Can't Win

Review

This is an extremely hard story to review, in that it's the first one I've read where I loved the entire story except for one aspect of the very final part.

First of all, the story deals very well with the psychology of Ranma/Ranko/Ranma-chan and what types of troubles Ranma has had to face from the actions of his father and his fiancees.

I like the way that Ranma, in female form, bonds so well with her mother and how she is transformed into a "properly behaved" young lady.

I like the way that Ranko reveals Ryouga's secret to Akane. I also really, really like the way that Ranko and Akane finally mature enough to be able to talk to each other without getting into some kind of fight.

I also like the fact that Ranko, Akane and Nodoka are able to basically restart their lives at the end.

The only problem I have is with Genma's death. I agree absolutely totally with the need to fake the deaths of Akane, Nodoka and Ranko. I just wish there would have been some way to fake Genma's death, although I don't know how that could have been done.

Synopsis

Rannma-chan has been on a training trip with Nodoka for three months after finding a magical ring that enables her to remain in her female form.

It started with Nodoka offering to take "Ranko" on a training trip with her. Ranma-chan told Genma that she really wanted some time to spend with her mother. She found a vendor selling magic rings but was warned that the effects of the rings could be permanent.

The training Nodoka had given Ranma-chan was in becoming a cultured woman.

The training was to get Ranma-chan to think before she talked; to be more lady-like and less like a tomboy, and to wear proper female clothing.

She also says that she is really happy for the first time in years.

Ranma-chan has become more and more comfortable with actually being a girl full-time.

Ranma-chan has a plan worked out to remain female and still deal with all the fiancees and potential suitors.

Ranma-chan (Ranko) tries to explain to Akane what is going on. Akane keeps starting to get angry, of course. Ranko later gets into a fight with Ryouga who falls into the pond, revealing to Akane that he is actually P-chan.

Akane tells Ranko that, for her, she will become bisexual and that she loves her.

Ranko explains to Ukyou that it really is Akane that she loves and Ukyou tells her and Akane to get out of the restaurant.

Shampoo is convinced that Ranko has no memories of being Ranma at all and leaves.

In the Epilogue, there is a funeral taking place for Genma, Akane, nodoka and Ranko. It's revealed that Nodoka, Akane and Ranko are really alive and are going to start new lives for themselves. Genma, however, is actually dead.

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