DEAD HORSES IN RANMA & SAILOR MOON FANFIC
compiled by Scott K. Jamison
Edition 1.1
"There is nothing new under the sun."--attributed to King Solomon
While it's certainly not true that every possible plot twist or
character twitch has already been used up, some have been more heavily
mined than others in fanfiction. Some of them have been done so often
that the experienced reader, upon seeing someone attempting to "reinvent
the wheel", can only sigh and think "here we go again."
Thus this list, which hopes to cover the most commonly overused
themes and scenes, not to forbid their reuse, but to let the beginning
writer know what has already been done, and done well.
Each person contributing to this list, therefore, was asked to
provide examples of "dead horses", and more importantly, an example of a
story in which that scene, theme, or characterization was done best. If
nothing else, it should allow the reader to look up the more interesting
specimens.
Further suggestions for this list should be sent to me by private
e-mail at majks@cyberx.com . On-topic discussions of the stories
themselves need not be sent privately, of course.
I've restricted this to Ranma 1/2 (Created by Rumiko Takahashi)
and Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon (Created by Naoko Takeuchi) because those
are the two series with the most fanfic traffic right now.
RANMA/SAILOR MOON CROSSOVERS
Ranma Becomes A Sailor Senshi
Getting Ranma into a fuku one way or another is a staple whenever
these two series cross. Indeed, it's actually a surprise when he doesn't
get co-opted.
Best Treatment: _Lines of Destiny_ by Louis-Phillipe Giroux
(http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~dragon/)
"Just the overall treatment."--Luigi Mattera
"Instead of Ranma just blindly jumping in and accepting, with
only a minor complaint about skirt length, we get to see Ranma really
worrying about a potential to lose his masculinity, since his female side
has become so much stronger than his male one."--Christian A. Rogers
RANMA 1/2 STORIES
Nabiki/Kunou matchup
This is Nabiki's default coupling in "continuation" or "wrapup"
stories. Usually, it has no more justification than "Nabiki likes money,
and Kunou has it."
Best Treatment: (1)_Long, Hard Road_ by George Mori
"Featured scenes where Nabz gets herself in big trouble and Kunou
is there to help her."--Gary Kleppe
(2)_Reunions: Kunou/Nabiki Chapter_ by J. Austin
Wilde
"Nabbie marries Kunou to gain access to his money."--Gary Kleppe
(3)_Thy Inward Love_ by Richard Lawson
[No quote provided.]
New Relative
A quick way to introduce a new character, but often suffers from
a lack of imagination, making the sister/brother/cousin just like the
original, only quirkier.
Best Treatment: _Saotome Squared_ by Eternal Lost Lurker (aka
Robert Morrison) (http://www.geocities.com/~etlostlurker)
"Ranma accidentally gets cured of the curse, then his daughter
comes from the future, and she does not act totally like Ranma or Akane;
she has a bit of Happosai in her, and given time, she could become quite
the character that neither of her parents weren't."--Andrew
Akane's Hammer
If you look carefully, almost every continuing character in the
Ranma 1/2 series uses a hammer at one point or another; even Kasumi
advocates hammering. But in fanfics, it's usually treated as something
unique to and stereotypical of Akane.
Best Treatment: _The Art_ by Gregg Sharp
"Made good use of the hammer by connecting it up with Akane's
relationship to Thor."--David Johnston
Overuse of Character Catchphrases ["Aiyah", "Oh my", etc.]
Yes, it's a quick way to remind the reader who's saying what.
But too many writers use catchphrases as a crutch instead of writing new
but still appropriate dialogue.
Best Treatment: _Hearts and Minds Prelude 3_ by Gary Kleppe
"The pun on Nodoka's name, "Saotome Nobaka", is probably the best
use of this cliche that I can think of."--David Johnston
Ranma Is Split Into Separate Male and Female Halves
One of the most obvious Ranma plotlines, and one with a lot of
potential. Actually, it's not so much the number of stories with the
plot, it's the number of unsatisfying or unfinished stories with this
plot.
Best Treatment: _Two Sides of the Coin_ by Benares
"I liked [it] enough to try to write an ending for it. It was
funny at points but captured the torment of being left out of Ranma's
life for his female half."--David Johnston
Nodoka Finds Out About the Curse
The early stories about this made sense, since it hadn't happened
yet, but we still have people reinventing the wheel long afterward.
