The author has already answered most of the points that have been brought up (and answered them the way I
would have, so I guess this means I agree with the way he's going) but I thought I'd make three additional
comments.

1.) Ranma's age when Genma asked him to go on the training trip. The story originally said 6, someone said the
trip in "our" Ranmaverse started when he was 3, I seem to rememeber reading 5 somewhere. I'd just point out
that what happened in "our" Ranmaverse need not be the deciding factor. After all, what event signals the
change from "our" world to the new one? Ranko's conception, 2 months after Ranma's birth, and birth 9 months
later. It strikes me as quite likely that Genma would delay the start of the journey until Ranko was a little older.
So you can have the training start whenever you like.

2.) In future segments we're going to see some of the reactions of other people to the changes in Ranma,
including the fact that he basically remembers nothing that happened to him in this world. Reading over the
first two parts, something struck me, and I'm curious to know if this was the intent: We know that Ranma's
mind and memories from our world have been transferred into the body of the Ranma of the new world. What
about that Ranma's memories? We have seen that Ranma is acting somewhat less brash and impulsive than
we're used to, and seems more open about his emotions. There was also the reference to Ranma's wondering
that he was feeling resistant when Soun agreed to the engagement with Akane, provided Ranma defeated Kuno.
Does this signal that the "other" Ranma's personality and memories are still around, though currently
suppressed, and are affecting Ranma's reactions? After all, the other Ranma would have no particular desire to
become engaged to Akane, and, having been raised by his mother, and ignored to a certain extent by his
father, is probably a less focused and driven person who is likely to know how to get along better with people.
After all, our Ranma is handicapped by the fact that his only steady role model for over a decade was Genma,
and we all know how Genma excels at interpersonal relations. So Ranma's curse of dual genders in our world
could be replaced by one of dual personalities, or at least dual sets of memories, in this one. (And frankly, if
I found out that my sister's mind had been replaced by some version of her from another existence, I'd be
pretty upset. After all, that wouldn't be the sister I'd known and grown up with. I'm curious to see if this aspect
of things strikes Ranko.)

3.)  Regarding this world's Akane: I don't look at her as being too submissive. She was torn between the
dictates of honor and her own nature. The Soun of this world has spent years trying to restore his family's
honor, besmirched by the Saotomes. Naturally he would impress the paramount importance of this upon his
daughters, and I can see the conflict between what she wanted to do, and what the honor of her family
demanded that she do, wearing her down to the point of despair. I wouldn't think that she would have any
problem with Ranma talking to Soun first; I would think that would be the proper thing to do in a matter of honor.
And the fact that Ranma made their engagement conditional upon their getting along should predispose her in
his favor. Where there might be trouble is when she finds out that his father's breaking of the original promise
has put her through a year and a half of hell. (I assume Soun has kept the exact details of the breach secret
from his children, as Genma did, since Akane didn't react upon hearing the name Saotome.)

Reid Carson
rcarson@landmark.com