[FFML] Re: [Fanfic][Ranma/SM] Relatively Absent: Chapter 9

From: Edward Becerra <eabecerr@schollnet.com>
Date: 2004/05/28 Fri AM 05:43:18 GMT
To: Joe Fenton <jlfenton@npgcable.com>,  ffml@anifics.com
Subject: [FFML] Re: [Fanfic][Ranma/SM] Relatively Absent: Chapter 9

After all, from an Emperor's viewpoint - or even a President's - we're
all just expendable little people.

Yup. And so is Ranma. As long as that's kept clear, and the Emporer is just trying to make use of him, that's fine, but if this steps anywhere near the Emporer having unselfish motivations, the story will take an even deeper step into character glorification.

So far, Ranma in this story has not been worth anybody's time--yet everybody acts like he's something special, Eiko included. The whole extended family thing, and them running around wanting vengeance for poor Ranma-chan, is pushing it. The story barely works in that aspect, if it works, and only because they're "family" is it at all acceptable. Even then, the idea of such a number of relatives being solidly supportive without having even met Ranma before this whole thing started is hard to believe; watching Ranma isn't something that would inspire faith in his great personality or deservedness of a better life. Ranma is no better than anybody else in the cast, even though he's being treated much better. If even somebody like the Emporer starts fawning over how terrible Ranma's life has been and assigning blame to everybody who has "mistreated" Ranma, well, the suspension of disbelief on this aspect of the story, which is a major one, is already hanging by a thread; th!
at would cut the thread and toss the story's believability into the ranks of fics by Imortis. Yeah, Gosunkugi, rape that redhead! Get revenge, Akane! Go, go, go!

This story would be a lot easier to accept if people took Ranma with a bit less faith. It has been stated in response to this chapter that Gaijin has changed the genre from the originally intended comedy. Fine, whatever, but so far I haven't seen anything to indicate that Ranma's actions have been taken seriously; he's done some bad stuff. To address one aspect of the manga that is coming up, some kind of "handling" of the Amazons; Ranma swam to China and probably entered the country illegaly, stole Shampoo's food, and got Shampoo stuck having to either kill or marry Ranma or face being punished in some way by Amazon law. Ranma also later assaulted Shampoo with the intent of "making her like him again" which looks pretty damn bad. There are other examples of Ranma acting in less than an ideal manner, and supposedly his relatives were there to watch it all, yet they aren't wary of him in the slightest. Everybody acts like he is just a victim, which is not the case, and !
it makes the comparative bashing of the other characters (whose transgressions ARE being addressed) stand out even more.

Right now I'm wondering if we'll have Gosunkugi being dragged in by the police. Maybe they'll rape his mom and previously unseen sister as revenge for the whole power suit story. It'd "serve the violent little bastard right!"

It's a ridiculous idea, but hey, no more so than the way some of the other characters are being treated. It has been stated that the actual INTENT of this fic is not to bash some characters and glorify others, but it does anyway, and unless there's a bit more equality introduced later on, it's going to continue despite the author's intentions.