Adam Conover wrote:

On 31 Aug 98, at 23:27, David Johnston wrote:

Adam Conover wrote:

I still think that you're forgetting something major, here: Akane and
the rest of the Tendo sisters would all begin changing around age 14,
just like Futaba. By that time, they would quite possibly have their
own crushes on "normals", and would think of themselves in that way,
assuming that they also didn't find out about the change until it

Ahh, but isn't this an awfully large assumption?  Sure Futaba never
knew, but is that really standard for a Shimeru?  Quite possibly Akane
knew from an early age that she was going to change.  Her father, not
being an idol singer, wouldn't worry as much about young children's
blabbing, and would be likely to have told her.

actually happened, again like Futaba. Therefore, at least Futaba and
Akane should both have the same attitudes about it, and wouldn't
really view it as "a betrayl of the family"... unless you think that
Futaba would too. There's no previously mentioned reason why Futaba
and Akane should be different in that respect.

I thought the point of Futaba was that he was virtually unique among the
"family" in his attitudes.  There's no reason to assume he and Akane
would be the same in that respect.

Actually I really doubt that Futaba would want to give up his girl's
body by the end of the series, except as a last resort to save his
relationship with Misaki.  He's long since come to enjoy many things
about his female identity.

Yes, of course, but that wasn't my point, you see. My point was that
Akane and Futaba seem to have different attitudes. Akane would have
first rejected her boy's body (even more than normal, you would think
:) , then come to accept it, but I don't think she would have
developed the jingoism against "Normals" after only having the trait
for two years or so. Do you see my point?

The original point was, would Akane be willing to accept a "cure"?  I do
put "cure" in quotes, because I acknowledge it isn't something that
necessarily needs curing.  A large consensus seems to be that finding
some way for her to stay female during "intimacy" is the only way Ranma
is going to go for a relationship with her.

Hmmm.  Of course, let me bring up an alternate question.  Suppose Ranma
eventually loves her enough not to care that she changes into a boy
during intimate moments.  However, does that necessarily mean he's going
to be willing to change into a girl?  In my view, Ranma might actually
be more willing to accept a male/male physical realtionship, than a
male/female one where he is the female.  What would Akane's reaction be
to that?

If it were me, I'd suggest it would should be a bittersweet story about
two people who's differences are ultimately to great to overcome. 
However, the author has made it clear that esablishing a relationship
between Ranma and Akane is his number one priority, so we have to work
within that.

-- 
Matthew Campbell 
E-mail me at mgcampb@clemson.edu

"For the engineers among us who understand that the obvious
is not always the solution, and that the facts, no matter
how implausible, are still the facts..."