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My Ranma 1/2 "Fanfic Year" (FY) runs from October 1 to September 30. The
second quarter of FY 97, therefore, ended on March 31. All Ranma fanfics
posted to Rec.Arts.Anime.Creative are eligible to be counted among my favorites.
See "The Taleswapper
Treatment" for an attempted explanation of how I select faves; also relevant
is a silly whine about how hard it sometimes is to pick my favorites, contained
in the prologue of the
First Quarter FY 97 post. In that article, I wrote appreciations
for the following fics:
The stories described below are my favorites for the Second Quarter, and constitute the second batch of "nominees" for the 1997 Taleswapper Awards. I enjoyed this quarter immensely. There were a lot of stories, not all listed here, that entertained and touched me. Also, I'm excited that all but one of the following fics were written by authors whom I've not cited before.
No April Fool's joke this year; all these stories are bona fide. I still get the occasional e-mail from new victims of last year's gag.
***
I smiled inwardly. I would have f---ed her anyway, eventually. Let her think she was blackmailing me.
Paradoxically, I cannot recommend to readers this work, though it is firmly among my favorites. For A Real Man is meant to be offensive, and Doughboy has achieved that goal with great success. Obscene and sexist, the story embodies many of the worst instincts that often come to play in the creation of the most unpalatable lemon fics.
And yet I cannot deny the superior craftsmanship that shines through the perverse muck of A Real Man. As much as any of the fanfic authors for whom I've written the most extravagant appreciations, Doughboy clearly possesses a gift for smart, skillful, and thoughtful prose. Even many of the most vulgar lines in this fic evidence great care in choice of verbiage and have grace that transcends their crude subject matter.
Part of the story's effectiveness is unequaled hilarity, providing simultaneous amusement and offense. Surprise is the soul of humor, and Doughboy elicits laughs successfully with his consistent ability to flout expectations. In a manner reminiscent of Richard Pryor's comedy, the author shocks us into laughter by combining imaginative storytelling with uncompromising frankness. I laughed long and hard at many of the startlingly original story and character twists, the remarkably clever puns, and the unsettling obscenities that fill A Real Man.
Doughboy also deserves credit for well constructed and ambitious formatting. The first-person narrative, with its conversationally frank tone, creates a perfect vehicle for the boastful, vulgar version of Ranma who stars in A Real Man. The transition passages are especially noteworthy, often achieving great vitality with sharp wit. The experimental passages, a mediocre poem and an excellent (and remarkably erotic) script-style section, are admirable touches.
The framing plot involving Ranma and Akane is merely competent, seemingly an afterthought to impose structure and some sense of normalcy on this avant garde work (and some measure of redemption for its incorrigible storyline). Perhaps A Real Man would have better without the framing story; nonlinear raunch - unencumbered by a beginning, an end, and a moral - might better highlight Doughboy's artistry.
Click here to download A Real Man from the anime fanfic archive.
***
She'll never admit it, but she's been incorporating some of my techniques, thought Ranma as he stepped out onto the school yard. Ryouga's, too, and I think I even saw a bit of Shampoo in there. A thought struck him suddenly. Jeezus, has she been studying us?
Given the numerous permutations of the Ranma 1/2 universe developed by fanfic authors, the dearth of stories in which Ranma and Akane break up (for good) is quite remarkable. The nearly total absence of such stories is, however, not especially surprising, since the Ranma/Akane romance is the true core of the anime/manga inspiration. And so, fanfic authors can blithely weave alternate realities or plot extraordinary events in the existing milieu that somehow pair Ranma with another fiancee or even eliminate Akane entirely. But it seems more difficult for writers to even conceive stories in which Ranma and Akane, after having been betrothed, choose to separate forever.
Breaking through this barrier is only one of the significant contributions to the Ranma fanfic art form delivered by Herring with the completion of Paint It Black. He destroys much more of the familiar characterization and situations, while - and this is critical - replacing the lost elements with ones that are inventive and richly complex (if too dark to be called "beautiful"). I find the majority of alternate-reality Ranma fics interesting, but only interesting. In most cases, the power and appeal of a plot that answers the question "What if?" exceed the inventiveness of the writing, creating an imbalance. Herring's work, however, matches the creative reordering of the Ranma 1/2 universe with singular achievements in character development.
