On Wed, 5 Jun 1996, Jon K. Hayashi wrote:

could have been.  In real life, and even in anime, few things have 
tidy explanations...Why can't fanfic be the same way? 

I would have to say that it can't be the same way because you're using 
someone else's characters.  If you are writing your own characters and 
situations, then you could set everything up the way you want it to.  
[some stuff I cut for sake of brevity]

I think it depends on your qualifier for a successful fanfic.  In the 
case of Ranma, I've grown to both love the characters and hate the plots 
(and to a lesser extent, the tone), so while I enjoy seeing more Ranma, I 
enjoy both deviations from the norm and recreation of the tone of 
earlier anime/manga.

I think I can save myself a bunch of quoting and "I disagree" statements by 
saying that it's subjective.  Fanfics vary between recreations of the 
anime to original fiction which happens to involve the anime 
characters.  Whatever your preference, there are great examples of both 
styles of fanfics.  

For a writing guide such as yours, which tries to maintain an objective 
tone and advise the prospective author without guiding them in a 
particular direction, personal preferences don't really belong.  Even if 
*you* disagree, just the fact that people dissent is cause enough to 
re-write the section.

Another argument could be that as the reader usually gets a "god's 
eye" view of the characters, especially in regards to thoughts and 
emotions.  We, as the readers, are privy to more than what we would 
see in real life, and therefore are entitled to the whole thing, or just 
the basics. 

No!  
One thing I've noticed about my favorite Ranma 1/2 episodes, and really 
*any* well-told story, is that details are given only as they add to the 
effectiveness of the story.
Readers aren't entitled to anything other than an interesting read.

majority of fanfics try to tie-in, at least to start off with, so that they 
can make the "twist" more effective.  But in tying it in, you have to 
take in account everything in the original (unless you specify a cut-
off) because you're using characters with established backgrounds. 

"Angel's Spit" doesn't directly tie itself it to the original anime any 
more than "Take Off Your Clothes" does.

It's sometimes acceptable to ignore that the setting is Japan.  How 
effective would "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" be if it was accurate to 
the subtle nuances of Japanese culture?  I know most of it would 
have gone over *my* head... 

I suppose the point is that knowledge can impede the enjoyment of 
the story.  Its not that it necessarily goes over the reader's head, but 
that the background is there for those who have that knowledge, 

Nah.  "Who's Life Is It Anyway?" wasn't a story about the physical act 
of Ranma being raped, it wasn't even about Akane going around touching 
stoves...it was a story about how the Ranma characters deal with a  
tragedy.  Their reactions were Western, and I appreciated the story only 
because I understood where their reactions were coming from.

rather than leaving it blank or contradicting the real thing.  The 
question is that by ignoring the setting, you are ignoring a part of 
what defines the character in the original, and will it make a 
difference?  For those with the knowledge of those things, it may. 

I agree in most cases.  WLIIA is an exception that disproves the rule.  

BTW, you mentioned that it would be wrong for a person to take 
"Angel's Spit" and turn it into a melodramatic lemon.  Apples/Oranges.  
It would be wrong, but only if the author hadn't given permission.  
Similarly, it would be wrong for Kosuke Fujishima to release a manga 
where Ranma & Akane get married, if he hadn't gotten the proper permission.

Maybe I shouldn't speak for other authors, but I wouldn't mind if an 
author did that would something I've written, as long as they got my 
permission...it's not like my fanfics are sacred writings...

Jeff

****jdrutsch@ucdavis.edu***********************Jeff Rutsch************* 
"Ranma's not a boy...he's a girl!"
"Akane is MY fiancee!  You TOUCH her, and I'll KILL you!"
"Ranma, change back into a boy while I buy you some time."
"But if I seem to act unkind/it's only me, it's not my mind."
"Ranma [sic],/give your heart to Akane [sic]. /Soon,/right away."
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