At 08:26 AM 11/1/96 -0500, you wrote:

        I normally shy away from things like this, but I need to get this
off my chest.

And all the people who put Ranma with someone else are just tearing apart
a relationship without reguard for anything - home wreckers, almost.
So I think if they don't like to work within that already set relationship,
they don't care about love or relationships all that much, and when they
put Ranma together with <insert name of their favourite Ranma girl here>,
they're acting out their fantasies by replacing Ranma with themselves
(or how they would be if they could do martial arts and had some of
Ranma's characteristics) and getting the Ranma girl of their dreams.
So I don't think it's got anything to do with the characters, and it's
more like otaku wish-fulfilment.

Nice to see such an open and exploratory attitude!  Maybe some authors just
think that there is more than one way to skin a cat (Gomen, Shamps) - It is
a writer's *job* to take things apart and put them back together again.  If
you accept that there is only one way to do things, then there is no point
to writing any of it.  <<shrug>>  That would make it a waste of time, so
Zen, for one, does not believe it.

        I agree.  The whole purpose of fanfiction is to expand (contract,
embellish, etc) an existing story.  If you could _only_ write stories were
the characters are _IN CHARACTER_, there would be no point to the story.
Taking character's _OUT_ of character is often just as interesting if not
more so.
        That was the snag I hit in Mechwarrior Team Jusenkyo.  I couldn't
justify how the characters would get cursed in the Battletech Universe (it
was unlikely that they've ever been to earth at all.  And both Shampoo and
Mousse are from the Clans).  Since I couldn't figure out how they would get
cursed, I decided to leave the curses out.  Even though I wrote the story,
I'll be the first to admit that a curseless Ranma 1/2 is about as OOC as a
story gets!  
        However, I got more than one comments (you all know who you are.^_^)
saying that this was a good idea that added interest to the story.
       

To assume that authors that so not share your view care nothing about love
or relationships, seems rather unfair.  If Zen did not care about the
characters, he would not write fan fiction.  <<shrug>>  Zen is not so ready
to be told by others what he should believe, feel or do.

        This is another point I agree on.  God knows how many authors there
are on this ML (I lost track a _long_ time ago) and I challenge _anyone_ to
find two authors that think in perfect synch.  It is the deversity of the
authors and the stories they write that makes Fanfiction so interesting and
what makes the ML a fun thing to be on.
        The point about the characters is also well put.  If you didn't care
at all about what happens, what would the point of writing be?  

        My hat goes off to Zen about the beliefs part.  I'm an easy going
person, but questioning my beliefs is the _easiest_ way to tick me off that
I know of.  Anybody who tries to tell me what my beliefs are had better be
ready for a fight.  

Zen likes Hitomi Ichinohei's .sig...
"The beginnings of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."

        Amen.

        I will be the first to admit that I like a lot of the characters of
Ranma 1/2.  In fact _all_ of the characters have good points, even if the
characters are there for comic relief.
        Personally, I'm at an impass as to whether I like Akane or Ukyou
better. After all, those to balance each other out pretty well.  A sort of
Yin-Yang relationship if you think about it (don't ask for an explanation,
it's a philosphical thing)
        
        Saying that a character is OOC is usually a futile thing to do
because almost everything in fanfiction goes against something.  I don't
agree that people in the Ranma series (or any other series) should be
arbitrarily paired up with each other, but different pairings make for a
little variety every now and then.  Don't dismiss a fic that says something
like "in this one Ranma's finally gonna pic Ukyou," purely on the basis that
it pairs Ranma with Ukyou.  Read the fic first and see if the author has a
good reason for the pairing.  However, you've got to have an open mind to
see this pairing.

        "Change is not only inevitable, it is necessary."
                        -Frank Zappa


        I myself have a Ranma fic planned for the future that is strongly
leaning toward having Ranma get paired up with Ukyou.  This may change or it
may not, it all depends on the rest of the story.  However, rest assured,
that I'll have a reason for the pairing if that's how it ends up.

        In conclusion just let me say 1) if you've read all this way, thank
you very much and 2) remember to keep an open mind. 

        Thank you all.  I hope everybody at least takes a minute to think
about what I've said.

        "Senseless battles amongst ourselves only strengthens those that
stand against us."
        - Daniel Ericson (character from one of my non-fanfic stories).

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"Watch your back, shoot straight, conserve ammo and never, ever cut a deal
with a Dragon."
	-Shadowrun street proverb

"The acrid air is heavy with hate and a question hangs in the haze -- When
will you Rage?"
	-Werewolf: The Apocalypse
jace@utkux.utcc.utk.edu			James Jones:  The Blood Phoenix
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