The FFML Reviews List
=====================
For the week of: October 23, 1998
Reviewers:
Paul Arezina <arezina@acad1.stvincent.edu>
Helen Szeto <Helen@eiw-ca.com>
Shunsuke <shunsuke@mailcity.com>
Synopses Submitted: 38
* * * * *
[Ah! Megami-Sama!]
- - - - -
Title: Friends & Relations Chapter 2
Series: Ah! Megamisama
Genre: AMG fic with new character
Author: David Row
Email: drow@newmoon.uk.com
Homepage: http://www.newmoon.com/iczer2
Size: approx 30k
Summary:
Ashtoreth arrives on Earth, and enjoys herself finding her way around
Tokyo. Keiichi discovers the joy of motorcycle maintenance (without
zen) and various people encounter each other for the first time - in
some cases, with explosive results...
{Paul}
Heh heh heh. Nice scene with Keiichi and the new live-in succubus-
type demon... for the approximately two minutes before the littlest
goddess becomes too proactive for her own good. Again. Wonderful
touches which hover just outside the plot; the whole story has a
sort of layered feel to it which I like - a quick skim is enough,
but a thorough read yields a few finer details. All in all, very
nicely done. 15 or 16 out of 20.
* * * * *
[Blue Seed]
- - - - -
Title: Hidden Fires chapter 2
Series: BlueSeed
Genre: Dark...
Author: LilTigre
E-mail: mitama@yahoo.com
Date sent to FFML: 10/20/98
Summary:
Delve into the mind of Kusanagi Mamoru as he dreams of a past best
left forgotten.... and watch as the TAC continues the fight against
Kaede and Murakumo's sinister plot! Will the Aragami win the fight for
Kusanagi's life?
{Shunsuke}
Like the first part, this fits in quite well with the storyline of
the original, though it definitely requires knowledge of the series.
The flashbacks and current scenes are very much like the series and
has much the same feel. It just seems that the parts are a little
too short, but other than that, it works.
* * * * *
[Bubblegum Crisis]
- - - - -
Title: Drunkard's Walk II, Chapter 2
Series: Bubblegum Crisis
Genre: Crossover/Insert
Author: Robert M. Schroeck
Email: rms@cnj.digex.net
Homepage: http://www.cnj.digex.net/~rms
Date Sent to FFML: 25 October 1998
Size: 94K
Summary:
As Douglas Sangnoir attempts to blend in and settle down in MegaTokyo,
several different groups investigate his arrival. Meanwhile, Lisa
Vanette discovers that her new neighbor is something other than he
appears, and must deal with the consequences of pressing Nene for
information on the Knight Sabers' activities.
{Paul}
Hmm. So many things to say, so little space... first off, I'm
calling this one 18 and up out of 20, right up front. Why? Simple.
This story strikes a VERY nice balance between having the new
character do his own exposition and letting others do it for him.
And, while some might argue that having the AD Police being even
remotely competent is horribly out of character, it adds a welcome
touch of realism to the story, similar to the one that is lent to
Stigma. Slightly less morbid, however, and interesting to see that
the eminently logical reasoning of one Leon McNichol can still
totally miss the mark. Not as though Leon-san's been dealing with
the new man's particular genetic strain, but still... All in all, a
very interesting work, a lot of further background and stats on the
new guy, and several nice sub-plots that twine nicely around the
main one before being resolved, if only partially. Quite a few
throwbacks to the original, ones which WON'T leave you in the dark
if you haven't seen the series or don't remember certain episodes...
deserves every point I gave it.
* * * * *
[Dragonball Z / Ranma 1/2 / Star Trek]
- - - - -
Title: Love Hurts
Series: Star Trek/DBZ/Ranma
Genre: Novel/Xover
Author: SuperAkane
Email: superakane@yahoo.com
{Shunsuke}
Uhh...I dunno. This doesn't really go anywhere (except maybe to
let the author gush publicly about her favorite ST:V character).
The characters from Ranma (are there any DBZ? I don't watch it)
feel like an afterthought, and don't really do much besides
facilitate the two ST couples' actions. The writer does have a
good idea of how to set up a romantic scene, but there's not much
else here. With a little more, sure, it'd be interesting.
* * * * *
[Evangelion]
- - - - -
Title: Apocrypha, ep. 3 "Give Me Understanding"
Series: Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Alternate timeline/"what if?"
Author: Tim Miller
Email: trmiller@bcpl.net
Homepage: http://www.bcpl.net/~trmiller/
Date Sent to FFML: 10-19-98
Size: 38 KB
Summary:
As he continues the process of settling in at NERV's Tokyo-3
headquarters, Michael begins undergoing the battery of tests and
training sessions which will enable him to join the official combat
roster of Evangelion pilots. His inexperience with the Japanese
language is just one more barrier which he'll have to overcome along
the way; fortunately, there are several people who know enough English
to communicate with him. But will language alone be enough to help
Michael start making friends where he needs them?
