David Johnston and Freemage . wrote:

is one thing that really bothers me about it.  Whether or not Akane
realizes it, she fell in love with Ranma's _personality_, not Ranma's
body.  While I am willing to accept the whole "Please be a woman full
time for me" premise, I don't think Akane realizes the long-term

effects

of some of the other things she's having Ranma do--wearing a bra,
showing "feminine modesty", etc.  What Akane fell in love with was
_Ranma_, in a female body.  The person she fell in love with had a
number of decidedly unfeminine traits, and eliminating those traits
will, *must*, change the person herself.

True, it will change the person. But I don't know of a couple anywhere
that does not end up changing eachother. That's just the way it is. I
think considering Ranma's character that the resultant change wont be as
great as you think. After all Akane was completely female and a real
"Tom-Boy Type" as well as very feminine. 

Nope.  Ranma loves Akane.  Akane loves Ranma's (other) body.  She
obviously doesn't care about anything except his physical form.  That
gives Akane the upper hand, which explains why Ranma is making all the
concessions.

I dissagree, I think that Jon-sempai is doing fine. Ranma loves Akane and
the package that her spirit comes in. Akane loves Ranma and the female
version of the package that his/her spirit comes in. 
Just as its true that a relationship based purely on sex won't last. A
complete and healthy human relationship includes both love for the person
and attraction for the body. 

Of course in realistic terms, Akane is being terminally stupid.  She

has

a sterling opportunity to live closeted in perfect respectibility
avoiding all the hassles of a lesbian marriage while reaping all the
benefits.  Instead she is deliberately choosing the course of action
that brings the maximum of social censure and family turmoil.
expected.

True it would have been socialy more acceptable in the real world to keep
things a secret (aka only have sex when Ranma is female) This would also
have led to greater tension. I have quite afew friends that are "in the
closet" as far as the general world is conserned. Trust me this puts a
tememdous strain on them. Personaly I am strait and enaged to be married.

I don't know what your take on the "Does Onna-Ranma age?" debate is, but
it doesn't really matter.  Watch:

1)O-R is immortal:  As Akane ages, Ranma is going to become less
interested in sex, as Akane will simply be less attractive.  At the same
time, though, as the sex in their relationship fades, there will be
nothing to replace it (from Akane's POV), because she has no interest in
Ranma the Person.

2)O-R ages normally:  This one is even worse.  While option one might
hold off the inevitable for a few years (as Ranma continues to make love
to the aging Akane despite the fading interest, out of "his" love for
her), this case will result in a break-up by forty, max, as O-R slowly
grows further away from Akane's ideal.

The fact Ranma-chan and Ranma's mom look alike reminds me that remember it
is what Ranma would look like if born female. So it is still him ... I
mean her.


Lathrop L Preston                     LP0027@DRAKE.EDU
Drake Anime Club Librarian            ANIME@ACAD.DRAKE.EDU
Assistant On-Line Editor for the Times Delphic
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