Chris Nichols wrote:

fiancees.  Konatsu is in love with Ukyou, certainly.  True, he needs 

to

deal with his gender-identity problem, but no one in the Ranma cast 

is

without a major problem equally problematic.  But still, perhaps, in
time Ukyou can love Konatsu in return.  Certainly not now, perhaps 

not

even soon, but some day.

I'm not clear that Konatsu need to deal with this problem.  Ukyou is
plenty headstrong enough to make decisions for both of them, and their
dress does complement each other rather well.

However, this is not happening.

Agreed.  I am also somewhat puzzled as to the extent of this.

Me too.

In fact, the best treatment Konatsu has gotten in fanfic appears to 

be

in 'Waters Under Earth,' and there he's been kidnapped and abused by
psychotic kunoichi and had an ancient evil grafted onto his soul.  At
least his relationship with Ukyou is improving.

I haven't read "Waters Under Earth" myself (I tend to avoid long epics
with a reputation for seriousness).  However, I could point to
several other treatments:  Lord Archive's "The Insanity Continues", in
which Ukyou and Konatsu show up as a couple at Ranma's and Akane's
wedding, and at the prom dance; 

Actually, Ukyou went to the Prom with Daisuke.

another comic continuation, by Carolyn

Brickhouse, especially "Masquerade Ball Battle" (which is hilarious, 

BTW,

even if it does resurrect Tsubasa), which also appears to be developing
Ukyou and Konatsu as a couple, and my own stories, especially "Much 

Ado",

"As You Like It", and "Measure for Measure" (I have not got Ukyou and
Konatsu together, so far, but Konatsu is in the running to be her 

husband.)

Jim Lazar features Konatsu in CMD, but, IMO, Konatsu is considerably
OOC here.

So, the point this rambling leads to is...
Why?

Some of it is dates:  many of the older fanfics you read on the net
precede the introduction of Konatsu.  This is presumably why DNR
completely ignores Konatsu.  I'm not sure if this accounts for TIL
or not, which otherwise is completely canonical w.r.t couples.

TIL actually has Ukyou tell Konasu that she likes him as a friend only, 
shortly after Ranma tells her the same.

As far as current stories, I really don't know why this is so, given
my point at the bottom.  It's not that hard to get up to speed on 

Konatsu.

Why can't Konatsu catch a break?  Is it simply that no one save 

myself

likes him?  Since I freely admit to having no taste, am I missing
certain aesthetic reasons for avoiding budding Ukyou-Konatsu romance?
Is it just that Ukyou is easier to write about as someone stuck to
perpetual misery, rather than a vital Ukyou who rediscovers her 

heart?

Or do examples of this type of story exist, and I've simply been to
foolish to locate them, though not for lack of trying.

I think the fundamental problem is fanfic writers' perceptions of 

Ukyou,

rather than Konatsu.  In Japan, it appears that Ukyou is not very 

popular,

and Shampoo is immensely so.  In the English-language fanfic community,
there are very few people who like Shampoo, whereas there is a large
minority who prefers Ranma-Ukyou to Ranma-Akane.  There is a second 

large

minority who likes to leave Ukyou free, as if even Ranma isn't good 

enough.

I kinda agree with this myself.  Not that Ranma's not good enough for 
her, it's just that he's not really right for her, which she'd notice if 
she would get off this whole mess.

Personally, I think that towards Ranma, Ukyou's been acting off a 
childhood crush that has been festering for ten years.  She had a crush 
on him, and asked her dad if she could marry him.  Lots of children do 
that, it's just that Mr(Mrs?  Read Ranma Ototo:PSmF) 
took it seriously, and struck the deal with Genma.  After he left, the 
other kids teased her about it, and it became kind of an obsession with 
revenging herself on Ranma.  When she found out that he was ignorant of 
the entire situation, it was like the rejection never happened(which it 
didn't), and she went back to her crush.  

Perhaps someone should do a fic about her realizing that, and trying to 
start 
over with Ranma.  I'd do it myself, but I'm too busy with Bubblegum 
Rift, Generations, and Nidoranma.  

Most of these fans detest Konatsu for his cross-dressing.  

Yet they excused Ukyou for hers.  Funny, that.


SAMAS

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