[Originally a post to Rec.Arts.Anime.Stories in January 1996.]
Last fall, I posted a listing of my favorite fan fiction based on Ranma 1/2 released over the previous 12 months. The stories I chose were:
I also picked from among older stories three Charter Inductees to my Ranma Fanfic Hall of Fame:
I very much enjoyed the resulting correspondence I had with fanfic authors (both on and off my list) and readers.
The last three months of 1995 were a remarkably fruitful period in the production of high quality Ranma fanfics. These included new installments in some of my favorite stories. Rather than wait nine months, I am motivated to share my thoughts on the best stories from this period. As with my "Best of 95" picks, my principal criterion for qualifying as a favorite is "re-readability." A story has to be sufficiently well crafted or interesting that I would not only enjoy it a first time, but also be drawn to read it again. The things that tend to bring me back are expertly styled prose, natural dialogue, deep characterization, and original plot elements.
Naturally, a story in which I found none of these qualities would not deserve a second look. It is possible, however, for a fanfic to have some or all of those good points, yet still be uninviting for a re-read. That's where a second principal criterion, brevity, kicks in. I'll rarely go back for another look at stories that are very long and complex, even if I know they're good. For example, while I enjoyed John Biles' Ranma 1/2: Lemonade, its daunting length and maddeningly intricate and multifarious organization (however deliberate for the sake of satire) make unlikely a return visit from this reader.
With these criteria explained, I present my remarks on my favorite Ranma
fanfics posted since my "Best of 95" list. Again, I
invite responses from authors and readers.
Actually, I don't have much to say about this one. Ashton's writing style, while pleasing and eminently readable, is not especially distinctive and does not invite analysis. The story (borrowed from the movie Regarding Henry) is touching and the Ranma character remarkably sensitive, a nice if unexciting change.
One other observation: somewhere, someone is probably writing a Ranma story that has a climactic scene that looks much like Ashton's opening scene. It just goes to show how far ahead of other fanfic authors he is.
Click
here to download Regarding Ranma from the anime fanfic
archive.
The story begun in Putting Your Heart in the Right Place continues with my favorite installment of Furinkan Summer thus far. More than the first two episodes, Prom Madness matches the appeal of Right Place with similar pacing through multiple, though easy-to-follow, plotlines. Episode 1 was almost a self-contained story, with its reverse Bring Back the Brides plot. After that diversion, Episode 2 seemed little more than a reintroduction to the main storylines, unmemorable except for the absolutely hilarious musical chairs scene. In the third installment, however, Biles sets readers firmly back in the fun universe he crafted with remarkable fidelity to the anime/manga in Right Place.
This story features The Best Kiss in all Ranma fan fiction, surpassing the beautifully crafted and true-to-the-characters smooch in Christian Gadekan's Ranma's Timeslip. Realistic, well choreographed, and deeply detailed, Ranma and Ukyou's illicit encounter is a moment to re-read over and over. Part of the kiss's appeal is the splendid emotional buildup: Ranma's recognition of Ukyou's continuing anguish; her courageous persistence in their just-friends relationship; his admission of feelings that he buried to consolidate his engagement. Biles really nailed this scene.
Thus, pleasingly, the kiss reopens the most intriguing storyline from Right Place: Ranma's ambivalence between Ukyou and Akane. This theme, one of Biles' rare contradictions of the anime/manga precedents, was very well explored in the precursor story until it was dropped far too suddenly after Ranma's big decision was made (made, perhaps not coincidentally, after a First Kiss). Hopefully, the ambivalence theme will make a return so that it can be more fully probed.
It was also nice to see Mariko in this episode. I would be interested to see Biles' handling of other one-shot characters from the anime and manga. Good use of returning "guest stars" was a saving grace in Roy Rim's Split Personalities.
Click here to
go to John Biles' Fiction Page.
My comments from "Best of 95" on the previous installments of Ranma .05 apply here as well. Specifically, Demaine is one of the best writers in the world of Ranma fan fiction. His plots are well conceived and his scripting is artistically sound. That said, I must admit that, although I found Never Waver to be as entertaining as the rest of Ranma .05, it's probably my least favorite part of Volume 2. Much of my displeasure is caused by Shampoo's pidgin speech, just too hard to take in doses as large as we got in this story. Perhaps it would have been better to have all the dialogue in "translated Chinese," enabling Shampoo to speak more eloquently.
Demaine was wise to reject use of the hackneyed plot device involving misdirected potion. The manner in which he did bring Shampoo and Mousse together was much better, yet vaguely unsatisfying. It certainly did not work as well as Ryouga and Ukyou's accidental romance in Part 2. The pairing of Shampoo and Mousse, absent Ranma's death or marriage, may never be believable given her clearly established disinterest in and repeatedly expressed disdain for the duck boy.
