That's what I was getting at. It doesn't seem ... right. And it just
leaves the reader going "What the smeg is going on?!?" ... and unless
that was what the story was MEANT to do, then the REAL point of the
story is useless.

	You still haven't told me why it mattered what the story was 
MEANT to do.  Doesn't it matter more what it DOES?
	(BTW: What _if_ the story were *meant* to be like that?)

If it's meant to be like that, then good. It did what it was meant to do.

	I also really like that idea of stories having Use Value.  What a 
novel notion.  And here I thought fiction was interesting and fun for its 
own sake.  I learn new things every day, I guess.

In which case people are means to be interested in what's happening, and
are meant to enjoy the story, if it is 'fun'. If someone is sitting there
going 'What on earth happened??' they are NOT enjoying the story because
they are too busy wondering why the story doesn't make any sense compared
to the manga.

Kun-chan...