well, isn't this nice? instead of a private C&C, it's a 
public slam. well, then, shall i respond in kind?
why not?

<<[FFML] Comments on recent entries in "The Bet" series
Date:	9/8/98 9:49:55 AM US Mountain Standard Time
From:	rcarson@user2.mnsinc.com (Reid Carson)
Sender:	owner-ffml@ffml.fanfic.com
To:	ffml@fanfic.com
    On the whole, I've found the arc of story beginnings collectively known
as "The Bet" to be rather interesting individually (if prone to a good deal of
Akane-bashing)>>

       as i've said on numerous occasions, i do NOT have the full translated
manga. this is therefore the anime. Akane at the beginning of the series
is much like my sister-in-law, wife to my late brother Chris, who died of
"blunt wound trauma"- inflicted by said wife whom he refused to raise a hand
against or leave. i AM trying to be nice to Akane despite this, for all those
who have those manga episodes that show Akane to actually be a 
forgiving, even-tempered, gentle-spirited Saint.

<< and certainly much preferable to simply saying, e.g., "Hey, what if Ranma
had gotten some therapy to deal with the Nekoken?">>

People talked, i listened. This is what i came up with.
 
<< I have noticed one thing that bothers me though.>>

just one? i somehow feel i've failed...

<< Although the premise is that one change is made to a particular timeline,
often many other things, seemingly unrelated to the original change, are
different as well.>>

snowball effect, chaos theory, and outright cheating in some cases.
direct your attention to this paragraph in "Changing Plans":
"Minor change? How about a push,
here." Urd rubbed her hands, how could she keep
from meddling in THIS sort of love triangle, no 
make that a love _tangle_. Of course, if anybody
thought she was going to settle for just ONE 
nudge.....
   remember, not all gods/demons/etc. are paragons of virtue.
all apologies to the God Of Moments, who _is_:
 
<<It seems as if too often the author has a particular outcome in mind and is
trying to force the story in that direction.>>

actually, THAT hasn't been a problem. the problem has been that the
characters are often going off in ways that weren't in the original concept.
"Purple haired Mountain Majesty" was a prime example of this.

<< Take "Changing Plans", for instance. Urd has made Ranma take Akane's
comment to heart, with the result that he has cooled on her (I'm not sure it
would have had that much effect, but let that slide).>>

ah, the "Ranma has no pride" school. 

<<Why would Nabiki try to locate Ranma's mother in this timeline, since she
never bothered to in "reality" - as far as anyone, including Ranma, knew, he
didn't even have one.>>

now this one WAS my mistake as i deleted the introspective scene where
he decided to use the Saotome special technique- run away from the 
problem until you can figure out what to do. i will correct this before it
goes
to the RAAC. (FINALLY a valid point!)

 <<Why would Nodoka give up so easily on Ranma's engagement to one of the
Tendos, and what about her problem with his curse? Where the heck is Genma in
all this?>>

since the Bet series was originally developed as a set of teasers,
basically to say "here's a concept, is this the idea that would be
best for continuing on, or is this other one better?" a lot of things
don't get detailed out. first question: i've heard that Nodoka DOESN'T
know about the engagement, just as Ranma initially doesn't remember
the agreement to be "a man among men." He wouldn't know that his
curse was a big problem in that case, and she wouldn't immediately 
insist upon a Tendo. Genma? Genma's probably clueless as usual and
thinks Ranma's out trying to find a cure for his curse...

<< And what time frame does all this occur in? Shampoo showed up right after
the skating match, so why would she end up threatening Ranma's mother if he
was still at the Tendos? If he's not at the Tendos, wouldn't Ryoga have gone
after him, instead of hanging around to get involved with Akane?>>

time frame, starts in anime episode 3. the scene where the change begins
is right after the fight between Kuno and Ranma, and is the end of the
first day at Furinkan High.
Skating match is manga. This is anime. Am i going too fast here?
Why threaten Ranma's mother? Why threaten Akane? Oooh. Just
MAYBE Ranma's mother acts protective of a "Ranma Saotome" 
drawing the exact same set of circumstances that occur in the "canon"
around herself. 
Maybe Ryouga IS looking for Ranma. Think he's gonna find him
right off? Oh, i forget in one of the manga episodes i don't have,
he's shown to actually have an excellent sense of direction, is the
Archbishop of Chanticlear, and is a devout pacifist. How silly of me...
      and OF COURSE, he has no interest in hurting Ranma by trying
to score on Akane, and has no interest in Akane himself. Tsk. How
could i have missed that? <insert appropriate tones of dripping 
sarcasm>

<<Why would Ranma end up meeting Makoto? Frankly, I have a hard time seeing
Ranma deciding to put on a mask to fight youma - why wouldn't he just take
them on the way he fights anyone else?>>

Makoto? Why not? Frankly i've some sympathy towards the girl, as
she's always trying to find someone, always failing. i can EMPATHIZE.

