Terrence M Marks wrote:

While they remain silent we cannot help them.

If I wanted awareness, I'd go to an awareness newsgroup.  I ask that
people don't abuse anime characters by using them like this.  I'm
currently entirely unaware and I'd rather stay that way.  I'm just here to
read funny Ranma stories.  Not diatribes on incest, aids or whatever.  I
think that I'm not the only one.

Terry

	If you're here just to read FUNNY Ranma stories, then it's a wonder you
haven't unsubbed yet. I don't know how the FFML used to be, but by the
time I first subscribed it was full of darkfics, serious fics and such.
	This ML is not only for funny stories. Here we can read and post
creative works, and creativity isn't limited to humor. Just an example:
Takahashi had been writing eight years of FUNNY Ranma and then she
pulled out a story where Ranma and Akane almost get killed. The Mt.
Phoenix storyline hardly had any humor when compared to other, more
usual Ranma plots. The Shinnosuke story is also a good example. It was a
little on the serious side, but the main idea was to expand on the
relationship between Ranma and Akane.
	Also, no one is abusing any character here. If anything, the people who
write such stories are "abusing" their own conception of them. I know
who my characters are, and if someone else writes them in the middle of
an orgy then all I would do is shrug and regard the writer as someone
who had too much spare time in his hands. If someone writes my
_favorite_ characters in that situation, I might become upset, but then
I remember, "That is how [the author] perceives the character. It
doesn't affect me, and as long as [original creator] doesn't portray the
character that way then it's okay."
I remember the first time I read a lemon (Ranma .05) and I remember I
was a little steamed. But I tried to calm down, and instead of writing a
senseless flame I did something that fit me better: I wrote my first
fanfic, so _I_ could show how _I_ saw the characters.
	You also seem to be generalizing the debate to cover all of the FFML.
Well then, I'm writing a Magic Knight Rayearth fanfic. Did you know that
MKR (along with a very good deal of shoujo stories) contains male
homosexuality? Not only that, but the two characters in question are
highly revered by female fans in the MKRML. If you want to say that
there's an overflowing of "gay" fanfics in Ranma, then say it
specifically, otherwise you'll get other series' fans on you in a flash.
	So you want no serious themes either? I'm writing Lightbirds, and it
includes very disturbing themes that have serious impacts when seen IRL.
I'm not writing this to scare people away. I'm writing this because _I_
want to know how the characters would react to real-world situations
that the most of us (hopefully) will never encounter. But since I can't
find the answers, I have decided to write them myself by using the
characters' personality base to see what they would do.
	People have also asked for control. Why? AFAIC, if a story is labeled
properly then YOU know what you're getting into. I admit, sometimes one
reads a story out of morbid fascination, but even then you shouldn't be
disturbed (if you're disturbed by a fiction written out of
already-fictional characters, then you have other things to worry
about.)

	Just one thing. If you don't like "gay" fanfics, or "dark sexuality"
fanfics, then simply delete them with a shrug. If you _do_ read them,
and hated it, then just remind yourself: these are not the characters
YOU know. Or if it makes you feel better, just think, "This guy is so
sick... pity."

	And don't force opinions, okay? I loved TOP, BB, TNL, TTAP, and found
"Half a conversation" very funny.


The Zephyr
(just call me Zef.)
___________________

Jorge A. Pratt
al709382@campus.ccm.itesm.mx