Re: ranma ML 6 hour matome okuri


to ranma@usagi.org
from gteltschik@mindspring.com
subject Re: ranma ML 6 hour matome okuri
date Tue, 9 Mar 2004 08:24:03 -0600 (GMT-06:00)
Don et al,

I guess I'm not really sure what this whole thread is about.  It seemed to 
start as a thread about Akane being a weak female character, but you never 
referenced the article nor identified the points it made.  Then it progressed 
to a discussion of love with your roommate, and finally to your frustration 
with trying to write Ranma fanfiction specifically around the Ranma-Akane 
relationship.
 

There's been all sorts of discussion around how much time the Ranma series 
covers, how dysfunctional Akane is, etc., in addition to the topics above.  
It seems to have covered quite a large spread of ground.
 

So, are Akane and Ranma in love?  I think the obvious answer is yes.  No, 
they don't come out and say it, but it's obvious from all the clues and hints 
left everywhere.  There are not a few brief moments, but many, many 
situations where it's all too obvious what they really mean to each other.  
The fact is, the whole nature of their relationship is one of the principle 
drivers of the show.  If in episode 3 they declared their love for each 
other, the rest of the show would be uneventful and boring.
 

To attempt to define the Ranma series as reality or even with a rigid 
structure is to misunderstand completely.  Hot water is either incredibly 
easy or incredibly hard to come by, depending on the needs of the storyline.  
Likewise, there is always something to come between Ranma and Akane, whether 
it's Shampoo, Ryoga, or any other of the cast, at just the right (or wrong) 
moment.  This is a standard device in anime - one that never happens in real 
life. We also have flying ships, people who can teleport, and any number of 
other incredible occurrances.  Likewise, the timeframe of the show is 
unclear.  Ranma and Akane don't appreciably age, no matter the number of 
holidays that pass.  If we step back, the reason they have so many holidays 
is because the tv executives of the real world want holiday specials and the 
like.
 

The whole discussion of the characterization of the Akane-Ranma relationship 
reads like an immature assessment.  "Falling in love" versus "in love?"  
First, as I mention above, I think it's complete ignorance of the little 
signals that Takahashi slips in all over the place.  Second, it assumes that 
love is a structured process that moves neatly from point a to point b.  
Maybe in high school it makes all the difference, but in the real world with 
real relationships, things are always gray and never cut and dried.  Just 
because you say "I love you" doesn't always imply you mean it, nor does it 
imply that a relationship has progressed beyond a certain point.  Just 
because Ranma and Akane haven't said it means nothing.
 

Finally, I'll touch on the whole fanfiction topic.  Personally, I don't 
understand it, but I guess for others it's a great way to explore things.  I 
don't see any reason why the scenario mentioned before (Ranma and Akane alone 
somewhere with no one else around) is out of character.  It happens all the 
time in the series if you care to look.  Granted, it's usually broken up by 
one of the other characters, but there's no reason to follow this trend.  
Akane is a caring person with a quick temper, but later in the series she 
keeps it more and more in check.  Ranma is a oblivious dolt who over time 
starts to see what's around him.  No reason you can't take this to a logical 
conclusion.  No, I don't think they end up behind a bush getting it on, but 
maybe - just maybe - they have an honest discussion and share a moment 
together, maybe watching fireworks or the sunset or whatever.  If you want a 
place for comparison, check out Love Hina, where the two main characters 
battle it out time and time again, but have those tender moments now and 
then.
 

That's all for now.  Too long already.

Greg

-----Original Message-----
> From: Don Wang <donwang@ucla.edu>
Sent: Mar 9, 2004 12:04 AM
To: ranma@usagi.org
Subject: Re: ranma ML 6 hour matome okuri

Dr. Facer
> Yes, she is, but that's the charm of her character; but now that I think
of
> it, most females in the Ranma 1/2 universe are somewhat clumsy when love
is
> the matter at hand....Then again that could be rather unfair, but look at
the
> girls! Shampoo is bordering on Stalker behavior, Ukyo is somehow in denial
> and let's not start with Kodachi... And what about the other 2 Tendo
sisters?

    Just because the rest of the world is dysfunctional doesn't make this
behavior the norm.

> I used to believe that the whole series only tells the reader what happens
in
> the life of the characters in a period of about a year and a few months.
Of
> course, Pierre already wrote a better answer to this question.

    The series spans more than 5 years if you just count the number of
seasons or repeated holidays.

> As many as Takahashi and the anime writers needed it would seem.

    And that's a poor style of expression.

> I would disagree here, it is more than obvious by later volumes of the
manga,
> (perhaps as late as volume 30) that Akane and Ranma love each other, but
are
> not sure on how to act on it, let alone delcare their feelings in the
middle
> of the chaos that surrounds both of them.

    It's not that you have to say "I love you" to be in love.  They still do
not act like a couple at all.  They're still falling in love.

    A shameless plug for the latest game I'm playing, but a love
relationship is like Saber/Shirou, or Rin/Emiya.  Anyway it's almost certain
there will be an Anime based on Fate/Stay Night and assuming they don't mess
it up on the transelation, look for the two pairings above.

> I don't think it has to be out of character at all; While I stopped
writing
> Ranma fanfiction years ago but I never tried the Ranma & Akane
relationship
> (there's tons of stories about it and I couldn't find an angle I liked). I
> devoted my efforts to write a Mousse and Shampoo three part story, which
> proved to be as difficult, if not more, than tackling Akane and Ranma. I
> don't think I'm very fit to give advice, but I think you could write based
> mostly on the situation and not the character.

    You're just making things up with a characters who are conveniently
named like that.  Ranma 1/2 characters are horribly shallow characters that
leaves very little room for development.  Everything you can write that does
not conform the story I can think of some way to disprove it, unless it's
something that simply lacks a precedent.

> As you probably know, characters can react in different ways depending on
the
> situation and location they're put in. If placing the story in Nerima
makes
> it difficult, try sending Ranma and Akane away for some reason; to a place
> where not one of their crazy suitors finds them. The situation doesn't
have
> to be romantic at all, they can be in a 'martial artist' (getting rid of a
> monster [not Happosai] or something) mision with...I don't know, Soun and
> Genma, who in turn get drunk wasted at the hotel and their kids have to do
> the job. This gives plenty of time for the couple to be alone and should
> allow you to bring out the possitive traits of each; the mision could make
> the feeling of the story not to be focused solely on romance, as well as
> allowing you to relax the characters which can hep you turn their lines to
> more sligthly romantic dialogues without being out of character. And
> remember, you don't have to write an "I love you" line to get that message
> through.

    Ranma and Akane wouldn't know what a "I love you" means.

Don
"For the first time of my life, Shirou, I hate you!  You are saying you want
me to kill you, don't you?"
Saber, if you choose not to kill her in Heaven's Feel arc





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