Koi's Anime Report; Manga Also
May 1999
Volume 1, Issue 4
May 19th, 1999.
Some people say this is a culmination, or perhaps a rebirth, of the greatest science-fiction movie ever made.
Others claim it is history's biggest example of mankind's hopeless lockstep to the mechanical beat of an overhyped media, surpassing even "Titanic" in sheer cultural hysteria.
Personally, I liked Star Wars.
You may agree, you may not; regardless of your position, the original Star Wars trilogy set standards for todays culture, stories, and attitudes.
Today was the 'official' opening day of Episode 1, the prequel to the famous trilogy which set a whole generation looking to the stars and inflamed viscious debate over Star Wars vs. Star Trek. If, however, we glance away from the "past" of Episode 1, and look to the classical Episodes 4-6, we find the movies have permeated not only American society, but have stretched their influence across the oceans.
To Japan.
Nermia, to be exact.
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Ran Wars - Episode 1/2: An Old Plot
Location: ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/Ran-Wars/ranma.ran-wars.1.gz
or
http://www.tass.org/fanfic/Ran-Wars/ranma.ran-wars.1
Size: 66.9 KB compacted, 172.9 KB uncompacted
Classification: Crossover, Humorous
Authors: Epsilon & Blade, chmcneil@upei.ca
Structure: Epic, script format, completed
Background:
This is what the author calls an "identity" fanfic, where characters from the Ranmaverse take the places of Star Wars characters. Roughly in order of apperance, the Ranma cast participating is: Genma, Soun, Akane, Ukyo, Mousse, Kuno, Ranma, Nodoka, Tofu, Happosai, Sasuke, Ryoga, Taro, Kodachi, Kasumi, and Gosunkugi. There is no continuity from the manga or anime... Well, Ukyo is still after Ranma, and the Jusenkyo curses are in effect, and Kodachi and Kuno wind up with the same attitudes towards cast members, and the Tendo and Saotome lines are still to be joined...
Story Summary:
Two words: Star Wars. Episode 1/2 is fairly faithful to the original plot, but this is not a reason to skip reading it. Much of the appeal comes from the innate chaos Ranma and company can bring to any situation.
Following the destruction of the planet Nermia by Darth Saotome, Emperor Happosai has begun construction of a super-battlefortress, the Happodaikarin. The sole hope of the civilized galaxy relies upon Princess Akane relaying critical construction plans to the Rebel Alliance through her droids, Ukyo and Mousse...
Some differences of note are that lightsabers do not act as monoatomic blades, cutting anything in their path, but more of impenetrable material. Akane's mallet and Ryoga's "Brella" are both referred to as lightsabers. Special attacks from the Ranmaverse are brought over, such as the Bakusai Tenketsu Cannon and Ranma's Tenshin Amaguriken firing technique.
Overall:
This is not the best of the Ran-Wars series, it follows Star Wars far too closely for me to consider this original. The script format works fairly well because it condenses dialog while suffering no loss of visualization -- the audience has doubtlessly seen Star Wars.
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Ran Wars - Episode X/-31: The Empire Strikes Out
Location: ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/Ran-Wars/ranma.ran-wars.2.gz
or
http://www.tass.org/fanfic/Ran-Wars/ranma.ran-wars.2
Size: 61.1 KB compacted, 156.5 KB uncompacted
Classification: Crossover, Humorous
Authors: Epsilon & Blade, chmcneil@upei.ca
Structure: Epic, script format, completed
Background:
Yet more Ranma characters join the saga: Azusa, Mikado, Shampoo, Tsubasa, and Cologne. Characters are still themselves from the Ranmaverse, cast into Star Wars -- leading to some unusual events...
Story Summary:
Ran Wars begins to grow separate from Star Wars continuity. At the end of "An Old Plot" (Episode 4), the Empire has turned against itself as Kuno and Kodachi oppose Darth Saotome over the power of the Empire. Meanwhile, on the ice planet Hoth, Ranma is out on patrol when a meteor comes crashing to the surface. Surprise: it is an Imperial probe, carrying an unlikely scout. Remember: It's Fast or it's Free.
After escaping from Hoth and playing tag with the Imperial Fleet through an asteroid field, Ranma sets of to the cursed planet Jusenkyo in search of a Jedi Ninja Master to train him. Ryoga is flash-frozen in carbonite, and it is revealed that Ukyo and Mousse are actually human!
Overall:
I would say this is better than "An Old Plot" but still not the best of Ran Wars. It is still keeping to Star Wars very much, but seeds have been sown for the final episode.