{Shunsuke}
And now we play that well known game, "Where's Gendo?" ^_^
Kidding aside, this picks up where it left off and goes in the same
direction (though I'm still trying to figure out what that is...).
The character development is consistent, although I'd question
Michael's reaction to Asuka's idiotic/thoughtless question; I would
have thought he'd be a little more ticked or upset, but maybe it's
just me.
Other than that, I'd say the same as I did for the previous parts,
so I'll keep it short: read it.
* * * * *
[Evangelion/Patlabour]
- - - - -
Title: The Replacement Killers
Series: Evangelion/Patlabor (cameos by others)
Genre: Spamfic
Author: D.B. Sommer
Email: sommer@3rdm.net
Summary:
With all three of the regular pilots down, it's up to the replacement
pilots to go out there and stomp the Angels. Too bad they tend to
cause more damage then the enemy.
{Shunsuke}
Chow Yun Fat is exactly what *is* needed here. Ye gods, what's
next, Rei VII calls her EVA the "Starleaf"? O_- Silly, silly,
silly. (But funny.)
* * * * *
[Megacrossover]
- - - - -
Title: First Knight 2: Challenges
Series: Ranma 1/2, Yu Yu Hakusho, and some cameos from other series.
Genre: Crossover
Author: Donny Cheng
Email: chengd@ucalgary.ca
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Ginza/4537
Date Sent to FFML: October 21, 1998
Size: 28k
Summary:
Ranma reflects on his art and decides to do something about it.
{Shunsuke}
There's a definite sense of finality to this, that whatever happens
will be permanent. This is certainly not a story that will end up
back where it began.
Familiarity with the various series would be a big help here, or
you could end up missing things or not appreciate what each person
can do. This demands a little homework of the reader, but it's
not work without a reward.
- - - - -
Title: The Sum of All Parts - Yellow : All-Purpose Cultural Mecha Boy Ryu-kun Phase 0-I
Series: Nuku-Nuku among others
Genre: Megacrossover
Author: TimeRunner
Email: keiichi@i-manila.com.ph
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/7482
Date Sent to FFML: October 19, 1998
Summary:
The legacy of the Mirror Shards continues as Ryunosuke - or is it
Ryutaro? - deals with everyday life - in his new cyborg body! Kyusaku
prepares to quit teaching to work ar NERV! Lady Akiko deals with
estranged parenthood - and her two strange sidekicks!
{Paul}
*pfft* Okay. Once you get past the "every series happens at once"
idea, this fic is actually very good, if not completely hysterical
because of the overlap in roles between series. I shudder to think
what would happen if, say, Kei and Yuri took the place of Kiyone
and Mihoshi... but I digress. Overall, some very interesting
writing, nice interaction between series, and it all seems
plausible somehow. Funny omake too. All in all, 14 or 15 out of 20.
* * * * *
[Original]
- - - - -
Title: The Lemon: The FFML's Finest News Source
Series: Newspaper you rapscallion!
Genre: Witless drivel disguising itself as humor.
Author: Ryoucilo who is not as amusing as he thinks he is.
Email: bogue@negia.net
Homepage: Soon to be taking over The Onion's Web Page in a hostile takeover
Date Sent to the ML: October 23, 1998
Size: Now, isn't that a little too personal a question?
Summary:
The only journalism that's supposed to be yellow! More wanton
plagarism than any other newspaper in the world!
{Shunsuke}
Some people on the FFML have taken offense to this and called it an
unnecessary attack on certain authors and posters, and other people
(a smaller number) have called it funny and a good job of deflating
some egos and arguments. I'm in the latter category.
This may not be worthy of the term "fanfic" or be very PC, but it
does what it intends to do: poke holes at people without naming
names and asks "why are we arguing about xxxxxx?"
* * * * *
[Patlabour]
- - - - -
Title: Patlabor: Personal Files, Episode 02
Series: Patlabor
Genre: Um... I dunno. Continuing
Author: David A. Tatum
Email: desaix@sysnet.net
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872/fanfics.htm
Date Sent to FFML: 10/15/98
Summary:
A tournament is held to place the new recruits, and Kanuka goes to
visit her grandmother...
{Shunsuke}
The telling of this chapter is quick, but it doesn't gloss over
anything. There's enough detail about everything that happens to
explain things and tell where the story is going, but...even in
the most lunatic and violent crazies, the accidents would make me
suspect sabotage or at least unsafe equipment, and doubt anyone
would let a tournmant, like the one in this story, continue with
people's lives on the line.
