Hi!
Sorry for the delay in replying. One of the big problems with being among
the last to get any feedback in, is that all the really good things have
already been said. So I guess I'll just repeat them!
Which is to say, good story, enjoyed it -- and, very timely, as well. I
have two dogs, doberman both, and one of them passed away a few weeks ago.
It's a hard thing, losing a pet, especially to illness. It's not made any
easier by being far away from them, either, believe me. So in that way, the
story rang true.
Of course, the situation in your fic was obviously very different: my dog,
as far as I know, was a fully sentient, highly intelling
person-turned-animal (although my dog -was- neurotic, and a neurotic,
insecure doberman is a funny thing to see.) Which is why I agree with a
criticsm I saw made: why couldn't Ranma tell Akane the truth? She's a
remarkably forgiving person, and considering the circumstances (friend
turned into an animal for life), she'd probably be quite understanding.
The other strand of the story is, of course, the whole cursed-for-life bit,
with Ranma stuck living as a female. I agree with you on that one: too many
fics, no matter how well plotted out and skillfully written, work towards
bringing Ranma to an acceptance of his enforced femininity. Don't buy it
myself. He's a damn stubborn individual, and not only could I not see him
giving up a search for a cure, but I could imagine him taking whatever
measures were necessary to at least lead what he considered a proper male
life - even if it made him a rather unhappy woman at times. That being
said, the fic did seem to deal with the issure pretty quickly; whether or
not he'd choose to live that way, I wouldn't mind being made to understand
-why-. Just as I wouldn't mind seeing more of why Akane, beyond some
ambiguous love, chose to stay with him. There's a lot of material there for
deeper character digging.
Well, whatever: still a good fic. Thanks for writing!
Later,
Mike Noakes
noakes_m@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/noakes_m
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