Gary Kleppe wrote:

Nick Leifker <nightelf@thekeep.org> wrote:

Perhaps I might be able to keep it private if you were to refrain from
public insults, Gary.  As you seem to be unable to afford such a
courtesy, this remains public.

Excuse me?!? You'll have to help me out with this one. Only insult I see
in my last post is in the subject header, and I sure didn't put it
there.

To quote from earlier:

Wow, *two* fics Gubbed in the same subject header. There's something you
don't see very often.

I asked you a question, and you make an unfair comparison.  Or could it
be that you took some misunderstanding from my title?  
 

The bashing involved is a subtle one, one brought up in other posts.  By
naming your work 'Justice', then showing the events in the story, you
are implying that Ukyou's final fate *is* justice, that somehow she
deserves the curse she is given in the story.

Nonsense. There's no reason the title can't be interpreted as referring
to the quest rather than the result.

Interpretation is one thing you can't force on a reader.  Others have
asked where the justice is in this work.  If so many ask, then perhaps
there is a problem with it.

 

 Moreover, your showing of
Ukyou is totally one-sided; you don't show any of the compassion she is
capable of.  All you show is her drive to get Ranma.  After such things,
it is difficult *not* to view it as character bashing.

That's interesting -- because I can think of several other stories that
don't show Ukyo's compassionate side. For starters, her origin story in
the Ranma 1/2 manga. Now, if you're accusing Takahashi-megamisama of
bashing or hating her characters, I'm afraid I can't take you very
seriously.

Hmmm.  Literal interpretation of the manga, eh?

Okay.  How often does Akane hit Ranma, with intent to hurt?  By that
right, we have a man-beater.  We literally have Bitter End breathing
down our necks.  Of course, the Akane fans got all over Zen for that...

Take a look at what happens with this work.  You focused on only the
negative aspects of the character, changed her into a dog for all time,
then wrapped the story into a nice package called 'Justice'.  Is it any
wonder that it be interpreted as character bashing?

(He mentioned that your work had been impetus for him to write it), left

Um... no. Actually, Ken specifically said that all my story changed
about his was the timing.

Impetus, n. Anything that stimulates activity; driving force or motive;
incentive; impulse.

No comment.  None needed.

You can say whatever you like about my characterizations, Nick, as long
as you respect my right to disagree. But questioning my personal
feelings about the characters is, IMO, out of line. I can only imagine
how you'd react if someone were to do it to you.

Perhaps, Gary.  However, that doesn't change the fact that, as written,
it looks like character bashing.  I'm not the first to see it; I doubt
that I'll be the last.  

Now, if you want to fix some things so that it *doesn't*... that's
fine.  But, until then, what I've said stands. 

Gary Kleppe
http://www.execpc.com/~kleppe/comics

-- Nick