[Comment]Taleswapper's Hall of Fame: 1996 Induction [Ranma]

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**Induction Ceremony: Taleswapper's Hall of Fame**

by Taleswapper

The Hall of Fame provides an opportunity for me to honor older
fanfics that remain prominent to me not only because of their
high quality, but also because they have lasting effects on my
reading of other fanfics. The Hall-of-Famers are not merely
well-written, they are influential.

Last year, the charter inductees were:

- "Putting Your Heart in the Right Place" by John Biles: The
first, and still one of the best, of the extended fanfics that
establish a plausible future after the end of the manga/anime.
Perhaps more significantly, it established much of the canon
for Ranma fanfics: for example, Biles' interpretations of
Ukyou, Mousse, and Gosunkugi are much more likely to be
emulated by fanfic writers than are Takahashi's.

- "Ranma's Timeslip" or "Actor in the Mirror" by Christian
Gadekan: The alternate universe fanfic that set the standard
for all others and still my favorite fanfic of all time.
Intriguing, touching, and well grounded in the existing
continuity. Incidentally, this story is also the best evidence
that top-quality fanfic writing is possible in script format.

- "Ranma 1/2 Kanketsuhen '93" by Richard Uyeyama: succeeds as
fiction and as metafiction with theatrical authenticity. This
"ending" to Ranma 1/2 remains the most satisfying one conceived
while maintaining complete fidelity to the manga. Though this
work has not had a perceptible impact on other fanfics, I wish
authors would emulate its annotated, "translated" script style.

This year, three more stories are welcomed into Talewapper's
Hall of Fame ...

* * *

"Are you hard of HEARING?!" I yelled, pounding my hands on
the griddle in front of me. "I SAID GET _OUT_!!" Then, to
Shampoo's surprise (and my own), I had my spatula in hand,
wielding it threateningly before me. "Get out or I'll THROW you
out MYSELF!!"
Shampoo got up, although there was no hurry to her actions,
much to an increasingly impatient okonomiyaki cook's displeasure.
"You've got to accept the facts, Ukyou," Shampoo said with
absolutely no malice to her voice, "He never loved either of us,
not in the way that we wanted him to, anyway. If you think
otherwise you'll just ruin yourself."

- from "Stepping Stones: Ukyou's Tale" by Benares

Before "Stepping Stones", the term "dark" applied mostly to
formulaic Ranma fanfics set in violent or grave realities.
After Benares' most enduring work was digested by the Ranma
fanfic community, we have seen a tidal wave of stories that
focused more on dark emotions than on dark settings or events.
While I would not saddle Benares with responsibility for
numerous dead Ranmas and Akanes now populating the fanfic
mailing list and archive, it seems clear that Ranma fanfic
turned a corner with the release of "Stepping Stones".
Specifically, in 1996, mature themes associated with unpleasant
emotions became highly fertile ground for Ranma fanfic ideas.
While the inevitable maturation of the Ranma fanfic community
is no doubt a moving force behind this change, so is "Stepping
Stones".

The term "angst" has been overused and misused in the writing
and discussion of dark fanfics, with many commentators
confusing angst with depression or disappointment. In "Stepping
Stones", however, Benares presents a textbook case of angst in
portraying the nearly suicidal Ukyou. For angst is not sadness,
but anxiety; fear. Not Ranma's (or Ryouga's) "Why does this
always happen to me?" but Ukyou's "No one will ever love me!"
Her dread of the bleak future she envisions is palpable and
chillingly familiar to any soul who has known the depths of
existential anxiety.

Benares' exploration of these frightening emotions opened the
door for other mature treatments of intense emotions in Ranma
fanfic. This observation is not relevant merely to the
multitude of "darkfics" we have seen in the last year, but also
to more versatile stories that feature powerful emotional
dramas, such as "Sunrise" and "Thy Inward Love". I have no
evidence to speculate that these stories or any others were
"inspired" by "Stepping Stones". But my reading of emotionally
honest or intense Ranma fanfic will always be affected by
Benares' tale of Ukyou's epiphany.

* * *

"Of course I'm a girl! The question is, are you a man?"
"I'm a man!" he snapped back, somewhat defensively. "And I
challenge you to prove that I'm not!"
"Well, if you're a man, then this shouldn't bother you!" With
a sudden motion, Ukyou grabbed the front of her tunic. Pulling it
down, she bared her left shoulder, part of her arm, and the front
of her chest down to the beginnings of the swell of her breast.
Instantly, Ryoga's eyes went wide, he fell backwards, and
blood poured out of his nose to soak his shirt. After his head hit
the ground with a hollow THUK, Ukyou pulled her top back up.
"That clinches it! I'll make a man out of you or kill you
trying!"

- from "Ranma .05" Vol. 2, Part 2 by Darren Demaine

I once wrote disparagingly of the praise: "At last! A lemon
where the sex is part of the plot!" that characterized readers'
general reaction to Demaine's landmark work. I believed, and
still do, that this accolade distracts from the best feature of
"Ranma .05": superior prose. This fanfic series is very well
written, with smart pacing, fluid dialogue, excellent
descriptive passages, very effective humor, characterization
that is remarkably faithful to the manga inspiration, and plots
that are surprisingly believable (in Volume 2, anyway) given
the sexual content that is so incongruous in the familiar Ranma
1/2 universe. The writing, moreover, has improved continuously
since Volume 1, Part 1.

