On Tue, 2 Jul 1996, Richard D. Lawson wrote:

blee@freenet.vcu.edu wrote:

Your entire premise is based on a very big error. Akane really 
didn't kill herself because Ranma was killed although that had 
a big impact on the various decisions she made, she basically 
killed herself because she had just killed Happosai. (Go back 
and reread the R2096 story dealing with Akane's suicide, in the 
story she slit Happosai's throat.)

I shouldn't have to read a side story to understand the motivation for 
something as serious as suicide.  If it's integral to the story (and it 
is, in Ranma 2096), then the *main* story should explore the suicide in 
greater detail, rather than casually mentioning it.  Perhaps that's what 
upset me the most.  Three lines about Akane killing herself - so little 
space devoted to such a serious event.  I admit I was too harsh to call 
it "a cheap parlor trick", but I do think the main story suffers from 
treating the suicide so casually.

In Ranma 2096 I think Akane's suicide is handled reasonably in the 
context of the story.

Akane's suicide *IS NOT* a major element of the story, at least 
initially.  It's a background event that happened 100 years ago and 
details of it should be vague.

Early on there is no one who could give details of what happened (Shampoo 
had already started on her lifes work, and never bothered to find out the 
details anyway - it's not as if Akane's suicide *mattered* to her) and 
there isn't time for a real description in any of the stories done so far 
since someone able to explain turned up - it would have been 
inappropriate to stop for a long dissertion on why Akane killed herself 
100 years ago with the events going on.

The side-story to fill things out was (IMHO) the best solution since a 
detailed explanation wouldn't have fitted the story so far.  

[Snip!]

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"The Major"                     |  "Funny Games, Strange Cartoons, Confusing
David Bateson                   |     Computers and too many Books!  No 
                                |     wonder you're weird."
major@yoyo.cc.monash.edu.au     |       - My Sister.
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