On Fri, 6 Dec 1996, Sebastian Weinberg wrote:

Well, I realized that this was my cultural bias shining through. 
Where I live, a hug and a kiss on the cheek is a perfectly normal
greeting among young girls.  You see it happen everywhere, so I
let Ranko and Akane display the same kind of casual affection. 
The trouble is, they don't come from where I live - They're from
Japan, and I often read that the physical signs of affection and
friendship are very laid back in Japan.

Yes, it is going too fast and too far.

That's why when Akane kissed Ranma on the cheek in An Alternate history of
Ranma 1/2 there was such a furor and comments on how long they've been
lovers.  Even though it was a kiss as sisters would give one another, such
things are usually reserved and unshown.  Even in the house, open displays
of affection are rarely shown or expected.  Such displays are reserved for
behind closed doors.

For example, when going on a date, at the end of it, you hand the person
your contact or business card and they do the same with you.  Usually
kissing does not occur until the tenth or twentieth date, and that only on
the cheek.  Kissing someone on the mouth in public indicates that you are
lovers.

So I want to know:  Am I going totally over the top with these
two, speaking in japanese terms?  I suspect that's the case, so my
next question is:  What can I do to keep at least a *semblance* of
authenticity, while still conveying the same to the western
audience?

I'm unsure how, but what you can do is express the feelings through their
eyes rather than by kissing.  Expressions convey a lot.

Hitomi

Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi@terminal.autobahn.mb.ca
http://204.112.189.3/~hitomi
"The beginings of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."