James Bateman wrote:
 

heh... means you can't win debate with *piku piku* like Kun-chan try.

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

They take steps to keep him, Yes.  As for what Ranma has done to make Akane
tolerate him?  He has never once failed to fight for her, or pull her butt
out of the fire.  That's good enough for Zen.  If what you say is so, how
come both Ranma AND Akane deny VOCALLY that any valid engagement exists
betwen them.  (At least until someone tries to take her away from Ranma -
then HE remembers it, but Zen has never seen Akane make any similar
concession)  And yes - the other fiancees will turn on Ranma if they think
he is going to betray them - who wouldn't?  Zen's point was, they do NOT
assume that he IS going to betray them until he DOES.  Akane, on the other
hand, ALWAYS assumes that he will betray her, when he never has.  Kinda
backwards, ne? 

	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.

What Zen sees is two kidnappers want to marry her, two do not.  50% -
significant fraction! 

	Well, characters from movies don't exactly count, so I think it is a 0%, not 
50%.  

Seems to Zen that he came awfully close to tagging her with it.  Alleged
intentions be damned. 

	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.

Gomen - please tell that to all the Fuurinkan High students she beat the
stuffing out of before Ranma ever aarrived.  Ranma certainly exacerbates
the situation, but Akane was never miss manners protege.  Just cause may,
indeed, exist, but it was NOT Ranma's doing!

	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.  

Of course it is inevitable!  That was Zen's entire basis for contention
that Ranma would in long term be happier with Ukyou!  Chance to explain
later does little to mend sore head NOW - and why should Ranma be
reasonable later, when he keeps getting punted on those occasions when he
*is* innocent? 

	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.

Why does Akane always have a good reason to hit Ranma?  That makes little
sense to Zen.  From time to time, Ranma deserves to be smacked, but
certainly not all the time!  If that's what love is about, you are welcome
to it.  Zen will take Okonomiyaki and a kind heart any day of the week. 

	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!

As for the Shinnosuke story, how do you think Akane would have reacted had
Ranma accepted her offer?  A sacrifice made, knowing the person will not
accept, is no sacrifice.  Ranma could no more have hit Akane than he could
have sprouted wings and flown (Jyusenkyou curses notwithstanding), and
Akane KNEW it! 

	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?

Zen know, Ranma loves akane, Akane loves Ranma... etc etc ad nauseam, but
it seems to Zen that if Akane keeps pounding him and screaming that she
hates him, He is just as likely to believe it as she is.  That would be
bad. 

	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?

That's backwards - if he didn't deserve it, she should apologize - his
deserving it or not should not be determined by whether or not she
apologizes! 

	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.

********************************************************************************
"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane Tendo, Ranma 1/2

"Power only breeds war ... I wish I'd never been born." Celes Chere, Final Fantasy 3

Don Wang <dwang@sprynet.com>
RPG, strategy game, and Ranma 1/2 fan.