- - - - -
Title: Patlabor: Personal Files, Episode 03
Series: Patlabor
Genre: Um... I dunno. Continuing
Author: David A. Tatum
Email: desaix@sysnet.net
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872/fanfics.htm
Date Sent to FFML: 10/21/98
Summary:
The SV2 starts to get back to work after the reorganization. Kanuka
and her grandmother have a talk.
{Shunsuke}
A less action-filled chapter than the previous one, it only feels
slow when it bogs down in the unimportant details (shift times and
other mundane stuff). This part adds a more human quality than the
others, especially when talking about Kanuka and her grandmother:
those parts are emotional yet never become weepy or schmaltzy.
This is about the same quality overall as the other chapters.
* * * * *
[Ranma 1/2]
- - - - -
Title: All Mixed Up-A Prologue
Series: Ranma 1/2 (Maybe others later)
Genre: Comedy
Author: the DragonBard
Email: dragonbard@hotmail.com , dragonbard@my-dejanews.com
Homepage: Backstories can be found at http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Pagoda/4630/
Date Sent to FFML: Thurday, Oct 23 1998
Size: 27k
Summary:
Amused by the bet, several cosmic beings decide to liven it up a bit,
by combining several different bet entries into a single timeline.
{Shunsuke}
I never read any of "The Bet" (no flames, please) so I can't say
much about what went on there, but here...hoo, boy, this is all
over the place.
Ideas from what hinted at as other "Bet" stories, plus misplaced
ideas from Ranma and other sources...this could end up as a farce,
a mess, or a brilliant parody. Right now, there's too little to
say, but I hope this heads in the right direction. (Though I
like the idea of Shampoo being shut up with no harm done. ^_^)
- - - - -
Title: CMD - Chapter 7: The Cure is Worse than the Curse
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Continuation
Author: Jim Lazar
Email: jimlazar@earthlink.net
Homepage: http://home.earthlink.net/~jimlazar/anime
Date Sent to FFML: 10/18/98
Summary:
A series chronicling sixty years of Akane Tendo's life. Some happy
moments and some sad. Akane and Ranma love each other, but is that
enough to keep them together? Will James Davidson ever finish the book
on Akane's life he is writing? Not if his fiancee, Hanaki Ono, keeps
distracting him.
Chapter Summary: Ranma and Ranko's epic quest to recombine! From the
Amazon village, to Jusenkyo, to the Australian Outback; just how far
will these two go to satisfy the woman they love? But in the end, they
may have been better off accepting their lives as separate people.
{Paul}
Tinker to Evers to Chance to... all sorts of globe-hopping going
on, and I keep reminding myself that this IS only a story, after
all, and they don't need to spell everything out, and this is the
Takahashi universe so things naturally WILL only get more
complicated from here on in. But I find myself asking "Was this
really necessary?", particularly when the only purpose of the trip
was not accomplished and, indeed, even anti-accomplished. We've
already seen the Ranma/Ranko interplay in a prior chapter; this
chapter is the sort of thing that could be summarized in a few
sentences upon the return home, perhaps even a few relevant
flashback scenes... I just didn't see the need for it, unless the
minor characters are going to be making recurring appearances,
which I doubt. But it's a good piece of work regardless... 13 or
14 out of 20.
- - - - -
Title: The Clan - Parts 1-5
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Horror - Fantasy
Author: Chris Jones
Email: hamster@arn.net
Homepage: cyberwheel.simplenet.com/ranma/fanfiction.html
Date Sent to FFML: 10-12 (?)
Size: 5 parts 10-20k each
Summary:
Nodoka reveals a family secret, while the Ranma and the Tendou girls
must cope with monsters invading Nerima. Oh, and lots of Vampires.
{Paul}
Oh, my. This is one of those... things that make your skin just
CRAWL. Chilling. Unusually chilling, particularly the scene where
Kasumi and Nodoka Fight Evil. One wonders if "Kasumi's Lullaby" was
inspiration... for this fic's release if not for parts of it.
Just... gah. It must be read to be fully experienced, as I can't
really describe how it tugged at me. 15 or 16 out of 20.
- - - - -
Title: Doors Best Left Unopened part 13
Series: Ranma
Genre: Serious/darkish
Author: Mark MacKinnon
Email: emmack@ibm.net
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Ginza/8225
Date Sent to FFML: Oct. 15/98
Size: 63 K
Summary:
After stumbling onto the scene, Ryouga tries to save the beguiled
Reiko from Wynneth's clutches. The Tendou sisters talk in the
aftermath of Kasumi's date with Tofu. And later, both Kunou and Reiko
have dreams that reveal important clues about the dangers and
destinies that await them. But what is the secret of the dragon
pendant, and why are so many people after it?