I was surprised to learn from Demaine's post-story notes that some readers of chapter 4 felt that "Ranma and Akane were too experienced with each other, and that the reason they got together was rather shaky." I thought the plotting of the chapter was flawless (especially the overarching story concerning Mousse's new technique). On the "too experienced" issue, it seems to me that two extremely successful trysts plus the shared trauma of a possible accidental pregnancy provide a world of experience for a couple. As for the asserted shakiness of Ranma and Akane's latest coupling: what else could result when two people with a sexual history find themselves alone together, naked, in a tub of hot water?
Read more of my thoughts about Ranma .05 in the 1996 Induction Ceremony for Taleswapper's Hall of Fame.
Click
here to download the Ranma .05 Volume 2 from the anime fanfic
archive.
Though this story might need a rewrite to make my "Best of '96," it is certainly interesting enough for me to re-read and to comment on extensively. The author deserves high praise for three of the most fascinating creations in Ranma fanfic: the Saotome daughters. Hayashi ably pulled out of the alternate-words concept three new characters that I am eager to see developed more deeply. Their life histories are very interesting, invoking what-if speculations about Ranma and three possible wives. Although Hayashi has not devoted much prose to giving Ayuki, Keiko, and Midori distinctive personalities, the author does give them all plenty of room to react to the new universe they find themselves in.
The downsides of this fanfic, however, are profound. First and most important is the awkward overall style of composition. By using a minimalist script style supplemented by long sections of unstyled synopsis, the author elects to put little effort into imagery, action, symbolism, and the other chores of wordcraft that make fictional prose worthwhile for the reader. That's too bad, because Hayashi shows promise in at least one area: the dialogue reads much better than average, with some easily dismissed exceptions (e.g., the Saotome girls' unreasonably succinct introductory monologues, most of everything uttered by J.D.). I heartily encourage a rewrite because the writing style does not do justice to Hayashi's enviable creation, the Saotome daughters. Ayuki, Keiko, and Midori are stars that deserve a better movie.
They also deserve better scenery. The "magical" backdrop for the story is tired and uninteresting. Its milieu of global upheaval, often described in the trite TV newscast format, is reminiscent of the crossover "epics" that have plagued American comic books for the last decade. I find entirely unnecessary the whole story element revolving around "Magic has come into the world" (Wasn't it there already? Or does Hayashi plan an explanation "based on scientific principle" of curses, hauntings, enchantments, and other established magical elements of the Ranma universe?). I had hoped that I'd read the passing of that part of December's End with the departure of the unappealing distraction named J.D., who was more an explanatory note than a character. But it looks like the story of Magic's advent and effects, with all its comic- book cliches, will continue to intrude as part of the new subplot concerning Cologne's martial arts battalion.
Of course it's possible that I am viewing this fanfic upside down: perhaps it's not meant to focus on the Saotome daughters; maybe all that magic prattle is the real story and not merely an out-of- control attempt to explain how the girls got here (Given my admiration for the very idea of Ranma's daughters, I would have accepted any old cop-out explanation); maybe the daughters are merely a subplot. But I've made clear whose story I think most deserves telling.
Click
here to view the December's End subdirectory of the anime fanfic
archive.
This story leads my "Best of 96" listing so far. In the preface, the author warns readers that the story is scary. Reading it, I was not scared but delighted that the suspense genre had been so successfully applied to Ranma fan fiction. The author has crafted a tale of guilt, betrayal, and psychological horror that blends elements of Fatal Attraction and The Telltale Heart. Hosmer has an ability, first displayed in Girls' Night Out, to portray the complex workings of thought and emotion without using overly sophisticated language or structure.
The plotting is ingenious not because of the big surprises, but because of how they are unveiled. Too many suspense authors and screenwriters take the easy way out: hiding the truth from the reader/audience and then springing it on them from out of nowhere, going for the easy shock effect. Far more effective and satisfying are the stories in which unexpected truths, or genuine hints to them, are revealed less ostentatiously, and the readers/viewers can uncover the horror by themselves. Because the author pretty much reveals Ryouga's secret at the very beginning of the story, the readers are lulled into some complacency; we are unprepared for the horrifying surprises about the other victim of Ryouga's crime.
The scenes of violence in Lies are far more chilling than in other self-proclaimed "dark" fanfics, not because of the gory detail, but because of the psychological backdrop that Hosmer has painted in his descriptions of the combatants.
A couple of almost-amusing lines distract from the fascinatingly dark mood of the story, but these are mostly nods to established anime/manga continuity and answers to the inevitable "But whatever happened to . . . ?" questions. I liked the sudden yet smooth transition to the courtroom flashback, done without clumsy, obtrusive introduction.
Click
here to download Lies from the anime fanfic archive.
