At 03:23 PM 8/20/97 GMT, Gary Kleppe wrote:

[...]

OK, but the above assumes that Ranma really *IS* out of character in
this series. Speaking as someone who HAS read Slayers 1/2, I didn't find
this to be the case.

I don't think it really matters all that much.  After all,
Ranma is simply being used as a Kuno-like comedic foil
rather than being a character who is in any way 
important to what is going on.  Apparently in _Slayers_
references to Lina's flat chest and less than voluptuous
figure are a running gag from what I gather, and Lina is
the important character in the story.  However, I do
have to wonder about Ryouga's secondary characterisation.
After all, he's lost just about all of his reason to attack
Ranma.  He can't be doing it to win Akane, because
Akane has no use for Ranma and doesn't even care that
Ryouga's going to kill him.  Surely the pig
curse isn't as big a deal now that he knows that Akane
doesn't care at all about it and it poses no obstacle
to his happiness.  At this point, Ryouga will be beating
up Ranma just to prove he can.  And he already did that
as I understand it, when he mastered the Houkoudan.  
This story really could use a bad guy who can put up
a fight.  Maybe Herb, or somebody from Lina's world.  
Let's flick away Ranma as the annoyingly inferior 
insect everyone in the story regards him as, and
get to some action.