(Which isn't to say that it isn't appropriate in "alternate universe"
tales, but even in these, there seems to be a fatal sameness creeping in.
Best Treatment: _Ranma 1/2 Volume 36_ by Rumiko Takahashi
"Just the right blend of suspense, silliness and plot
twists."--Scott K. Jamison
Akane's Cooking
All too often used as a quick way of creating hostility between
Ranma and Akane in a story, even when it's taking place past the point
when Akane's cooking became acceptable in the manga.
Best Treatment: _Variyah Cycle_ by Mike Loader
"Uses it in a way that's genuinely funny and not just a rehash of
the same old supposedly `original flavor' stuff."--Gary Kleppe
Gaijin Visitors in Nerima
AKA "Self-inserts", nine times out of ten.
Best Treatment: _An American Gaijin in Nerima, Tokyo_ by Karl Rim
"The genre has been parodied by many, but Rim did it first and in
a way that was quick and to the point."--Gary Kleppe
BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILOR MOON
New Senshi
Perhaps the most obvious plot device available, with even
Takeuchi-sensei herself succumbing to some of the sillier examples.
Best Treatment: _Lines of Destiny_ by Louis-Phillipe Giroux
(http://www.anime.sobhrach.com/~dragon/)
"Oh sure, Sailor Dirt is inherently lame, but the conflict of
Ranma having to accept his previous female incarnation is worth looking
at."--David Johnston
Jadeite Returns
Note that this one is anime only, since in the manga Jadeite is
pretty definitely dead.
Best Treatment: _Sailor Moon Expanded/Dark Kingdom Renegades_ by
Mark Latus
"Gave a reason why he survived, and it's one of the few times
that Jadeite comes up with a scheme worth the effort."--David Johnston
Lesbianism in Crystal Tokyo (Non-Lemon)
"Why should Usagi be the only Senshi in a heterosexual
relationship?"--David Johnston
Best Treatment: _Sailor Moon Expanded_ by Mark Latus
"Makoto's relationship with Chrysolite. It's the only time I've
seen poor Makoto hooked up with anyone, and you know what Woody Allen
said about bisexuality....[*1]"--David Johnston
Rei and Usagi Discovering They're In Love and, After Admitting it to
Each Other, Go at it Like Rabbits in Heat [*2]
Ahem.
Best Treatment: _Curiousities_ by Siranime (siranime@xnet.com)
"It builds well, although the group orgy scene at the end is a
bit excessive, but the moments where Usagi and Rei discuss how to handle
their new-found feelings are pretty darn touching at points."--Christian
A. Rogers
Self-Insert Lemons
All too often, merely an ego-stroking fantasy for the author, and
less than thrilling to those who fail to share the author's kinks.
Best Treatment: _Coming of Munihausen_ by the Great Red Serpent
"Not chosen because it's a good story (it's f***ing disgusting)
but because it has not one...not two...but THREE people inserted to rut
with their favorite Senshi...and respectively involving a cucumber, a
bloody corpse, and racial slurs."--Christian A. Rogers
Naru Confronts Usagi About Their Distancing Relationship
Strange how she never seems to do this in the anime or manga...
Best Treatment: _Suiseki_ by Eternal Lost Lurker (aka Robert
Morrison) (http://www.geocities.com/~etlostlurker)
"The moment they confront each other is powerful and, while the
problems are over for the moment, the feeling that there's still a rift
between them is expertly left behind."--Christian A. Rogers
Setsuna is Manipulative and Will Do *Anything* to Advance the Path
Another of those stereotypes that is perhaps more fan canon than
reality.
Best Treatment: (1)_Secrets_ by Ken Wolfe
"While Setsuna's manipulations are horrifying in their results,
she is not depicted as omnipotent or omniscient; the author manages to
make her seem very human, despite everything."--Chris Davies
(2)_Universal B_ by Jendra
(http://members.aol.com/Jendra)
[No quote provided.]
* * *
I'd like to thank everyone who contributed. In addition to those
quoted above, assistance came from Brian M., Bob W. and Benson Yee.
Congratulations to those authors whose works were chosen as examples!
Comments?
SKJAM!
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Flats/5990
*1: "It doubles your chance of a date on Saturday night."
*2: As one of my correspondents put it, "Usagi and *Rei*? Only a
*straight boy* would believe that one!"
v1.0 (081398) First version.
v1.1 (081498) Added Gary Kleppe's nominations, put in a couple of
pointers, minor corrections.