Topic: A Ranma 1/2 RP [UN]

[Mathim]

Oh, I see. So Akane was really upset that Ranma didn't marry her, because she really wanted it to happen. In 'fanon'. What the hell is 'fanon' anyway? Fan fiction or something?

In the original (whatever that is; is that the one on store shelves in Borders stores or what?) they both act childishly like always and it's no big deal because that's what they always do and they're back at square one.

[MadPanda]

Fanon = 'fan canon', or what fanfiction authors often substitute for the orignal material.  Sometime's it's better...sometimes not.

The 'Akane tears poor Ranma apart verbally over the failed wedding' thing?  It's fanon.  Rumiko Takahashi favored Akane as the one true fiancee.  That, sadly, is canon, whether you, I, and the rest of the fanbase like it.

You don't see it?  Fine.  Just don't argue with me over this, because I'm in agreement with you that the official story left something to be desired.

[Mathim]

I'm not arguing, I'm just saying I don't understand the implications of all that, and it doesn't really seem to matter because by the end, the only concrete thing that changed is that Ranma's mother knows about his secret and accepts it.

I know Akane is the one true fiancee, that's sadly undisputable when the final shot of her and Ranma walking together at the end is seen. But after reading the later volumes, there's this new girl, Akari Unryu, who's totally in love with Ryoga and loves pigs and even finds out that Ryoga is P-Chan and loves that too. So that still leaves a gap there, if the pairings were:

Ranma/Akane
Shampoo/Mousse
Kuno/Nabiki (come on, a greedy bitch and the richest brat in Japan? How could they NOT fit together?)
Ukyo/Ryoga

With Akari around, that makes it seem more like Ryoga/Akari so Ukyo still needs someone. And she fits with Ranma so much better than Akane, that really bites. So I'm glad that at the end, there is no resolution so I can still imagine legitimately that everyone ends up with the person who's right for them.

[MadPanda]

Ukyo's interest, if one wishes to risk pairing up, would be Konatsu...her 'waitress'.  The symmetry with poor 'Natsu, a boy who was raised believing himself to be a girl, is quite fitting for Ukyo.

I would protest the Kuno Tatewaki/Tendo Nabiki pairing past, say, two or three years.  It assumes Tatewaki would get over his other obsessions.  Although a Kodachi/Nabiki pairing might be...hmmm...    Nawwwww.

[Mathim]

Ah, the two most manipulative, selfish women in the whole Ranmaverse...scary. I'm amazed Takahashi didn't attempt to have them team up for a story arc.

As for Ukyo/Konatsu, I don't remember him since I haven't read the stories with him in them, but I don't know if the attraction is there, or if there is attraction, whether it's mutual or not. Akari's attraction to Ryoga is definitely returned, because he was conflicted between choosing her or Akane, and never could end up making his mind.

[Jeramiahh]

*pulls up the last chapter of Ranma* Yeah, the final comment is the two of them, once more, arguing like a married couple, each one placing the blame on the other. Hell, the whole last chapter pretty much spells out exactly who goes with who. Not like there's any question, as we near the end.

I don't think there's as much attraction between Ukyo and Konatsu as a set relationship, right now; but, like MP says, they're equally weird, and perfect for each other. Remember, they're only teens, after all; it's not like (most of them) are getting married immediately. =P

[MadPanda]

I don't know that Ukyo and Konatsu are perfectly suited for each other, but each has a deep understanding of the issues the other has faced...  :)

[Mathim]

I gotta get my hands on the other volumes; I think the only scenario I remember is where someone took over for her while she was sick, and ended up almost ruining her whole business by putting money in the food, or paying people to eat there or something like that...

[Jeramiahh]

If you're looking for a fan-translated version of the manga, I read it in its entirety from something called the "New Ranma Project". I'd link it, but the rest of the site is very decidedly NSFW; a Google of that phrase, however, returns it as the first hit. It's all 38 books, and... I'm not sure *how* my friend did it, but he downloaded the whole thing, passed it to me that way. I shudder to think he actually went through and saved it, page by page... but, knowing him, he just might have.

[Mathim]

38? The one at the bookstore concludes after 36...

[Jeramiahh]

*shrug* I read 38 books. It might be that the American release changed which chapters appeared in which books... but they released 38. =P

*checks Wikipedia* Yeah, that's exactly how it went.

[Mathim]

Does that mean I'm missing out on a couple of chapters? Shoot...two whole books' worth. That's almost as disappointing as the amount of crappy anime filler that could have been used to animate actual stories from the manga.

[Jeramiahh]

I can't say, but I imagine they rolled them into 36 books instead of 38; just shuffled a few chapters into other books. If you know the final story to be of Phoenix Mountain, then you're not missing the ending, at least. =P Might've just removed some of the one-shot, one-chapter 'filler' stories.

[Mathim]

Maybe you're right; I did read the Phoenix Mountain story (my least favorite arc, ironically, for it being the ending) and there were a number of one- or two-chapter stories that were still in some of the volumes, which weren't really that funny, so if the ones they cut out were things like that, I don't really mind.

[Jeramiahh]

*nod* The Japanese manga has a lot of those one-chapter stories that feel like, well, filler. Like the author went "shit, I need an idea for this week... uhh, Happosai causes trouble! and we resolve it this week yay everyone's happy."

Trust me, if you missed them you didn't miss anything. Or, it's possible the English manga just slipped those chapters in different places; this story's nice, because it can, conceivably, be told in any order, since the characters don't really evolve too much; Ranma and Ryoga learn a handful of techniques, and Kuno upgrades his sword.

[Mathim]

Well actually when Ranma/Ryoga update their techniques and whatnot, that's usually somewhat important for later on. But I doubt it happens that much. I mean, they made a huge deal of making Ryoga learn the Breaking-Point and Lion's Roar techniques, a bunch of chapters involving each, and of course Ranma learning the Heaven Blast of the Dragon. If it was little things I don't think they'd bother putting them in, but new techs and whatnot are a little too significant to gloss over. But hey, unless we can lay them all out side-by-side and examine, no one knows for sure.

[Jeramiahh]

But my point was, they rarely appear past the arc where they're introduced, which means the story can be read in almost any order, and still make sense. It's like a sitcom; once you know who the major characters are, you can pick it up on episode 2 or 20, and follow right along.