If someone can't see that the OOCness of the characters
derives from the circumstances, I am amazed.
I said this with the stories Furies and Sukeban Senshi by
Allyn Yonge. The characters are different because of the
different events which they must experience.
An Akane who has had to be a mute for ten years is going to
be different from one who led a more normal life. A Ranma
with someone who understands him and acts like a friend is
going to be different from one who doesn't have a good
friend.
Ranma is not an idiot. He is however almost totally naive
about relations ships between people. Look at how he treated
Ukyo and Ryoga, he is used to punching and insulting and
fighting to show that he likes you. If he had been raised by
a sane person or had more practice in being around sane
people ( I don't consider Genma sane.) I suspect Ranma would
be very different.
The same applies to Akane, except in this universe, she was
around people who helped her to learn to control her anger.
People who helped her to adjust to her handicap. People who
cared and showed it. Soun and her sisters were to hurt
themselves at that time to do much to help Akane.
She is a healthier personality, than the usual one. She
still has her faults, including a bad temper but she has
training in controlling it. She also can't scream at Ranma
and insult him instantly, as she normally would, by the
time she has written out her statements, Ranma has had time
to realize she is angry and at least try to understand why
and apologize or explain what he meant to say. This just
doesn't happen in the original. I don't imagine Akane will
never be angry at Ranma or Ranma angry at Akane but the
chances of each understanding the other's point of view is
vastly increased.
As C. Jones said the ability to instantly communicate was a
handicap to Ranma and Akane. That is not a quote but a
slight paraphrasing. This is my take on what the two authors
have shown of this world. You can take it or leave it as you
choose.
I am not pro-Akane, I am not Anti-Akane. I judge by what
each author makes of her. I like the nicer versions and
dislike the more cruel versions. I try to judge by how well
I like the writing and plotting and characters in a story,
not by who is in it, within limits, of course.
--
Rick Robinson
RICHARDROBINSONJR@prodigy.net
If violence is not solving your
problems you're just not using enough of it.
Misato
"I guess I'm just an old-fashioned sentimentalist at heart.
I refuse
to accept a no-win scenario. I hate the thought of a
universe without
justice. If the maneuverings of dark powers can't be
exposed and
defeated by the pure of heart, then there's no point in
anything. I
can't believe that."
-- Benjamin Hutchins