{Paul}
The dream sequences, to put it quite simply, rock. Particularly
Reiko's; that one is just chilling. And, finally, I can score an
unqualified victory for the good guys, for the first time since the
first book of these here Shadow Chronicles. I still say this is an
attempt, and an eminently successful one at that, to find a middle
ground between the upbeat nature of TIL and many of Lawson's works
and the dark and horrifying imagery and near-impossible odds and
valiant struggles of WUE and many of Harnum's works. I particularly
enjoy Kasumi being debriefed after her date... you'd think the
Tendo sisters would just accept chaos as the order of the day. Ah
well. Another chapter worth 18 and up out of 20, with a lot of
thought to the future here. Translation? Write as fast as you can,
my friend.
- - - - -
Title: Hearts and Minds Prelude 7 -- Mu Si: Reflections
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Continuation
Author: Gary Kleppe
Email: kleppe@execpc.com
Homepage: http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics.html
Date Sent to FFML: 10/12
Size: 31 kb
Summary:
With Ranma married to Akane and Cologne passed away, Shampoo heads
back to China -- alone. Having been denied what he wanted more than
anything else, and having nowhere to go, what will become of Mousse?
{Shunsuke}
Mousse and...I can't even say her name! Are you mad, man!? ^_^
This doesn't delve as deeply into Mousse's intervening years as
earlier parts did for the others, and it's not as strong as other
chapters, but it does have an emotional strong point. I also liked
the misdirection when it came to Ryoko's intentions. ("Jacques!
Jacques!" she said as she held the gold coloured safe. ^_^)
- - - - -
Title: Hearts and Minds Prelude 8 -- Gosunkugi Hikaru: Courage
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Continuation
Author: Gary Kleppe
Email: kleppe@execpc.com
Homepage: http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics.html
Date Sent to FFML: 10/19
Size: 49 kb
Summary:
College life isn't easy when you're Gosunkugi Hikaru -- never noticed,
always burning with unfulfillable desires. But what happens when you
meet someone who can show you how to use those things to your
advantage?
Also, Ranma meets up with Kodachi's old rival, Asuka the White Lily --
who's willing to go to great lengths indeed to outdo the Black Rose.
{Shunsuke}
And if Hikaru were a law student, he'd be applying to the firm of
Dewey, Cheadum, and Howe, right Mr. Kleppe? Ye gods, your humour
is getting worse...(those employer's names!).
So for once, two wrongs do make a right, and someone who thinks
he's doing something evil ends up doing something helpful, and I'm
not talking about Hikaru....
This is probably one of the better ones so far, with some neat
twists in the plot. But did Asuka never meet the female Ranma in
the TV or manga series? I haven't seen any episodes with her.
Anyway, lots of fun here.
- - - - -
Title: Heredity Sucks Just A Little Bit
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Darkish (more suspensful I hope)
Author: Jonathan Lavallee
Email: newranma@hotmail.com
Homepage: none as of yet
Date Sent to FFML: October 22, 1998
Size: 31.6 kb
Summary:
It's the future story where Ranma and Akane's son has acquired Ranma's
curse. Ryoga is back with vengence on his mind.
{Paul}
Thing 1: Proofread, proofread, proofread. Lots of mistakes in
narration and such. Thing 2: Ranma and Akane? I can see. Shampoo
and Mousse? Well, if the boy acts like Lawson writes him and not
like Tritschler writes him, I can see. Ukyo and Kuno? I... whoa,
back up the truck. Ukyo and Kuno? Smacks of need-to-pair-uppishness,
a disorder common to many next-generation stories. No explanation
as to WHY Kuno's suddenly gone sane... is there any evidence in the
manga he knows Ukyo's true gender? Does he perhaps have an inbuilt
gender sense like that given to Ataru? Thing 3: Who gave Ryoga the
rage pills? I know you need an enemy, but drag in Taro or someone
like him if you want to destroy Ranma's life. I've never really
seen much justification for the homicidal Ryoga type, and if you
don't do anything to justify it, it won't fly. Keener made a Ryoga
who wants to kill Ranma with some great background information...
I'm not expecting the same, but I'd like a little more... that's
what this story needs! A prologue. Changes made that are to be
taken as givens from the end of the manga but really aren't, at
least not to everyone's interpretation. Thing 4: Given Things 1-3
above, I can give this... about 10 or 11 out of 20.
- - - - -
Title: Just A Friend Chapter 3
Series: Ranma 1/2
Author: Saotendo@aol.com
Email: Saotendo@aol.com
Homepage: HTTP://members.xoom.com/bellchan/saotendo.html
Date Sent to FFML: 23 Oct 98
Summary:
Kasumi Cleans up.
{Paul}
Hmm. Deals with a few issues raised by ALS, only in a slightly
different context this time: what if Akane still saw Ranma as a
girl? And, perhaps, what if Ranma saw himself as a girl? Lots of
good, solid introspection this time out. Though Kuno drops his
formal tone in one place, and I don't think anything short of a
nuclear holocaust could cause him to do that for more than a second.
