Koi's Anime Report; Manga Also
September 1999
Volume 1, Issue 9
Who wants to spend some time in Kuno's mind? **looks around, grabbing people as they try to sneak off** It is not *that* bad!
This month, KARMA looks at three fanfiction that have unusual formats. Two deal with Kuno, and the other with Shampoo as their protagonists. Without the style of each (which I have not seen elsewhere), they would be uninteresting, run-of-the-mill fanfiction. However, with the formating twist the authors place on the story, each becomes interesting to read.
Each of these three stories purposly takes characters and exaggerates their already magnified personalities. Thus, Shampoo is a mindless bimbo, Kuno is a noble samurai, etc. In a sense, this could be a backlash against authors who refuse to develop characters and allow them to grow, or it could also reflect how it is easier (but not better) to write about simple, predictable characters.
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The Epic Tale of the Legendary Crusade of the Blue Thunder, Kuno Tatewaki, As He Forges His Own Path in the Downfall of the Resident Demon of Nerima, Saotome Ranma, and Acquires the Affection of the Lovely Tendo Akane and the None-Less-Than-Dazzling Pig-Tailed Girl.
(Kuno Writes A Fanfic)
Location: ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/Ranma/ranma.kuno-writes-a-fanfic.gz
or
http://www.tass.org/fanfic/ranma.kuno-writes-a-fanfic
Size: KB compacted, 7 KB uncompacted
Classification: Humorous, Fluff
Authors: Lawrence Chu, chu_bear@hotmail.com
Structure: Prose, Shakesperish
Background:
This is the most recent "______ Writes a Fanfic" story. Generally, in this type of fanfic, the character places heavy bias on their desires and other characters. Some other fanfics of this type are "Hiroshi and Daisuke", "Kasumi" and "Ranma and Ukyo", among others.
Story Summary:
Everyone knows that in canonical Ranma, Kuno is out of touch with reality. This fanfic details one of his daydreams, from Kuno's point of view. He challenges and defeats Ranma, who then commits suicide, and then wins the heart of Akane and the pig-tailed girl. Surprise.
Overall:
As the story is 'narrated' to Mr. Chu, the language is Kuno's -- meaning overly verbose and dramatic. Although it is a fair approximation, I think there is still room for improvement. Notably, Kuno tends to use metaphors and passages from poetry when he speaks. Perhaps Kuno does not think he talks like that; I find this possibility unlikely as Kuno is proud of his noble heritage, and what finer way to show dignity and wit than to prove an extensive background in the classics?
There is no plot, and of course, Ranma, Akane, and the pig-tailed girl are horribly out of character. You might want to read this if you want a better idea of what Kuno thinks. Also, I thought the disclaimer was cute.
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Kunou's Excellent Adventure
Location: ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/ranma.kunou.adventure.gz
or
http://www.tass.org/fanfic/ranma.kunou.adventure
Size: 25.7 compacted, 70.0 KB uncompacted
Classification: Humorous, Crossover
Authors: John Walter Biles, johnbil@wam.umd.edu
Structure: Choose Your Own Adventure
Background:
Either you know what a Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) book is, or you do not. For those who do not, CYOA books are a way for the reader to take part in the magic of stories. The reader takes on the role of a character in the story, and is frequently asked to make decisions that affect the outcome.
Story Summary:
The reader takes on the part of Tatewaki Kuno as he goeas about a normal day in Nermia. Due to the nature of CYOA books, it is impossible to summarize the story as it will change from person to person. Some possible endings include making Ranma forget Akane or finding yourself in another universe, such as Tenchi Muyo.
Along the way, the reader must keep track of up to three factors that affect the reading experience. Kuno starts off with a 20,000 yen, which can be used to get out of or into several situations. As the reader progresses, he or she may gain "character points", an indication of how 'in character' they are doing. Finally, there is a point where the reader must keep track of their choices. These factors are not normally found CYOA books, although I remember reading a few that did ask about previous actions.
Overall:
This fanfic does absolutely nothing to advance characters, relationships, or action. Having said that, I would also like to add that it is a good way to spend half an hour; more, if you re-read it several times. This fanfic does not explore Kuno's mind as much as "Kuno Writes a Fanfic", it concentrates more on documented actions and a readers knowledge of Kuno.
I am pulled in two directions by this fanfic. On one hand, the story seems too short and leaves the action unresolved, leaving me wanting more. On the other, KEA places the reader in well-established role, and expects him or her to remain 'in character'. Both of these actions go against the idea of a CYOA, which is that the reader can define their own character through decisions.
While "Kuno's Excellent Adventure" is an interesting fanfic to read, you will probably find yourself deleting it within a day due to the boredom from choices you do not want to make.
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SHAMPOO'S QUEST
Location: ftp://ftp.cs.ubc.ca/pub/archive/anime-fan-works/ranma.shampoos-quest.gz
or
http://www.tass.org/fanfic/ranma.shampoos-quest
Size: 12.9 KB compacted, 34.7 KB uncompacted
Classification: Humor
Authors: Ranma Al'Thor, ranma@falcon.cc.ukans.edu, a.k.a. John Walter Biles
Structure: Computer I/O Transcript
Background:
Before multi-gigabyte storage, before Pong, even before there were graphics of *any* kind, games existed. True, such games relied heavily on the players imagination, but games never the less. Early Role-Playing Games (RPGs) could be divided into two groups: those that used ASCII characters to represent the game, such as "Moria" or "Angband" (based on J.R.R. Tolkien's _Middle Earth_), and games that used a command-line interface and relied on a players memory for the state of the game, such as "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" (based on Douglas Adams' series of the same name).
Story Summary:
"Shampoo's Quest" is a text-based RPG of the second type. The goal of the game is to marry Ranma, of course. After some fumbling with the controls, the player finally gets Shampoo to get dressed and have breakfast. In Cologne's room, she spots a copy of the "Wizard of Oz", and decides that having a brain (which she could obtain from the Wizard) would help her to win Ranma's heart. [Remember, this is the author's opinion. I think Shampoo is intelligent.]
Shampoo then collects parts of a "Tornado" spell, which includes items such a quart of okonomiyaki sauce and a gallon of Coca-Cola. As she finishes gathering the items, she comes across Ryoga. Pouring some Coca-Cola on him, she takes P-chan and places him in her inventory as well. Shampoo then casts the Tornado, whisking her away to Oz.
After making her way to the Emerald City, Shampoo confronts the Wizard. He sends her on a quest to kill the wicked Witch of the East, which she does. During the battle, Ryoga was turned into a newt. The Wizard keeps his word, and implants a magically enhanced crystal computer brain. Shampoo returns to Nermia, and sets her new brain on the task of marrying Ranma.
While waiting for the program to finish, Shampoo entices Ranma to go to the Nekohanten with her for lunch. Once there, the program finishes and tells her that there is no hope of getting Ranma to love her. Disappointed, she drops her desire to marry him, which lands on a lost-looking newt.
Overall:
Although I found this story interesting, I also think it is somewhat outdated and that many readers will not initially understand what is going on. Fans of RPGs, especially, might want to read this to see what old games were like, although anyone will be able to understand it. The only objectionable part was that Kodachi, Cologne, and Akane die; however, this is towards the end of the story, and I would like to believe that the author was lacking sufficent sleep at that point.
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I would like to apologize for the rough nature of this issue. School, real life, and other minor concerns have conspired to limit the amount of time I was able to work on this. I hope to be able to get back on schedule and in form by January.
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