Subject: Re: Worse Part 6
From: bastian@enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de (Sebastian Weinberg)
Date: 11/19/1996, 1:39 PM
To: Fanfiction ML

 On Sun, 17 Nov 1996 12:53:01 -0600 Jeremy Parish said:

: Sebastian wrote:
: 
: >Well, what *about* the Tsubasa story, then?  I can't remember any
: >homophobic reaction there, apart from Ranma's anger at the end,
: >when he finds out that he unknowingly was competing and even
: >flirting with a boy.
: 
: The whole reason Ranma asked Tsubasa on a date was to cure what he 
: saw as a perversion. Direct quote from the Viz manga translation:
: 
: "I'm just trying to lead Tsubasa onto the correct path."
: 
: So Ranma may not be homophobic, but he certainly doesn't condone it. 
: Tsubasa definitely doesn't like it. 

First of all, I'd trust the Viz "adaptations" about as far as I
could throw Genma.  They westernize (or rather americanize)
everything to such a degree that I'd not use the text to prove
anything.

In this case Ranma tries to "correct" Tsubasa's behavior because
"she" is after Ranma's girl form and he's not comfortable with
that.  He didn't try anything of that sort when they found out
about Tsubasa's percieved homosexuality.  I stand by my original
point:  Ranma is forceful about his own preference, but not
homophobic (i.e. abhorring the thought of homosexuality itself).


: Actually, homosexuality seems to be implicitly criticized throughout the 
: series. When Shampoo hugs girl-type Ranma, Akane says, "What are you 
: two *girls* doing?" In the Anime, when Ranma clings to Soun in the 
: espisode where his fear of cats is exposed, Soun sweats a little and says, 
: "Ranma, alternative lifestyles aren't my thing." Certainly I don't think 
: anyone in Ranma would go out "gaybashing" as they so quaintly call it here 
: in Texas, but homosexuality is definitely frowned upon in the 
: Ranmaverse ≠ heterosexuality is taken as a given. Which seems rather 
: ironic as genderbending is one of the biggest story elements of the series. 
: I guess cross-dressing and transsexuality are different than 
: homosexuality. Any comments?

Heterosexuality *has* to be taken as given, sinca the humour of
the gender-bending would be lost otherwise.  Takahashi-sensei had
to make her characters set in their gender-thinking, to set up
humorous conflicts when Ranma's sex-changing smashes those
barriers.


Sebastian
-- <http://enterprise.mathematik.uni-essen.de/~bastian/> Comics reviewed
-- Do not believe in miracles - rely on them.