Out of Character

Also called "OOC," "out of character" refers to any depiction in Daria fanfic that shows one or more series characters acting in a manner inconsistent with canon&mdash;e.g., showing Daria Morgendorffer as either stupid or obsessively fashion conscious. Alternate-universe depictions of canon characters may seen OOC, though an alteration to the usual cause-and-effect chain in the series is assumed to be responsible, and should be made clear in the tale as the lynch pin for the unfolding AU plot.

Part of the problem in evaluating an OOC situation is that an author can "cherry-pick" elements from canon and use them to show a character is not OOC, but a reader can often do an equally good job cherry-picking other elements to show the reverse.

"Out of Character" in Fanfiction
The issue can be tricky. For example, Daria is shown as mentally retarded in "It Slipped Through My Hands, Like a Shadow, Like a Dream," by The Angst Guy. This happens through an accident of genetics, which is assumed to be why she is so intelligent in canon. Reversing the situation allows the story to explore the consequences of such a change. Technically speaking, Daria in that story is OOC, but the issue is bypassed as it is the divergence point of the AU. The depiction of Helen Morgendorffer in the same story is more controversial, and some have said she is OOC for not being more supportive of Daria. For the pros and cons on this particular issue, see the story itself (link below); the author's notes at the end include a mini-essay called “A Digression on Being “Out of Character” (OOC) and the Interaction between Canon and Alternate-Universe (AU) Material,” which is relevant to this topic.