Elseworlds #1:  For Want of a Nail
by John Walter Biles

Goody.  This is another one that Zen really loved.

Most people know me now for my passionate defense of Akari
Unryuu, and she is my favorite character.  But I do have a
soft spot for Ukyou Kuonji.  The idea of giving Ranma a
fiancee that isn't easy to dismiss, a fiancee that is nice
to him and that he likes, was an excellent one.  I am
saddened that RT eventually decided to abandon that
characterization to make the Ranma/Akane relationship work
better.

Thank you Mr. Gaffney!  Zen has always felt that if Ranma had any brains,
he'd grab Ukyou and get as far away from Japan and his old man as he
possibly could.  But then, everyone here knows how Zen feels about Kuonji
Ukyou.

However, this is the first of a series where some mysterious
figure, based on a DC comic that I don't read, is creating
alternate realities.  The first of these has one major
difference:  Ranma picked Ukyou, not okonomiyaki.

Smart boy! ^_^

Actually, it's the simplest of the four released stories.
There are a few other differences (Ranma's engaged to Nabiki,
Ryouga's not cursed), but this is really an example of what
could have happened.  It's actually a little sad, because it's
such a grerat future for Ukyou.  She has Ranma, she's cooking,
everyone's happy.  Naturally, this happy ending cannot possibly
be allowed to continue. ;-)

Of course not - what good would the universe be if it didn't piss on people
who didn't deserve it... (Ukyou) >_<

Actually, this is Zen's favourite of the Elseworld Stories to date, though
Mr. Hosmer (Rogue1) did a great job with Akane 1/2 (Elseworlds 3) - The
only thing Zen was never able to really figure out was that if Ukyou and
Ranma had reciprocal curses, how would it do any good to have Ukyou
masquerade as Ranma for Nodoka?  Granted, one is more likely to run into
cold water rather than hot, but there would still be an awful lot of risk!

The characterization is impeccable, with a Ranma who has been
tempered by his friendship with Ukyou, and a Nabiki who finds
herself falling in love with a man she cannot have (now,
where've we seen *that* before?  Best of all, it has the only
Ryouga/Akane romance that I could actually see happen.

Yup!  And Ukyou wins!  Yay!  Even poor Ryouga gets a break.  (Not that
pig-boy deserves it, but who cares, as long as Uuchan is happy...)  Biles
just grabs the old hear strings and gives 'em a twang...

Which reminds Zen - when is his next project due out?

This certainly made the Elseworlds series start with a bang.
And for me, it's still the best of the four (David Tai having
trouble with #5).

Yup - Zen has been waiting for this one too.

4 stars.  Joe Bob says check it out.

Zen did.  Zen concurs with Gaffney's verdict.

Next:  <pause>

Yes?

<longer pause>

Yes yes?

Kun-chan's on vacation, right?  She's unsubbed for now?

Yes!

<even longer pause>

Next:  Split Personalities.

Yay!

<runs like hell>

Go Speed Racer...

--Sean Gaffney
--who believes in living dangerously

Zen-
Who just *loves* classic fanfics!

***************************************************************************
[[                  James Bateman (Otaku@nashville.com)                  ]]
[[ -The experiment has begun - A million monkeys at a million keyboards- ]]
[[                     ^_^ We call it the UseNet ^_^                     ]]
***************************************************************************