I can't believe I jumping into this, since I tend to keep out of
these kinda things, but...
On Fri, 24 Jan 1997, Hitomi Ichinohei wrote:
To begin with, do any of you really know what Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and
Transsexual relationships are like in Japan?
Do any of you know how much you're Americanizing things so that you are
comfortable with them?
How many people are there that know the type of fanfiction that is writen
within Japan?
[clip]
Well, the information and everything is definately interesting,
but, really, what does it matter if most of the people on the ML aren't
aware of how hetero/homo/trans -sexual relationships are like in Japan?
The fanfics written here aren't about Japan. A story - a _good_ story,
has more to do with the setting and personal opinions with which the
author is familiar with, and is place to work-out and present ideas and
concerns which he(she) finds important. Just as, say, a Shakespearian
play set in a roman ( or pseudo-roman) setting had less to do with that
time period then it did with his own, so, too, can an anime fanfic be
less concerned with accurately represent japanese customs and mores and be
more interested in presenting North
American/European/Australian/Whatever/Personal concerns.
Besides, the three girls know that Jusenkyo is a short trip away.
This is especially true of Ukyou, who has already lived most of her life
as a man. What would stop any of them displaying their love by going and
dunking themselves?
***
Well, I can accept honour as a reasonable explanation for why
Ranma doesn't make a decision - but, really, it still strikes me as a
somewhat too deep interpretation of the story. Why didn't he solve his
fiancee problem? Because it wouldn't have been funny. Why didn't he
just walk back to Jusenkyou and jump in? Take the curse out, and a lot
of the comedy goes with it.
If you can't stand the stories, I have one answer for you, the same answer
that applies to anything that is written, created or done. It is the
option that you have that doesn't require publicity, tellivision, book
burnings, or other artifacts of the Christian communities. It's called
don't read it, don't buy it, or don't watch it.
Oh, I agree on that entirely... if you don't like it, don't read
it. But since when is publicity, television, and book burnings
'artifacts of the Christian communities'? I thought this was an argument
against censorship, or an explanation of japanese values - when did it
become an exercise in religion-bashing? Book-burners? Funny... I
could've sworn the Dominican friars, and the Franciscan and
Benedictine monks, actually transcribed and preserved vaste quantities of
classical literature. You had an interesting argument going, but those
cheap, far-too-easy to make shots at christianity really didn't help
advance it any.
Ahem.
Well, that was a surprise. I seem to have climbed up onto a
soapbox I hardly knew existed...
And my $.02 (canadian) on the subject...
I don't have a problem with any of the gay or dark or whatever
fanfics that have been coming out. What I do have a problem with is when
there's no basis for it (unless it's intended as a comedy/parody). I can
accept a gay Ranma, or lesbian Akane, or ambivalent Ryoga - but I need
some kind of support for it. No matter what you think of Thy Outward
Part (I happen to like it, a lot), a reader has to admit that there is a
logical, well developped movement towards Ranma accepting his feminity
and, eventually, even having sex with a man. It makes _sense_. But for
Ranma to all of a sudden come out and say he's gay, and jump into bed
with Ryoga, without any kind of explanation or passage of time, really
doesn't make sense - in fact, it terribly OOC. But, of course, that's my
opinion, and I don't have to read it... but that doesn't mean it
shouldn't be written, or posted.
-Mike Noakes
"...as good almost kill a man as kill a good book: who kills a
man kills a reasonable creature, God's image; but he who destroys a good
book, kills reason itself..."
-Milton, Areopagitica