can also mean "Official character". So it's a bit confusing.
I would like to use 'oc' = official, 'fc' = fan and 'mc' = my (which have same meaning as oc, just cannot be confused to 'official')
But great stamp!
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Well, you can use whichever term you want as long as it is obvious from it that it´s your own character
I prefer using original character or OC because almost everyone knows what it means
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I use OC and FC interchangeably. Probably because OC was used for both when I joined and learned of internet culture and all.
But I can see exactly what you're talking about. There should be a line somewhere.
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I´ve learned that in fact OC was first used for fan character before the term FC was invented
But I agree there should be some line.
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Like I said. It depends on the person. I'm not gonna get upset if they use one or the other. :3
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THANK YOU! The first person I have met so far on dA who genuinely knows the different between an original character and a fan character. ;_:
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haha
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I hope so. You wouldn't imagine the amount of times I cringe when I hear an FC being called an OC.
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I´ve learned that the term "OC" was actually used for characters in existing universes. However, I think that now, when there is plenty of both original and fan characters, there should be some dividing line between them.
Personally I´m very sad that the term "OC" is more and more used for some kind of fursonas, or personal avatars rather than real characters with story, personality and so on (it happens also with FC). It had not been like that before.
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You make a point about avatar characters in fact. I post a character thumb thread in one of the thumb share forums and the majority of them were basically characters which they designed, but not gave any character development to them. The idea was to show some of the creativity people had regarding characters, so you can see how well that went. When I made it more specific in my second thread about this later on, someone simply said they do not give bios to their characters so hey were not restricted to what they can write about them, which in a sense defeats the purpose of making an OC.
I know in an RP tutorial made by another deviant on here, they separated characters into three catergories: Canon, Fan and Original. You can really consider canon and original characters as the same, as a canon character was still originally made to fit into a universe created by themselves. (Say if my idea went viral. My characters would be considered canon then by people, but original to myself). Another term I have herd for fan characters is 'Original Fan character', which would be shortened to OFC, which would most likely be described as 'An originally designed character by the user, which is intended to fit into an already existing universe made by someone else.' Still sounds a lot like FC because a lot of them have original designs and only the recoloured ones wouldn't fit with OFC.
Interesting to see how these terms have changed.
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Yeah, I´ve been here for 6 years and this place changed a lot since then. I remember times few years ago when this page was full of awesome original art (including original characters and stories and fan art), everyone was so artistic. I´m not saying there was not plenty of shitty art too but people were at least trying. Having a character only as an avatar was rare things like adoptables did not exist at all. Now, many people do not even try to be original, because they do not have to when everyone around them is not. This is sad. Or maybe I´m just getting old
There is still many original inspirational artists around there it is probably only harder to find them. It makes me always so happy when I find one
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A news report that was on just today actually could give a good reason for the issue regarding not even trying. It was asking how being a child in 2014 would be like, considering they have access to many different systems, such as an IPad, Xbox ETC. It made a good point when it was saying that that idea of deep thinking and analysis has been greatly diminished, or just removed in some cases, while learning is becoming more 'Here is knowledge, use it to pass your exams'. In fact it fits my time in secondary school English during my GCSE times. All we were doing every lesson in English was preparing for the exam! What happened to analysing literature work when I was younger?
From that, I can tell where the idea of original thinking has been diminished. Thinking in general takes effort, as you need to think about different things, With that I said previously this wouldn't seem as likely. I feel I have been effected by this in some way, as I find thinking of ideas quite difficult at times. I am sure there are many more reasons though. c:
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Yeah, this may be the reason for it.
I agree with you, I´m at university now, but sometimes it seems like I was at grade school. The test are ridiculously easy, we have to study like 10 pages for every subject, sometimes they even give us questions which will be on test. And I´m at one of the best universities in my country. It is not that I´m complaining but study on high school or even middle school seemed a lot harder to me. Sometimes I feel like if they were treating us like idiots or little children.
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The tests in primary/secondary are a joke if you put some work into it. Despite how much I hated this person at the time, I knew someone who could get perfect grades too easily when there were a test. It helped their family consisted of teachers, but I am not surprised it happened. It is just... ._.
I am getting more used to studying in college, and hopefully it will help when I attend university. For a few of the units I have done, I needed to think for myself and I am getting merits, with some distinctions, for my units. So some good grades. c:
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I wish you good luck then
Well, there are always people like that
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What if an OC has the ability to travel to other universes (fandoms), and when he/she does, a version of him/her stays there even after he/she leaves? What would you call the version of the OC that stays in a universe created by someone else?
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I think then it is more a FC, however this is a very specific case when a character travel to other universes.
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I hate when people call them "OC" specially with sonic ones, is Mitori Kawashiro (Touhou) an OC? NO, even the creators, that are japanese, called her a fancharacter, because she is based in Touhou, even have a fan-made stage, and she is the fan mayor sister of Nitori, and she is still called Fancharacter.
But people do "OC's" Based HEAVILY on a universe and call them "Original" when is from a universe. DeviantArt is a place where many of these dumbs "OC's" when is really and FC
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I'm still not sure if my Sonic character is a Fc or an Oc
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Well, since it is based on an existing universe it should be a FC
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You answered your own question there. It would be an FC since you made it based on the sonic universe (sorry if this comment is too old or you have already had someone reply)
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actually an OC because she's original or...at least that's what someone else told me
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well whoever told you that was Personally, I don't see what's so difficult to understand here; its really simple when you apply the logic(which is not to say you're illogical). Ask yourself:
How can you have an original character when its basis is from something that is already created from an outside force? not so original now is it?
The person was right, you answered your own question; If your character is based off of Sonic and can only live within the sonic universe, than it is in fact, an FC. However, if you have a character that his their own universe with no ties to a pre-existing foundation (everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is made by you, though is usually inspired by an outside force), then it's an OC.
Does that clear things up? (btw, basis and inspiration are two different things, especially when it comes to creating)
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hmm.......You know what? I really don't care anymore. People can call her whatever thay want. To me, she's just my character. I'm not gloing to go over this wu=ith people anymore and I don't care.
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Oh well, no skin off my bones have a good day/night ^^
psst...btw, she's a fan character
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