Oh, and the way this ends... I do NOT envy Ranma at this particular
juncture in time. Though I want to know what happens rather badly.
15 or 16 out of 20.
- - - - -
Title: The Leper Part 11: Runaway Horse
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: New Character, Self-Insertion
Author: Nikholas "NomaD" F. Toledo
Email: niftol@i-manila.com.ph
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/3145/theleper.html
Date Sent to FFML: 2105H 19 Oct 98 (+0800H)
Size: 24 KB
Summary:
Pull the noose, and rein him in - the snare closes in only faster as
the suspects gather to deal the fatal blow. Where, in all this, is
the man with the leper's touch?
{Paul}
Oh for the love of Mike... what a roller-coaster ride of a chapter.
A lot more development of Ranma's Rage, a great scene with Shampoo,
a great one with Akane and Nabiki, and everything is starting to
come together... almost as if it were all planned... but that can't
be true, can it? Time will tell, I suppose. 18 and up out of 20,
easily. Read this and enjoy eminently realistic portrayals of all
your favorite characters.
- - - - -
Title: A Matter of Face
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Dark
Author: Scott K. Jamison / SKJAM!
Email: majks@cyberx.com
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/5990
Date Sent to FFML: 10/20/98
Size: 11K
Summary:
Upperclassman Kunou finally gets a clue.
{Paul}
Gah. Just... just Gah. And it all seems so very fitting, too, if
somewhat cynical and ironic. But... gah. And gah I say again.
*shudder* Excellent work... distilled essence of fic, could be
drawn out but absolutely does not need to be. 9 and up of 10 on the
short scale.
- - - - -
Title: Nabiki - New Horizons Chapter 17 - Revelations
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Continuation / Original Flavor
Author: G.L. Sandborn
Email: sandborn@microlink.net
Homepage: www.microlink.net/~sandborn
Date Sent to FFML: 10/10/98
Size: 100K
Summary:
After getting Ranma and Akane married and confronting the Grand
Council of Shinobi Elders, Nabiki has one more task to preform before
returning home. In the mean time, Sodoshi's illness causes Jeff to
panic - what would his wife, Nabiki, say? He learns a hard lesson in
parenting. Meanwhile, Akane thinks she has Ranma's agreement for her
to teach in the dojo. She's wrong. In the ensuing altercation, Ranma
escapes his wife only to be ambushed by the Chinese Amazons and
captured. Nabiki searches for Master Sato to correct a great wrong
and discovers what it is to be a gaijin AND an elder of a rival clan.
{Paul}
Hmm. Perhaps I should clarify an earlier statement. By
"otaku-insertion", I mean that there are names in this fic you'll
recognize. Not that they have anything to do with their namesakes'
real-life personalities, or that they're powerful, merely that
they're there. And you'll see at least two. Continuing... Hmm. This
story has an uncanny knack for fluctuating back and forth between
sitcom reality, Tahakashi reality, and "real" reality, as though it
can't decide whether to be serious, comically exaggerated, or just
plain cliched. I'm not used to tone changes in the middle of
chapters, that's all; my mind suddenly has to switch gears and it
takes a few paragraphs before I start or stop taking things
seriously. Otherwise, nice unspooling of prior plot threads... when
will it all end?... and solid writing overall. But I can only give
it 12 or 13 out of 20 because, as I said, the chapter changed tones
abruptly a few too many times for my liking.
{Helen}
Even though I rarely read Ranma fics (personal preference... there
are just sooooo many!), I found that Nabiki - New Horizons was
something that captured my attention and held it. Firmly. It's not
just the run of the mill New Character story.. although, after 17
chapters, the characters have been fleshed out...and the various
cameos... ^_^;;
It is a very well written story; managing to capture an aspect of
Nabiki that some few others have tried to write about. Even as
Nabiki moves towards establishing her own future, we see various
facets of her past move to the forefront; not to 'haunt' her per se,
but to aid her as skills.. especially her iron nerves and
'negotiation' skills. ^^
{Shunsuke}
YEEEEEHAH! Been waitin' for this! (And open apologies to the
author for last time, I called the series a self-insert; he gave
me thirty whacks over the head with a bokken for that gaff.)
Some chapters have overdone it on the clan stuff, but not this one.
Lacking in the violence department, this is much more emotionally
based and it works well. The characterizations range from pained
(Sato) to insane (the nun with the sportscar sounds like one of the
characters from the "Brides of Christ" miniseries), with a lot in
between. The big surprise I found, though, was what the China gang
end up doing to Ranma; I thought Akane chasing Ranma was going to
be their form of foreplay (a la the Klingons).
Oh - and the guy was right, they are a freaky family, but in a
good way.
