Nihao! To 80% of all fanfics writers out there: why did you twist Shampoo
into a brainless, hostile bimbo?
I don't think I can agree with your harsh takes on Shampoo. I mean, when
Shampoo was originally hunting down the girl Ranma according to her law,
she has the following reasons:
- Ranma-chan wasn't EVEN an Amazon, yet she brazenly ate the first price of
the tornament. Instead of apologizing like any remotely decent person, she
challenged Shampoo, the tornament's winner. If Shampoo didn't accept teh
challenge, she would have let the entire village AND her pride down. She
had no choice but to accept, and the village had no choice but ot support
her decision.
-When Ranma-chan DID win, she was CLEARLY doing to the Amazon village what
the Dojo Destroyer (vol 8) was doing to the Tendo Dojo. Since Ranma chan
is commiting this crime RIGHT IN THE VILLAGE, Shampoo had every right to
chase her down to slay her for her insult.
-And in the end, Shampoo DIDN'T kill Ranma-chen even when she throught she
was a girl, she spared Ranma instead. She didn't even beat Ranma chan up.
I know what you'll say, Shampoo was trying to get Ranma to marry her after
her second appearance. But that 's because the formal defeat occured IN
THE VILLAGE. Shampoo has every right to get him to pay the price for
messing with her village.
Besides, all those free meals and free artifacts that Shampoo and Cologne
had given Ranma UNCONDITIONALLY had more than make up for Ranma's so called
"Trouble".
He should be grateful that someone as gorgeous as Shampoo was interested
in him!
Oh, and Ranma WAS leading Shampoo on, see vol 16, onsen chapter AND vol 22,
reveral Jewel chapter. Shampoo was manipulated into devoting to him.
ALSO, aside from her first Apearance, Shampoo had never physically threaten
Akane
afterwards. All she did was taunt Akane, and only after Akane had beat up
Ranma. Akane, on the other hand, did try beating up Shampoo with the
unfair advantage of the super strength noodles (Vol 11). Also, she HAD
kicked Shampoo twice in vol 12, but Shampoo had the good grace not to
retaliate. You can argue that she tried to 'get rid' of Akane in vol 18,
but she didn't do it in the end. In fact, by the end of the chapter, she
and Akane and the rest of the gang were working together to help Taro get
his name. The ending scene shows that everybody got along as friends
again.
As the series goes on, Akane can be seen eating at Nekohantan VARIOUS
times, volr 22, 27, 33 and many other times. And she had NEVER been
drugged by Shampoo or Cologne in any of those times. In fact, I's say
Shampoo is much more civil than Akane when it comes to getting Ranma.
Oh, and Shampoo is NOT submissive towards Ranma. See vol 10(Mousse's
second appearance) and vol 14 (ghost cat). When Ranma did something
stupid to displease her, she WILL put him back in his place with some very
effective method (mostly by exploiting his cat phobia but sometimes through
some other tricks). In vol 25, she even acted like Akane by beating up
Ranma for thinking he was an infidel.
Shampoo is NOT dumb. She's the only one who can outwit Nabiki and see
through her plots, plus counter attack her for it. In vol 25, she was the
one who came up with the way to defeat Hinako (even though it backfired at
the last minute). In vol 29, she easily outwitted Pink and Link time after
time in a battle of wits. Her ability to be crafty exceeds Nabiki's, IMO.
Oh, and lastly, Shampoo IS willing to give up on Ranma if she knows that he
had chosen Akane of his own free view. In vol 16, onsen chapter, when she
thought Ranma had dumped her for Akane, all she said was "As you wish then!
Shampoo no bother you!" and ran away in tears. In the final chapter, she
did what she did with Ukyou because she DIDN'T know Ranma was willingly
marryng Akane. All she saw was the The Tendos and Saotomes has suddenly
set up a hasty wedding and Ranma hadn't confront her about his true
feelings. HOw ELSE did you think Shampoo would have acted there, just let
Ranma be trapped into a hasty set up by his parents?
Adrian Wong