Subject: Re: [FFML] [R1/2] [Fanfic] Hell holds no fury . . .
From: "Ranma Al'Thor" <ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu>
Date: 9/10/1998, 10:57 PM
To: fanfic@fanfic.com

On Thu, 10 Sep 1998, Adrian Wong wrote:

Yee Gods.  This isn't a story, it's an anti-Ranma hate rant.  Fair enough,
but it's not a very well written one.  For one thing, your
characterization of Shampoo is rather off, which is disturbing in a
Shampoo story.  Shampoo operates from the mindset of the Amazon village.
All other cultures have no value to her; she judges everything from the
viewpoint of Amazon law and Amazon beliefs.  She's not utterly, hopelessly
rigid (Note for example that she doesn't ever use the Kiss of Death
outside of her village), but she operates from a strictly pre-modern
mindset, as far as I can tell.  

For example, I don't think Shampoo would ever use the word 'racist'.  For
one thing, if she does understand what it means, having a Japanese or
Chinese person call each other a 'racist' because they don't like someone
from the other country is inaccurate.  A 'bigot' or a 'nationalist bigot'
maybe, but at least in the meaning of the word in English, the Japanese
and Chinese are part of the same race.  But I don't think Shampoo would
use that concept because the entire concept of racism is a modern concept
and not part of her world view.  For that matter, I wouldn't be surprised
if Shampoo thought of the Amazons as completely seperate from other
Chinese people anyway, given the differences of their culture from
Communist China.  

And furthermore, while one might accuse Takahashi of playing to Japanese
sterotypes about China, the characters themselves don't go around
insulting Chinese people because they're chinese and thus aren't guilty of
racism anyway.  Insulting them because they walk through walls (not a
noted real Chinese practice) is another story.

The Shampoo portrayed in this story simply wasn't recognizable as Shampoo,
neither talking like her nor acting like her.

For also attached to this fic are the TOP TEN REASONS (I believe) that fic
writters try to degrade Shampoo into a "bimbo/maniac/bound to lose to Ranma
failure" in their fics:

10) They hadn't ever finished reading the complete set of R 1/2 manga, but
the earlier chapters alone.

Hmm.  Shampoo never beats Ranma in combat by the end as far as I can tell,
she continues to want him and she doesn't get him.  So how would the
complete set of manga contradict your statement above?
 
9) They read those EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN fanfics by Richard Lawson, Mike
Loader, John Biles, Two-flowers, Blade . . . and prefer their realities
over the actual R1/2 one.

In which Shampoo constantly tries to get Ranma and doesn't succeed.  (In
the actual one)

And I'd say that Lawson portrays Shampoo with dignity.  (Far more than I
think she deserves, but even I've given Shampoo an even break.  See
Furinkan Summer 5, for example).  

 
8) They didn't know that Shampoo know pressure point techniques (which
Ranma don't), and can actually mind-control her opponents (Manga vol 7, 12
. . . and some others)

But in the end, they never work out, as she still doesn't get what she
wants.


6) They hadn't seen how Ranma had manipulated her feelings at every turn,
even going so low as to steal her potions from the girl through use of
seduction, and how Shampoo has always SEVERLY OUTSMARTED him. (vol 8, 22)

Really?  Then why isn't he married to Shampoo?  Isn't that her
self-proclaimed goal?  Why do none of her plans to get Ranma to marry her
ever work out?

 
5) They didn't realize that Shampoo is the only girl smart enough to avoid
getting conned by that bitch Nabiki through the entire Manga series.  The
one time Nabiki tried had ended up with her fleeing from the outer fiancee
gang with her tail between her legs.  They also didn't realize that Shampoo
didn't learn Japanese properly cause it isn't a universal language, and
that she plans to return to China as soon as possible (I'd like to see any
of the almighty Tendo girls being able to speak grammatically correct
Chinese) 

If they went to live in China, they might do that.  And given that MOUSSE,
hardly the king of the geniuses, DOES speak flawless Japanese, this
signifies that she COULD do better.  To me, going to live in a foreign
country and not trying to learn the language is a sign of combined
arrogance and stupidity.
 
4) They didn't realize how dominant Shampoo had been in her relationship
with Ranma

Dominant?  Yeah, right.  So Dominant she couldn't get Ranma to marry her,
her objective over all 38 volumes of manga.  
 

1) They think it's alright for Ranma to beat up Shampoo (so much for him
not hitting girls) and claim her prize AFTER the Amazon had won her village
maiden combat tournament.  After all she is just a lowly, "uncivilized"
girl from an obscure village in China while he was this high O'mighty
Japanese hero who had decided that a formal education is too worthless for
someone of his greatness (perhaps he intend to make a living by continuing
to leech off each and every girl that comes his way for the rest of his
life?).  Whose side would any Japanese Animation fan be on?


Well, let's see:  1.  They didn't deliberately set out to eat the prize.
Guilty of stupidity, yes.  Active malice, no.  He didn't claim her prize;
he ate it in a fit of stupidity.

2.  She challenged Ranma because he ate the prize.  Ranma did not
challenge her.  

3.  Ranma won fair and square.

4.  For winning fair and square without cheating, she then effectively
declared she was going to murder Ranma and chased him hundreds, possibly
thousands of miles in order to do so.

While I won't call Ranma blameless, he's more sinned against than sinning
in this case.  Accidentally eating the prize because he's not aware of
what's going on and then being told he's going to be murdered for winning
a fair fight hardly seems like justice is done.



John Walter Biles :  MA-History, Ph.D Wannabe at U. Kansas         
ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu       
rhea@tass.org              http://www.tass.org/~rhea/falcon.html
rhea@maison-otaku.net      http://www.maison-otaku.net/~rhea/

"Logic, my dear Zoe, merely enables one to be wrong with authority."
--Dr. Who, "The Wheel in Space" (Serial 43, fifth season)