Not quite a Fukufic: Haigeki

[Sunshine Temple]

A lot of stories deal with Ranma being forced to be a girl, being forced to be a magical girl.

Many deal with it in different ways. It all depends on the story and how the changes are foisted upon Ranma.

Haigeki by Xylix
http://www.fanfiction.net/u/429613/

Well it goes the horror route.

It goes dark, very very dark. All while Ranma's a pretty pink "princess". For a mild spoiler imagine some Shawshank Redemption and The Count of Monte Cristo mixed with the magical girl tale. It gets nasty, but Ranma's spirit does shine through.

Edit: And yes, this is a fic where the feminization of Ranma squicks *me* out. Look at my CV and ponder that.

It looks like I'll have to bring back the old Honorable Mentions.

[uragaaru]

It's horrifying and mentally scarring, skirting a sort of Lynchian/ Perfect Blue edge of sanity in places.

And yet, it may be my favorite fukufic (Perhaps only edged out by "The Best of Times"). Granted, it doesn't really mix the Ranma and SM canon the way most stories do and, it's a bit rough in places, but from Chapter 1 onwards it sets a tone and runs with it and I really enjoy it.

[Sunshine Temple]

Yes, the tone and world it builds are quite well done.

And for the level of horror it handles it well.


Also it has one of the more interesting and terrifying concepts on how magical girls work that I've seen.

The whole dual edge of purity and what that means. Geeze.

[jasonjkay]

Edit: And yes, this is a fic where the feminization of Ranma squicks *me* out. Look at my CV and ponder that.

I had thought about reading this fic a few times but the description put me off a few times. If however it has a squicky feminine Ranma in it then it looks to be my sort of story so now i've just got to give it a shot.

[uragaaru]

I don't know if "squicky" is the right term, but the villains utilize a *very* feminine ideal (both physical beauty and temperament) to condition and train soldiers. Ranma is seen as a potentially powerful soldier, but obviously the psychological conditioning has its impact and there is basically two chapters detailing a psychological break and reformation of a new consciousness. I would say it's closer to something like A Clockwork Orange or, if a nerdier cut of cloth is needed, the Cardassian interrogation of Capt. Picard in Star Trek: the Next Generation.

[jasonjkay]

I think I get what your saying, however I have never seen clockwork orange and although I love star trek, I cant quite remember that either. Are you saying Ranma is psychologically broken and reformed into a highly feminine soldier?

[Crescent Pulsar S]

Attempted, minimally/mildly (your mileage vary depending on the term) successful. Had the process proceeded to its conclusion, however, Ranma probably would have been mind-raped to identity-death.

[uragaaru]

Attempted, minimally/mildly (your mileage vary depending on the term) successful. Had the process proceeded to its conclusion, however, Ranma probably would have been mind-raped to identity-death.

Yep. Basically, the new identity formed is more Ranma than not (mostly Ranma I'd say), but there is a definitely emotional scarring and reconciling of the programming involved, which the more recent chapters spent processing what happened.

[Konsaki]

although I love star trek, I cant quite remember that either

Picard: There are four lights.
Cardsasian Interrogator: I'm sorry, you're mistaken. As you can clearly see, there are five. Until you start telling the truth, I'm afraid we won't be making much progress...

Sorta paraphrased but it was an iconic scene.

[Sunshine Temple]

The thing that I found impactful/dramatic/squicky was not the very feminine ideal, nor the changing of Ranma to that (My works do include Gen Lost, Return, and Strained Harmony), but the way that Ranma was "programed" and I agree with Cressie.

Identity death was the intent. They outright said that they would look at a new name for Ranma after enough time. And their tools are effective enough.

That said I'm not saying the story should not have unfolded the way it did. Ranma's imprisonment and changing and her battle and recovery are core to the story.

Again see my own work. Emotional scaring and reconciliation of "programing" is my bread and butter.


And yeah the TNG episode you're thinking of is Chains of Command. Rather god one.

[Crescent Pulsar S]

If Ranma had been "dollified" (not literally, but for all intents and purposes), they could have likely just settled for designating a number instead of giving a name. XD

[Noy Telinú]

Oh yeah, THIS one.

I think this is the one my aunt was pissed off by. REALLY pissed off by.

I helped her type her review on it.

Kris Leena 2/4/12 . chapter 1
This is a very depressing story. The characters did not seem true to each others they brought in these magical, girl, characters but it felt like it was going around in circles and it was very confusing.

Not to mention that the chapters are very, very long.

It feels like it's creating their own alternate universe and not true to the Ranma story. I... I felt... lost reading this story. And it's just, I don't know how others are feeling about this story, I... I tried to read this but it wasn't really explained well enough.

It felt... weird.

I can't continue reading this story.

I don't know know to describe it. I... I went through all of the chapters, trying to find some hope for the characters, but its all depressing.

You want to be able to read the story, yes, I know what you were trying to do, but... I tried my best. I can't get into what this person was trying to do.

I felt DEPRESSED after reading this story.

I think if anything to give them more hope. There was no hope for Ranma, no hope for any of the characters you know. It was a struggle reading this story because of the way the story was portrayed. Even the friends Ranma had made... it just no hope. It just really got me down. You just keep reading the story feeling like that there was going to be the light at the wend of the story but it was not there.

I don't know what the author's intent was but...

It felt weird and everything. The story is stuck in my head.

Ranma was supposed to be a lighthearted story, but... even in the darkest parts Ranma always ends up finding hope for himself and others... but not now. they browbeat him, in a way.

The way they just did the characters around him... they didn't give him hope, didn't give them anything.

I hope the author doesn't have this in their own life.

I kept reading it and reading it trying to get around what this author was supposed to do... it just...

Just... EHwah...

Now, I don't know how clear it was that this was going to go that route and looking back, my aunt had been suffering from her cancer and ulcers pretty bad by then, but, she really, really complained about this fic to me.

I'm not going to touch it.

[Konsaki]

Sometimes you need these dark fics to appreciate the more light hearted fics after a while. Plus, it really feels good once the hero gets around to winning, though it's usually bittersweet in the end due to the damage that's already occured.

[Noy Telinú]

I still think the category should've included horror.

That and I remembered my aunt saying something about it showing how girly is bad and boyish is good or something.

I don't know, but I'm not going near it. That's for sure.

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

I somehow got to reading Haigeki, and it's looking like it may be pulling (with slow, sucking noises) out of the quicksand. Had I known where it was going, I'd not have started.

Her War was so terrible I dropped out after two chapters.

The stories are not necessarily bad -- it's not a synonym for terrible. But they don't fit my reading habits in the least.