Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

For submitting and talking about story ideas, individual scenes that need doctoring, outlines, or other detail work that isn't quite ready for the C&C thread.

Idea submissions must be at least five paragraphs long, and include plot points, summaries of which characters are involved, and, for fanfiction, how it differs from canon. Both original and fanfiction ideas welcome. Though original works should have more development. Replying posts must give actual commentary, no "GREAT IDEA" or "THIS SUCKS".

Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Crescent Pulsar S » Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:26 am

For those not in the know: kiai.

One day I began to think of the esoteric martial arts that people make up in Ranma 1/2 fan-fiction, which are usually not to be taken seriously. For the few that are, not many have a shelf life beyond a single encounter (and even then, chances are its execution and/or role is lackluster). So, I challenged myself to come up with something myself.

What I came up with is a school of martial arts centered on the kiai, since Ranma 1/2 is the kind of universe where something seemingly mundane can turn out supernatural results. The idea is that the practitioners use the kiai to empower themselves when they fight, in all sorts of ways. They can either use it sparingly, when taking choice actions (beginner stuff), or in concert with all of their movements (mastery level). It's not a technique that is copyable as experienced, because the kiai not only needs to be in harmony with the actions taken, but with the body performing said actions. It requires an extreme discipline in self-awareness, not only because the body is composed of different parts with different functions, but because the body is not a static thing, and various changes (including injury) have to be taken into account. The only exception to that is when the kiai is projected as a direct attack (to stun, confuse, intimidate, nauseate, et cetera), as opposed to the passive role of self-augmentation.

As for the story idea, now that I've gotten that out of the way...

The family who practices this style of martial arts has recently found a good use for it outside of the usual venue: idoldom. Not only are they ready and receptive for dance, choreography and performances on stage, but their use of the kiai makes them nigh-unrivaled singers as well. This was demonstrated by the youngest of their latest generation, a girl in her early twenties whose popularity hasn't waned significantly since she debuted in her mid-teens.

Since she is literally the first of her kind (regarding how she had applied what she had learned from her family's style), her family roots in martial arts are still very strong. As such, she seeks out or participates in martial arts challenges when she is able to. This eventually leads her to challenging the Tendo dojo, where she defeats Soun and/or Genma and walks away with the dojo's sign. A rematch is scheduled, which Ranma participates in because Akane has qualms about fighting a girl that she idolizes while he could care less. Except not entirely, since Akane does care, so he fights as a girl (his weaker half) to try and mitigate his damage potential, confident that it won't affect his victory potential. (And maybe he feels better about striking a girl if he's not a guy?)

Ranma loses, of course. Between the denunciations from Soun and Genma, embarrassing comments from Nabiki (for losing to a girly idol), half-hearted and awkward sympathy from Akane, sword-fidgeting from his mother, humiliating rumors, and his own pride, he once again goes to ridiculous lengths to redeem himself. Due to choice comments made by Nabiki and the girl who had defeated him (nothing specific worth mentioning here, since said comments would likely be context-specific), he's less unsure and/or opposed about becoming an idol himself. The plan would be to get close to her and figure out her style, so he can defeat her at her own game.

As expected, his rise in popularity and various obligations as an idol is overwhelming, much more mentally than physically. On top of that, on the few occasions where he gets to spend any appreciable time with the girl that had defeated him, she takes on the role of an onee-chan (older sister) and sincerely helps him out, which is a source of conflict for why he finds the time to be with her in the first place. By the time Ranma figures out how the girl's style works, he realizes that -- either intentionally or unintentionally -- she had been guiding him using the basis of her martial arts style all along, which causes further inner conflict.

The story could end in one of many ways, partly because there are a number of elements that are interchangeable, so I feel inclined to leave it open. For instance, does Ranma like or dislike being an idol? What kind of forces (such as those from home, his friends/acquaintances/peers, fans, et cetera) are at work, either for or against him remaining an idol? Is the girl aware or unaware of what Ranma is trying to do? Was there an ulterior motive behind the girl's help? In what way, and to which extent, has being a female idol affected Ranma? Among other things, I'm sure.

