Final Approach Ranma

This is a crossover story with Futaba-kun change, and in that it makes sense, since Futaba-kun change is the story about a boy who, whenever he gets excited, changes into a girl; so does his sister and his father, whose other persona is a beautiful and famous woman.

The information about the birth rate of Japan is accurate, as people are now dying faster than they are being born due to the low birth rate and people either waiting longer to get married, or not getting married at all.

A lot of the story is also looked at as if the events were in “real life.” In other words, if Ranma and all those around him actually existed in this world, then how would others react to them? The psychological aspects are covered very deeply. In effect, it's one of the best fanfiction stories that I have read, and the absolute best as far as examining how other people have treated Ranma/Ranma-chan.

Chapter 1

Two men from the government show up to ask for Ranma's help with a “project.” It's a kind of ultra-sophisticated dating service to help reduce the problem of Japan's declining birth rate.

The Emperor has taken a personal interest and has formally dissolved all the engagements that Ranma has. Apparently the person he has been matched up with, though, is male, and Ranma will have to go into girl mode. And be expected to have six children.

Nodoka pressures Ranma into accepting the government's proposal. Ranma is told that, if the trial living-together period doesn't work out, then he won't have to marry the person.

Nodoka says it's a matter of honor that Ranma go along with the project, and she will teach Ranma things she needs to know as a woman for the next week.

Nodoka takes Ranma-chan shopping for underwear first. Then her mother gets her a bunch of fully female clothes and also gets Ranma-chan's hair done.

Nodoka also has to give Ranma a crash-course in sex education, since Ranma didn't even know what having sex meant.

Ranma-chan also has to work on housecleaning. Nabiki bothers her, though, and Nodoka ends up finding out all the things Nabiki has been doing to make money from pictures of Ranma and Ranma-chan, and Nodoka comes near to killing her for it.

Chapter 2

When Ranma and her mother first meet the other family, she meets Futana, which is Futaba-kun's sister but in male form. Futaba then meets Ranma-chan and is really impressed by how beautiful she is.

Ranma-chan demonstrates his curse, but the Shimerus (Futaba, his father, and sister) are not upset by it at all. They don't even consider it an actual curse. Futana demonstrates how the family is able to change sexes.

Genma and Soun have a talk and Gemna says that Nodoka has a fixation with having grandchildren, and that Nodoka herself is unable to have any children since Ranma's birth.

Futana demonstrates how Futaba changes by grabbing exposing Ranma-chan's breasts and fondling them, causing Futaba to become excited and change into girl form.

There's a good bit of material in this chapter that requires one to know some of the story from Futaba-kun change manga. The author handles the characters very well, in my opinion.

Ranma finds out Futaba's father was the one who gave birth to Futaba and Futana, and he actually helps Ranma try to figure things out about what being a particular sex implies, and what changing sex implies, and how it's not perverted at all, like Ranma had been taught.

Futana keeps trying to come on to Ranma-chan and is definitely interested in having sex with her.

Chapter 3

After a month with Futaba's family, Ranma-chan is coming to question a lot of her concepts about what exactly constitutes being “male” or “female.” It's helping to offset some of the ultra-hard versions of those terms that were stamped onto her mind by Genma.

Futana still tries to come onto Ranma-chan as often as she can. Ranma-chan also meets Misaki, Futaba-kun's sort-of girlfriend, and her friend, Negiri, who is a lot like Nabiki as far as money-making schemes go.

Misaki helps Ranma-chan understand the concept of double-standard and just how out-of-date Nodoka is with her views of what constitutes a “manly man” and a “womanly woman.”

Futana fondles Ranma-chan's breasts one morning, and then grabs her ass. Ranma-chan gets upset, but begins to wonder about the feelings she was having when her breasts were being fondled.

Ranma-chan realizes that she was never really totally accepted at the Tendos, even by Kasumi, and that now, with the Shimerus, she's not considered a freak or a pervert; she's beginning to live a fairly regular life (that is, regular for her.)

Ryoga then shows up, sounding just like (actually, worse) than Kuno, as he had spent a couple of weeks lost in the Kuno's mansion. At the same time, there are more hints about how Ranma-chan is maturing in her outlook, now that she's not in male form most of the time or putting up with Genma's “what constitutes a male” attitude.

