The Black List is the list of fandoms that the vast majority of agents of the Anti-Cliché and Mary-Sue Elimination Society are barred from entering.
Explanation[]
The Library Arcanium can connect to any place and this includes any world of fanfiction. But fandoms come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the extraordinary to the mundane and everything in between. And of course, quite a few fandoms lean to the more realistic side of things, where the rules of reality are strictly enforced - meaning getting shot will mostly likely result in your death. This is not neccessarily a bad thing, because Real Life has this as a rule and there are plenty of realistic fandoms which are considered perfectly safe, so the question remains more on how likely death is per fandom. If the answer to this question is 'you will be shot for just breathing funny' the fandom is likely to be Blacklisted.
Several other fandoms are, by their very nature, more deadly than normal reality could be, and not just through tight social mores. Magic or other supernatural forces within could be dangerous to the point of death if one tiny, often overlooked mistake is made; the fandom could be subject to extreme weather, natural disasters, or differing atmosphere/pressure/gravity settings; or the native fauna and/or flora would seriously hinder any attempt to pursue a successful mission. Fandoms that fall into these natures or similar are also likely to be Blacklisted.
Enforcement[]
Adrian, in permitting the Society to use the Library as their headquarters, sealed off these fandoms that he felt were too dangerous to his fellow members. This restriction became known as the Black List, and no-one is allowed to enter one the fandoms listed therein without certain special dispensations. Several members have previously managed to break the blocks and enter Blacklisted fandoms, with disasterous and near-fatal consequences (for instance, Tash and Harriet chasing Willowe Foxblade into Elfen Lied). As a result, Adrian has tightened security to those worlds greatly and keyed the List to a password only he knows.
It is not a light decision to add a fandom to the List. Instead of generalising, each potential dangerous fandom is considered individually. Many popular fandoms are included, and this can often be a sore point for many agents as they may feel they are 'missing out on the fun'. Only a rare few on the List are truly feared by all and sundry.
Attempting to break the Black List earns one a serious (most of the time) disciplinary action in an attempt to dissuade them of further idiocy.
Exceptions[]
The Black List does not apply to Sues, and the stupid, extremely powerful or streetwise can and have shown up within one on the List. Also, the latter two of those Sues can and have held an agent hostage within a Blacklisted fandom, making any rescue fraught with danger (such as when Runoa kidnapped Aster).
When this happens there is often no choice but to attempt to engage them; the Society will often pull out all the stops and send a large team - after all, there is safety in numbers - which will include at least two Leaders and handpicked combat and intel agents, and make sure they stick to any rules or social mores or know the best way to avoid the fandom's central danger. The trip to Rome was one such group mission, and the Society are prepared for any more.
Sometimes fandoms are unknown to be so dangerous prior to a mission, and are added to the List once the agent(s) have returned or been rescued from it (such as when Alice fell foul of The Shadowleague's Ak'Zahar). Not knowing of a fandom's true danger beforehand doesn't (or at least, shouldn't) earn the agent any punishment.
Sometimes fandoms can be blocked from access for reasons other than because they are so dangerous, and can be keyed to certain individuals instead of just a blanket ban; for instance, when Dave found he had been blocked from all Gerry Anderson fandoms after he had been Mysteronised. This is much more for personal safety or other reasons, and the fandom would not otherwise deserve Black List status; it is usually restored once any issues have been dealt with.
Warhammer 40k, while extremely dangerous for many reasons, is not on this list because its vastness allows for the said dangers to only be concentrated in a few areas. Although, because the savvy realise that these areas are the places the codices and novels focus on and thus are more likely to attract a Sue's attention, the fandom is considered borderline and attempts to enter are met with copious warnings. Other fandoms found to be similar in scope may well be treated the same way.
The Black List[]
This is the current, publicly-known Black List. It may not be exhaustive, and may be added to at any time.
- Akira
- Barney
- Battlestar Galactica
- Black Lagoon
- Bleach
- Blood+
- Big O
- BioShock
- Call of Duty 4
- Claymore
- Code Geass (All Verisons)
- Command & Conquer
- D.Gray-man
- Dance in the Vampire Bund
- Darker than Black
- Darkness
- Dead Space
- Death Note
- Elfen Lied
- Enchained Spiritual Beast Ga-Rei
- Fate/stay night
- F.E.A.R.
- Fullmetal Alchemist
- Ghost in the Shell
- Godzilla
- Halo
- The Inheritance Cycle
- Mahou Sensei Negima
- Matrix
- Metalocalypse
- Naruto
- Neon Genesis Evangelion
- Rome
- Rurouni Kenshin
- Samurai Jack
- School Days
- Serenity (or Firefly)
- The Shadowleague
- Star Wars
- Starship Troopers
- Street Fighter
- Terminator
- Torchwood
- Trigun
- Underworld
- Vampire Knight
- Van Helsing
- Witchblade
- When They Cry (-no Naku Koro Ni)
- Zombie Powder