Mark Patrick Williams
I don't really understand how someone can hate something so
>much...

Same way you seem to hate Ranma. -_-

>Imagine for a second that you've got a loaded gun in your hand. You pull
>the trigger, and the bullet finds it's mark and does the damage that you
>intended.
>Now, draw a parrallel to Ranma. When he used Shampoo to go into cat-mode,
>he basically pulled the trigger. Just because he has no control over the
>bullet, doesn't mean he isn't responsible for the consequences. Ranma knew
>what he was doing. He controlled the Cat-fist technique just like he would
>had he used any other martial arts move. Just because he isn't thinking
>while he's in cat-fist doesn't mean he doesn't control it.

Just like how you are implying that a bullet can be controlled in
mid-flight?!

>> He's paralyzed into immobility when in close contact with a cat.  I can
>> still run, shout at the top of my lungs for someone to come and help me.
>> When Ranma's fear goes over the scales, he's not even capable of
>> *moving*.
>Wait, wait, wait. The whole deal about him freezing and turning to stone
>is just a comedic effect for the manga because you can't show people
>jumping up and down and screaming as effectively. In the anime, they
>substitute it for running and screaming.

He frozed but when did he turn to stone? Running and screaming can be done
in manga. It's shown as multiple images of the same character everywhere on
the same panel or as motion lines/after images.

>> THAT is why I recognize the Neko-ken as Ranma's greatest weakness, and
>> just because he gets an all-powerful technique from it, that doesn't
>> make his suffering any less terrible.
>Okay, geez. I wasn't trying to say he wasn't suffering over it. I know
>how terrified he is of cats, but I don't believe it to be his greatest
>weakness. If anything, Ranma's greatest weakness is his desire to win
>every single thing he views as a fight no matter what.

You were, you called it a 'dislike for cats' and it's a _very_ big
difference between that and a phobia. And here you call Ranma's desire to
win a weakness, previously it was 'god-mode'.

>> >So we've got Ranma parading around as a girl
>> >because he enjoys all the benefits of a girl's body. That's hardly the
>> >actions of someone who _hates_ turning into a girl.
>> So we've got Ryouga parading around as a little black pig and enjoying
>> all the benefits that came with the Jyusenkyo SoD Pig package deal.
>> That doesn't seem like the actions of someone who _hates_ turning into a
>> pig.
>Hey, I wasn't the one saying that he hated it in the first place. I agree
>with Roderick (now) that Ranma and Ryoga don't like their cursed forms,
>but in Ranma's case, I think Roderick was trying to say that Ranma _hated_
>turning into a girl. I was trying to point out all the times that Ranma
>never hesitates to use his girl form to get something that he wants.
>Unlike Roderick, I feel that Ranma would hesitate if he ever
>seriously found a cure for himself. I don't know why I feel this way. I
>just think that if Ranma cures himself, he's losing more than he's
>gaining. He's losing a piece of himself. I feel that Ranma's curse almost
>defines his character. It's part of who he is, and if Takahashi meant for
>him to be any other way, she'd have cured him before she ended the manga.

Just because you hate something doesn't mean you can't do that same
something and not like it (or not still hate it). If Ranma was so hesitent,
why then did he charge after the barrel of Nannichuan then in the last book?
Takahashi-sensei could've tied-up all loose ends in the manga if she wanted
but she didn't. She purposely left it open ended. Please don't bring in
Takahashi-snesei like this because then we'll have to 'discuss' *her*
motivations. (And something like that happened in '97. -_-)

>> >Addition: And he seems
>> >to have no qualms about turning into a girl and wearing girl's clothes
>> >whenever he wants to fight another girl.
>> Addition:  He seems to have no qualms about turning into a pig and
>> jumping into a girl's bed whenever he's starved for affection.
>> *YOU* are the one who makes it seem like Ryouga's curse is a lot lot
>> worse than it really is.
>I do think Ryoga's curse is worse than Ranma's. Do I think Ryoga
>should have a different curse? I don't know. I think all the cursed forms
>were made to fit the characters and their personalities to a certain
>extent. But Ryoga's curse poses a much more physical problem and danger
>than Ranma's curse. Sure, Ranma has to deal with the embarassment of
>turning into a girl, but Ryoga has to deal with escaping being eaten and
>losing fights whenever he turns into a pig. It's just a more debilitating
>curse than Ranma's.

So you feel that you should insult Ranma because of this? Ranma may not have
to deal with being eaten but he has to deal with guys wanting to date and
marry him (and then there's still Happosai...).

>I realize Ranma's whole Sepuku thing, but after reading that arc
>yesterday, I don't really believe its all that serious anymore. Ranma _is_
>a man among men, and if his mother can't see that, which I think she could
>like when he rescued her, then it's his mother who is delusional. If she
>can seriously kill her own son for a curse that he has no control over,
>then it's her that has the problem and not Ranma.

Nodoka isn't the one who has to gut herself and get beheaded. It was serious
until that story, which appearently where the bulk of this whole argument
is.

>> For Ranma?  _Are you out of your freaking mind?_
>That's Ranma's problem for not realizing how fortunate he is not to turn
>into an animal. If he can't see it, then it's his own damn fault. The
>sepuku thing would still be over his head if he turned into a pig, so it
>doesn't matter when you're comparing how bad the curses are.

As I'm aware, the 'sepuku thing' is gender specific, not species specific
and Ranma would turn into a _male_ pig. =P But seriously (as can be), now
you're blaming Ranma for not realizing what a 'blessing' he's had. The curse
is not a picnic for him. A curse is not suppose to be one.

>> Another undeniable fact is that _everyone_ of them is able to find a way
>> to turn that weakness into an advantage, when the need arises.  Ranma
>> with the cute-girl routine, Ryouga with P-chan disguise.  Mousse can
>> fight in his duck form.  So can Shampoo in her cat form.
>So are you admitting that Ranma's using his girl body to get whatever he
>wants is as bad as you think Ryoga's using his pig form to get closer
>to Akane?

Maybe you should ask yourself the same question with the subjects and deeds
switched.

>> And _everyone_ of them will gladly jump into the SoD Man (SoD Girl for
>> Shampoo) when given the chance.
>Maybe they would...

They would (except possibly Taro) check out the mad rush for the cure/chance
for the cure whenever they were availiable.

>I think Jusenkyo curses are a probably for life. If they jumped into a SoD
>Man, they'd probablu just wind up some freak of nature - a half man half
>woman or half pig half man - like in the second movie where the bird,
>lobster, monkey, and dog guys weren't completely human).

A possible explanation for that may be that they were animals (or decended
from animals) to begin with (Toma and the other guards look as fully human
as can be). Oh, and only the manga is cannon. =P

Roderick Swee
USSRTFW:SR (^_^)ooo<
TSNDRWH(C)J'CC,MN,MS,N... (Ask Sherry! ^_^)
113th Knight of the True Fiancee
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Opposers of the Ranma & Akane marriage,
Prepare to be shrunk! ^_^