A year after I first commented on the work, it is plain that
while "lemon with a plot" may be faint praise for "Ranma .05",
that description very aptly summarizes Demaine's enduring
effect on the Ranma fanfic community. For since his series hit
its stride, other authors have followed working in the same
vein: attempting to build a quality story that includes lemon
content alongside solid plotting, characterization, prose, etc.
And so we have had since mid-1995 several Ranma lemon stories
and series that build as much (or more) from the manga/anime
inspiration as from the requisite scenes of sexual activity.
More impressively, many of the more conventional Ranma fanfics
include increasingly sophisticated and realistic portrayals of
sexuality and its unavoidable presence in life and
relationships, without actual sex scenes. I wonder if all this
would have happened without "Ranma .05".

For the record, Volume 2 Part 4 is my favorite installment. The
plot (minus lemon) more closely approaches the spirit and style
of the Nettouhen episodes than any other fanfic. The lemon
scene itself, while not as erotic as scenes in the preceding
two chapters, is much more realistic in its conception. Welcome
to the Hall of Fame, Mr. Demaine. Please keep your trench coat
buttoned.

* * *

Ranma's heart pounded in his chest. Before him was an ancient symbol of
Japan, stretched from horizon to horizon. He felt a part of it, proud to
be carrying on the ancient traditions of martial arts in this day of
business deals and salary men. He knew in that instant his place in this
world. He was to practice and teach musabetsu kakuto, the unlimited
martial arts, passed on from generation to generation, from father to...
"It's... it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen" Akane said.
He turned to her. Her face glowed in the warm sunlight her hair waving
gently in the warming breeze.
"Beautiful." He said. He could see the sunrise reflected in her eyes,
now somehow fierce but yet calm.
Maybe... Maybe I should kiss her, he thought. Here we are, all alone,
watching a beautiful sunrise. This must be a good time. Ranma's heart
began to pound. He squeezed Akane's hand, she looked at him.

- from "Summer" by Joseph Palmer

What is left for me to write about Palmer's "Seasons" fanfics?
The four short works are universally recognized among Ranma
fanfic readers as a breed apart. Their poetic timbre and
resonant beauty evoke emotions that are sometimes powerful and
sometimes subtle, always satisfying.

As the first of Palmer's stories, "Winter" is naturally the
crudest. Yet, even viewing his sometimes shaky "test flight,"
we knew there was something special about this author. The
wealth of vivid imagery was something new in the Ranma fanfic,
as was the quiet, uneventful "plot," a far cry from the
anime-spirit stories that had dominated Ranma fanfic
previously. The lightly humorous ending was also a warmly
pleasant change of pace.

These appealing features reappeared in the much more polished
"Spring". With a second story featuring (seemingly) pointless
conversation amid impeccably lovely prose, whole new vistas
opened up for Ranma fanfic. No longer limited to the standard
manic anime style (or to the less prevalent by equally tired
ideas borrowed from sci-fi/fantasy/adventure), Ranma fanfic was
poised for exploration of more mature ideas and sophisticated
literary styles. It seems clear that the "Seasons" stories were
a major inspiration for that step forward.

With "Summer", Palmer took a step beyond the arena of intimate
conversations, incorporating "action" into the quiet,
slice-of-life storyline. An absolutely adorable portrayal of
Akane, subtle but memorable imagery that we had come to expect,
and an ending that can be (generously) characterized as
"slapstick" helped to round out "Summer". This balance and the
sentimental allure of the ideas expressed in the story make it
my favorite of the "Seasons." The passage quoted above is for
me one of the most memorable in all fanfic, and not merely for
the building romance. Ranma's simple, but stirring, pride in
his life's work gave us Ranma 1/2 fans something apart from
romantic love to feel affected by. Later stories have flirted
with the deep emotional component of Ranma's dedication to "the
art"; Palmer's exploration of this virgin territory is to be
saluted.

As the finale for the "Seasons" series, "Autumn" did not
disappoint. Though his more plot-centered focus somewhat
diminished the aimless charm that characterized the earlier
installments, Palmer more than compensated for that loss with
drama that carried heavy emotional impact. If the
groundbreaking series had to have a climax, "Autumn" was
appropriate, mixing more of the intimate dialogue and
breathtaking imagery that had become Palmer's trademarks with a
psychologically insightful storyline. By the autumn of 1995,
such sophisticated stories were, happily, become more frequent
among new Ranma fanfics.

In addition to paving the way for serious, mature contemplation
of the heretofore wacky absurdity that was the Ranma 1/2
universe, Palmer's "Seasons" stories also "raised the bar" for
the quality of writing in Ranma fanfic. Authors now have a
standard to inspire them or against which to measure their most
artful efforts. Though no one has surmounted Palmer's mark, I
have been gladdened to see authors attempt to emulate his
excellence, if not his style.

The appearance after the climax of "Autumn" of the other cast
members, who haven't had speaking parts since "Spring", is like
a hand shaking us from a reverie. For the buildup, which began
in "Winter", to the climactic moment in "Autumn" is like a
dream. It's the kind of a dream that makes you reach
desperately for a pencil and paper so that you can scribble its
beautiful details before they evanesce from memory, ethereal
images dissipated by harsh consciousness. How fortunate for us
that Palmer was able to write them down.

In my opinion.

Taleswapper
November 16, 1996

* * *

I am mulling the idea of setting up a separate Hall of Fame
page with the intent of celebrating all honorees in some
creative way. When it's established, I plan on inducting a few
more of the older fanfics. My initial picks include an early
"dark" Ranma fic that is also one of the best crossover fanfics
of all time, and the first episode of a certain long-running
fanfic series.

Ideas for the Hall of Fame page, and nominations, are welcome.
Write to me at tals...@aol.com.