May as well introduce myself, though it seems that this ML is rather quiet these
days.  I used to post here as an annoying high school-aged brat in 1997/98
under the nickname, "Pimpin' Imperial Majestrix of SD-ism Laura" (PIMoSDL for
short).

Wow, it's been -many- years since I've typed that.  Anyway, nice to meet you
guys.  On to something relevant.

Don (wow, you're still here!) wrote:

> 	I haven't looked at Ranma 1/2 for a long time, but it's still one of
> the weirder series out there I think.  I really don't know how I am supposed
> to feel about it.  On one level, it's really just rehashed stuff coupled
> with slapstick comedy, about the stupid 'clumsy in love' theme that I really
> hate, but on the other hand, it still has its charm even despite all its
> problems.

In hindsight, while Ranma's got a lot of dramatic moments, a romance, etc, I
think the point of the exercise was to have a wacked-out comedy.  Personally I
don't really hold Ranma too responsible for deeper things that I get out of
other stories like social commentary, a gripping/dramatic/painful/beautiful
romance, the meaning of life, etc.  When I think about why I still love it,
it's because first and foremost it makes me laugh.  It makes me feel good.  The
characters never betray their personalities, so much to the point that you
don't expect it which makes things so very tragically funny.

> I don't know... I think Ranma 1/2 has a lot of potential that's
> wasted.  The characters COULD have been more interesting and certainly more
> developed, but they are not.  And yet, I still like Akane, but it almost
> seems like her characterization is accidental.  There's no doubt that Akane
> is supposed to be characterized as a typical shy girl in love, but if you
> think about it, she's far more open about her feelings in her relationship
> than Ranma ever was.

I'm of the opinion that it's fine the way it is.  Considering the way it ended
and how characters only slowly progressed (personality-wise) in the duration of
the manga, I feel as if the implication is that it is a story that presents a
set of characters to you.  They act a certain way.  They -always- act this
certain way with only a little bit of room for growth.  Because they are so
faithful to their personalities when you combine them it makes a mess.  Their
life is doomed to be on comedic crack.

What I gathered from seeing an ending that implies that life for them will
continue as it always has is that there's not much to the story past a group
of *cough* colorful people who live a very interesting life. I'm not saying that
people should feel the same as I do about it, but for me it's a good way to end
the story.  To me it's like saying the story and characters that I was so
enamoured of will always be this way.

> But then maybe that's
> why Ranma 1/2 is so popular with fanfiction... to fill in the missing holes
> that should not have been there...

Well yes, there's a lot for the fans to work with.  (Good) Fanfic writers are
great at giving these characters more dimension, or simply emphasizing the parts
of their personalities that are only implied and because of that Ranma
fanfiction remains as some of my favorite fanfics to read.  I have yet to see
anyone write a fanfic that is truly on the same vein as the original story,
actually.  Not necessarily a good/bad thing.

=-=-=-=-=-
- Pink

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