In a message dated 6/16/99 12:31:23 AM, rgorman@telusplanet.net writes:
After having reviewing the ensuing debate over the Choices, and having the
first actual fanfic in existence, I thought I'd give my input, so here goes.
"I suppose you are wondering why I called you all here," Nodoka Saotome
commented, gently cradling her teacup.
"We are of course eager to hear anything you wish to say," Kodachi
answered smugly. Naturally she'd shown to the greatest advantage during
the tea ceremony. Shampoo and Ukyo hadn't had any idea what to do and
Akane had been pathetically clumsy.
Ukyo commented, "Actually I was wondering what Kodachi is doing here.
She isn't a fiancee, after all," and got a glare from Kodachi.
This is actually a good point, since Ranma, nor any of his family memebers,
have never acknowldeged Kodachi's so-called enagement. Simply put, Kodachi
has nothing to back her claim as Ranma's finacee.
Akane's enagement is legalized by giri as well as Saotome/Tendo family
agreement, and Ukyo's was accepted through the dowry that Genma later stole.
Shampoo's claim remains valid because of her laws. Kodachi simply has nothing
except her word, which I suspect, is not strong enough to serve as evidence
in japan.
Interestingly enough, no fanfic has attempted to explore this particular
angle, at least to my slightly biased recollection.
Nodoka smiled calmly, and raised a hand, "None of that, please. As a
matter of fact, this week my son agreed to become engaged to
Kodachi-kun."
"What!?"
I find it hard to believe that Ranma would agree to this enagement, unless
Nodoka's lying purposefully to drive the potential finacees to desperation.
Everyone else winced at Kodachi's grating laugh. "Oh my dears, did you
think the passion Ranma and I share could be denied forever?"
Nodoka broke the stunned silence. "The precise details of how Ranma
came to make such a promise, no longer matter. Given that the males
of this household, Ranma included, have made such gordian knot out of
this situation that it falls to us to cut through it. Regrettably under
present-day law Ranma can not legally marry all of you, manly though
such a solution might be."
They all glared at Nodoka. She kept smiling, unmoved by their anger,
and continued, "As his mother, it is my responsibility to ensure his
greatest possible happiness. Is there anyone among you who feels that
their love for Ranma is exceeded by the others?"
The other three looked at Akane who defensively snapped, "What?"
Heh.
"Go on Akane," Shampoo urged. "You say you not love Ranma many, many
time."
"Oh and you do? You just want to own him!"
"Well now, Akane makes a good point," Nodoka interrupted. "Love is more
than your personal needs. It's caring about another's happiness more
than your own. Do the four of you care about Ranma's happiness?"
"Yes!"
"More than life itself!"
"Is for sure!"
"Well...I guess..."
"You must realise that your competition for Ranma, the constant
pressure, and the physical abuse he gets does not make him happy."
"Well that's Akane's fault!"
"You do it too!"
"That Akane is the most frequent offender does not make her the only
one. You have used your spatula to reprimand him repeatedly, and
humiliating him via his fear of cats or the use of paralytic chemicals
is hardly any better," Nodoka scolded. "I will not allow this to go on.
I will set a test for you to establish which of you is worthy to marry
my son. Those who fail will be considered to have no further claim."
Shampoo crossed her arms smugly, "Shampoo better at everything. Shampoo
win easy no matter what."
Better at anything physical, that is. ;)
Kodachi giggled. "I don't think so, China Girl. After all, being able
to speak to your husband in Japanese is a useful talent for a Japanese
wife."
"It won't be that kind of contest," Nodoka assured them. "The true
measure of devotion is self-sacrifice and so my test will be of your
willingness to give something up for the man you love."
"Like what?" Ukyo asked.
"You must give up the thing you love most apart from Ranma.
Okonomiyaki."
A rather poor choice, IMHO. But then again, I suppose that there's nothing
else that she values more than okonomiyaki...
Still, what's to stop the married couple from ordering one at other
okonomiyaki. Perhaps abstain from okonomiyaki for Ukyo? I dunno.
"You must give up your membership in the Amazons, their laws, and any
intention you had of taking Ranma back to China. You will become a
Japanese wife, or you will not marry Ranma. Only thus may I be assured
that your love is for Ranma rather than for yourself and your law."
Good choice, since it directly contradicts with her Amazonian law, which I'm
sure requires that the husbands remain in the village. We also know that
males are supressed, and Ranma would NOT tolerate this.
Here, she has choice between maintaining her role of power as an Amazonian,
and role of being a subversient wife.
"What you must do to prove yourself worthy, is go to psychiatrist of my
choosing, let yourself be diagnosed and follow whatever course of
treatment he prescribes."
Ever consider that Kodachi might fake her diagnosis? She could easily bribe
her doctor to give her a clean bill of health. She's been known to maniuplate
the truth before.
"Violence. The engagement to Akane is severed unless she gives up all
practise of martial arts and her position as heir to the Tendo school.
Further, she must restrict herself to verbal abuse when Ranma angers
her. One more blow struck in anger, and..."
The first part of Akane's offer- restricting her violent tendenice is
certainly a reasonable, but I disgress with the second section- her
inheirtance of the Tendo School.
Even if she had rejected her inheirtance, she would still inheirt the Tendo
school when she marries Ranma, because the dojo serves as the giri for the
enagement. IMHO, Akane got the easiet deal of the four. You'll have to find
something else stronger, like rejecting her status as martial artist and give
up all pretense of practing arts, for the rest of her life, perhaps. That
would make her completly dependent on Ranma for protection, and basically a
mistress of a sort. Something Akane wouldn't tolerate, shown her tendency
towards independence.
It's interesting to note that Akane had successfully countered any threats to
her enagement to Ranma without having to admit her love for Ranma. ;)
In regard to the Choices, it's basically a recycled fanfic idea. We've seen
this sort of event occur to varying degrees in various fanfic. The only
difference I've seen is that this fic attempts to deal with the choice given
to ALL finacees; that the entire finacee problem is being dealt with in a
shingle shot.
I personally still think the demands of Akane and Ukyo should be made
stronger, because they still contain some loopholes in them.
If we're talking about Kodachi's 'unoffical' enagement to Ranma, how 'bout
Tatewaki's dating rites to Onna-Ranma? ^_-
Until I find something new to write about,
Dark Alpha <AlphSailor@aol.com> formerly Sailor Alpha
Dark Alpha's G3 Fanfic Studio- Fanfics produced monthly!
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Bay/7233/
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