On Sun, 5 Jan 1997, Richard Lawson wrote:

Benjamin Franz wrote:
If it's your
intention that Ranma is only acting sexist because that's they way she
believes a woman should act, you need to play this out more.  As it
comes across, Ranma doing housework and giving up her martial arts seems
to stem from her acceptance of herself as a woman in mind and body, and
I kinda don't like that.

Fair enough, and something I would probably go into in a longer story.

The head blow brought it into effect sooner. I have a slight tendancy to
leave things unstated, but implied in my stories.

Then how come Ryoga's affected and not Genma?  Remember, they were
cursed at the same time.

Because Ryouga has spent more time than *either* Ranma or Genma in his
cursed form. All those months in China as a lost pig. It is harder for
potential 'cold pork lunch' to find/make hot water than a girl and her
panda. "China is a big place - and its even bigger when you're a pig!"

(I'm not going to say Ranma will become a feminist. By western
standards, Japanese males *are* extremely sexist, *none* of Takahashi's
characters are feminists, 

What about Nabiki?  She certainly is the very antithesis of the
steretypical Japanese woman.  

Watch her closer. She engages in more than a little stereotypical
behavior. Yes - she *is* aggressive, mercenary to a fault, and not to be
taken lightly (all typically portrayed as male characteristics). However -
she has the 'kawaii'est taste in clothing (love those cutoffs), thinks the
most important characteristic of a prospective fiance is how cute he is,
and is convinced that a man's (but not a woman's - other than Akane) role
in life is to shield her from danger and shower her with money. Her
extreme mercencary nature could even be taken has an exaggeration of the
'grasping woman' stereotype.

And Akane is feminist by her very nature;
she behaves however she darned well pleases, and doesn't much care if
it's considered 'feminine' at all.  That's why I like her so much.  :)

You aren't looking below the first layer persona. Repeatedly through the
series Takahashi plays that as the 'tough guy act with the delicate
feminine flower hidden beneath'. She is a powerhouse who *wants* to be a
cute adorable 'ideal Japanese woman'. It is Ranma's attacks on her
traditional femininity that really set her off: "Kawiikunai! <wham>"
"Tomboy!  <wham>" "I'm better built! <wham>" "I don't have to taste it to
know its lethal. <wham>". "The one thing you've got is brute strength! 
<wham>" "Aren't you supposed to be graceful? <wham>." "You'll never get a
husband unless you start looking at least half as sexy as me. <wham>."

It is because she *does* care that Ranma's gibes hurt her so much.

-- 
Benjamin Franz
"Akane's a sweet girl, really!"
          -- Tofu-Sensei