Could Ranma ever move on, in the event of Akane's death?

[LadyRelena]

I'm planing on writing a Ranma/Kurumi fic, (Probably the only one of it's kind) and the sinareo is that Akane actually died at the end of the Saffron arc. So, I have a few questions and I've decided to list them to make it (hopefully) easier to answer.

1) How would Ranma react to such an event? Would he go into a rage or become depressed and reclusive, or both?
2) Would Ranma 'EVER' recover or move on from said tragedy?
3) How long do you think Ranma would be angry/depressed for?
4) What could a caring girl do to help Ranma to recover from Akane's death?
5) Do you think Ranma could ever love said girl once he has moved on?

Yeah yeah, I know, it sounds like an extremely cliche romantic story but I swear it wont be.

[Daniel Jess Gibson]

All your questions have to be answered with 'When in the storyline does the death occur'. If he wakes up from Akane belting him with the table after his 'I'm built better to boot' comment, and learns she walked out and got run down by a streetcar, he's going to react differently than if he had brought her back alive from the battle with Saffron, and Taro and Mousse murdered her in cold-blood.

In the first case, Kurumi showing up immediately and claiming to be the Tendo heir, nobody is going to have a problem and even the fathers will push things along, in the latter he's going to have some serious issues and the love of a good woman isn't going to solve them.

The problem is, Ranma rarely if ever lets anyone know his deep feelings, how much is the practiced mask and how much is him is debatable. So how he'd react to getting a new fiance is wide open territory. The stronger the reaction to Akane's death, the later you'd have to put her death in the series. If you want maximum angst, put it after the defeat of Saffron, and before the failed wedding. That's when he thought she really cared for him, and the disaster of the wedding wasn't fresh in his mind.

Also, frankly, there's some proof Ranma doesn't really love anyone in the series, at least not romantically. He's grown fond of Akane, but I don't think he's in love with her. He has to marry her, and he gives in to that demand before the failed wedding. If he loves her, it's more as a friend than a lover. Any woman would have that problem facing her trying to get Ranma to forsake all others. With Kurumi, if she asserts her place as the heir, it's plug and play, and it doesn't matter what Ranma feels. Kurumi is the heir, he has to marry her, thus spake the Panda and the Waterfall that walk like men. And Ranma will eventually go along with it.

[Crescent Pulsar]

1) How would Ranma react to such an event? Would he go into a rage or become depressed and reclusive, or both?

I think it'd be a mix of depression and preoccupation, either thinking about it or doing something to take his mind off of it. He'd probably be angry with himself, and blame himself for being inadequate, and he'd probably lose at least some of his pride and confidence in himself. That'd be my guess, anyway.

2) Would Ranma 'EVER' recover or move on from said tragedy?

Most people do, eventually. Exactly when would likely depend upon what others feel toward him, in regard to Akane's death. Who, and how many, would support him? Who might hold him responsible, other than he himself?

3) How long do you think Ranma would be angry/depressed for?

Too many factors to consider to come up with any definite time frame.

4) What could a caring girl do to help Ranma to recover from Akane's death?

Anything but the kind of things that Ukyo, Shampoo and Kodachi are known to do. ;p

5) Do you think Ranma could ever love said girl once he has moved on?

Well, if he's moved on... and hasn't become a homosexual, or something. I don't see why not. ;p Although I'd wonder if the arranged marriage with a Tendo would still be applied, in this scenario.

Yeah yeah, I know, it sounds like an extremely cliche romantic story but I swear it wont be.

Romance, by definition, is cliche, in that it's a genre. There is no escape! *_*

[Dumbledork]

Only one answer to your questions: we don't know. No one's ever died after the start of the series (and Akane didn't either in the Saffron arc) so you can write whatever you want. No one will be able to prove you wrong.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

1:
This questions would be easier to answer if we knew precisely when and how in that arc Akane died. If, say, she totally dried up because of Saffron and he simply mocked Ranma's distress, Ranma would go ballistic. If, on the other hand, she died during the Failed Wedding, particularly if you decide that Soun was blackmailing Akane with the Nanniichuan as well, and/or Ranma believed she was in love with him, he would be greatly depressed.

