I don't have Chris Szeto's original post so I'll sort of indirectly reply to
him this way.

Chris Szeto wrote:

Matthew Campbell wrote:

Oh, and about P-chan.  It isn't the same thing.  Ryouga may have been
lying to her about his identity, but she lied to him about her emotions.

Actually it was strongly hinted in 'The Mask, We Must Wear' by the same
author prelude to this series that Akane still did not realize who
P-chan
actually is.

Yep, at the time of The Masks We Must Wear, Akane still hadn't figured out
the P-chan secret.
 

Ok, I didn't know that.  Stil, his betrayal of her trust doesn't excuse 
her betrayal of his trust.  In fact in makes it worse, because she has 
to know Ryouga is hurting, but as far as she knows, he hasn't done 
anything to deserve it.

Sorry you see it that way.  As I've said before, I think the majority of
Ryouga's pain is self inflicted.

Now let us look at Shampoo.  Akane has the sheer, unmitigated _gall_ to
be angry at Shampoo for interupting the wedding??!!  Let's lay this out

I believe it was the way the wedding was broken up that angered Akane.

Still, she's reaping what she sowed.  Akane has spent the past year 
encouraging no more than that sort of behavior in the others.  
Encouraging by permitting it and (when wearing her mask) indulging in 
just such "express emotion through action" behavior herself.

Reread more closely.  Akane always "express emotion through action" at Ranma
and only at Ranma. If anything, she's only encouraged other's to take things
out on Ranma.

Now he hasn't even so much as thanked her for her heroic efforts.  Now
Akane has the nerve to come up and start threatening her.  Wait, Shampoo
is confused.  Shampoo thought violent-girl no want wedding.

I believe this lie was instagated just for this reason if Akane ever
openly showed her love for Ranma, Shampoo would realize that Akane is a
real obstacle and would try very hard to remove her.

So the whole thing was because they've spent the past year in mortal 
terror of Shampoo?  I don't quite buy that.  Heck, they have ample 
evidence that Shampoo doesn't have it in her to kill.  She left the 
first time without killing Ranma. even though it meant going home in 
disgrace.

Go my son and read "The Masks They Must Wear." Shampoo's use of Amazon mind
control techniques on Akane was a terrifying experience for both Ranma and
Akane.  She has shown both Ranma and Akane that she has the capability of
doing things _worse_ than killing, if properly motivated.

As it is, telling her the truth might help safeguard Akane.  Right now 
Shampoo thinks that if she could get Akane out of the way, Ranma would 
gladly come with her.  If she knew the true depths of Ranma's feelings, 
she might very well give up and go home.

Possibly true, but it's a BIG risk for them to take. Too big, IMHO.
Consider, both Ranma and Akane rather like and certainly respect Shampoo.
They don't want to be hurt, but they also don't want to have to do hurt
either. Just one facet of the megadilemma they face.

Face it, the whole wedding fiasco was Ranma and Akane's fault from
beginning to end.  They hornswaggle everyone into believing they don't
want to get married, and then they're surprised when those who care
about them show up to stop the wedding?

When they, Saotomes and Tendos with the exception of Nabiki, were not
knowingly invited... Yes I would suspect that they would be surprised.

They might not have expected it, but given the situation they helped 
create, I can't believe they were truly surprised.

IMHO, Ranma and Akane expected _something_ to happen to screw up the
wedding. That's why they went along. They didn't want the wedding to
succeed. I think, again IMHO, they were quite surprised and dismayed at the
degree of violence that happened. I imagine they were expecting something
more along the lines of all the fiancees and rivals show up and start a
fight. A general melee gets going that ends with Ranma being chased away by
an angry mob leaving Akane standing, alone, at the alter.

Best,

Bob Barnes
rbarnes@moscow.com
Moscow, Idaho

When opportunity comes, the trick is to CATCH the red hat.