Of greatest appeal is the grim, driven Akane created by Herring. Transcending her life history of repetitive distress/rescue episodes, Akane has strength and beauty born of radical self-reliance, insuperable determination, and fierce independence. Strong currents of amorality and fascism - not to say genuine evil - do not sully this Akane's attractiveness, for her character is awesome and therefore irresistible. Akane the focused and confident warrior is a wonder to behold, because Herring has gifted her with soulful depth. Her powerful devotion to magnifying her physical strength and skill is mirrored, admirably, by an equal commitment to the spiritual development associated with martial mastery. And so it is a pleasure to "watch" this Akane in action, even when she is committing murder.
Far less appealing but almost as fascinating is Herring's version of Ranma, who is at once hateful and sympathetic. The deliberate obnoxiousness of Ranma that antagonizes Akane across most universes is uniquely mean-spirited and hurtful in this reality. Their irreconcilability seems almost totally his fault. But like Akane, Ranma is very much the creature of a victimized past, and unlike Akane, Ranma never had a rescuer. A life spent enduring manipulation by others mitigates Ranma's culpability for his horrid coarseness toward Akane. Parents and fiancees who sought to possess him, body, mind, and soul, have shaped a Ranma incapable of civility, let alone love, until at last he finds salvation in his chosen bride. The moments of Ranma's nadir are splendidly scripted, the paranoid delusions of his drugged and fevered mind made tangible by superior prose.
Part of the depth of Ranma's characterization is Herring's portrayal of his parents. Though not quite the irresponsible clown originally created by Takahashi, Genma remains a humorous complication in Ranma's life when compared to his intimidating, castrating wife. Nodoka is a despicable masterpiece of characterization, her closeminded, overbearing attitude coupled with intimidating martial skill. With combined horror and fascination, we can watch as Herring unravels the nature of her frigid soul, from the palpably tense confrontation at the wedding announcement to Nodoka's chilling, final act of rage at the end of the story. This monster will endure in memory for a long time.
Ryouga, Shampoo and Ukyou are less thoroughly refashioned in Paint It Black; they seem to be the same basic characters adapted to a wholly different setting. Herring has lavished much more attention on his re-creation of Kodachi, and the reformed psychopath is very interesting, though not nearly so much as Akane reinvented. There are attention-getting little touches in Kasumi's and Nabiki's characterization, giving rise to dissatisfaction at their diminishing roles in the fic. It seems that Herring might have had some intriguing ideas about them, but allowed them to fade into the background as the combatants dominated the story.
Herring's prose is engrossing for its rich descriptiveness and for its subtle, but effective experiments in different devices for portraying unspoken thoughts and hidden dramas. Most captivating are the complex scenes that combine violent action with internal dramas. The examples are some of the best moments in Paint It Black: Akane's berserker at the Kunou mansion, Mousse's reluctant butchery at the final battle, even the silent choreography of Ranma's kick drills. Also impressive are well staged, ironic juxtapositions: Ranma's and Akane's exchange of lying promises of a civil married life, backed by the soundtrack of Ukyou's desperate attempt to intercede; Akane's gentle letdown of Ryouga and its affectionate aftermath, coincident with their underhanded plotting against Ranma.
The alternate world history that is the setting for Paint It Black is sufficiently interesting and for the most part understated enough to avoid the trap of distracting from the story. Its single most relevant aspect, the 20th century feudalism that characterizes Japanese and Chinese civilization in this world, is fascinating and provides a singular setting for Herring's fic. One troublesome element of this milieu is the enormous armies at the disposal of the warring clans. This element is at once too realistic and too dependent on the suspension of disbelief. That is, it's entirely to be expected that, in such a world, the principals might have armed legions at their disposal. But such a politically complex situation seems entirely incompatible with even a "black" version of the comically illogical relationships at the heart of Ranma 1/2.
Despite the bleak, irredeemably base nature of this story, I found myself critical of Herring's choices that made the fanfic less dark than it could have been. The surprise twist at Paint It Black's climax disappointed me, as I had been preparing myself for a showdown between Ranma and Akane. The subsequent patricidal bloodbath was satisfying, but no substitute for the anticipated death-match between the estranged fiancees. Such a clash would have been more fitting for this innovative fanfic. For in the grotesque world Herring has constructed, the violent fruition of Ranma's and Akane's schemes of vengeance are very close to "happily ever after."
Click here to download Paint It Black from the anime fanfic archive.
***
Less than a minute later, my body snapped back to that of a man. The time keeps getting shorter, I thought. Why was that? ... Ryoga's curse still worked the same as it did on day one. Why was that? My curse shouldn't work any differently than Ryoga's.Except that Ryoga was still living in interesting times...
