Subject: [FFML] Re: [Ranma/Love Hina/Goldenboy] Diamonds in the Rough -- Chapter Five
From: Brian Welch
Date: 1/22/2003, 5:42 PM
To: FFML


Wonder of wonders, I actually liked this chapter! That may be 
due to my figuring out my main beef with the setup, but is more 
likely due to Motoko's characterization. 

My main problem with Motoko in this fic has been that her
emotional development is so stunted. Ranma must be showing up
before Episode 12 in the Love Hina anime, and before Volume 5 in
the manga. This puts the setting at less than halfway through
the Love Hina TV show and less than 1/3 of the way through the
manga. Motoko's character development hasn't even started at
this point, not to mention her martial arts skills. This
wouldn't be much of a problem with the rest of the Love Hina
cast, but Motoko is Akamatsu's favorite charecter from the
series and received the lion's share of character development.
This means that in this setting she isn't really the Motoko who
finished the series. This might not be such a problem except
that Ranma has completed his canonical development in both
personality and ability. So, you're matching a Ranma at the peak 
of his development with a Motoko who hasn't yet started hers, 
and therein lies the rub. The confrontational nature of his 
appearance made Ranma seem all the more like the dreaded 
Annoying New Character, at least from the Love Hina perspective. 

One of the things I really liked about this chapter was the fact
that Motoko finally started down the path to being Motoko. 

And that was something else entirely. What was Tsuruko's 
reasoning for asking him to teach her, anyway? The styles
seemed so different... and his was poorly defined as it was. 
How would he teach an art he only halfway understood himself? 
Perhaps that was the reason -- to make him learn faster. The 
woman had a knack for assigning rather daunting tasks, he 
remembered from his work at the dojo.

Regardless, it wasn't feasible that he teach a student who 
wasn't willing. 

On the other hand, he didn't want to disappoint Tsuruko, 
either. Sighing, he hopped from the rooftop, landing a few 
steps away from Motoko. "Morning," he said neutrally.

...

         "Something wrong?" Motoko asked, breaking the morning
silence, the anger fading from her expression, giving way to
curiosity.

Won't comment on the Ranma side of things, but this is exactly 
how Motoko reacted the first time she was beaten in both the 
manga and anime. First with anger, then with acceptance and 
character growth.

All she knew was that she wanted her sword back. The blade was 
not just a weapon, or a tool -- it was her honor, her 
pride.... And she could replace it, but not even able to lose 
it in an honorable fight, that made her ache, and she shook 
her head. She couldn't accept not having the blade.

And at this point she doesn't know the Zan Maken Ninotachi, so 
she can't yet control the black, demon-possessed sword she uses 
after her original sword is broken by Tsuruko. Will that blade 
be showing up in this fic? 

Motoko was carrying Ranma -- in his cursed form, of course --
on her back, Motoko seeming more herself, and Ranma.... Ranma
looked fit to die from her fever, her face flushed, and eyes 
distant.

This was, as has been said before, a clever reversal of 
expectations. Didn't see this coming.

***

As I said before, it's nice to see Motoko finally getting some 
character development. It's especially welcome considering that 
in this fic Naru and Keitarou have *already* progressed as far 
as they ever did in the anime and to about Volume 12 in the 
manga! Motoko was waaaay overdue. ^_-

Brian Welch

__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now.
http://mailplus.yahoo.com

             .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List----.
             | Administrators - ffml-admins@anifics.com |
             | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@anifics.com |
             |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject     |
             `---- http://ffml.anifics.com/faq.txt -----'