Date:          Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:30:40 +0000 (GMT)
From:          KLEPPE@execpc.com (Gary Kleppe)
Subject:       Re: [FFML] Ranma and Nabiki
To:            fanfic@fanfic.com

On Wed, 23 Apr 1997 09:38:45 -0400 (EDT), Luigi Mattera wrote:

 If *you* think that being insulted is grounds for hitting someone, then
go right ahead.  I guarantee that you'll either be arrested for assault
or hit right back.  Akane hits Ranma *full* force all the time.  Akane is
lucky that Ranma won't hit her.  Even Kasumi admitted that Akane was a
violent maniac.

*sigh*.... What the Akane-bashers keep ignoring is that Ranma 1/2 exists
in a toon-ish world. What she does is no more than cartoon slapstick
violence. It generally has no ill effects other than funny-looking lumps
on Ranma's head for the next few panels. She no more deserves to be
institutionalized than Bugs and Elmer do.

Now, I'm one of the most non-violent people you'll meet in real life
(just ask the crew of Fred from Revenge's End). But if I lived in a toon
world, I too might start bashing people over the head with mallets to
get their attention. ;-)

Well, good for you. :)
 

Let's not forget either that Akane is not the only violent one. In the
stuff that Viz has translated so far, Ukyo is just as violent as Akane.
I don't know whether she mellowed out as the series went on, but in the
"Ryoga dates Akane" and the Tsubasa storylines she is not only every bit
as violent, but also less discriminating about her choice of target. She
hit Tsubasa, a noncombatant, and she swung at "Ryoga's fiance" who for
all she knew could have been just a normal girl. So how come people
aren't screaming for Ukyo to be locked up, huh? Because she's prettier?
Let's have a little consistency!

<sarcasm>

Oh, well, in that case, I'm really, truly, terribly sorry that I've 
read past the end of what Viz has translated.  You can never imagine 
the regret I feel that some of the bad, evil, heathen stories from the
latter 2/3 of the manga have caused me to develop an opinion of Ukyou 
that differs considerably from the One True Characterization of Ukyou(tm)
that the all-seeing, all knowing, all powerful King Gary has laid 
down.  I beg your forgiveness.

</sarcasm>

:>   :>   :>   :>   :>

Seriously, though, you've been bonking other authors over the head 
over portrayals of Ukyou in C&C.  I think this is out of line 
because:

1.  The characters are not portrayed particularly consistenly by 
Takahashi.  There is therefore no one 'right' characterization, but 
rather a range of acceptable characterizations.

2.  Given the above, different authors will see the characters in 
different lights, depending on background, upbringing, personal 
experience, etc.  As long as the character doesn't deviate _so_ far 
away from the original as to become ridiculous, these differing 
characterizations are valid.

3.  You have said (or at least implied) that you have only read what 
Viz has translated.  For Pete's sake, this is less than 1/3 of the 
series!  And, to top it all off, Ukyou only appears relatively 
recently in it.  If you've only read Viz translations, you're only 
getting part of the picture.

Yes, Ukyou and Akane could both be described as 'violent'.  However, 
there is evidence that Ukyou is much less violent than Akane.

I'd like to throw this hypothetical question out:

How would _Akane_ have reacted in the situations mentioned above?

How would _Akane_ have reacted if Ranma had shown Ryouga her 
(Akane's) breasts?

How would _Akane_ have reacted if some strange girl showed up and 
started fouling up her plans?

How would _Akane_ have reacted if she owned a restaurant and some 
wierdo hidden in a pop machine showed up and started busting things 
up?

How would _Akane_ have reacted if a statue charged at her?

Something tells me that she would have reacted with a lot more 
violence than Ukyou did.  (I hesitate to even imagine the beating 
that the first one would have brought on. :)
 

Remember a basic rule of logic: If you assume any (provably) false
statement to be true, you can prove any other statement whether true or
false. If you assume Akane's violence has serious consequences, you can
prove that she's a dangerous maniac who needs to be locked up. But that
don't make it so. The premise is flawed.

Well, even Kasumi calls Akane a "violent maniac". :)

Anyways, methinks some people around here need to take a Prozac. :)

(me included :)

- Sean Connor (connor@meena.cc.uregina.ca)

        "It jams." - Intel TV ad, referring to the Pentium chip.