On Fri, 24 Jan 1997, Hitomi Ichinohei wrote:

[ Quite a good mini-treatise on honour in Japanese Society. ]

	Well, I can accept honour as a reasonable explanation for why 
Ranma doesn't make a decision - but, really, it still strikes me as a 
somewhat too deep interpretation of the story.  Why didn't he solve his 
fiancee problem?  Because it wouldn't have been funny.  Why didn't he 
just walk back to Jusenkyou and jump in?  Take the curse out, and a lot 
of the comedy goes with it.

This is also true, but you also have to look at the society it was written
for to understand certain aspects of it.  From the American point of view,
it is all about commedy since Americans do not have the same social
strictures.  From the Japanese viewpoint, there are a lot more strictures
and cultural barriers within our society than one would give credance to
in North America.

To Western Society, Ranma 1/2 is funny, because it boils down to a
situational comedy with quirks.  To the Japanese (or as I read Japanese
society), it is funny because of the situations where the fine line
between one's honour, and one's dishonour is tread.  (Again, a situational
comedy, but for different reasons).  I've always felt that most people
enjoy it for the wrong reasons.

I have to appologize for that, but I am really only familiar with what I
have seen of Christians in my own country and with what happened here in
North America.  Christians in Japanese history are known to have killed,
murdered, and stole in the name of their God, without any reason given but
that their God is the only one.  Many texts, histories, and other
artifacts of cultural significance were lost because of the Christians,
both in Asia and in Europe and the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, and I am ashamed to be part of a society based in part of
it, the Christian Missionaries from times past destroyed much of history,
and anything else that wasn't 'just in the eye of God'.  To take an
extreme example, that of the Klu Klux Klan, their goal is the destruction
of non-whites.  They justify this by declaring that only 'whites' are true
descendants of God.  (Thankfully the KKK appears to have been limited to
North America)

In Europe, women
were killed because they healled people.  One of the doctrines that was
litterally put to us by crusifying people was that women had no place in
healing or in political life.  If they did so, then they are against the
Christian God and should die by any means at hand.

A terrible injustice, dating back to the middle ages and beyond, which
should have been removed in the 1700s.  Records of the ancient greeks and
romans indicate that women shared a far greater part in society than
so-called 'modern' times (up until mid 1980s, when the 'feminist
revolution became popular among the baby boomers, and I don't mean Genom).

I hereby appologize to the Christians on this list for my inappropriate
comments.

Your comments are NOT inappropriate.  They are truthful, accurate and are
your view on life.  If anyone feels outraged at your (or mine) comments,
they can go jump in the proverbial cesspit.

"The beginings of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."

Being 'complete' is the ability to be unashamed of your own opinions. 

                                      ~~~~~
                  The Chaotic Trickster - kergma@humbug.org.au
              And thankyou Hitomi for spelling 'honour' correctly ;)