Shampoo/Mousse- do you really believe these two work?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

First of all, let me just say that while I'm proud to be a dedicated fan of the Shampoo/Ranma matchup, I don't hate either the Shampoo/Mousse pairing (though I'll almost never read it) or Mousse. I'm just genuinely curious; do you really think that this is a matchup that can work? I'm asking because the number of Shampoo/Mousse stories out there almost equals the number of Ranma/Akanes, and I'm interested if these are being made due to genuine belief in the pairing or simply because it's a way to help eliminate the whole fiancee problem in order to pair up the "destined couple" of Ranma & Akane (gag...).

Personally, I don't think they'd work at all- I've never done so in fact, and finally found a few reasons for my presumed bias when I stumbled across the Anti-Shampoo/Mousse FAQ by Wade Tritschler, though that page seems to have vanished now (glad I saved a copy on a Word document...). I've heard that in the anime (my first source of knowledge on the series and what I prefer to work with) Shampoo supposedly seems to have some feelings for Mousse... what I've seen, it's more like she tolerates him and occasionally finds him useful. There may be some friendship on her part there, but from what I see the relationship is strictly one-way; from Mousse to her.

But what's your opinon?

[claymade]

It's in much the same category as Ryouga/Ukyo, IMHO. I think it certainly can work--but only with some fairly significant changes/growth/progression from the setup as portrayed in canon. The advantage for Shampoo/Mousse is that there's at least one member of the pair who'd do almost anything in his power to pursue and facilitate said changes to the status quo.

In terms of their current relationship, Shampoo considers him as a "friend from child times", and does display some amount of friendly affection for him--although it's usually vastly eclipsed by her annoyance at his antics.

The fundamental problem, of course, is that she considers him a weakling in comparison to Ranma--and fighting prowess seems to be her primary currency in what she respects in a man. If Mousse got a great deal more badass--or, more ideally, if Shampoo had her strength-centric value system challenged--I think there'd certainly be potential there. But, like virtually any of the potential relationships in Ranma 1/2, it's viability is predicated on the further growth and maturation of the characters involved.

[TerraEpon]

http://web.archive.org/web/200504061627 ... m/misc.htm

It's a pretty good read, and I agree with most of it.

-Joshua

[FriendlyEL]

Wasn't Shampoo willing to let Mousse die in the Jizu story? If so, then not really a whole lot. She definately doesn't think too highly of him. Still, given that she's been his life for most of his life I do sort of want to see them get together once Ranma and Akane get along only for the sake of preventing him grief.

Maybe after Ranma shuns her enough and she gets the point, she'll start appreciating Mousse a little more.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

In the Jizou arc, Shampoo's reaction to finding out that Mousse was under the spell of a living statue that was (apparently) sucking the life from him was to dismiss the whole matter in favour of playing videogames, only finally relenting and showing up to free him in the last few pages of that story (and didn't hesitate for a second to tell him that the scarf she gave him was intended for Ranma). In fact, Wade actually crafted his Anti-Shampoo/Mousse FAQ from the anime, because the manga version of Shampoo evidently treats Mousse much worse (though I have to admit, the way she gave Mousse some hope that he actually was missed simply because she and Cologne needed someone to look after the restaurant for a while at the end of "Mousse Goes Home to the Country" was pretty cold).

[Uldihaa]

Honestly, I just don't think Shampoo/Mousse would work. She, at best, considers him as only a friend; I don't think she ever really sees him as a possible romantic interest. You have to have that romantic interest before you could even begin to have any sort of romance. For Shampoo, he just doesn't interest her. Add to that his virtual stalking of her, his attacking of guys she might be interested in, and his refusal to accept 'not interested' as an answer, and you get someone that not only doesn't consider him romance material, but would refuse to consider it.

For Shampoo, it seems that Mousse's negatives far outstrip any possible positive aspects. Even if Mousse changed, I think there is just too much bad history between the two for Shampoo to seriously consider a romantic relationship with him.

[lwf58]

Depends on source, I guess. In canon, Shampoo doesn't really react very much in a positive way to Mousse. In the anime and movies, she sometimes does. If you're writing based on the animation, then it's distinctly possible.

It's not a good to compare Mousse and Shampoo to Ryouga and Ukyou, because there is no basis for it. Ryouga and Ukyou were never interested in each other, and never had anything much in common except for a desire to see Ranma and Akane break up. Ukyou's only interest in Ryouga was as a matchup for Akane, to remove her from the competition for Ranma. The idea that she might fall in love with Ryouga is 100% fanon.

