more on Akane


to <ranma@ml.usagi.org>
from "Don Wang" <donwang@ucla.edu>
subject more on Akane
date Tue, 9 Mar 2004 13:41:00 -0800
Greg:
> 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.

    Hmmm, well the point is that her personality never got beyond the
falling in love stage.  Despite the stand-still nature of the series, the
sheer volume of the Ranma 1/2 makes it hard to believe that there is no
actual time flow.

    Eternal anything, in an environment where time flows, really equates to
eternal stupidity.  In Akane's case, it's eternal clumsiness when dealing
with love.  It's not that clumsiness is necesarily a bad thing but she never
progresses beyond that.  Although the 'Ranma no baka' + smack thing is a bit
exaggereated (especially in fanfiction) there is certainly a good basis for
why Akane is viewed this way.  When you've a character that is still
characterized as hitting Ranma first before seeing what's going on after an
equivalent of 5-7 years of content, the said character lacks character
growth, and is thus disappointing to read.

> 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.

    She's not dysfunctional.  She's just stupid.  I think that is a valid
assessment of how Akane reacts to love, and she's hardly alone.  Anime is
loaded with characters who are eternally unchanging despite being in
situations where change makes sense.  Eternal innocence, for one, is much
much worse.

    For that matter, just about all the Ranma 1/2 characters can be said to
be stupid for the same reason:  unchanging.  But it's okay for the cast to
be stupid.  Kunou's existence seems to be focused around stupidity so it's
fine he's unchanging.  But the main characters, who are supposed to have
character growth, cannot be like that.

> 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.

    In love?  Of course, that's what the series is about.  Is it any kind of
love that's enjoyable to read, or even believable?  No.

    Being in love doesn't mean saying I love you.  The only way their love
progresses is through cataclysmic events that usually involves near-death
experiences.  It's fine to have cataclysmic events to drive the story, but
the love aspect of Ranma and Akane's relationship almost always focuses
around such events.  Of course it is easy to act like you're in love when
one of the two could die.

    The switch fiancee arc and the battle dougi arc are the only ones I can
remember offhand where there's significant romantic elements that didn't
involve someone dying (or at least have the threat of dying).

> 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.

    No matter how strange the world is, time and emotions are universal
across all worlds.  That's why Anime portrays such things.  If romance is
totally different in Ranmaverse than the real world what would be the point
to read about a romance in Ranma 1/2 when it is not possible to relate it to
reality in any way?

> 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.

    There is no real indication that the two's relationship would ever go
anywhere without the convenient cataclysmic events.  They are perpetually in
the falling in love stage.

> 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

    No, Akane always started out as a caring person.  She offered to help
Ranma even before she even falls love with him by carrying him home.  Her
frequency to smack Ranma did not change over the series.  She was always
sensible enough to give him some leeway.

    And likewise Ranma is still perpetually stupid.  It doesn't matter if
it's volume 1 or volume 38 he'll still say things that upsets Akane without
even noticing.

    Since these two's personalities are fixed from v1 to v38, it gives the
author no logical basis to assume it'd actually be any different.

> 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.

Don
"Smile always, Archer." Rin Tohsaka
"Innocent.  Merciless.  She is as beautiful and deadly as the snow she
adores." Shirou, on Illyasviel Von Einzbern


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