on 1/3/01 3:53 PM, Gary Kleppe <kleppe@mediaone.net> wrote:
This is why this story's Ranko doesn't interest me much as a character. She's
good at everything, or at least everything she has to do in this fic. She
never
really runs into a situation where she has to stop and say whoa, I'm not sure
I
can handle this. Nothing really forces her character to grow because she
already
knows how to handle what she faces. Okay, maybe the argument with Nodoka at
the
end is an exception, but at least for me it was too little too late. Maybe if
this conflict (Ranky not knowing how to say no to Nodoka) were developed
throughout the fic instead of tacked on at the end, it might help.
(cf. the long message I just posted)
I guess this boils down to a difference in personal preference and
perspective. I agree Ranma changes much more than Ranko. Again, I enjoy
stories that are just portraits of people and situations, without setting up
a major dramatic conflict and resolving it. I can totally understand that
not everyone would enjoy such stories. I didn't start the story to portray
change; I started it to examine a situation, and change for some of the
characters fell out as a consequence.
I see Ranko as having plenty of human foibles in this story, but maybe that
didn't come across well. I actually don't think she has to do much, except
be herself. I didn't see a necessity for her to face and overcome a major
challenge in this story.
Anyway, I think it really boils down to what you expect out of fiction. I
hear what you are saying, but I am interested in writing different kinds of
stories. That may limit their appeal, to be sure.
Deborah