There is one thing that I have noticed in many fics that have disturbed 
me. I find it in dark fics, mostly, but I'm sure that this does happen 
in other genres. Why the hell do author's dunk Ryoga in the 'spring of 
drowned navigator' or equivalent there of, and say "Now Ryoga is no 
longer directionally challenged, even when he _isn't_ in his cursed 
form." As far as I know, the curses don't work that way.
	Ya see, Ryoga's other curse is a genetic thing. A really bad genetic 
thing, but still, it's part of his DNA. Some cell, somewhere, has this 
nice little gene that ensures that he can't find the front door of his 
house when he's in it. You point right, he goes left. 	
	Something like this; something that's so deeply ingrained into his 
make-up that it overrides all possible observation skill that he might 
have _does not_ go away just by dunking him in a pool of someone with an 
_excellent_ direction sense. It just doesn't work that way.
	Nothing like this never really seems to happen with the other curses, 
so why do authors do it this one? Genma isn't able to digest bamboo or 
gain immunity as an endangered species as a human. Mousse can't fly when 
he isn't cursed. Shampoo doesn't clean herself with her tongue, or have 
enhanced sight/reflexes, or catch and eat small rodents when she isn't a 
cat. Ranma doesn't have a higher level of estrogen as a guy. 
	And, too, in their cursed forms it really seems more like they are 
themselves, only in a physically different body. For example, Mousse 
still has a vendetta against Ranma when he's cursed, he just goes about 
it differently. Instead of full on frontal attacks with chains, he 
instead goes for projectile weapons and aerial assault. Genma is still a 
lazy swindler, only he uses his current body more to his advantage. 
Ranma still thinks of herself as a man when female, and is still 
attracted to females, despite the rather obvious disguises he often 
employs.
	Finally, even if he was able to be cursed by something that cancelled 
his bad direction sense, I highly doubt that it would last all that 
long. I mean think about it. The only reason someone is exceptionally 
good at finding their way around is because they have been trained, or 
have trained themselves, to be extraordinarily observant. Now while it 
is true that there are some people who are naturally observant, most 
people aren't good enough at it to find their way home if lost. It's not 
a genetic thing, it's an acquired strength, and natural tendencies would 
eventually resurface in both forms. Unless of course, the more specific 
curses have a clause that ensures the victim retains the attributes of 
the drowned person for as long as they are cursed. Anyway, any path 
finder, or the equivalent, that managed to get themselves drowned must 
not have been all that good at their job anyway.;P
	BTW, does anybody else besides myself think that the curses really 
don't affect one as strongly as they seem to be portrayed to? True, the 
curses affect the genes by rearranging them into the new sequence, but 
if the victim truly became whatever they were cursed then Shampoo, 
Mousse, Ryoga, Genma and Taro would have been long since lost to 
humanity. They would have well and truly become a cat, duck, pig, panda, 
and......minotaur thingy, respectively, instead of a human trapped in 
the aforementioned beasts body. Ranma and Herb would have become female, 
with all the emotions, attractions and amazing ability to bitch about 
the most trivial things that my gender has. 
	No, it seems instead that a Jusenkyo curse is really just an illusion. 
The curse victim takes on the form and abilities of their curse, yet 
still retain the characteristics, abilities, likes/dislikes, etc. that 
make up who they essentially are, no matter what form. The only 
exception to this rule seems to be the more specific curses, such as 
'the drowned psychopathic homicidal wo/man who had green hair and 
magenta eyes' or some such thing. And yet, it seems to me that if one is 
too strongly ingrained with certain characteristics (such as Happosai's 
perverted ways) that make up who they are, they will either 1) go crazy 
as the curse tries to change them, 2) be changed or 3) completely repel 
the curses effect. 
	Anyway, I'm done for now. I got so many great themes that I could use 
for future 'fics from writing this rant! And for those of you who 
actually read my 'fic (warning, shameless plug!) 'Destiny's Child' and 
_responded_, (all two of you)  let me thank you profusely and assure you 
that I am continuing it. Wait, where are you going? Don't run 
away! 
			-Wyvern


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