On Wed, 23 Apr 1997, Mark Doherty wrote:

In this case I think the characterisation of Ukyo is perfectly fine, she
just happened to end up doing the wrong thing at the wrong time.  With
how her other plans backfire so badly it's isn't unexpected.

Mmm, characterisation isn't something that riles me too much. If something
is badly characterised, I might roll my eyes a bit, but it won't annoy me
too much. And if the characterisation changes are _believably_ explained
(as Shampoo's was in this fic), than I can stomach almost any 
characterisation.

I had no problem with Ukyou's characterisation in the fic, I just have a
hard time seeing Ukyou go through self-inflicted emotional horror. We all
don't like certain things happening to our favourite characters. The 
Shampoo fans, from my observation, are sick of seeing her treated as an
evil bimbo who doesn't have a chance of getting Ranma, and they seek to
address that in their fics. I just hate seeing Ukyou ending up with 
nothing. So, as I said, as long as Ukyou gains redemption... 

Well that's good to hear.  And I hear from Ryan that she will indeed
regain some of what she lost.

redemption, I'll be ok with it...(OOOooooo I hate it when Ukyou feels
miserable for something she did in a fic! That isn't a flame, BTW, just
me venting.)

Yeah, and I hate it when Shampoo ends up with Mousse.  OOOOOOoooooo.
So far, at the very best I've said "Errr, ummm, okay" and at the worst,
well, "DIE MOUSSE!!!!  DIE A THOUSANDS, NO TEN THOUSAND DEATHS!!!!!"
and more often than not, like 99% of the time it's the latter.
Gladly this story isn't one of those.

Hmmm... I'm guessing you're not a fan of the Mousse-Shampoo matchup. :P

HATE IT, HATE IT, HATE IT, HATE IT... ad infinidum.

Personally, I have no great problem with any matchup, as long as it is
explained to my satisfaction. In a way, that seems to be (one of) the 
problem(s) that people have with the Mousse/Shampoo, Nabiki/Kunou, 
Ryouga/Ukyou and even Ranma/Akane matchups, in that they are often seen
as the easy ways out, and therefore are not logically explained. 

The problem I have with said match up is one of two things happens:
one, he suddenly becomes mister nice and perfect (excuse me but, HAHAHAHA
, yeah right, he's had 13 years to get better and as is he's a real jerk
[though the anime version is a bit better but still]).
two, he turns to a total A-1 SOB that I'd love to rip his heart out
and shove it down his throat.
Actually, there is the third bad possibility, Shampoo suddenly loves
him.  Ehhh, no.  She may, may, have some minor sympathy or liking for
the guy, maybe even a little bit of love but she's not about to suddenly
fall all over the guy (she barely tolerates him most the time).

Ahhh, *sigh*.  I say okay to the first but it doesn't make it believable,
but at least they end her up with some Mousse-want-to-be who is good.
To me, damned near anyone of Shampoo's age group is better.  That means
Kuno, Ryoga, Tsubasa, Ranma, Konastu, Akane, Ukyo, Ranma-chan, hell even
Kodachi is better.  I personally like Ranma for Shampoo (although for
Ranma I like Akane best).  However, so few of those.  I wouldn't even
mind a good Shampoo Ryoga one.

Demonstrate good enough factors/reasoning/deciding events for relationship
development, and you'll never get a complaint from me. (Good luck, BTW, of
convincing me that Happosai'd marry anyone in mutual willingness without 
major magic ie love potions involved.) Hell, to prove just how much I believe 
in my own philosophy, I'm writing a fic right now that explores a 
relationship I've never seen done before(and will probably never see 
done again).

Happosai with anyone... yeah, not too damned likely.
Demonstrate the factors for me too and you have me sold.  However, I
have yet to see one that truly satisfies me all the way for Shampoo and
Mousse (seen good 'Ryoga Ukyo's, 'Ranma Akane's and a few others).

(I still want to see a Mousse/Akane matchup. I've never seen it done, outside
one person's VERY incomplete fic, and there it was only a possible matchup.
Come on people, please, someone write a Mousse/Akane fic. I would, but I'm
swamped with unfinished stuff as it is. Waaahh!!! I've asked for this one
before, and no-one's done it yet!!!) 

Well, in my new fic I have absolutely no idea who's getting anyone.
That's the Kasumi in Ranma's position one.  Mousse/Akane huh...
That one does have it's appeal (actually she's on my list of his
good matches, along with Natsuma and Ukyo).  I'll take this into
consideration.  Oh, and if anyone else wants to try and convince me
of a match up, go for it.  I'm very open to suggestions.

And wasn't it you, Wade, that was one of the ones to recently challenge
writers to write more 3 Dimensional Shampoo stories, or Shampoo gets Ranma
stories or something like that? (Sorry, I went through my mailbox with a

Yes, that was me.  No apologies necessary.

razor a day ago and wiped every message I'd read, so I can't go back and
check. If it wasn't you, I sincerely apologise.) I think you said that if
the writers hated the characters, then work with them to make them better. 
(Again, if that wasn't you I apologise.) So why don't you write a believable
Mousse/Shampoo matchup? I know, I know, you don't like the match, so why
should you write it. Still...

Actually, I have been considering it, but I'd need one hell of a lot
of time.  If I get around to making a within the continuity fic I think
I just might go for it.  As is though there is far too many and I need to
calm down about certain over fics that did just a horrid job of putting
them together.  I'm more interested in other combos for those two.  You
hardly ever see Shampoo or Mousse with other matchups.  Although I will
try to treat Blind Bird Boy with some decent respect and turn him for
the better in all my fics (believe me, I've been sitting at the keyboard,
just edging to write a real nasty revenge fic for the little gwit, say
like Akuma suddenly taking an interest in seeing Shampoo free of the
jerk  >:) ).
If I get really bored one day and have nothing else to do I'll go
for it, but it will involve both parties going through a mess of
changes, plus a few beating for Mousse.  Right now I have two
other projects in the works and I'm getting side tracked enough
as is.
You'll know it though, because it will start something like this:

Mousse:  Shampoo!  This is my final challenge!  This time I will win!

Shampoo:  *sigh*Okay.

(SMASH!!!!)

Mousse:  *groan of extreme pain*

Shampoo:  Now go away stupid.



Wade Tritschler
http://www.mala.bc.ca/~tritscwa