On Tue, 30 Apr 2002, Jason wrote:
Everyone, repeat after me: CANCER DOESN'T CARE!! So WHAT about these 'chi
masters' - if anything, the ability to heal fast would ENCOURAGE Cancer, not
prevent it. It doesn't matter who else is alive - this is about Ranma. And
all the 'magic' shown in the series would be more likely to make things
worse rather than better.
While I was not intending to post on ND, seeing as how there is a deulge
of material already posted and people are tending to react to things
rather than think them though, this seems personal enough to you that I do
feel that I should clarify what Andrew and I discussed.
Neither of us intended to belittle cancer. It's certainly an insidious
illness, and serious enough to shatter lives. I have friends who have
family members with cancer, and my family has a history of sons becoming
doctors. I don't know what Andrew's relationships are, but I CAN say that
considering cancer as something trivial was farthest from our minds at the
time of our discussion.
You mentioned 'So WHAT about these Chi Masters'...the fact is that Chi IS
considered to be a real phenominon. Take out all the "Magical lightning
bolt" and "Phenominal Cosmic power" junk that you'll find in Kung Fu
movies, manga, and fanfics; there ARE real people in this world considered
Chi Masters, who have real abilities. They don't get sick. They can
control regulate their body temperature around themselves. The reasons
they can do this? Western science hasn't found an explaination, but there
IS plenty of evidence that its not fraud.
This is quite beleivable. I can speak from personal experience here. I used
to be considered very healthy. A 'fast healer' as you put it. I could count
the number of times I had gotten really sick on one hand - and still have
fingers left over. Then, in november of '99, I got cancer. I got very
lucky - what I got was very easy to treat. Regardless of that I NEARLY DIED!
I'm glad to hear you're recovering.
I can see the faster healing rate doing this. I'm not a doctor (and
seeing as how you've gone through the experience, you could probably tell
me if I'm off base on my guess), but I understand that a faster healing
rate can come from faster cellular division. Since cancer comes from
damaged cells, cancer might also spread faster in a fast healer.
The thing to note here is that chi isn't supposed to be linked to cellular
division. The Eastern theory, as I understand it, is that chi is a
'force'(I won't say energy), and that those who are masters can manipulate
their Chi. In the event one is ill, they can detect it, and move Chi to
the area that's in danger, and needs to be healed. There are other claims
of what they can do; I don't have sources for those, so I won't make an
opinion as to their veracity. But the chi master I DID meet (my uncle in
Taiwan was buying a house from him) did tell us how healing was supposed
to work as we chatted with him, so I can state with slight authority, that
the healing ability is though that mechanism.
Do NOT belittle Cancer, pal. It can get to anyone, and ALWAYS leaves its
mark.
Again, what we had discussed was intended to center around Ranma's
abilities with Chi, and not to trivialize cancer. I'm very sorry that the
summary of what Andrew and I had discussed could be interpreted in that
way, and I hope that I've addressed this issue to your satisfaction.
There are ways to fix this. Easy is that Ranma was posioned. (say a
posion that disrupts his chi slowly?)
<blink>
I thought the purpose of the disease was so there wasn't a tangible enemy
involved with Ranma's death. It would change both Ranma's and Akane's
reactions if it was poison (which has to be administered) rather than a
natural occuring condition. Neither would be able to accept things so well
if it was the result of some kind of attack.
This bit was also worded a bit more tersely than I would have liked.
I myself thought the purpose of the disease was so that one could have an
enemy that is really relentless and unstoppable, but is also slow, giving
Akane time to move from denial to acceptance, and to also fully describe
Ranma's philosophy on it.
Again, I thought Nick handled it beautifully; I think that the common
theme in all the emails about 'ND' is that no matter if you think having a
villian is necessary for this story to work or not, it IS a well written
piece. But our issue was that while 'Chi Master' may be analogous
'Eastern Magician' to some, it has implications for others who have heard
about Chi Masters before we were ever acquainted with Ranma fanfic. And
as such, Ranma dying of cancer doesn't seem realistic. Granted, Ranma1/2
isn't a realistic work in itself, but as Nick has set the tone of this
fanfic as a serious and introspective one, I'm taking it as such.
But a foreign substance in the body isn't quite the same thing as a
disease. To pick a well known example, mercury, once it enters the body,
does not leave, but stays in the brain. In such a case, would chi
directed to the area afflicted still cure it?
I'm sure you see where I'm going with this. Having a source of this
foreign substance slowly enter Ranma, building up within...people who can
manipulate their chi aren't SUPPOSED to get diseases. But having to
direct more chi to another area to deal with an ever increasing problem is
a different take, but with perhaps the same end results as a disease.
And as for whether Nick actually uses this suggestion or not...well,
maybe, maybe not. But as the purpose of this list is C&C, it's my job as
a C&Cer to point out what I feel are issues in a fic, monumental or
trivial. Nick is free to accept or disregard it as he sees fit.
Well, that's my two bits on the table. I've said my piece.
It's been a pleasure. Again, I hope that I've cleared any
misunderstanding on the position of Andrew and I; our intent was not meant
as a mockery of cancer, but concern over it as a process to the goal that
we believe Nick wanted to achieve.
On a totally seperate point, I do write C&C(usually privately) to people
since I feel that careful analysis of how someone else crafts their own
stories does help my own writing. One of my biggest weaknesses, though,
is really getting a feel for a character's feelings and interactions.
Since you've also mentioned your experiences with cancer, I'm curious as
to how accurate you thought the last few scenes of ND were in regards to
Ranma's and Akane's actions? It's very difficult for me to really
understand what one feels, since I have(thankfully) not had to deal with
this issue myself. You also mentioned that what one feels with 'natural
dieseaes' might be different with other causes. After my clarification on
what I meant, do you still feel this way?
-Natsume Ranma Ranma
-------
The sardines weren't worth the trouble. A few more shots, then
Ryoga-san would overheat and explode. Ducking around a corner,
I managed to lose him as I entered the ramshackle residence of
my Anime supplier.
One look at his face and I knew that I had been betrayed. "Tell me,"
I insisted. He refused, so I slammed him against the wall.
"Last chance. Where can Ranma-Ranma find good fanfics?"
"Try Jason Liao," he whispered, before he slumped to the floor.
I heard the sounds of a door splintering as I left through the
window, one step ahead of Tendo Heavy Industries...
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