I was sitting on the sidelines while he and Akane were living a life of danger and adventure. Could it be after all the ridiculous failed attempts at a cure, my curse was finally going away because it was bored?
Not surprisingly, fanfics that have true emotional impact on me are very likely to find their way into my list of favorites. Such stories usually affect me through a moving portrayal of romantic love, with notable exceptions. Into the exceptional category goes A Peaceful Life, unique for having engendered in me a powerful sense of melancholy. For the complexity of story and mood in Kleppe's work render inappropriate such dramatic emotional terms as "despair" and "tragedy." Ranma's loss is certainly significant, even world shattering. But the tranquil character of his life (and - not coincidentally - of his wife) serves to dampen the effect of his trauma.
Without the melodrama that would have dominated a lesser fanfic, Kleppe is faced with the challenge of affecting readers without the blunt instruments of tragic longing or pathetic depression. Instead, the author's tools are subtle and precise: the nagging hints of a would-be life stolen, the unromantic (however loving) character of Ranma's marriage, Kasumi's gentle (unconscious?) chastening whenever his vibrant spirit attempts to reassert itself.
Kleppe's strength is less wordsmithing than presentation. The timing and arrangement of his prose succeed in creating drama that other excellent writers accomplish with careful verbiage. In fact, Kleppe's words sometimes seem to exceed their charter, partly spoiling the beauty of a perfectly presented moment. Such passages appear to have gone one or two sentences too far after a graceful point has been made, like perforating a target after scoring a bullseye.
The structure of A Peaceful Life, present-day narrative separating long flashback scenes, is an appropriate device to showcase Kleppe's staging skills. Not surprisingly, the flashbacks strike me as somewhat obvious, an ironic counterpoint to the elegance of the future scenes. For it is the quiet aftermath and not the long-ago tragedy that I find most compelling, most emotionally jarring. Its impact is hushed and untheatrical, but nonetheless striking.
Click here to go to Gary Kleppe's fanfic page.
***
Mei told me of their requirements of you concerning the leadership. Right now their demands must still have you bristling; let the anger go. They are trying to act in the best interests of the tribe, as are you. I imagine in the end you will live as a woman by day for the tribe, and as a man at night for Miss Kuonji.
Though this story's basic plot was known to Ranma fanfic readers since last summer, Succession nevertheless has novelty and energy. Leifker ably handles the challenge facing all prequel authors - the potential for tedium in a story whose ending (and aftermath) is known to the audience. Part of his success is the execution of the storyline, with soulful prose that has been the author's trademark since I was touched by Sunrise more than a year ago. Also pleasing are some new, unexpected story elements, most notably the requirements imposed on Ranma for her succession to leadership of the Niichieju. Ranma's dramatic oath highlights the intriguing issues of sexual identity that have been addressed in many impressive fanfic treatments of Ranma 1/2 (including Leifker's recent collaboration with Hitomi Ichinohei on Clothes Make the ...). This subplot also provides much explanation for the source of Ranma's reluctance in Sunrise to reclaim her manhood.
For the first time, new character Blossom becomes for me a tangible and fascinating person. The Ranran scene paints an intriguing portrait of the giant Amazon, who is very much a prisoner of her rage and warrior's pride. This exposition and Mouthwash's assessment of her motives serve to enhance the originality and sophistication of Leifker's villain, who now transcends the mediocrity of traditional Ranma antagonists. Her end is therefore a touching one.
The journal and epistolary devices, used capably by Leifker throughout the Chronicles, are especially compelling in Succession. The dignified comportment of the Chieftain's journal highlights Ranma's maturation and brings credibility to her re-formed character, despite Ranma's reversion to youthful insolence in her "title bout" with Blossom. Artfully, Ranma's behavior in that fight foreshadows her discordant playfulness in Sunrise's showdown with Herb. The letter from Cologne, while not as touching as I think Leifker had intended, helps to illustrate the fullness of Ranma's relationship with her mentor.
As a year-long journey comes to a close, my thoughts return understandably to the original story, Sunrise. It remains one of my favorite Ranma fanfics of all time, though several well-spoken correspondents attempted to convince me that I was mistaken to select it as the best Ranma fic of 1996. Interestingly, my esteem for Sunrise exceeds my opinion of its progeny, an illogical situation since, naturally, Leifker's art has improved measurably with each new story. Perhaps it is only sentiment that elevates the original fic above the Chronicles in my mind: I cannot forget the effectiveness of that story, despite its "rookie mistakes." Elegant language from Sunrise continues to echo in my mind, while flaws in its crafting are only dim memories, though I re-read the fic often. And so the grandeur of that beautifully brief epic was not diminished but reinforced when Leifker, through the Chronicles, filled in the details.
