Return-Path: <jeromef@nortel.ca>
Sender: "Jerome Fouletier" <jeromef@nortel.ca>
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 1997 15:57:04 +0100
From: "Jerome Fouletier" <jeromef@nortel.ca>
To: sysop@newberry.edu
Subject: Re: Careful Destiny debate
References: <1.5.4.32.19970205135934.00951adc@kaufmann.newberry.edu>
sysop@newberry.edu wrote:
Hello all!
"Why does Ranma have a sexual reaction whenever he sees Ranko's body?"
I have been dogged by this particular question for over a year, now. I'm
opening this to public debate because I want to test the feasibility of my
argument. Anyway, sample C&C on the subject follows: (originator's identity
concealed since I didn't get permission to repost this)
Remember that this Ranma has had a girl's body for several months and
that he's proved to be pretty much unaffected about seeing Akane
and Shampoo naked and very close to (or practically clinging to)
him in that state, so it's pretty unlikely that seeing a little skin
would affect him that much
This actually is incorrect. At the end of the first beach
episodes (Phoenix Pill) Ranma faints and nosebleeds when
Shampoo glomps him in the bath. So he was aroused.
I've always maintained, in my own mind at least, that Ranma's lack of
reaction to the sight of a naked girl was due to self preservation. Ranma
is (in many ways) his father's son, and hence he'd hide/stifle/deny any
sexual urges he felt whenever seeing (or getting touched by) Shampoo's,
Ukyou's, and Akane's naked forms to avoid severe trouble. Given Akane's
explosive reaction whenever she caught him in a compromising position with a
girl, I think it highly likely that his body and mind adopted sexual
neutrality as a survival technique.
I disagree. More likely, he simply didn't care. Besides, he's quite
used to seeing nude females (well, one nude female). Contrast with
Ryoga who does teh faint+nosebleed at each opportunity.
In essence, Ranko being so similar to his female form, it should be
the one least exciting female in his new world.
Hence, in the CD continuity, when that threat is stripped away, Ranma's body
and mind *should* revert to a more masculine response to feminine nudity.
Also, I would submit that Ranma's curse played hell with his masculinity.
He seems to have perceived himself as weak and unworthy of women's
affections because he was stuck with a girl's body. That being the case, he
(a) didn't really pay that much attention to the beauty inherent in his
cursed female form, and (b) felt enough of a threat to his psyche from the
curse that he couldn't dredge up enough desire to fire his libido.
(besides he has seen Ranko in much lesser for several times without
being affected, at least more than physical level). Now, I'm not
saying that this shouldn't affect him , at least somewhat (they say
that seeing little bit can affect you more than seeing it all. Go
figure!), but hardly to this level.
On the other hand, the mood of the previous scenes was far less
inciting to any lewd thoughts. remember, also, that Japanese are
more casual about nudity, so nudity in and of itself is not
this arousing to somebody who's seen it all so many times.
On the other hand, Ranko's situation, being helpless and very
unlike her tomboyish self, and also aving been recently
aroused herself, would explain the difference.
Well, I know that seeing a woman in lingerie arouses my interests far more
quickly than seeing the same woman completely nude. The expectation of what
might lurk beneath the clothes adds to the attraction for me. And hence, I
assumed that it would be the same for Ranma.
We know noting of Ranma's inclinations in this area, so I
guess any consistent idea goes.
But given that Ranma doesn't have that revulsion programmed into him, and
that incest isn't the taboo in Japan that it is here, I think he'd find it
easier than most brothers to foster an attraction for her.
You are treading on thin ice here 8-) Anyhow, you are right that
being raised along with someone is what causes the incest barriers
to exist. So indeed, Ranma has to consciously control himself or
lose all his self-esteem as a martial artist, as he's supposed
to keep self-control at all times.
J.