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

Just a note on this.  I'm not sure if this is entirely correct or not, but I
have heard that some manga authors, specifically Takahashi, have a tendency
to write each story in their current seasonal atmosphere irrelevant of the
time for the characters.  For example, even though continuity would suggest
that a certain arc should take place in summer, they put it in the fall
because it is fall when they wrote it.  In Inuyasha very little time goes by
before Kagome begins to wear her summer uniform, then in another short
amount of time, she is in her fall uniform again.  (Of course, that's just a
matter of sleeve length difference, and I think it only really shows up in
the manga, not the anime; besides, it's a lot easier to keep track of time
in that series because there aren't really any breaks in the story.)
Anyway, my point is that, even though it may not necessarily be a smart way
to write, I have heard that it sometimes happens.  I don't really think that
anyone other than Takahashi can tell you how much time really passes in the
Ranma universe as I think most everyone will have somewhat of a varying
opinion, and I doubt she's ever even really given it much thought (I think
it's safe to say she has long since moved on and is busy concentrating on
her new work).

Now, to go off in a different direction... Although my boyfriend would be
fast to agree with you that the characters are unrealistic, I disagree.  I
personally feel as though their consistency makes them more realistic.
Honestly, people are stubborn and it's hard to change.  I don't think many
have much tendency to change until they get out of high school.  Their world
is still pretty small, and they are comfortable in it.  And to be honest, I
think Akane shows a great potential to change.  She has self-esteem issues.
The first guy she ever really liked is totally in love with her sister, then
her current love does not seem interested in taking what they have to the
next level (at least not in the point where we see them), and suddenly she's
thrown towards the bottom of not only the list of good marital artists
(something she has considered her greatest talent) but she is also being out
done by all of her romantic rivals.  Also, where she once was really popular
with guys, albeit to her displeasure, suddenly the only person to show an
open and obvious (for Akane) interest in her is Kuno.  Despite her protests
to the attention, it had to be flattering to have all those guys telling her
she was perfect; a lone Kuno is not exactly a self-confidence booster.
Plus, she now has Ranma and her rivals to even further chip away at what was
left of her positive self image.  Not to mention the fact that I don't think
Akane is used to being disliked, not only did all of the guys drool over
her, but she seemed to be friends with a lot of the girls.  Now she has all
those rivals getting catty with her and that will put any girl in a poor
mood.  But, when you step back and look at the moments when Ranma was kind
to her first, I can't really think of a time when she has not responded with
a sweet reaction towards him, and it often leaves her both surprised and
happy... at least until something ruins it.  Of course I haven't read all of
the manga, and I'm not all here right now, so I could be a little off on
that.

>
>     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.
>

I see your point, but I do think that their relationship does progress very
slowly.  They are still falling in love, but their friendship seems to
slowly progress towards that love.  And, even though I've seen summaries of
the end, I don't feel as though I can judge the relationship there myself
until I've read the whole thing.  But my impression of it was leaning
towards them finally taking the next step in their relationship.  However, I
do not think that this step would be for them to become a couple, just one
step further from just friends, and one step closer to romantically involved
(I have no idea how many steps it would actually take them to reach that
point, though).

Anyway, I think you make some very valid points, but I don't see eye to eye
with you on Akane.  Then again, Ranma was my first real anime and I like
most of Takahashi's work a lot, and in the end, it delivers about what I
expect it to with plenty of laughs, so I might be a little lenient towards
it.

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

Still... ouch.  Don't you think that's a little too harsh?  Oh well, it's
late, and I'm tired.  But, I just got all these emails and the topic really
interested me.  Thanks for giving us something to talk about!  Ja ne!

--kagome-hime

"I don't think it has anything to do with being fickle.  How it is for
women:  Women feel what they feel when they feel it, and then when they
don't feel it any more they don't feel it.  Unlike a man who won't know what
he feels when he feels it and then later on he'll realize how he felt and so
he'll talk himself into feeling it again
when he doesn't feel it because he thinks he should be consistent about the
positions he takes and stick to them so a man always thinks he feels things
he doesn't feel and so he never really knows how he feels at all."
--Susan from bobraucshenbergamerica by Charles Mee (best play ever!)


> 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
>
>
>