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Ran Wars - Episode -8/0: Return of the Videocassette
Location: ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/Ran-Wars/ranma.ran-wars.3.gz
or
A HREF = "http://www.tass.org/fanfic/Ran-Wars/ranma.ran-wars.3">http://www.tass.org/fanfic/Ran-Wars/ranma.ran-wars.3
Size: 77.8 KB compacted, 198.8 KB uncompacted
Classification: Crossover, Humorous
Authors: Epsilon & Blade, chmcneil@upei.ca
Structure: Epic, script format, completed
Background:
The final chapter in the Ran-Wars saga, we finally meet the middle Tendo sister. Continuity is from the previous chapters.
Story Summary:
Determined to rescue Ryoga, Akane persuades Ranma to help. Ukyo and Mousse are sent to parlay with Jabba the Hutt, unsucessfully. Akane, disguised as a bounty hunter who captured Taro, is able to gain entrance to Hutt's palace, but is caught while releasing Ryoga. One of the dancers pulls her aside to talk -- a familiar-looking girl with short brown hair. It turns out Nabiki is the real brains behind Hutt's operations, the first of a few major breaks with Star Wars continuity.
When the story cuts back to the Imperials, we finally see the Emperor, and learn what he is really after. The little pervert has not changed, and the Happodaikarin is really a heavily armored vault for lingerie. Kodachi decides to destroy the Happodaikarin to avenge her brother's death -- you have to read the story to follow her logic.
Meanwhile, the Rebel Alliance has dertermined that they must strike. Ranma and a small team are sent aboard the shuttle Takahashi to the forest moon of Endor to shut down the Happodaikarin's shield. Here, in the last third of the story, the largest break (more of a complete dissolution) with Star Wars occurs - Ranma turns to the dark side. After severely wounding Ryoga, he returns with Darth Saotome to the Happodaikarin, its shield still in place. As for the ending, it is difficult for me to summarize this well, so you will have to read it.
Overall:
Not bad, the authors finally manage to break away from Star Wars to develop their own plot. I feel this comes a little late, though; the series would be much more enjoyable if the break occured earlier. That is one problem with crossovers: you, the reader, knows what will happen and what events will lead to. The Ran-Wars saga does not address this common problem, but is still a decent fanfiction. However, I feel that the next story surpasses Ran Wars by lightyears.
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Star Wars - A Faint Hope
Location: A HREF = "ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/ranma.sw.a-faint-hope.gz">ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/ranma.sw.a-faint-hope.gz
or
http://www.tass.org/fanfic/ranma.sw.a-faint-hope
Size: 206 uncompacted
Classification: Crossover, Humorous
Authors: Lara Bartram and Mike Loader
Structure: Epic, script format, completed
Background:
Star Wars and Ranma, in the the same universe. Unlike the previous three fanfics, Ranma and company do not take the place of the Star Wars cast; they co-exist. The odd thing is that there is very little interaction between the two; the total between the two casts is probably less than a few pages. Think of "A Faint Hope" as Ranma's version of Star Wars, rather than Ranma in Star Wars.
One very unusual choice Ms. Bartram made was the character equivilent to Luke Skywalker: Kasumi Tendo. This choice is odd in that normally, Kasumi is peaceful, calm, reserved, and opposed to all violence, but it is made stranger when one considers that this still true in "A Faint Hope"!
Story Summary:
After driving Princess Leia Organa away with its lecherous actions, R2-HT recieves cruicial information from a red-hair, pigtailed girl concerning the top-secret "Project J". With it's companion, C-KNO, R2-HT winds up on the desert world Tattoonie. There, they are bought by Kasumi Tendo to help with her father's moisture farm.
Recieving the message the Princess sent, Kasumi decides to keep an eye out for old Ben Kenobi. She does not find him, but meets his wife, Nodoka. They set out for the Rebel Alliance in the company of Akane Soro and Chawbaka (C-chan), and...
Overall:
By itself, the story does not make too much sense; it relies on the reader's knowledge of both Ranma 1/2 and Star Wars. It explains some puzzling aspects of "A New Hope", such as why the Empire would leave such an obvious mistake in the design of the Death Star that a single torpedo could destroy it. Other things, such as why Obi-Wan allows Darth Vader to kill him are also dealt with.
This story is much more focused on comedy than any of the three proceeding ones, possibly because it does not stay so close to Star Wars continuity. Greater freedom allows Ranma 1/2 humor to blend into the story almost at random, and in larger doses. If you were to read only one of the stories reviewed in this issue, I would recommend "A Faint Hope".
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