Don Wang Wrote:

       Scared me for a second.  Last thing I need is being confused as a girl!

Zen does not know too many girls named Don!  ^_^

       Maybe Ranma never actually betrays Akane, but his action sure
suggest that he
would.  I mean, getting engaged to Nabiki, going on dates with Shampoo,
etc., etc.  So
Ranma doesn't betray Akane, but his actions suggest otherwise.  That's why
Akane assumes
Ranma would betray her.  Ranma's too unreliable.  Okay, I guess Ranma has
done something
to make Akane tolerate him, but certainly not enough in my opinion.
Besides Akane is
reasonably tolerant to Ranma should he tried to make himself tolerable.
For example, in
the dougi story Ranma pretended to be nice to Akane, and Akane thought it
was true that
Ranma was being nice.  Then Akane agreed almost instantly to Ranma's
request to seal the
dougi.  She agreed so that Ranma wouldn't be jealous off her new powers.
That seems to
be pretty nice, sweet, and tolerant to me.

Nabiki took Ranma because Akane didn't WANT him.  Ranma had little to say
about it.  Ranma "dates" Shampoo only to get a cure...  Could you pass up
that chance?  Ranma puts up with her temper tantrums, her abuse, her lack
of trust, and remains faithful enough to rescue her when she needs it each
and every time.  What greater proof of fidelity do you want?

       Remember Shampoo was the one trying to hit Akane with the SOD
duck.  Mousse
might have accidently aimed for Akane, but remember his main motive was to
get Ranma.
He could care less about what happened to Akane.  In fact, Mousse should
be helping
Akane for all he know so that he could get Shampoo.

Shampoo's motivation is obvious - Mousse can't have it both ways.  Either
he is gonna use the SODduck on Ranma and ONLY Ranma and he is guilty of
extreme negligence, or he simply doesn't care, and any protestation to the
contrary is meaningless.

       Akane beats up the students because it was Kunou's stupid
announcement that to
get Akane you have to beat her.  Akane had no choice.  Akane is only
violent to Ranma,
and maybe to the hopeless Kunou consistently.  Ever see her snap at
Ryouga?  No, because
Ryouga have some sense as not to insult Akane.  Akane gets along well
enough with Ukyou,
Mousse, and maybe even Shampoo.

Who started it is irrelevant - she does it.  She did nothing to dissuede
these clowns from believing what Kunou said.  Kuno was out of line on that
one, and she should have called him on it.  As for snapping at Ryouga, why
should she?  Her Father isn't constantly trying to pressur her into
marrying Ryouga, so the initial source of conflict isn't there.  Zen has
seen her snap at Kunou - the difference is more, in Zens opinion, that she
will snap at someone if they exhibit more self confidence (which *does*
make Ranma the prime target, if not the most deserving one) - Self
confidence has never been Ryouga's strong point.

       If Ranma's really innocent, Akane would apologize later.  Why
Akane?  Because
that's who Ranma really likes, whether he admit it or not.  He won't be as
happy with
Ukyou as he would be with Akane.  It might take a year or two for them to
get over their
nervousness, but it is better in the long run.

People can fall out of love, or be pushed out.  Ranma loves Akane now.  If
her behaviour doesn't change, that might not last.  Akane loves Ranma now.
If his behaviour doesn't change, that too, might not last.

       Well, Ukyou is nice because Ranma isn't rude to her.  I don't
think even the
calm and nice Ukyou would be too pleased to hear stuff like "kawaikunee
tomboy" and
such.  Who knows?  Maybe she'll react even worse than Akane!  Maybe if
Ranma learned to
change Akane can be much more reasonable too!

Ranma responds to Ukyou better because:
        A)  She did not scream "pervert" and try to bash him in re his curse
        B)  She can cook
        C)  She was his childhood friend
        D)  She will at least listen to him before sending him LEO

Now, if Ukyou and Ranma had corresponding Soun & Genmas, then they might
not get on so well.

       Akane didn't exactly know it.  Beside, what could she say?
"Ranma, I slap you
because Shinnosuke is about to die?"  That wouldn't be the best thing to
say with
Shinnosuke still around.  Akane needed to show her love to Shinnosuke to
keep him alive
long enough to fix his problems.  She simply could not have tell Ranma the
truth.  She
genuinely tried to apologize to Ranma, and the apology was declined.  So
what do you
think Akane could have done, anyway?

Akane knew it.  Actually, as far as this story goes, this is one where Zen
really finds little fault with EITHER Akane or Ranma's behaviour.  After
all, when Ranma thought that Akane really preferred Shinnosuke, he was
going to sacrifice him/herself so that they could be together.

As for declined apology, Ranma at least heard it before he dclined it.  Are
you saying then, that Akane, when she is hurt and angry, has a right to
behave unreasonably, but that Ranma, when HE is hurt and angry, does not?
Zen sees a double standard here...

       Well, if Ranma continues to tell Akane that he doesn't like her
and that she is
a kawaikunai tomboy and that all his fiancees are better than Akane maybe
Akane would
take his offer and really leave, too.  Sigh... aren't these two just made
for each
other?

PIN PON!  Give the man a prize! ^_^

       Well, you got to realize that sometimes the situation are looking
so bad in
Ranma's favor that it would look like he's guilty (Hinako story comes to
mind).  Akane
doesn't have too much patience, and she usually does nott wait for the
explanation
especially considering most of the time Ranma appears to be guilty.  When
she eventually
founds out the truth she would apologize.  Akane isn't perfect, so she too
can make
mistakes.  What is important is that she apologizes for them.

Oh Zen realizes that the situations look bad, certainly.  It is called
circumstantial evidence.  Sitcoms are built on it almost exclusively - but
convictions are not supposed to be, for precisely these reasons.

Akane apologizes for her mistakes.  Fine.  Akane makes the *same* mistakes
over and over and over again.  Why can't she learn from them and make new
ones, eh?

Zen-

Is anyone besides Don and Zen even reading this?


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