Line #80 YMMV/TheConversionBureau


1	* {{Anvilicious}}: Many, many, many of these fics are ''extremely'' unsubtle about how HumansAreTheRealMonsters, and some Anti-Conversion Bureau fics are just as unsubtle about how the ponies are like a {{holier than thou}} version of [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration the Borg]] (but worse).
2	* BrokenBase: This fanfic subgenre has basically broken the ''MLP'' fanbase into two camps, and they generally tend to loathe one another. Either one loves the fic's universe and wishes to partake in its WishFulfillment, or they absolutely despise it and end up writing their own version that's either a {{deconstruction\|Fic}}, {{parody}}, or {{curb\|StompBattle}}-stomp WarFic (that's in favor of the humans, of course).
3	* CanonDefilement: A lot of the fanbase feel that the very concept of the fic goes against the morals and messages of the show itself.
4	* DeathOfTheAuthor: The author of the original story, Blaze, wrote his story as pretty basic wish-fulfillment and to expand on his own theory about why Equestria doesn't have humans, with some accidental HumansAreBastards implications. The genre inspired by the story takes it as a tract about how HumansAreBastards and therefore need to be {{assimilat\|ionPlot}}ed by the ponies, [[Franchise/StarTrek Borg]] style.
5	* FanNickname: The TCB-version of Celestia is often called 'Xenocelestia', or other similar terms in order to differentiate her from her canon counterpart. Typically, the "Xeno" stands for xenocide, so it's not exactly a good thing. Other variations include X-lestia, Xelly, Xenolestia, and Xenocidelestia. Another popular name for TCB-Celestia is "The Solar Tyrant".
6	** TCB-Royal Guards have been referred to as "Celestians".
7	* HarsherInHindsight:
8	** This quote from Twilight in the original was intended to be a joke but it's a lot less funny with the numerous stories that have the barrier being intentionally expanded as a means to force ponification.
9	--->'''Twilight Sparkle:''' Now, I'm almost positive all of you are here because you want to become a pony. This is a fact. You don't come here because you don't want to be a pony, unless someone forced you at gunpoint, but that's a different story.
10	** This statement is also a ''lot'' less amusing once you read through stories that have the PER in them.
11	--->'''Twilight Sparkle:''' Our plan is to ponify you, the sooner the better. Expect this to happen when you least expect it.
12	** Depending on how one looks at it, this statement in the author's notes in the Google Docs version is either Harsher or HilariousInHindsight now that there are ''tons'' of TCB {{dark fic}}s and [[WarFic war stories]].
13	--->'''Blaze (Author's Notes):''' I've seen a lot of backstories written about how Equestria is simply a post-apocalyptic Earth set in the distant future. I decided to expand on it in a much less...grimdark fashion.
14	* MisaimedFandom: A fair amount of authors use Blaze's original 'verse and story to espouse their HumansAreTheRealMonsters views.
15	* MoreInterestingAsAVillain: The original and [[Fanfic/TheConversionBureauTheChatoverse Chatoverse]] stories portrayed the ponies as benevolent and heroic, as per canon, but there was a lot of [[FridgeHorror unintentionally disturbing]] messages in the stories ([[DesignatedHero especially the latter]]). The RecursiveFanfiction that [[AscendedFridgeHorror embraced]] those elements and [[AdaptationalVillainy portrayed the ponies more villainously]] proved far more popular as they allowed allowed for more action, drama and moral complexity as well as exploring the ramifications and reasons for the ponies acting so differently than canon. Meanwhile, even otherwise well received fics like ''[[Fanfic/TheConversionBureauNotJustPonies Not Just Ponies]]'' that addressed and removed those aspects to keep the ponies heroic failed to get the same popularity or influence.
16	* MyRealDaddy: After Blaze [[CreatorBacklash disowned the story completely]], several of the other writers for the {{Recursive Fanfiction}}s became considered the TCB genre's "real parents".
17	* OvershadowedByControversy: The original fic by Blaze is better known for the [[HumansAreBastards anti-humanity stance]] codified by its [[RecursiveFanfiction spin-offs]], particularly those by controversial creator Chatoyance, and the ensuing {{Flame War}}s over it than the actual original work whose implications of such were unintentional and [[CreatorBacklash the author regretted]], unlike said later ones.
18	* RonTheDeathEater: The Anti-TCB RecursiveFanfiction took the FridgeHorror about the setting and Celestia's portrayal, meant to be as benevolent as in canon, playing up the atrocities while turning her into a [[ANaziByAnyOtherName Nazi-expy]] tyrannical and hypocritical KnightTemplar, rarely addressing why [[BigGood Celestia]] would act this way.
19	* RootingForTheEmpire: Despite various misanthropic writers trying so desperately to paint up the Human Liberation Front as terrorists (and sometimes succeeding), the fact that the deck is so stacked against them and the blatant MoralMyopia of the ponies makes the HLF much easier to sympathize with.
20	* StrawmanHasAPoint: The primary antagonist group is [[DesignatedVillain supposed to be]] the Human Liberation Front, who believes the ponies are a threat to humanity and must be destroyed. They're treated as unambiguous, totally evil villains, but ''they're completely right'' about the first part.
21	** Conversely in the more pro-human fics, the ponies can come off as surprisingly reasonable. Their basic argument is that humans are savage, violent war-mongers who shoot first and ask questions later... except that in the vast majority of the pro-human fics, [[IResembleThatRemark that is exactly what the humans do]].
22	* TearJerker: The spin-off fic ''Last Man Standing'' makes both the humans and ponies vastly more sympathetic than the original and treats the Purification as a necessary evil. It centers around a man who is about to get killed in said purification because he refuses to get ponified; he has to come to grips with the fact that his species is about to go extinct, and the ponies have to deal with the fact that there's absolutely nothing they can do to save him. [[spoiler:[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome He dies triumphantly though, having managed to preserve human history with the aid of Twilight Sparkle]]]].
23

Context YMMV / TheConversionBureau