[FFML] [Ranma][Revised] Hearts and Minds, Part 2 of 10

[Gary Kleppe]

On 07/02/2013 01:22 AM, Michael Clark wrote:

> Major Huang has to know that the Elders are only cooperating as long as
> they feel it necessary to save their own lives, while they bide time to
> find a way out of this situation.  We don't really get to see the
> calculus behind his decision, though the reasons are easily guessed:
> having the Elders alive helps legitimize the Mongols' rule over the
> Amazons.  Still, this is a common predicament, and I feel somewhat
> unhappy with it because it is so common, though I lack any clearly
> superior alternative.


Yeah, they're pretty much forced at this point to try to minimize 
killings. Not just for the obvious reasons, that it would send the 
remaining Amazons into "kill or be killed" mode, but because the Elders 
have information that our friend the General wants. More on this in the 
next chapter or two.


>> "I talk about this with Elders. Spring of Drowned Man no will cure
>> curse, they all say. You get two curses, they combine. Then you maybe
>> splash by water and turn into her... herm...."
>
> This and the subsequent discussion...I gotta be honest, it strains
> disbelief.  We're supposed to believe that, for all this time, this
> particular point just never came up?  It makes so much of what Ranma
> tried to do very, very futile.  I agree with you there's a gap of logic
> (as you describe in your notes) that calls into question why someone
> wouldn't just instantly cure themselves.  I don't know if this is the
> answer.


It's not that it never came up; Shamps has learned a few things from the 
Elders in the seven years between the original series and now. In the 
original series where these things are played mostly for comedy you can 
get away with glossing over these points, but in a more serious story 
that deals with the curses there really needs to be some sort of 
explanation. I don't know that this is the most plausible one, but it 
does fit into the overall treatment of the curses used here.



> Overall, things have moved forward on the Amazon village front.  For
> Ranma and company, we have a bit more setup.  The story, to me, feels
> like it's taking its due time. It's not slow, and the overall sizes of
> the scenes and the quick shooting between them gives some sense of pace
> without feeling frantic.
>
> The subject matter of the piece (particularly the Amazon village
> segments) is rather dark, not at all like classic Ranma canon, though
> there are scenes interspersed that feel more like the manga (Kasumi's
> innuendo-laden guidance to a new technique, or Ukyo's payback on
> Mikado).  I think you show a good level of flexibility while pursuing
> something quite different from the original work.


Thanks.


> Lan is the ultimate pragmatist.  Still, it was risky to try to send a
> hidden message to the people when one of their own, in Biaozi, is the
> figurehead of the Mongol occupation.  It almost seems like she forgot
> Biaozi was there, and that could've backfired on her greatly, but it
> didn't.  Biaozi must think she can turn this against Lan at some point.


Biaozi knows a lot more than she's telling. Right now she's standing 
back and letting Huang try things his way. When he fails, as she expects 
him to, she'll put her own plan into effect.


>> Would Ranma really go to Jusenkyo during this trip? Tsubasa had no
>> clue. But *he* would go there. He knew a good thing when he saw it.
>> And then all of Ranma's women would be attracted to him.
>
> Strikes me as odd that this would be on Tsubasa's priority list, over
> just...becoming a woman.
>
> ...wait, why is he here again?


Primarily because I thought the attitudes I'm ascribing to him would 
make him an interesting contrast to the other characters.


> That said, I feel like Ranma was a little underdeveloped in this
> chapter, especially since his second fight with Kodachi was mostly
> glossed over.  It's hard to pick up nuances from just a few sentences.
> It's nice to see him admit some weakness and appreciation for Akane
> pulling him out of things when he gets in over his head, but if he's
> already acknowledged that flaw in himself, then I do wonder what more he
> has to aspire to.


All I can say is, stay tuned for upcoming chapters where Ranma discovers 
some very disquieting revelations about his own curse.

> Precession describes a property of celestial bodies' orbits; processions
> are groups of people.


Thanks, will correct.

>> Leaning back in the chair, he spread the margarine on the bun and
>> watched the attendant push the food cart ahead. The cabin was crowded,
>> and loud conversation filled the air. Kuno Tatewaki sat next to Tofu,
>> with Shan Pu in the aisle seat. The two conversed in Chinese; Kuno
>> spoke hesitantly, but they seemed to be able to understand each other.
>
> I'm having some trouble visualizing the geometry here.  Is Tofu at the
> window, with Kuno between him and Shampoo?


Yeah.



>> A smooth voice issued forth from the computer speaker. "Windows
>> zero-three conflict error. This application will shut down due to an
>> error. Please reboot your system."
>
> This seems almost too sophisticated.  What is this thing running,
> Windows 95?


Some hypothetical future variant of it, where future was defined based 
on the time the chapter was originally written and is by now years in 
the past. I should probably change it.


> I can only guess where you're going. The idea of pragmatism in the face
> of harsh odds seems to be an ongoing attitude among the Amazons.  It
> gives them an air of longevity, that they cannot be defeated in the long
> run.


Well, we shall see. :)


Thanks very much for the comments!