Ramble #4

The Best Couple… NOT RANMA AND AKANE!

It’s been some time since I went and rambled, and the main reason is because I hadn’t come across anything that made me mad or interested enough to ramble about. That all changed when some Knight of the True Fiancée, decided to e-mail me with spam of pictures of Ranma and Akane. I honestly thought these guys weren’t around anymore, since some of my fellow Anti-Akane writers had long since dropped off the radar. You may have heard of them; Metroanime, Skysaber, Shade and James Lee.

In any case, this baka went on and on about how Ranma and Akane were made for each other, how the other fiancées don’t stand a chance against Akane, how unfairly I’ve been treating her in my stories and that how I was committing the ultimate sin in pairing Ranma with anyone BUT Akane. Well, in the words of the famous General Anthony McAuliffe to the Nazis in World War II… NUTS!

Who’s to say that they’re the perfect couple? The way I see it, they couldn’t be any further from the idea of a GOOD couple, let alone a perfect one. I feel that in a relationship, there’s got to be an equal proportion of give and take, and from the majority of the canon series, Ranma gives more than he should and receives so little, and Akane almost ALWAYS takes and rarely gives anything in return. It’s just like that emotional bank account that Skysaber once pointed out in his story Mirrors Multiplied. In order to receive something, you got to put something into it. And I feel that Akane’s account toward Ranma is deep in the red.

And even if Ranma and Akane did get married, would everything be all right then? I doubt it. As I said in my Tattoon Ranma story, what does Akane have to offer? She can’t cook, and whatever she makes would likely poison Ranma. She no faith in Ranma whatsoever, so even if they were husband and wife, Akane would accuse Ranma of cheating with another woman, simply by saying hello to her. And if she was ever accused or caught in the act of being faithless, she’d deny it and say it was all Ranma’s fault. After all, she’s picked up the habit of denial and blaming it on others from her father, instead of taking responsibility. Soun Tendo’s never accepted blame nor the truth either. If anyone’s ever read A Bitter End by James ‘Zen’ Bateman, (also author of A Long and Winding Road), then you’d get an idea of what I mean.

For me, even between two strong-willed people who are most likely to have arguments and such, they’ve got to have that certain something that would convince me that they’re meant for each other. For Ranma and Akane, they don’t have it. For Ranma, who is immature and egotistical, (most likely due to influence from Genma), he needs a girl to be his friend first, then perhaps he could get used to the idea that he could marry her. In this case, Ukyo Kuonji would have fit the bill. Akane had a chance in the beginning, but her attitude against boys, and her reaction when she found out Ranma was a him instead of a her, pretty much blew that out of the water. Without his father and her father urging them together and all those other things that kept on happening, I severely doubt Ranma would have even considered staying with her all this time. That was Akane’s ONLY real advantage against the other girls. If Ranma didn’t stay at the dojo all the time, then I’d say that her chances of getting him would have been 0%.

As for Akane, well did she ever do ANYTHING to enhance her relationship with Ranma? No, she never did. She expected him to take her abuse, admit when he’s wrong and she was right, (which most of the time, it was the reverse), and sees Ranma as the one who has to conform to what SHE wants, rather than try to compromise or meet him halfway. I’ve seen Ranma bend over backward to please and protect her, and for all the times Akane did something for him, (which is very seldom), Ranma STILL had to pay big time. To me, she wouldn’t be worth the trouble. After all, I for one, never heard her say “THANK YOU.” I did hear her say ‘SORRY” once, but in my opinion, that’s too little, too late.

Who do I think make a good couple? Well, there are several out there in the anime/manga world that fit the bill…

Oh My Goddess: Keiichi Morisato and Belldandy

Ah yes, one of the most well-known of pairings between a divinity and a mere mortal. Though the two of them were joined together due to a Contract, there were several instances that they could have been separated, but they chose to stay together because they truly love each other. And any guy who could remain faithful with the sexy Urd and Peorth around, plus the hijinks of Skuld, is a keeper. Sure Keiichi can be a wimp at times and wishy-washy, but there’s no mistaking his devotion to Belldandy. He and Belldandy proved their love for each other in Ah! My Goddess the Movie, when they were tested by the gods themselves. Furthermore, both are willing to sacrifice all in order to protect each other. They understand each other and I think that is one of the key points in the relationship. If you don’t know about your partner or try to understand him/her, then why have a relationship.