Maybe he's trying to HIDE! Maybe he doesn't like publicity. Just MAYBE it
was because everyone else is disguised and he figures this is a chance for
some really insane fights and if he plays along he can get invited to all the
really good battles....gee, ya figure!

<<And then dragging Gold Digger into it...>>

So why not? The entire idea is not to write what everyone else has written,
and i haven't seen a whole lot of Gold Digger/Ranma crossovers. In fact, i 
don't think i've seen ANY. i haven't seen any Well Of Souls/Ranma crossovers
either, but while i think Nathan Brazil's reaction to the Ranma crew would be
wonderful, i don't think there are that many Chalker fans out there. Gold
Digger,
on the other hand..

<<The whole thing seems pretty arbitrary to me, and not at all the natural
result of Urd's change.>>

See notes above. Urd is not above cheating. This is completely IC for her.

<< In "Purple haired Mountain Majesty," why bother with the bit about the
spring of "Drowned Big Bad Wolf," since it had no effect anyway - just use an
empty spring?>>

it had no effect? Cologne had her doubts about this:
"<It MAY indicate that.>" Cologne
sighed. Whatever was going on, it bore further
study. She wasn't willing to bet that Shampoo
had miraculously avoided a Jusenkyo curse,
so something else was afoot. If it was what
she thought it was...then she may have to find
another Heir.

Mind you, i never say WHAT she suspects, or how it
will affect her destiny. i leave it to the reader's imagination
at this point (those who have some.)

<<Shampoo here doesn't seem much like the Amazon who was fully prepared to
kill Ranma after their first fight in "reality.">>

She isn't. She's the focus of the change, not Ranma for once. Surprise!

<< Why would a number of Amazons decide to join Shampoo on her trip, since
they didn't do it in "reality", on either of her journeys to Nerima?>>

i invoke the Law Of Takahashi. It happened because it was funny.

<< In the only case of "Amazon marriage" that we know of in the canonical
timeline, the groom objected very strongly. Why would any of the Japanese
"married" here be any more amenable?>>

they're not. most of them object very strongly.

<< I can't see Akane taking well to being "glomped" by some unknown boy, for
example, as was described.>>

Ah, but nobody escapes the Amazon Glomp(tm). Even the best martial artist
in Nerima (at least by his own hype) can't escape. Why should Akane?
i believe in Equal Opportunity Glomping here, i'm not sexist.

<< And though some have argued that Ranma is in some sense married to Shampoo,
since the fight took place in the Amazon village, certainly the rest have no
validity in Japanese law. >>

Cologne would argue the point, as Amazon Law has precedence over the amazon,
no matter where the amazon is.

<>

True. And your point is?

<<And of course, there's no chance the Japanese would deport Japanese
citizens, merely because illegal aliens claimed to be "married" to them,
against their will. Again, the whole setup seems quite contrived.>>

You are assuming that Cologne plays fair, is always honest and 
aboveboard, and does not have any skills beyond martial arts, herbcraft,
and cooking ramen...

<<A number of the stories do flow more naturally than this. I thought
"Crippled," for instance, held together better, though I'm a bit dubious
about Akane's reaction.>>

Imagine that, a serious fic takes things more seriously than a crossover
comedy or a weirdfic...what IS the world coming to?

<<There are a couple of problems even here, though.>>

Only a couple? i am SO disappointed. Oh, wait, it's just you can't count
past two?

<<Would the hospital really release Ranma so blithely, with no one there to
pick him up? He is a minor, after all. How could Ranma ask the hospital to
contact his mother, when he doesn't even know about her?>>

Tsk. No one's to pick him up. His mother is now named "no one". Funny, I
thought she was Nodoka. Must be how they spell things in your world.

<<Do we assume he's become a homeless person now? How exactly is he going to
survive?>>

Yes. Once Nodoka ends up rejecting him, he's on his own. The Japanese, 
oddly enough, DO have some faults, particularly as regards their handicapped.
Do you know how many handicapped accessible buildings i saw in Kobe?
Counting the train station: 1

<<How did Shampoo find out her "airen" was in the hospital? I don't imagine
the Tendos would tell her. Once again, a few elements seem contrived so as to
put Ranma in the worst situation possible.>>

How did she track him from the Tibet border to Japan? Oh, i forget, ANOTHER
of those manga issues that i don't have showed she has the IQ of a flatworm.
Gee, maybe she just got lucky, then? And just happened to have intuited
Ranma's
name along the way.

If you don't like the fics DON'T READ them! You'll feel better, i'll feel
better,
and the whole world will be a much nicer place, don't you think?

<< Reid Carson
rcarson@mnsinc.com>>

and yes it was another hot humid damn 10mi bike ride
to/from work...

ja ne,

gregg