the mun’s interpretation | @magixmade
♚ Do you agree with the fandom interpretation of your character?
So here’s the deal: the fandom is tiny. Practically non-existent, except for some people who spontaneously remember the show exists after finding it on Netflix and are eager to relive their childhood. Which there’s definitely nothing wrong with that ! But that just means that there isn’t a ton of interpretation and more just general commentary ?
Anyway, here’s what I gather from the fandom: Rikki is one of the most popular characters, along with Cleo. So most people have pretty positive views of Rikki, often remarking on how mcfreakin savage she was (and she so was). A lot of people also love Rikki and Zane’s relationship and HATE when it was destroyed in season 3. And there is also a considerable amount of people who regard Rikki as a lesbian in love with Emma.
So I kinda do agree with a lot of these things. Rikki is hilarious. I do think Rikki and Zane are a great couple and their breakup was upsetting. And I also think that Rikki and Emma would make a great couple.
But I don’t write Rikki off as a lesbian. She’s bi. And I interpret Rikki using humor as a defense mechanism to bury her feelings. What people don’t talk about (and maybe not even notice) is that Rikki is angry. She has A LOT of anger. She has a lot of emotions that she just doesn’t want to deal with. And she has a lot of power, but unfortunately, the show’s writing undermines that.
The fandom accepts Rikki and all the characters at face value. I mean, yeah, it’s a kid’s show, but still. There’s MORE to Rikki than humor. And it goes for all the characters. Cleo’s kindness is not naiveté. Bella is not just some boy-crazy teenage girl. And there’s more to Emma than just shipping her with Rikki. More often than not, I find myself disagreeing with the fandom’s opinions on the other characters, not so much with Rikki.
♧ Any part of their canon portrayal you dislike?
Hmmm…it’s hard to say. Kinda like what I was saying before, I find myself more upset with how other characters are portrayed than Rikki (like Bella and Will for example).
I wish they expanded more on Rikki’s home life. Like Rikki and Zane’s conversation on the rooftop in season 1 was nothing. It was great for progressing their relationship but I really feel like we don’t LEARN anything until The Wrong Side of the Tracks in season 2 (a classic).
I wish they expanded more on Rikki’s powers too. I feel like there was SO MUCH POTENTIAL there ! There have been numerous instances where Rikki has frightened people, including herself, with her powers and they don’t talk about it ! She’s given fire and electricity powers in the first episode of season 2 and after that it’s like…nonexistent. I get that she doesn’t necessarily need to use those powers but they could’ve explored that more. I really think it undermines her.
Also: this will FOREVER bug me. In season 1, Emma had the strength to smash a metal door to save Zane from drowning, right ? ? Then the girls could have EASILY smashed the gate off when they were trapped in the moon pool by Dr. Denman. It’s so minor but omg I’m so annoyed by that lmao.
And I have mixed feelings about Rikki’s portrayal in M.ako M.ermaids. There are some parts I like, and some parts I don’t. Like, okay, I don’t like the part where Rikki talks about how she and her friends grew apart. I get that it could happen to anyone, even mermaids, but it just wasn’t…convincing. After EVERYTHING they’ve been through ? And clearly the writers don’t know what to do with Bella which is frustrating af. And I just didn’t like how Rikki was undermined when Ondina, Mimmi, and Weilan confronted her for the bracelet. That whole scene felt very weak to me.
✍ Has new canon material ever forced you to adjust your headcanons?
A LITTLE, but not really. So I’ve been writing Rikki for a long time, even before she appeared on Ma.ko Mer.maids, so when she appeared on the show, I didn’t really adjust my headcanons. I just made it an au because I was already comfortable with how I was writing her. But as I started watching the spin-off in its entirety, I started developing headcanons to expand on its lore (because it’s a mess).
As I sorta talked about in my previous post, when I first started writing Rikki, I ignored season 3 because I didn’t like it. But then I watched it again, liked it, and incorporated it into my portrayal. And kinda going back to what I was saying before about how there’s more to Rikki than just humor: we see that in season 3. Season 3 helped me explore Rikki’s emotions, especially when she crossed over to “the dark side” for a time and when she and Zane fought.
I don’t know if you’d call season 3 “new canon material” considering it’s been out longer than I’ve been writing Rikki, but I opened up to it more and adjusted my headcanons accordingly.
