On Mon, 28 Oct 1996, Richard Lawson wrote:

WARNING!  Spoiler about my recent story, "Thy Outward Part".  If you
haven't read it, you may want to before responding to this survery.

Caroline Ann Seawright wrote:

Well... hrm ... that's very shoujo to say the least.

What's "shoujo"?

Aimed at young girls.  Shoujo manga often involve *extremely* effeminate 
male characters, and implied or real homosexual encounters, which is what 
Kun-chan is probably referring to. (ne, Kun-chan?)

This is opposed to Shounen, which is aimed at boys.  Ranma 1/2 is 
generally considered Shounen, particularly since it was printed in 
Shounen Sunday

Mind you, these are the labels.  Girls and boys read both kinds, and in 
some cases it's an arbitrary distinction.  I tend to prefer shounen 
myself, but not always.
 

Well written and everything, but you wanted to talk about issues, ne?

:)  Yup... like I said, it's a reactionary fanfic.

Somehow, I don't think it's possible for a person to change preferences
just like that ... I would *never* go for a girl, even if I had the
body of a guy ... It's not a thing you learn, nor a thing that someone
can teach you ... It's just something that is ... Although some people
change preferances, I don't think that it would happen like that.

Personally, I think Ranma has more of a preference for his female form
than you give him credit for... witness his/her speech at the pools of
Jusenkyo in the very last story.

Hmmm... not sure if this is the best argument.  He's saying he stopped 
looking for a cure along the way, that he only wanted the water for 
Akane's sake.  Then we see that Jusenkyo is flooded.  More of a case of 
his denying it to save face a bit, methinks.

Though I would tend to agree with you on the idea.

Personally, I'd be turned off by a girl, however good a friend she was,
or however close she was to me ... It just seems really wrong for Ranma,
too ... He HATES being thought of as a homosexual - and now he's just
thrown himself into BEING one ...

Well, that's the thing.  Is a somebody who was a guy until he turned 16,
then became half guy/half girl, then full time girl, homosexual if
he/she goes out with a guy?  The definition of "homosexuality" was never
meant to take this kind of situation into account.  :)
 

Well, add to that the fact that Ranma hasn't *really* adjusted yet.  He's 
just made the decision to *try* -- we see plenty of this in RL.

Outside looks don't change the inside person. Someone of the same sex
liking you/lusting after you won't make you change, either, however
nice they are towards you ... It's just not something that happens,
in anything that I've encountered or heard of.

Well, how many people do you know have gone through an involuntary sex
reassignment?  :)  This is all hypothetical, of course, since this just
won't ever happen in the real world.  Ranma's change just isn't
physical, it's biochemical, right down to the ability to give birth. 
It's something we can't even begin to imagine.

I sort of wrote it from my perspective, too.  I am heterosexual, very
much so.  Although I have no problems with someone choosing
homosexuality as a lifestyle, personally it's something I could never do
myself.  However, if I was put in Ranma's situation, I *could* imagine
myself making the adjustments he did.  Maybe I'm a weird hentai.  :)

Nah, probably not. (well, you might be, but how would I know?)
I guess it depends on what becomes important: your prior notions of 
sexuality, or your need for love.

So, basically, I think that the whole story is OOC... for the reactions
of Akane and Genma, too ... It's just not something that they'd do,
just as turning gay, just because he's locked into a girl body, isn't
something that Ranma'd do ...

I've always thought of Genma as being quite sexist (Ranma is, too).  If
the heir to the Saotome School were to become a woman full time, I could
imagine it affecting Genma quite strongly.  

Oh, yes.  I can see that.

Akane would *not* be able to marry a woman.  Your points above, about
changing sexual preferences, apply to Akane.  She just wouldn't be able
to do it, I think, and their relationship would change.

That she wouldn't be able to do it... that I'm not so sure of.  I think 
it's unlikely... but I can see it happening.  Akane had, I think, more of 
a clue in their relationship than Ranma, at least at this point.  Given 
her reaction when Ranma came back from the battle with Herb... I can see it.

Just my opinion, of course, which is why I wrote the story.  :)

And you forgot the last option that Ranma could have - have a sex change
operation.

This wouldn't work.  Such changes are only skin deep; he'd still have
two X chromosones underneath.  He'd know the difference between a true
man's body and a woman's body altered to be a man, and the differences
would drive him crazy, IMHO.  It would be a pale imitation at best, and
I think Ranma is intelligent enough to know that.

Good point.

It's easier to change your body than to change your preferences.

This I disagree with, for the reasons mentioned above... if I were given
that choice, I'd make the choice Ranma makes.  That's just me.  You,
obviously, would choose differently.

Maybe we need to take a poll.

ATTENTION FFML'ers:  If you suddenly found yourself turned into the
opposite sex, down to the level of your chromosones, and such a change
was IRREVERSIBLE, would you:

A)  Keep your body AND your sexual preference;

B)  Keep your body and CHANGE your sexual preference;

C)  Have surgery to return your body to its former gender;

D)  Other (please state);

E)  Bap Lawson for asking you such a stupid question?

Mutliple answers are allowed.  :)  If you want to make comments, I'll
publish them along with the results.

Good.  B, D: Remain celibate, and/or E

D would only be possibly, I think, if I had plenty of good friends, though.

mata ne,
bengman