Click here to go to Nicholas Leifker's fanfic page.
Read my thoughts about the progenitor story, Sunrise, in the Second Quarter FY 1996 posting and in the 1996 Taleswapper Awards and about the first chapter of The Sunrise Chronicles in the Fourth Quarter FY 1996 posting.
***
"Crazy girl," a broken whisper, "Why you watch? You think it funny to see Shampoo's heart break?"
I fly across the housetops, laughing and laughing. Yet there is a corner of my mind, hidden from even Shadow-Self, where there is no laughter. In that corner, there is a cold scheming it would not do to think even to myself. Especially to myself... I might overhear.
There is a joke in the acting community that the easiest way to win critical acclaim is play a maniac. The effective portrayal of unsteady mental health, by definition, requires creativity and powerful characterization. Is Kodachi, then, a sure-fire hit? Probably not, but when it comes to starring in superior fanfics, she's got a better record than any of the other Ranma 1/2 cast members. From Wicked Garden through The Dying of the Rose to Iron Roses, stories that star the psychotic gymnast consistently impress me; I can't remember any Kodachi fics that weren't on the upper portion of the curve.
And Black Roses is my favorite Kodachi fanfic, a bounty of smart ideas well developed. The notion of a suppressed personality, real or imagined, is a nice take on Kodachi's psychosis, though the name she has chosen for it ("Shadow-Self") seems overdone and unsophisticated. That Kodachi assigns much of her unevenness to Shadow-Self opens up for contemplation broad questions: is there really a submerged personality or is Kodachi genuinely evil and merely scapegoating her mental imbalances? If Shadow-Self is real, is she the healthier part of Kodachi or the more malignant?
I also appreciate Shazorn's innovative use of the oft-repeated idea of an abusive Mrs. Kunou. Though the author does not depart far from the established fanfic notion that Kodachi's mother beat and berated her children into madness, the back story is revealed with greater subtlety and ambiguity than other Ranma fanfic writers have attempted in similar circumstances. In addition, I was fascinated by the brief insight on possible Oedipal roots for Kuno's attraction to Akane and Ranma-chan.
The conception and implementation of Kodachi's plots against her rivals are riveting. Best is the scheme she hatches with Mousse to take Shampoo out of the competition. The solutions to Mousse's problems are ingenious and, in the context, very believable. The fruition of the plot, marked by Shampoo's resignation and anguish, is surprisingly touching. Though not as intricate or compelling, Kodachi's orchestration of Akane's downfall is a titillating departure from the expected. The Ukyou plot and its unplanned consequences, on the other hand, left me cold. The ending was unsatisfying because Shazorn's clever and effective Kodachi deserved, if not success in her quest for Ranma, at least the pleasure of seeing the long-term effects of all she had wrought.
The writing in Black Roses is clever, sometimes startlingly so. Kodachi's narrative sets a tone that is, though eminently appropriate, very much unexpected. Through intelligent, constructive use of the first-person voice, Shazorn portrays a Kodachi who is cool and considerate, her unnerving composure broken by only momentary descents into the cackling lunacy that Ranma 1/2 fans have come to expect. Instead, we are treated to a literate and insightful character for whom we can cheer, if we are feeling sufficiently perverse.
Click here to download Black Roses from the anime fanfic archive.
***
"Akane, why are you laughing?" he asked.
She giggled once more. "Well, don't think I'm insane, Ranma," Akane explained. "You've carried me on your back before, but never like this. In its own demented way, it's kind of fun."
Ranma let his head fall to the floor. "Akane, this is not an easy task here," he said looking back. "Frontal rug burn is not my idea of having fun."
"At least you'll know how us girls feel."
"Huh?"
"Then again I wouldn't know," Akane quickly added.
Ranma shook his head. "You need help, Akane. Let's cease with the giggles, okay?"
"Oh, pooh," she replied. "Don't tell me you aren't enjoying this." Akane clicked her tongue. "Giddy up, Kimba!"
