Going to reply to this one, so as to reduce the number of postings I
make in a single day....
Phuc "Paul" Tram wrote:
It is, of course, a great chapter, developing the story nicely, but...
Reading Ranma's thoughts, he seems... I'm not sure if it's that he seems
smarter than he is in most Ranma fanfics, or whether his personality's
different somehow. It's a bit hard to describe... A Kintaro in a Ranma
suit?
Yes, that seems to be it -- although he's got Ranma's martial arts
skills, and curse, and other problems (Happi), those aren't *all* that
makes Ranma who he is -- there's the personality, too. And this Oe
Ranma doesn't seem to be Ranma-like in that regard.
Ranma didn't foot-in-mouth it once this chapter, he didn't make any
social blunders, he didn't have his normal confidence-that's-almost-
arrogance, nor rough speech, etc.. Although I would of course expect
these to have toned down significantly, partly due to Ranma growing up,
partly due to Kintaro, I don't think that that would have disappeared
entirely.
There are two reasons for this, one of thich is explained below, and
one of them which is... this chapter was meant to be a bit more serious
and less comedic than the others, so the humor in general is less
overstated.
OTOH, this Ranma is also several years older than the Ranma at the end of
the manga. It is only reasonable to think that Ranma may have grown up some
in that interval. Especially after all the hardships that he went thru, not
only in the manga but also whatever life-altering events Brian has developed
for this Ranma.
I personally feel they make sense -- most of the story can be filled
out from the existing hints, but it will all become clear at some point,
and hopefully that will shape everything else up so that it all makes
sense, and the reason that this Ranma so different from the one he was
will become clear....
Remember, one of the only constants is change. Ranma wasn't always a
kick-ass martial artist, I highly doubt he was always suffering from
foot-in-mouth (is this fanfic convention or is there actual evidence of this
in the manga? Ie does he eat his foot in every chapter/story-arc?) and we
_know_ he didn't always sport a pigtail. However Brian writes this Ranma,
so long as he can reasonably support the changes it is good by me.
Words to consider. ^_^;;
Phuc "Paul" Tram
Master Pivot