Ranma-chan goes to wake up Futaba one morning but ends up in Futana's room. Futana kisses Ranma-chan, and Ranma-chan ends up returning the kiss before she realizes just what it is she is doing. She later realizes she liked it, and also realizes that Futana, this time, was in male form.

Ranma-chan is also slightly jealous of Misaki, and is realizing just how much her life has lacked love.

While out shopping with Misaki and Futaba-chan, Ranma-chan runs into Akane and gets the usual nasty treatment. This time, though, Akane's words actually are hurting Ranma-chan emotionally.

Ranma-chan doesn't even know about periods, and Futana explains to her about what they are and what happens.

Futaba and his father later have a talk and his father is startled by just how badly Ranma-chan had been treated during her life, especially in things liket he cat-fist training.

(I'll add a comment here; the more I read this story, the more I like it. I think the author has done a great job of delving into the psychology of Ranma-chan and those around here, and just how much damage was done to her mental outlook by the narrow-minded, and largely anti-female, upbringing that Genma gave her.)

Chapter 4

Nodoka talks to Soun and Genma and wants to start up another engagment between Ranma and one of Soun's daughters. She had not told Ranma-chan certain things (about sex and periods, if I'm right), on purpose in hopes that it would work against her in her relationship with the male Futaba.

(Translated: Nodoka's a scheming bitch in this story, concerned only with getting grandchildren.)

Genma, meanwhile, has been scheming to have Kuno date Ranma-chan a couple of times, this involving his being paid some money, of course.

Futaba's father goes to a private detective agency to get some research done on Ranma's parents. He's really, really concerned about how badly Ranma/Ranma-chan has been treated in her life.

To make things worse, Ranma-chan has her period. The Shimerus find out that Ranma-chan does not revert to her male sex when splashed with hot water when she's on her period.

Futaba and Ranma-chan have a talk about honor, and about how Ranma has been brought up to believe women are weak and men are strong.

Futaba's father talks to the private detective and finds out Nodoka spent some time in a mental hospital and the police have tried to stop her from carrying her katana. The detective is particularly vicious in his feelings about Genma, though. This is done as if the story actually happened; in other words, if someone in “real life” acted like Genma did, and treated Ranma like he did, then that person would be considered a criminal and a child abuser.

Then a day comes when Ranma-chan is to meet her mother. Misaki and Futaba go with her.

Chapter 5

The meeting of Ranma and his parents and Akane and the others starts, and it's not even minutes before Akane is accusing Ranma of being mean to Ryoga. Meanwhile, Futana is trying to find some way to help Ranma-chan by talking to their family's lawyer.

Nodoka jumps on Ranma for having a verbal fight with Akane days earlier, and tells Ranma-chan that she plans to engage Ranma to Akane if the time with Futaba doesn't work out. Ranma-chan refuses to apologize to Akane.

Ranma finally wins the verbal and mental battle with Nodoka, although Nodoka orders Ranma-chan to leave the house and she refuses.

Akane gets mad at Ranma-chan yet again, but Ranma-chan is showing her growing maturity and refuses to get angry in return. Soun proves to be a coward, refusing to deal with Akane's verbal abuse of a guest in the house, and Nabiki tells Ranma-chan about Genma's lucrative deal with Kuno for a date with Ranma-chan. Ranma later explains to Futaba and Misaki what happened at the Tendos, while they are out at an eatery, and realizes even more how badly her parents have treated her. She finally breaks down into tears.

Futaba and Misaki talk to Ranma-chan and suggest she take up a modeling offer to bring her some money of her own in order to help her break away from the influence of her parents.

Meanwhile, in a bar, Genma and Soun are drinking and Futana is putting her own plan into action. Futana gets them to sign some papers by offering to pick up their bar tab.

Chapter 6

Soun and Genma are walking from the bar, totally drunk.

Ranma-chan says she's willing to do the modeling job. Futaba's father tells Ranma-chan about the private investigator. Futana then tells Ranma-chan about the contract she had Genma sign. He tells Ranma-chan that his alter ego, the famous model, would become Ranma-chan's guardian. She has to work harder in school, and she can't get into any martial-arts fights at their home.