So, for better or worse, there you have it.
Crescent Pulsar S
User avatar
Cosmic Power Senshi
Posts: 6406
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Dumbledork » Thu Sep 26, 2013 10:43 am

Well, it sounds fun. I would definitely read it.
And that's the bottom line 'cause Dumbledork said so.

Dumbledork 3:16
Dumbledork
User avatar
Prism Power Senshi
Posts: 3343
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Crescent Pulsar S » Thu Sep 26, 2013 7:27 pm

Someone would have to write it, first, and I doubt that's going to happen. :P
Crescent Pulsar S
User avatar
Cosmic Power Senshi
Posts: 6406
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Spica75 » Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:34 am

Crescent Pulsar S wrote:Someone would have to write it, first, and I doubt that's going to happen. :P


We´re sure you will get around to it... :mrgreen:


Anyway, sounds just like the kind of weird application of something that is normal for Ranma-verse martial art styles.
Spica75
User avatar
Prism Power Senshi
Posts: 2399
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Crescent Pulsar S » Fri Sep 27, 2013 1:15 pm

Nope, not me. I've already got a crossover (Ranma 1/2, Sailor Moon, Aa! Megami-sama!, To Love-Ru, Tenchi Muyo, Shugo Chara) planned, wherein Ranma becomes an idol. As well as another, a crossover with Shinryaku! Ika-musume, which I may or may not ever get around to. There's also another story (with even more crossovers than the first) where it might happen, depending on whether I want to add a certain series to the mix as a part of the ending.

So, yeah. I think those three are going to be the charm, if I'm willing to do more than one at all. :wink:
Crescent Pulsar S
User avatar
Cosmic Power Senshi
Posts: 6406
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Blackcat101 » Tue Oct 08, 2013 11:50 pm

When writing a crossover, be aware that the more series involved the less likely your reader will know about them, specially if you start to use series that aren't well know. Or that are well know but are newer that the main series you started the crossover with, so is likely a reader may know the older and more know series, but not the newer ones. Personally when I see more than three animes listen in a crossover, it scares me away. A good idea is to dossificate the crossover, by dividing the story in arks and each ark will deal mostly with characters from the main series and one of the others, so it gets less confusing and helps to not alienate the readers.

For example

Ark 1 Ranma & Sailor Moon

Ark 2 Ranma & Aa! Megami-sama!

Ark 3 Ranma & Tenchi Muyo

Ark 4 Ranma & To Love-Ru

Ark 5 Ranma & Shugo Char

The way I listed it, the first tree arks have Ranma having crossovers with old and well know series. While the last two are the newer ones, that way if the reader doesn't' know the newer series, may get hooked up to the story anyway by the point you involve the newer & less know ones.

If you only involve one of two characters from one not so know series you can just add a small guide explaining things at the end of a chapter, but you must be careful to not become mister exposition.

And if your story doesn't' involve Ranma becoming a magical girl, you might want to skip Sailor Moon, as most people will assume that having Ranma and Sailor Moon together means the story is a fukufic, There is no much the Sailor Moon characters can add to the story if you want to make Ranma an idol instead of having him fighting evil. And if you are doing it just for Setsuna there are other characters from other animes that can fit her role.
Blackcat101
User avatar
Asteroid Senshi
Posts: 569
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Crescent Pulsar S » Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:27 am

No can do, since it's all one story arc. Characters from every one of the series are intertwined from the very beginning. I don't go after numbers or whatever amounts to fame for a fan-fiction writer, so I have no qualms about writing something that may only attract a small audience. All I have to worry about is making sure that I don't assume said audience is as familiar with a particular series as I am, and provide what information I can so no one thinks I have original characters being spoken about as if a background had already been established in the story itself, when that -- in fact -- is not the case.
Crescent Pulsar S
User avatar
Cosmic Power Senshi
Posts: 6406
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Blackcat101 » Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:54 am

If you are gonna make Ranma an idol, you could limit yourself to animes that are about certain character becoming an idol, there is a few I can remember... Key the Metal Idol?
Blackcat101
User avatar
Asteroid Senshi
Posts: 569
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Crescent Pulsar S » Wed Oct 09, 2013 1:16 am

