For every occasion in which Akane mallets Ranma, there is an open-hand slap,
a toss-over-shoulder, a splash of cold water, or- *gasp* - nothing. Akane is
*NOT* so mindlessly violent as you portray her.

Unfortunately, the burden of proof is on you, Redneck, if you want to prove
to us that Akane's acting OOC, as you're the one claiming that she is OOC.
Unless you provide evidence, all you're doing is flapping your meat at us.

Well, thanks to Gary, all the major instances in which Akane is OOC have
been deliniated.

As for proving my point, i. e. 'Akane is not a psychopathic sadistic twit,'
it is difficult to impossible to prove a negative. I counter this by saying
that the evidence in favor of Akane being a psychopathic sadistic twit is
severely flawed.

Here's a suggestion: How 'bout going back to your mangas and actually doing
a count of each chastization ("open-hand slap, a toss-over-shoulder, a
splash of cold water, or - *gasp* - nothing")? That way, you'll have some
hard numbers to back up your claim, or at least set the record straight.

well, I'll have to settle for the three Viz graphic novels I have on my
shelf, since my tankubon are buried in my sales stock at the moment.

Eliminating instances when Akane does not have a chance to react

(0) No hit, no damage to Ranma
(1) Hit but no effect (or if followed through, no effect)
(2) Moderate effect
(3) Knockout

Vol. 1

walks in on Ranma naked -- screams and runs away (0)
the 'I'm better built' crack -- flattens him with a table (3)
Ranma walks in on her naked -- open-hand slap (2) 
'violent tomboy' crack -- throws bookbag at him (1) 
'blue panties' crack -- kicks Ranma back towards Kuno (1)
'dorky girl' crack w/ Kuno's pictures -- goes postal (3)
'dorky girl' crack in Tofu's clinic -- dumps Ranma off bed (1)
'violent crazed lunatic' crack -- nothing (0)
immodesty- 'tomboy' crack -- nothing (0)
'you're dying to go' to Tofu's crack -- drags Ranma to school by pigtail (1)
'hits a ball like a savage' -- nothing (0)
'macho,' 'sexless' -- nothing (0)
sticks out tongue while she mopes -- shoves him down (1)
peeping in her window -- open-hand slap (2)
'...the chest is too tight, the waist is too loose' -- attacks with boken (2)
arguement re: Ranma needing Akane's help -- open-hand slap (2)
'bad cut' -- punches Ranma and Ryoga, as offered (2)
tries to apoligize through window -- throws lamp at him (1)

Vol. 3

Shampoo kissing Ranma ('Wo ai ni') -- throws bonbori at him (3)
'get to know each other better -- open-hand slap (2)
Shampoo in bed with Ranma -- bucket of cold water (1)
 tries to stop Akane from fighting Shampoo -- shoves him away (1)
'slow chick' crack -- shuts window in his face (2)
takes P-Chan away (411 formula in effect) -- attacks (1)
Shampoo glomps Ranma -- elbow to the face (2)
tries to use 411 technique -- slams him into the sink (2)
insult therapy -- right cross (3)

Vol. 4

'macho chick' -- slap to the back of the head (1)
'keep out of my business' -- nothing (0)
mistaking Gosunkugi for Akane -- boot to the head (2)
neko-ken kiss -- orbital velocity (3)
arguement re: 'you'd have kissed anybody?' -- orbital velocity (3)
Shampoo in the tun -- orbital velocity (2)
Akane as prize re: Ranma v. Mousse -- nothing (0)
Shampoo glomps Ranma -- nothing (0)
Ranma-chan -doesn't- kiss Akane -- shoves him into midair (1)

OTOH, there are two instances in the above which I must admit lend strength
to Akane being a psycho etc. etc. etc.

After the Neko-ken incident, Akane thinks to herself, while worked up over
the 'kiss,' "I'll go home and beat the tar out of Ranma, that'll make me
feel better."

And during the Shark-fist bit at the beach, Akane thinks, "If he loses, I'll
kill him!"

However, this is -all- the incidents in over 700 pages of story, with there
being a peaceful interaction for every violent interaction re. Ranma and Akane.

(I blew about an hour and a half on this, I hope it actually does some good)

While I'm on things which don't work, what's with the curse? Suddenly
Ranma's curse is locked into place, with no explanation whatsoever. Within
the framework of the R 1/2 universe, there is zero credibility for this.
Explanation of some sort is required, and fast.

Where? As far as I can tell, Ranma's curse seems to we working fine.

At least twice- once in Tofu's clinic, once when Nodoka is trying to explain
about the curses- Ranma is dosed with hot water and does not change into a boy. 

Furthermore, we are given to understand that none of the baths Ranma took at
the hospital changed her, either.

Oh, and one other thing; the fic has absolutely zero comedic content. That,
above all else, is a fatal flaw in any Ranma fic, IMHO.

It IS your humble opinion.

However, it is _not_ gospel.

Comedy is a feature of a story or series, NOT of the universe it's set in.
When you get down to it, the Ranmaverse is very cruel to all its
castmembers. It's only funny to us because _we_ don't have to go through
what they go through.

Well, yes. 

A universe, any universe, is a literary tool, as are the characters in it.
Just because "Ranma 1/2" was a comedy doesn't mean that we can't use the
Ranmaverse to explore the darker side of humanity. Indeed, I think it makes
Ranma and his chums _better_ tools for Fiction Noir than characters native
to dark genres, as the contrast the normal and derived is so striking.

I don't think I need to burden you with my opinions re: film noir and that
genre in general.

Besides, you said yourself that you were engrossed with "The Bitter End".
Not only that, you gave enough of a shit to actually bitch about Akane's
character. Ie, it held your attention and it provoked your thinking. That
sounds like a successful story to me, and Zen was doing his job. ;)

In both cases, it was because the basic premise, although well-written, was
not to my mind credibly presented.

So you want a Ranma 1/2 comedy fanfic?

Go out and write your own goddamn fic, because you can't force us to write
one for you. <said in the nicest possible way>

I'm working on it. Them. Whatever.

Redneck (that is, when I'm not working on selling stuff, and I'll be up in
Austin for a show week-from-Sunday, check your papers, plug plug)
Kris Overstreet, will write for food... |  "FOOLISH CANINE! I AM NOT 
http://www.txdirect.net/users/redneck   |    -YOUR- FRIEND!"
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