2:
It would take time, likely more then any other trauma Ranma has had to undergo, but Ranma would get over it in time. Unlike Ryoga, Ranma is a very... well, call it forward thinking. He doesn't dwell on pain or sorrow; he feels it, accepts it, and gets on with his life. Losing Akane, the closest friend and companion he has, not to mention the one person he feels something that could most easily be identified with love, would hurt him deeply, but he would heal. All it would take is time... though, of course, his environment can accelerate/decelerate the healing process.

3:
I'm going to be honest and say I don't really know. How, when and where Akane dies, and the environment into which Ranma gets tossed, are all factors here. Could be weeks, could be months, could even be a year or more.

4:
Be supportive, is the most simple thing. Don't push him for affection, just give him a sense of solidity -the metaphorical shoulder to cry on- and try to help him get over his pain. Allow him time to grieve, but don't let him get bogged down in the mires of misery - sometimes, a distraction from pain is what a person really needs to help them heal.

5:
Yes. He would probably carry a soft spot in his heart for Akane for a long time (or not, depending on just how she died, as I keep mentioning), but once the pain is gone, Ranma would be able to love again. As I said, he's not a melancholic fanatic like Ryoga is pre-Akari; he is able to push on past his pain and get on with his life.

[LadyRelena]

Silly me. I forgot to say when Akane is suppose to die. It happens at the end of the Saffron arc. Ranma ends up being too late to save her with the cold water and she ends up dying.

In the first case, Kurumi showing up immediately and claiming to be the Tendo heir, nobody is going to have a problem and even the fathers will push things along, in the latter he's going to have some serious issues and the love of a good woman isn't going to solve them.

Also, frankly, there's some proof Ranma doesn't really love anyone in the series, at least not romantically. He's grown fond of Akane, but I don't think he's in love with her. He has to marry her, and he gives in to that demand before the failed wedding. If he loves her, it's more as a friend than a lover. Any woman would have that problem facing her trying to get Ranma to forsake all others. With Kurumi, if she asserts her place as the heir, it's plug and play, and it doesn't matter what Ranma feels. Kurumi is the heir, he has to marry her, thus spake the Panda and the Waterfall that walk like men. And Ranma will eventually go along with it.

I must say Gibson, that this outlook is really quite depressing. I'm going to have Mr Tendo adopt the two girls after they find their real father and realize he's a jerk off that ran out on them and left them in the wilderness to fend for themselves. (Or something along those lines)

Romance, by definition, is cliche, in that it's a genre. There is no escape! *_*

This is also a very depressing comment Crescent.

[Daniel Jess Gibson]

In the first case, Kurumi showing up immediately and claiming to be the Tendo heir, nobody is going to have a problem and even the fathers will push things along, in the latter he's going to have some serious issues and the love of a good woman isn't going to solve them.

Also, frankly, there's some proof Ranma doesn't really love anyone in the series, at least not romantically. He's grown fond of Akane, but I don't think he's in love with her. He has to marry her, and he gives in to that demand before the failed wedding. If he loves her, it's more as a friend than a lover. Any woman would have that problem facing her trying to get Ranma to forsake all others. With Kurumi, if she asserts her place as the heir, it's plug and play, and it doesn't matter what Ranma feels. Kurumi is the heir, he has to marry her, thus spake the Panda and the Waterfall that walk like men. And Ranma will eventually go along with it.

I must say Gibson, that this outlook is really quite depressing. I'm going to have Mr Tendo adopt the two girls after they find their real father and realize he's a jerk off that ran out on them and left them in the wilderness to fend for themselves. (Or something along those lines)

Sounds like most adults in the Ranmaverse.

Romance, by definition, is cliche, in that it's a genre. There is no escape! *_*

This is also a very depressing comment Crescent.

I won't speak for Crescent, but I view the entire Ranma series as Tragedy, not Comedy. The Myth of Sisyphus can be tragedy as well as the Sinking of the Titanic can. They never grow, they never learn, any trust can be shattered with the flimsiest of rationalizations. etc.. There is a goal they all see but can never reach, because they sabotage themselves and each other.

That said, you can have the declaration that the new marriage is in place (probably right after Akane's funeral, even Soun wouldn't tolerate a disturbance of his little girl's funeral, but once they get home . . . ), and have Kurumi try to be friends with Ranma, before they are married. Kind of 'We're stuck together, let's get to know each other and have some fun together before we have to be together.' So when the Nerima Wrecking Crew storm the wedding, Kurumi is fighting alongside Ranma, rather than against him.