Ranma being an idol is more a part of a process than what the story's about. It's a bit too complicated for me to sum it up without spoiling the hell out of the story, so I won't. All I can say is that being an idol seemed like the best medium to achieve the goal that I was aiming for (and because it's something I haven't done yet). The idea came to me because Sailor Moon and Shugo Chara were already figured in at the beginning, and they both had the elements (regarding idols) in them.
Crescent Pulsar S
User avatar
Cosmic Power Senshi
Posts: 6406
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby frice2000 » Fri Oct 11, 2013 10:12 pm

I really think this idea is kind of fun and charming. Though rather then Ranma becoming long term a super successful idol singer thanks to the technique making it more Ranmaish with it only being for the purposes of this opponent. Then stopping but end it with Nabiki trying over and over to get Ranma to go into the field with Ranma flat out refusing seems more fun to me then ending it with Ranma a pop idol.
frice2000
User avatar
Asteroid Senshi
Posts: 572
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Crescent Pulsar S » Fri Oct 11, 2013 10:31 pm

Well, whoever picks up the idea can do whatever they want with it. I just thought that it wouldn't be as much fun (and, arguably, normal) if he didn't put himself in a position that was hard to get out of, since he tends to just jump into things before he really thinks about it, even if it's something he normally wouldn't want to do. What he went through with Chardin, for example, is one such instance. Trying to out-depress Ryoga is another. There's also what happened with the Gambling King, Kurenai Tsubasa, Konjo Mariko... And probably several other instances that escape my mind.
Crescent Pulsar S
User avatar
Cosmic Power Senshi
Posts: 6406
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Blackcat101 » Fri Oct 11, 2013 11:30 pm

Is very easy to stop being an idol, they usually don't last long. However with Ranma luck, trying to get out of it would just keep putting him into a position where he needs to keep being an idol because of some noble cause, or because the secret of who he really is may come out, and so on.
Blackcat101
User avatar
Asteroid Senshi
Posts: 569
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Spica75 » Sat Oct 12, 2013 12:46 am

Blackcat101 wrote:Is very easy to stop being an idol, they usually don't last long. However with Ranma luck, trying to get out of it would just keep putting him into a position where he needs to keep being an idol because of some noble cause, or because the secret of who he really is may come out, and so on.


Have him having to sign up for a 1 or 2 year contract as part of the deal(a fairly normal thing for "idolmakers"), that means he´s out eventually, but can still have plenty of issues with wanting to get away sooner. :D
Spica75
User avatar
Prism Power Senshi
Posts: 2399
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby frice2000 » Sat Oct 12, 2013 2:56 pm

Crescent Pulsar S wrote:since he tends to just jump into things before he really thinks about it

That's very true. Just think as a story mechanic it's more interesting if Ranma is exposed to all of this and kind of realizes that an idol sort of life is pretty damn bad. No freedom, having to hide from the public, being the most famous person everywhere? Don't think in the end he'd enjoy that at all. That could be a part of the story too how soul grinding it is. There's a lot that could be made of this other then 'Ranma in a girly profession and grows to enjoy being a girl' is all. And it'd be nice to see more of those secondary parts.

Spica75 wrote:Have him having to sign up for a 1 or 2 year contract

That could work. With a jump ahead possibly dealing with Ranma coming back home after a year away as a super successful now a bit rich former idol. Who wants to get back to normal, but finds that difficult as he is now famous, etc. Would be fun.
frice2000
User avatar
Asteroid Senshi
Posts: 572
 

Re: Kiai school of anything-goes martial arts

Postby Ellen Kuhfeld » Sat Oct 12, 2013 4:28 pm

frice2000 wrote:That could work. With a jump ahead possibly dealing with Ranma coming back home after a year away as a super successful now a bit rich former idol. Who wants to get back to normal, but finds that difficult as he is now famous, etc. Would be fun.

Ranma is already famous. But now, sie has two sets of attempted groupies ...
Visit Big Washuu's Lab of Arcane Knowledge at http://washuu.net
Ellen Kuhfeld
User avatar
Sailor Starlight
Posts: 2228
 

Next

Return to Ideas, Outlines and Scenes

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users