- - - - -
Title: The Sacred Chinese Amazon Mind Control Technique - prologue and chapter 1
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: lemon
Author: neB
Email: kergillian@hotmail.com
Homepage: http://www.crosswinds.net/japan/~prpchan/little/
Date Sent to FFML: 10/14/98
Size: 10k
Summary:
Nabiki learns the secrets of Mind Control from Cologne and uses it to
her advantage
{Shunsuke}
Well, if the author says not to take this seriosuly, I won't...
This is *TOTALLY* out of character for Nabiki. Yeah, right, like
she wouldn't be selling and teaching the technique to the Yakuza,
or better yet, taking over. Hpmh.
Yeah, like she'd boff Kuno.
- - - - -
Title: The Sacred Chinese Amazon Mind Control Technique - part 2
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: lemon
Author: neB
Email: kergillian@hotmail.com
Homepage: http://www.crosswinds.net/japan/~prpchan/little/
Date Sent to FFML: 10/14/98
Size: 20k
Summary:
Nabiki, having learnt how well her new powers work, decides to try out
something more.. interesting.
{Shunsuke}
Hey, what happened to Kuno? He shows up at 8PM as Nabiki asks and
she just ignores him. That has to suck. (Arrogant bitch!)
And as for Ranma, I dunno if I'd equate his female form's breast
size with his male form's saluting seargeant. And as the saying
goes, it's not how deep you fish, it's how you wiggle your worm.
- - - - -
Title: Shampoo 1/2 Chapter 36: Those Who Would Dare Dream of Tomorrow Part B
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Alternate Universe
Author: D.B. Sommer
Email: sommer@3rdm.net
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/~azatlan/Special-Series/shampoo.html
Summary:
It's the second round against the Eight Devils of Kimone and the
Shogun of the Dark. Death looms for many and the final part of the
plan is about to be set into motion.
{Paul}
This chapter is DARK with a capital D and that rhymes with B and
that stands for BATTLE and that rhymes with... erm... where was I?
Oh yeah. Battles. And Darkfic. A bit of a sudden change after the
rather light-hearted tone of prior chapters, but... gad. What
battles. Very nice fight scenes, all of them. The adrenalin was
pumping all the way to the very end... which had overtones of Ninja
Gaiden II to it, oddly enough. Not often that an Evil Villain
sacrifices himself for the cause. This whole chapter, though, left
me with one question... WHEN ARE YOU WRITING MORE? It seemed like
the entire last third of the chapter was nothing but cliffhangers,
worries, things left unfinished, and I WANT the next part. 18 and
up out of 20 yet again. The end is in sight, at least of this arc.
- - - - -
Title: Soul of Ice: Counterpoint
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Serious
Author: Matthew Lewis
Email: maybeso@ican.net
Homepage: N/A
Date Sent to FFML: 10/16/98
Size: 15kb
Summary:
A revision to Counterpoint. Also included are the mandatory author
ramblings, some of which are hidden under the guise of a preface.
{Shunsuke}
From this revision, it sounds like Cologne and Happosai conspired
together to teach Ranma something entirely different.... Whether
the author intended it or not, there's a different lesson being
taught, and it seems that Ranma caught it in listening to the two
trolls.
This is cleaned up over the previous version, though I wish writers
(not just this one) would reformat their paragraphs when they
indent or just use a blank line, it would make things more
readable.
- - - - -
Title: Three Souls, One Heart, Chapter 5
Series: Ranma
Genre: Continuation
Author: David A. Tatum
Email: desaix@sysnet.net
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/7872/fanfics.htm
Date Sent to FFML: 10/21/98
Summary:
Akane and Ranma talk about what happened in Chapter 4, and decide on a
course of action.
(notice that I'm using a LOT less description in the synopses' for
this series? I don't want to give away any more than I have to, this
time- I had a couple complaints about spoilers in some synopses of
earlier works...)
{Paul}
Hmm. A chapter which, oddly enough, boils down to a single scene
and a pair of settings. But the conversation is more than enough to
make up for it. And what an interesting conversation it is... I get
the feeling that Akane is giving Ranma a bit more of an abridged
version than she really should... if she can send feelings, why not
just flash him her memories of the conversation? Just an
alternative to spending part of a chapter retelling a prior one.
But other than that... I think the final sentence in this chapter
says it all. Where DO they go from here? 16 or 17 out of 20.
- - - - -
Title: Waters Under Earth - Chapter 27
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Darkish, Continuation
Author: Alan Harnum
Email: harnums@hotmail.com
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/9758
Date Sent to FFML: October 12th
Size: 87k
Summary:
In Okinawa, in Nerima, in China, and in a place of absolute darkness
outside any of these places, Ranma and all those who have found their
threads bound with his in the spinning of his fate will face their own
trials.