Once I got past the mediocre beginning, with its goofy "global conspiracy" theme, I smiled all the way through this story. Stone has a splendid gift for writing dialogue. Though his characters do not speak with great eloquence or particular acumen, there is an easygoing natural quality to their conversations that is rare in fanfic, punctuated by consistently effective light humor. The highlights of Dark Family are the many instances of playful banter between Ranma and Akane. Spontaneous, witty, occasionally suggestive, and sometimes tender without being oversentimental, Stone's best Ranma-Akane conversations are some of my favorite fanfic passages.
To make the dialogue work, Stone introduced reworked versions of Ranma and Akane that are cooler, more unaffected, and more honest with each other: much like the stars of Joseph Palmer's fics. The appealing couple and their spirited, teasing interplay provide a solid basis for effective romantic comedy. That's an important achievement, because the actual main story, for the most part, is of average quality. Certainly, the beginning is a weakness, providing no hint of the treasures deeper into the story. The commonplace suspense tale that is at the heart of Dark Family is capably executed, but in the end unremarkable except for plot holes that are common to stories of this type. The new character Marcus is confusing, vacillating between the customarily charming villain and a far more despicable persona, guilty of rape and unprovoked violence.
Back on the plus side, Stone's work with the regular supporting cast is superior. Rivalling the charm of Ranma and Akane is a terrifically witty Nabiki. From her pre-date teasing of Akane through her baiting of Marcus to her sardonic direction of the assault team, Nabiki is consistently entertaining. Shampoo is also loads of fun in Dark Family. When Ranma sends them to the Nekohanten, Ukyou and Ryouga share a engaging moment in the spotlight that, again, demonstrates the adroitness of Stone's dialogue. I was also impressed with Stone's crafting of a suddenly-useful Happosai, Tsubasa, and Gosunkugi. The way Stone pulls the whole cast together in the extended, multi-site running battle is impressive. The fight and chase scenes are imaginative and exciting.
Stone interrupted the story at an odd place, apparently very near its climax. He didn't have to do that; I'd be anxious for more no matter where he'd stopped. I hope it's not a long wait for the rest of Dark Family.
Click here to download Dark Family from the anime fanfic archive.
***
Shanpu forced herself to relax, and pushed her way past Shin. "By the way," she called back to Reizoru over her shoulder. "Lo Shin did challenge me.
"He lost."
After Shanpu was out of sight, Rei turned on Shin. "You wanted to marry HER?!?"
A return to the village of the Amazons is always welcome for me, given the pleasure that locale has brought me in such fics as The Ways of the Amazons and The Sunrise Chronicles. On this visit, I was impressed and intrigued by the departure from the established history of Ranma's first encounter with Shampoo. Tripp establishes a credible Ranma-Shampoo romance, which in many ways parallels the comic appeal of his relationship with Akane in the source material. Ranma's denial of growing attraction for Shampoo, the pseudorivalry borne of Ranma's easy defeat of the once best-in-town martial artist: such plot elements echo his romance with Akane. That such elements are smoothly transferred to the new pairing with Shampoo is a fascinating and enticing twist.
In the anime/manga and in most fanfics, Mousse is for me a consistent source of profound boredom. Tripp has succeeded, however, in making Mousse interesting for me without changing the character's nature noticeably from Takahashi's original. By changing Ranma's situation, Mousse becomes for the protagonist a genuine rival, transcending his traditional role as a mere annoyance. Mousse's basic characteristics, unreasoning violence directed against Ranma and neurotic denial of Shampoo's unattainability, are so far unchanged and are well portrayed by the author. Tripp's redefinition of the Ranma-Shampoo relationship, however, also re-creates Mousse, elevating his stature from slapstick comic relief to full membership in an unusual love triangle. In this situation, Mousse's gravitas is very much comparable to Ryoga's in the anime/manga.
It is difficult to rate Tripp's competent but unadorned prose; its simplicity certainly does not impact negatively the quality of the fic, though neither did her writing style enhance my enjoyment. I must express some admiration for the author's decision to challenge her (or her editor's) proofreading ability with the situational switches between Chinese and Japanese dialogue passages. Additional stylistic adventuring is in order, though: as it stands, this fic could easily have been written in script format without losing its appeal.
I eagerly await future installments.
Click here to download Cure for a Broken Heart from the anime fanfic archive.
***
In my opinion.
Taleswapper
April 11, 1997
Have you voted in the
Reader's Choice
Ranma Fanfic Poll? I did; care to guess which were my top three?
E-mail me at talswapr@aol.com.
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