Ranma-chan finds out that Misaki can also change forms and sees Futaba giving her a lot of support when he finds out.

Kasumi gets to Futaba's and admits to Ranma-chan that she doesn't really know exactly what has been going on, other then she is supposed to “talk some sense” into Ranma-chan. They have a really nice talk.

Ranma-chan goes to talk to Cologne. Nodoka had restraining orders placed against Ukyo and Shampoo, so those keep them away from Ranma-chan, but Ranma-chan can go to them if she wants. Ranma-chan and Cologne have a really good talk and Ranma-chan finds out why Cologne really wanted her to be married to Shampoo.

Ranma-chan then goes to talk to Ukyo and finds out she was concerned mainly about her restaurant and expected Ranma (male form) to help her out if they got married. She wasn't even considering Ranma/Ranma-chan's interests and needs.

Ranma-chan tells Futaba's father and Futana that she wants them to make the arrangements with the attorney final and have the papers filed.

Chapter 7

There's a meeting at the Tendos. Kasumi was sent to “talk sense” to Ranma, and is giving her report, referring to Ranma in the female form and saying that she's never seen Ranma-chan so happy.

Kasumi didn't treat Ranma-chan like Nodoka wanted her to, though, and Kasumi actually gets Akane to agree to be the one to apologize.

Later a guy shows up at the Tendos saying he has a package for Genma, and Genma has to sign for it. It's a bunch of legal papers that Genma ignores.

Ranma-chan does a photoshoot, and afterwards teases Futana by acting really sexy while wearing almost nothing.

Meanwhile, Nabiki finds the folder of legal papers that Genma had ignored and looks over them. She says that it contains documents that say that Ranma/Ranma-chan is no longer under the parental supervision of Genma and Nodoka, and is now under the supervision of Iroka Kahoru, the very famous model who also happens to be (although they don't know it) Futaba's father.

Ranma-chan encounters Happosai who is upset because of what he heard about Cologne possibly making Ranma-chan a blood sister. Happosai tries to get Genma to talk sense to Ranma. Akane offers to become Happosai's heir, but he puts her in her place verbally very, very strongly.

Ranma-chan only takes third in a swimsuit competition, but she ends up with a possibility of a contract with a firm making martial-arts equipment for women.

Ranma-chan realizes she she still has problems, new ones at that, but that she finally has people around her who will actually help her solve her problems and not just use her for their own purposes.

Chapter 8

Ranma-chan has a dream of having sex with Futana and realizes she liked the dream. Ranma exists the furo only to run into Futana as a girl. This time Ranma-chan kisses her, and Futana changes into male form.

Futana and Ranma-chan have a really good talk. Meanwhile, Genma and Soun are following Ranma-chan around, and they think she is two-timing Futaba.

Ranma-chan then goes for another meeting with her former parents.

Chapter 9

Ranma-chan goes for another visit to the Tendos. Nodoka confronts Ranma-chan and she tells her it was her choice to leave the Saotome clan. Ranma-chan then basically next reads Genma the riot act. Genma then tells Ranma-chan that she is forbidden to practice their family's Anything Goes style of fighting until she agrees to come back to the family on their terms.

Ranma-chan justs laughs at him. She tells Genma that Happosai and Cologne both want her to be their heirs. Ranma-chan then tells off Nodoka. Genma challenges Ranma-chan, though, saying they saw her cavorting with another man.

Ranma-chan explains who that was. Genma gets really nasty, and Ranma-chan kicks him clear out into the back yard.

(The story also goes, at various times, into Kasumi's character and she becomes a much more complex person than in the series or in almost any other fanfiction piece.)

Kasumi and Ranma-chan decide to play a prank on Nodoka and talk in a way that gives Nokoda the idea that Ranma-chan is pregnant. Akane and Ranma-chan have a really good private talk.

Ranma-chan and her mother have a private talk and get some things cleared up. Later Ranma-chan and Cologne talk, and she will become a member of the Blood Sisterhood. She will also become Happosai's heir, so she'll be trained by both masters.

In the epilogue it's revealed that Ranma/Ranma-chan is training Akane, went to an Iron Chef taping with Kasumi, but is really still attracted to Futana.


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