ki'var@firstsaga.com wrote:

Right on. I ignore them also. Nearly all of the most uninteresting fics posted on the list are
the pure (non x-over) Ranma fanfics. Let's be honest here, why should anyone care all that
much who Ramna & Co beats the crap out of or sleeps with? If you read one of these Ranma
fanfics that isn't a x-over, you can pretty much say you've read them all with the execption
of Ranma 2096.

All right, admittedly there are a lot of Ranma fics.  And many of the
ideas for Ranma 1/2 have been explored, but Ranma 1/2 and associated
fanfiction isn't about "who Ranma & Co beats the crap out of or sleeps
with".  Yes, there are many "pure" Ranma fics like that, but:
1) the same goes for Ranma X-over fics.  If Ranma & Co beat the crap out
of or sleeping with someone from the Bubble Gum Crisis/Saint Tail/Etc.
Universe for example, does that make it any better than Ranma & Co
beating the crap out of or sleeping with someone from their own
Universe?
2) there are just as many Ranma fics that are _nothing_ like that.  EG: 
Richard Lawson's "Thy Outward Part" which is about Ranma's unwilling
exploration into his own feminine sexuality.  Greg Sandborn's "Nabiki:
New Horizons" which is about Nabiki becoming an adult.  Zen's "The
Bitter End" which is about anger, forgiveness, and love.  In _ONE_ of
these does sex play a major part and in _NONE_ of these are the combat
skills of Ranma & Co emphasized.  
3) there are other fanfics about other anime that are just as stagnant
and predictable as any Ranma fic, there are just less of them.  EX:  In
almost every AMG fic Belldandy and Keichii grow closer as a couple. 
I've lost count of the number of times I've read a SM fic where Jedite
returns as a villian.  (not to say I don't like these plot lines, but
they are somewhat overused)
4) to say a fic is uninteresting simply because it doesn't involve
characters from anime other than Ranma 1/2 is, to but it bluntly,
disgustingly judgemental.  You cannot say that _every_ "pure" Ranma fic
is uninteresting, unless you've _READ_ every "pure" Ranma fic. 
Furthermore, Ranma 1/2 fanfiction is just as interesting as any other
fanfiction out there.  Yes, there are some bad fics (what anime
_doesn't_) and yes, there are more fics out there so a larger number of
them (but about the same proportion) will be bad.  So WHAT?  If you
don't like Ranma fics, that's your perogative.  But don't go spouting
your opinion of Ranma fics like they're unadulterated fact.  
I _personally_ like Ranma fics, but I agree that Ranma fics with the
plot lines you've described are often poor and predictable, but that's
no reason for me to stop reading Ranma fics.  Your opinion is your own,
and how you express your _opinions_ is your business.  Just make sure
that everyone _knows_ it's your _opinion_.

AJ

whose mind went wandering... and decided to follow Ryoga...