I almost stopped reading this one after the first couple of paragraphs. I'm glad I didn't. Things Change is this year's Putting Your Heart in the Right Place. Rod's work matches Biles' in scope, in creative extrapolation from the source material, and in quality of humor. The author skillfully handles the huge cast and the multiple connected plotlines. His prose style, though its tone is too often tongue-in-cheek, is competent and readable.
I haven't gotten around to giving Things Change a full re-read (but I will!), so my comments are sparser than if the whole work were fresh in my mind. As I said, I almost quit this file immediately. I found the "normality" introduction unnecessary and rather poorly written. But then I kept reading, and I was pleasantly surprised by the excitingly fast-paced, chaotic preludes that firmly established the story in medias res.
The clumsy introduction aside, the overall story of Ranma's life complications transferring to Ryouga was a great idea. More importantly, Rod's resulting plotlines were implemented well enough to do justice to that idea. Nicely done is Ryouga's relationship with Ukyou and her redefinition as Ryouga's "Akane." The dialogues between the two were some of the best passages in the story. Ryouga's new curse and the transitions of Shampoo, Kodachi, and Kunou from Ranma to Ryouga are logical and often very funny. The misunderstanding that arose from Kodachi in disguise was hilarious. The Gosunkugi subplots were pretty boring; I ignored them.
The introduction of an irrational rival (which Ryouga played for Ranma) for Ryouga produced mixed results. I have to admire Rod's craftsmanship in creating all the characters from the silly weapons school of martial arts (is Ryoko the new "Ukyou?"). But Ryo is not much of a Ryouga substitute because he inspires none of the sympathy that Ryouga deserved as Ranma's rival.; Ryo just isn't likeable, or even pitiable.
Click
here to download The More Things Change from the anime fanfic
archive.
The author I praised as the Best Writer in my "Best of 95" post again struts in his stuff in this satisfying conclusion to the "seasons" series. Once again, Palmer treats us to masterful imagery and poetic phrasing. More emotionally intense than the previous stories, "Autumn" elicits a more acute response from the reader than the sense of comfortable intimacy that marked the other seasons. Akane's reaction to the possibility that Ranma might move away, and his clumsy attempts to comfort her, truly draw the reader's sympathy.
As in Winter and Spring Akane and Ranma are drawn closer together when they share a memory associated with the seasonal ambience. Palmer's script for that sensitive moment flows like natural conversation; you can almost hear her voice cracking.
To the extent that this series had a plot, Autumn wraps it up neatly. Because the story moves toward a "logical" conclusion, rather than merely presenting a romantic "slice of life," it lacks some the charm of its predecessors. That's no flaw, since Winter, Spring and Summer absolutely exploded with charm and appeal. Summer is my favorite story in this series. I was touched by the subtle beach imagery, the lightly humorous climax, the stirring description of Ranma's simple pride in his life's work, and the portrayal of an Akane that anyone would fall in love with.
I hope that the conclusion of the seasons series prompts Palmer to apply his peerless writing style to other elements of the Ranma universe.
Read more of my thoughts about Autumn in the 1996 Taleswapper Awards and in the 1996 Induction Ceremony for Taleswapper's Hall of Fame.
Click here to go
to Joseph Palmer's home page.
After reading the first four chapters of this story, I'm ready for a lot more. I liked the understated alternate-history plotline, not as radical as the Elseworlds stories, but just as fascinating. The love triangle in Ranma & Nabiki is even more intriguing than the Ranma- Akane-Ukyou situation in John Biles' stories. Especially fascinating because of its novelty is the principals' active pursuit of each other. Ranma very openly declares his preference for Akane and his gladness when Nabiki treats him well. Nabiki makes plain her need for Ranma to take their engagement seriously. And Akane brazenly holds out to Ranma the option of changing the betrothal arrangements. Such developments are far more saitsfying than the years-long unspoken loves that we anime fans have gotten used to. I'm glad that "Morganfield" has not sacrificed such plot elements to make the story funnier or closer to the "original flavor."
The complexities of the triangle relationship are enough to fuel this this story. The author, however, has stated a commitment to apply story elements from the existing continuity. It may be very challenging to add other plotlines without making the story too cumbersome. So far, "Morganfield" has handled the introduction of Ryouga well; the character's story has folded unobtrusively into the main plotline of Ranma & Nabiki. Hopefully, when Kodachi, Shampoo, etc. show up, the author will do as well.
"Morganfield"'s prose, while not particularly stylish, is smooth and easy, without pretense. The dialogue is well-paced and realistic. Also skillfully handled is the portrayal of characters' thoughts, such as the passage where Nabiki rationalizes exploiting Ranma for profit. All in all, Ranma & Nabiki is well-written enough for me to tolerate the ukelele scenes.
Read more of my thoughts about Tales of Ranma & Nabiki in the Second Quarter FY 96 Post and in the 1996 Taleswapper Awards.
Click here
to go to "McKinley Morganfield's" home page.
In my opinion.
Taleswapper
Return to Taleswapper's Home Page.