UFO Ultramaiden Valkyrie: Kazuto Tokino and Princess Valkyrie

This is a recent anime I got into, and for all the fan service and whatnot, I do believe that these two were made for each other, even though Valkyrie keeps on reverting back into an 8-year-old. Basically, what we have here is an alien princess who gives up half of her soul to save one Earth boy, whom she had accidentally caused his death. As a result, she is reduced in age and can only temporarily regain her adult form if she kisses him and their ‘hearts become one.’ Now I find this to be a bit off, but seeing as how Kazuto handles the situation and how patient he is with his childish love interest, makes me feel a little warm and gooey inside. In the end, he and Valkyrie get even the blessing of the Royal Family and are truly in love, though there’s still that little problem of Valkyrie turning into a little kid most of the time. I’ve seen the second and third seasons, (www.youtube.com) which emphasizes just how much these two are meant for each other. They are willing to go to any lengths and overcome great obstacles for each other. That’s another essential point to make a relationship work.

Midori Days: Seji Sawamura and Midori Kasugano

What do you do when a girl who has secretly admired you from afar, suddenly becomes your right hand? Now I found this anime to be really off the beaten track, but once I got over certain details, I found this relationship to be charming and at times, insightful. Here we have an innocent girl named Midori, who knows nothing about Seji’s violent tendencies and reputation, yet she sees something about him that others cannot. It is because of this, she yearns to be close to him always, and her wish is granted, though it’s in a way no one would ever expect! As for Seiji, well having a cute girl with you is always a plus, but having her as your right hand can be hard to accept. However, he does accept this fact and learns through Midori that there are people out there who are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and even show him love.

In the end, the two of them learn acceptance and cooperation, which eventually blossoms into true feelings of love. I haven’t read the manga yet, but I do think that the two of them deserve happiness with each other.

Please Teacher: Kei Kusanagi and Mizuho Kazami

Hmmm, the common teen dream of falling in love and marrying your high-school teacher. In this anime, it actually happens, though in reverse. They marry, then fall in love. Kei is 15-year-old student, who’s actually 18, but was comatose for 3 years. He accidentally stumbles upon his teacher’s alien secret and in order to hide it, marries her. However, the two of them must keep it a secret from the rest of the school, and since there are others who are vying for their affections, it isn’t easy. We don’t see much about Mizuho’s alien background, but the series is still very interesting as she and Kei must learn to get along with living together. However, the two of them do work things out, and just like Keiichi and Belldandy, even though they were forced into this situation, they do find that common ground and let nature take its course. From what I’ve seen from Please Teacher and Please Twins, (I hated that second series), those two have overcome their differences and I can call them a couple.

Other couples that I think work well, though I won’t go into detail are the following:

Record of Lodoss: Parn and Deedlit (brash, but brave young knight, and the beautiful elf)

DearS: Kazuya Ikkuhara and Ren (angry loner and buxom alien slave)

Mars Daybreak: Gram River and Vestamona Lauren (pirate and military officer)

Girls Bravo: Yukinari Sasaki and Miharu Sena Kanaka (guy who has an allergy with girls and a ditzy girl with unpredictable powers)

Ai Yori Aoshi: Kaoru Hanabishi and Aoi Sakuraba (lone teen and a girl who could give Belldandy a run for her money in the kindness department)

Chobits: Hideki Motosuwa and Chi (country bumpkin and living machine)

Tekkaman Blade: Takaya Aiba/D-Boy and Aki Kisaragi (better known as Ness Carter and Star Summers in Teknoman)

Godannar: Goh Saruwatari and Anna Aoi (husband and wife robot pilot team)

Robotech: Max Sterling and Miriya Parino (ace fighter pilot and alien pilot who wanted to kill him, but marries him instead)

Robotech: Rick Hunter and Lisa Hayes (brash fighter pilot and by-the-book officer)

Full Metal Panic: Sosuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori (military maniac and high school girl with secret)

Full Metal Panic: Sosuke Sagara and Teletha "Tessa" Testarossa (military maniac and his somewhat ditzy commander) I think this pairing might work too.

Tattoon Master: Eric/Hibio and Balla/Nima (angry outcast and magical girl)

Outlaw Star: Gene Starwind and Melfina (space outlaw and human/machine hybrid)

El Hazard OVA: Makoto Mizuhara and Ifurita (high school boy and Ultimate Weapon)

El Hazard the Wanderers: Makoto Mizuhara and Princess Rune Venus (high school boy and princess)

Tenchi Muyo GXP: Sena Yamada and Amane Kaunaq, Kuriko Masaki, Ryoko Balta, and Neju Na Melmas (guy possessing the worst luck ever with a Galaxy Police officer, Tenchi’s relative, a space pirate and a priestess) Who says love is for two people only?

I could go on and on, but if you compare these people with that of Ranma and Akane, then you can understand why I never write about them getting together. And this finishes off this ramble. Back to my fics.