Judgement will be passed, and sentence will be carried out. It's
going to be a long, long night...
{Paul}
Oh goodness. The plot threads all continue in their own ways, spun
out wonderfully as complications pile on each other with alarming
frequency and the web of Dark sends ever more strands around what
heroes exist to fight against it. Harnum-sempai, you'd better have
one mother of an ending planned out, because you're certainly
digging these characters in deep... and do I really need to tell
anyone who's read any of the prior stories out there about the kind
of evocative and descriptive imagery they'll find in this
installment? I didn't think so. 18 and up out of 20, yet again.
- - - - -
Title: Wheel of Fire #9: The Past is Prologue, part 1
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Continuation
Author: Razorclaw X
Email: spiceoflife@hotmail.com
Homepage: http://www.crosswinds.net/anaheim/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html
Date Sent to FFML: 10/21/98
Size: 60kb
Summary:
Ukyo decides to return home while Ryoga and Akari get
married. However, going home doesn't turn out quite as the okonomiyaki
chef expected.
{Paul}
Let the backstory... BEGIN! Seriously, though, sending a spiral out
into the darkness before the series from the darkness after the
series is what this particular series has been doing all along.
Serially. At any rate, it's not my place to call it plausible or
implausible, only to judge... and I say that it's fairly
interesting, and leaves a definite touch of what might be
foreshadowing somewhere down the line. The wedding of Ryoga and
Akari, which was played up at least somewhat beforehand, was a bit
of an anticlimax... but then, who can follow Kleppe-sempai's
prelude to Hearts and Minds without a comparison being made? All in
all, a nice chapter, one that is obviously looking to the future.
Here's hoping the future is soon, hmm? 15 or 16 out of 20.
- - - - -
Title: Wheel of Fire #9: The Past is Prologue, part 2
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Continuation
Author: Razorclaw X
Email: spiceoflife@hotmail.com
Homepage: http://www.crosswinds.net/anaheim/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html
Date Sent to FFML: 10/21/98
Size: 40kb
Summary:
Tatewaki and Kodachi return home from Ryoga and Akari's wedding to
find the last person they expected waiting for them.
{Paul}
Oh my. This is not how I pictured Mama Kunou... then again, the
picture's been shaped by Lawson and MacKinnon beforehand, and this
series is substantially more fast and loose than either of the
prior two. Yet more backstory, a nice slice of life for the Kuno
sibs, and a bit of psychobabble... but what does one expect from
psychos, hmm? :> But unlike the prior part, this doesn't really GO
anywhere... although I imagine those plot points are likely to
come up again, given the implied cyclic nature of this series.
Still, though, this particular installment was noticeably free
from the foreshadowing its predecessors all had small amounts of.
But meaningless literature - gads, I'm turning into Gubby - still
has its merits, and this story is nothing if not well-written and
at least passably plotted. 14 or 15 out of 20.
- - - - -
Title: Wheel of Fire #9: The Past is Prologue, part 3
Series: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Continuation
Author: Razorclaw X
Email: spiceoflife@hotmail.com
Homepage: http://www.crosswinds.net/anaheim/~slythe/ranma/ranff.html
Date Sent to FFML: 10/21/98
Size: 40kb
Summary:
Mousse tries to woo Shampoo, while Cologne receives word from back
home in China, and the portents are certainly not in her favor.
{Paul}
I was laughing out loud at how pathetic Mousse's attempt at wooing
Shampoo was... then realized that it's perfectly in character, at
least given some interpretations of the boy. Odd, then, that it
should be followed by something as uncharacteristically insightful
as what Mousse says. I find it to be rather at odds with my own
understanding of his aims and such in the manga, but then, he's
been like that since the fanfic series started. "Mousse, Version
2.0" is probably the most concise statement of what needs to
happen to Mousse for him to be at least passable in Shampoo's
eyes... ah well. Even if I don't entirely agree with what happens,
I can't say it's not logically done. 14 or 15 of 20.
* * * * *
[Ranma 1/2 / Sailor Moon]
- - - - -
Title: A Different Viewpoint pt 36
Series: Ranma/SM
Genre: Continuation/Crossover/SI
Author: Christopher J. Olsen
Email: Gamers@pacbell.net
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Dojo/1449
Date Sent to FFML: 10-7-98
Size: 38 KB
Summary:
The fight of the century is on, as Ranma and the Senshi fight for the
fate of the world against impossible odds. Akane goes one on one with
War! Ukyo shows Pelelance how a good chef cooks, and a Demoness and
three Godesses do Cameo apperances.
[This part was reviewed last week, included at the end of the list.]
* * * * *
[Rurouni Kenshin]
- - - - -
Title: No Turning Back
Series: Ruruoni Kenshin
Genre: Another of my dark and angst fics. Perhaps a vignette?