At least there are hints that Shampoo might care about Mousse a little, but not want to show it because she wouldn't want Ranma to get the wrong idea. There is no such connection between Ryouga and Ukyou.

[FriendlyEL]

I think that Shampoo/Mousse is closer to Ukyo/Konatsu than Ukyo/Ryoga personally, except of course that Konatsu is in general a little more respectful of Ukyo than Mousse is to Shampoo.

[claymade]

It's not a good to compare Mousse and Shampoo to Ryouga and Ukyou, because there is no basis for it. Ryouga and Ukyou were never interested in each other, and never had anything much in common except for a desire to see Ranma and Akane break up. Ukyou's only interest in Ryouga was as a matchup for Akane, to remove her from the competition for Ranma. The idea that she might fall in love with Ryouga is 100% fanon.

*shrugs* It's not a complete and perfect comparison--what is? I didn't mean to imply that they were equal in all respects, only in a specific sense:

A) It's a popular fan relationship, for which the direct canonical evidence for it actually happening (in other words, without extremely significant changes to the existing dynamic) is practically nil

B) Said changes to the existing dynamic, however, do not strike me as impossible on a fundamental level.

But Uldihaa does make a good point about the amount of bad memories.

At least there are hints that Shampoo might care about Mousse a little, but not want to show it because she wouldn't want Ranma to get the wrong idea. There is no such connection between Ryouga and Ukyou.

Care about as something more than a general friend? I don't recall any particularly--although granted, I've pretty much only read the manga, and thus was going just on that.

I think that Shampoo/Mousse is closer to Ukyo/Konatsu than Ukyo/Ryoga personally, except of course that Konatsu is in general a little more respectful of Ukyo than Mousse is to Shampoo.

Very true. The other main difference in this case would be that Ukyo/Konatsu doesn't really have much in the way of fandom support, which was one of the things I was trying to highlight. But yes, that is a much closer relationship.

[antimatterenergy]

I really don't see a Mouse/Shampoo pairing work. Of all the possible relationships I see that as the least likely. I'd vote on a Ranma/Tatewaki as more likely than Mouse/Shampoo. Ranma has shown more concern and treated Tatewaki better than Shampoo has ever done for Mouse.

[whatever]

Well, It is not impossible but it is very difficult that Mousse/Shampoo "relationship" would work at least by Shampoo side, she clearly isn’t interested in Mousse even if he has demonstrated that he really loves her and plus her infatuation with Ranma is another problem, I find it really hard that she will come out of the nowhere to fall in love with Mousse, at least that Ranma reject her so badly that she will have no other option to give up and might probably take an interest in Mousse.

Personally after re-reading some chapters like the Jizou arc, Mousse returns, Maomolin arc when he kidnaps Shampoo and Saffron arc when Mousse refuse to make Shampoo his slave and watching that episode of the anime Mousse goes home country I have come to the conclusion that Mousse deserves and should look for someone better than that spoiled brat bitch.

[CJN]

It's not really Mousse's weakness in fighting that's the problem, it's his behavior.
It might be harsh, but the only way I could see Mousse/anyone working would be with him as the "bottom" in a BDSM relationship.

[Southern Cross]

I'm with whatever.Shampoo is not fit to be any one's wife at the moment.She is way too self-absorbed.
SpaceKnight of Chaos,I am an unrepentant Ranma/Akane fan-there is way more chemistry between Ranma and Akane than there is between him and Shampoo.When you add in the fact of her cat curse,and the fact that she treats him worse than Mousse treats her,it's hard to understand why he even tolerates her.

[FriendlyEL]

While I agree that Mousse could do quite a bit better than Shampoo (then again the only main female cast who could deal with his obsessive compulsive dormat-like behavior is Kasumi), you have to remember that Mousse is about as obsessed with Shampoo as Ukyo is with Ranma. In other words, while I can't see the relationship working, I have just as hard of a time seeing him getting over his obsession over her to find anyone else.

Any suggestions on how Mousse could possibly give up on Shampoo though? Seems to me that would require a painful amount of angst on his part.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Well, I'm probably really in no place to talk, but the only thing that comes to my head that might make him realise it's hopeless is if Shampoo makes it absolutely undeniably clear she does't want him- for example, willing to commit suicide rather than be his bride, as in the anime take on the Cat Temple story, when Shampoo threatens to slash her own throat rather than marry Maomolin. Possibly something like her finally managing to get sufficient quality time with a guy (Ranma or otherwise) that she gets pregnant might also work, but I'm not sure. I think there was one darkfic I read where she did end up having Ranma's kid, and Mousse assassinated the two of them and began carrying around and talking to Shampoo's badly stuffed corpse.