I like it.
 However, I think that you could take 'canon' Ranma, and make
Akane a gender switcher. 
 Bend the rules a little. (I dont think that Futaba-kun was told
since he was young, so...)
 The gene is a latent gene. It is not always activated. Soun,
through his training in the Art, was able to prevent his shift
into a girl, and married his wife.
 The change is usually triggered during puberty, but not always.

 
 Well, lets just say that Akane(within the first ten manga
volumes) starts having halucinations, nightmares, that sort of
thing. Then, when she gets flustered because of something that
Ranma does, she _shifts_.
 Much chaos ensues.
 Akane is eventually told.

 Nabiki is always in control, a by product of her personality.
 Kasumi cannot get excited about anything, either that or she is
taking 'non-perscription' drugs.
 Soun has controlled her/his? change, so that he can do it on
command.
 
 Well, I could go on here, but that would make me want to write
the fic, but I havn't read and Futaba-kun Change! manga. I am
already in the middle of a cross-over fic: Time Enough for Lust.
I don't have time to do that.

 That's my constructive cent.

 However:
   Futaba-kun is an extraneous character. Find some way to
remove him from the story. With a house full of
shapeshifters(five gender swappers, one panda), you don't need,
or want, another.
   Akane is still violent. good. 
   Ranma is still a punk. good. 
   There is a little comedy. good.
   No Romance. bad.
   Extreme amounts of antagonism. bad
   Everyone is a prospective shapeshifter. bad
     (Hiroin: the principle?)

 My basic suggestion is that you reduce the number of
shapeshifters. One, maybe two, Tendos. Ranma. Genma. Ryoga.
Shampoo.

 Maybe make it so that Akane is the one that gets walked in on
by Ranma, at first.
 Find a different way that Ranma and Akane can be at each
other's throats, while still be interested in the other. This is
the basis for a _good_ romantic comedy.

A very interesting thought, but what I am aiming for is that the 
deliberate purpose of Ranma's curse is so that he can marry one of 
Soun's children. Ranma must come to terms with his feelings about both 
the curse and the marriage. Futaba was added to smooth things a bit and 
to add weight to the Futaba-kun elements of the story. You've made an 
interesting suggestion, but I've developed the idea too far to jump ship 
now. Any of you authors out there might write it if you like.


Phil

prohackr@hotmail.com


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