Stephan Sokolow's Blog

Title: Second Chances
URL: @ Lord Archives Homepage
Author: Lord Archive
Source: Ranma 1/2, Oh My Goddess
Rating: 6/6
Type: Combined Continuation and Alternate Universe, Crossover
Length: 22 Chapters in 3 Volumes, Incomplete.

How about a story where Ranma dies and Akane gets sent back to the start of the series? (de-aged, of course)

This is definitely an interesting case because, as far as I can see, Ranma and Akane are perfectly in character and yet, this could be mistaken for hard-core out-of-character fanfiction. The important thing to remember is *why* Akane and Ranma acted the way they did in Canon. I don’t really think that the story’s version of Nabiki is possible, but I don’t mind it too much.

I’d give it a 2 out of 3 on the originality scale and a 6/6 on the main scale, partly because I re-read it several times but mostly because it would be a 5/6 or 5.5/6 otherwise. There are a few cases of mixing tenses and other grammatical errors, but not enough to really be much of a problem. Considering that the writing is better than the grammatical errors would normally suggest, I’d assume that one of the two cases apply:
* Lord Archive forgot to proofread or didn’t proofread thoroughly enough
* English is not Lord Archive’s native language (but there has been lots of practise)

I like how it manages to keep so many of the old plot points without feeling stale. That’s quite an achievement when you consider how many fanfics I’ve read.

As with “Rejected”, there are some really good lessons for anime/manga/fanfiction fans to be found in the author’s notes.

Title: Rejected
URL: @ Lord Archive’s Website
Author: Lord Archive
Source: Ranma 1/2
Rating: 6/6
Type: Alternate Universe, Dark
Length: 10 Episodes, Complete

What if Nodoka hadn’t accepted Ranma as a man among men? What if she called him on the Seppuku pledge? The idea is an easy one to conceive, but a difficult one to write. It would be completely out of character… but Lord Archive gave it a shot. I’m fairly good at accepting out-of-character characters as long as they are well written and I consider Rejected to be the best of this little-attempted plot. It has a few flaws, but it did something right. I’ve re-read it at least twice in the last year or so.

Modifiers:
+2 Interesting writing style. First-person with a different character narrating each episode.
-1 The writing occasionally feels lacking but I’m not sure exactly how. I do think it could use a little more descriptive padding around the dialog (in some places, it feels like a script)
-1+1 Characters are sometimes out of character but, in some places, it can be quite a laugh.

Oh, and the author’s notes contain some very good lessons for anime/manga/fanfiction fans.

Title: Chronophobia
URL: Fanfic.net RAAC Mirror
Author: Ukyou Kuonji
Source: Ranma 1/2
Rating: 5.5/6
Type: Could be a continuation or an AU. It doesn’t matter.
Length: Really short one-shot

I’m giving this one a 5.5/6. It may be short, but it packs a hell of a punch. The title is a good hint but, since it’s about two screenfulls of text, I’ll just let you read it.

Title: In My Dreams
URL: Fanfic.net RAAC Mirror
Author: Siaru
Source: Ranma 1/2
Rating: 6/6
Type: Continuation
Length: One-shot

Every once in a while, I come across one of those one-shot fics which simply takes my breath away. “In My Dreams” is one such case. As with every one I’ve read so far, it’s written from a first-person perspective. I won’t give away the plot, but I will say that the writing is superb and that it takes place after the Ranma 1/2 manga ends.

Read it. If you can spare the five minutes, you won’t be disappointed.