Author: W. Siew Lee
Email: wsiewlee@tm.net.my
Homepage: http://members.xoom.com/hiei
Date Sent to FFML: 17th of October, 1998
Size: 8kbs
Summary:
I swear this isn't a spoiler! Alright, I killed Kaoru this time.
{Shunsuke}
Yep, more emotional terrorism from this author, designed to make you
all weepy, then feeling good when it's finished. Grrrr... ^_^
Not knowing the series is a disadvantage in that I don't know the
relationships between people and how they've been built, but in
terms of displaying the feelings between these people, this works
fine.
* * * * *
[Sailor Moon]
- - - - -
Title: Disgust
Series: Sailor Moon
Genre: Unusual Setting
Author: Lunari
Email: Lunari@Sprynet.com
Homepage: http://members.xoom.com/RyanMercury/anime.html (Coming Soon)
Date Sent to FFML: 10/5/98
Summary:
A dark tale and the foreshadowing of a deadly enemy of the senshi, as
seen through her eyes.
{Helen}
Yep, yep. Dark is right... a short story but very well written. It
captures the feelings of the enemy very well...
- - - - -
Title: Isobel
Series: SM
Genre: Songfic
Author: Bastion
Email: bastion@ix.netcom.com
Homepage: None
Date Sent to FFML: 10-22
Size: 8K
Summary:
An exploration of Ami's more playful self through a song by Bjork.
{Shunsuke}
The Bjork album is actually entitled "Post", and the video the
author refers to with the woman walking naked around town is by
Lisa Stansfield (I forget the song).
This sounds like a hentai version of Lawson's "Desires" where Ami
loses it. To be too much like that would be a mistake, but this
is kind of unique. (Not my favorite Bjork song, I preferred her
work with Sukarmolarnin, but what the hey.)
* * * * *
[Shoujo Kakumei Utena]
- - - - -
Title: Sono Kanojo no Kangeki (That Girl's Inspiration)
Series: Shoujo Kakumei Utena
Genre: Introspection/Monologue
Author: Scott Johnson
Email: zagyg@io.com
Date Sent to FFML: 10/11/98
Size: 5,820 bytes
Summary:
Kiryuu Nanami tries to justify her admittedly odd choice of romantic
interests, and clarifies a little about her world view. But just who
is she trying to convince?
{Paul}
I want to make comparisons to Asuka and Tobimaro, but they won't
hold water beyond the superficialities. Kudos for the Life With
Roses you posted earlier... I know at least SOMETHING about the
series to base all this on, and I can see what you describe
happening... perhaps it's a tribute to the writing that I can
infer the anime from it. It's a very nice character sketch, and I
can get a wonderfully clear picture of the character portrayed...
it's just that I have no clue whether that picture is anything
close to reality. Gomen. But 9 and upwards out of 10 on the short
scale anyways.
* * * * *
[Tenchi Muyou!]
- - - - -
Title: Legacy of Tears2 Episode 2: Doctors & Detectives
Series: Tenchi Muyo
Genre: Crime/Drama
Author: Trakal
Email: Trakal@map.com
Homepage: http://members.xoom.com/Trakal
Date Sent to FFML: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 23:09:12 +0000
Summary:
Ichiko wakes up in the hospital the morning after the attack and is
questioned by a police detective.
{Shunsuke}
A nasty little snippet that lets you inside the mind of the victim
of a brutal crime. It goes from disbelief to realization of the
horror she goes through, though it could go a little deeper.
As with other parts of this, my only gripe is that it's TOO SHORT!
Please, more at once, it'll work better. ^_^
- - - - -
Title: Unfinished Business chapter 1:2
Series: Tenchi Muyo!
Genre: Name it.
Author: Dennis Carr & Karmin St. Jean
Email: DC: ke6isf@nerv.nu KSJ: trakal@map.com
Date Sent to FFML: 27Oct98
Size:30k
Summary:
The gang lands in California, and Aeka is reunited with Moriyata after
about 700 years. Trakal, being concerned that this is a hoax, tries
to fly out to no avail.
{Shunsuke}
Trakal may have wanted to travel, but Sasami must have found a
Star Trek-type transporter, or how else did she get to California,
ne? O_- (This gaping mistake pointed out for obvious reasons.)
If the author can throw in off-hand comments all over, I can too...
pretty appropriate choosing Santa Ana, CA; Ryoko and Aeka are a
real pair of Babylon sisters, and Hikaru will have to be a steely
Dan to put up with them. (Off-hand comments will or won't work
depending on the story; for TM!, it fits.)
The author does have the Tenchi series feel and dialogue, though
with a little less destructiveness than the original. It isn't
bad stuff at all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
End of the FFML Reviews List for the week of: October 23, 1998
