What is your opinion on the Ranma x Akane romance?
I assume non-shippers or alt-shippers will generally dislike it for various reasons, but I’m curious what Rankane shippers think.
I often see comments from people who wanted more tangible progress during the story, or were disappointed with the ending, so I thought it would be interesting to discuss (non-shippers are welcome as well).
Zootopia spoilers ahead, but this part is not essential to the post, so feel free to skip it:
>!I recently saw a YT video about!< >!Zootopia!< >!(one that assumes Nick and Judy will eventually be romantically together), and one person was like, “it’s been 9 years, they obviously love each other so we are owed at least a kiss between Nick and Judy by now!” and the other person was adamant that not only should Nick and Judy!< >!not!< >!kiss (unless it’s by accident), but they shouldn’t be in a relationship even if they are clearly in love because the tension and ambiguity are what make the relationship compelling and it will cease to be interesting the moment they confess or become openly romantic—so they should be in love but it should not be confirmed.!<
>!Basically the two schools of thought surrounding the Rankane romance!<>!😂!<
>!Most viewers agreed with the latter in the comment section, and there was even a comment saying Takahashi Rumiko is the master of this type of dynamic and it got me thinking about which side I am on for Ranma and Akane’s relationship.!<
Me personally, I love the portrayal, and I think it’s an almost perfect depiction of fictional romance, and probably the main reason why I still love Ranma 1/2 even after decades.
Rumiko famously said, if the hero and heroine confess, the story is over. I wholeheartedly agree this is true, especially for a tightly wound dynamic that hinges on a confession like Rankane’s. The main enjoyment for me is the state of unresolved love itself, even more so since the two are deeply devoted to each other and not just attracted.
This became very apparent for me when I started reading fanfics, because while I love the ones that end with their confession or other climatic resolution, fanfics that continued beyond that point and showed them dating or married or just openly in love made me lose interest and get bored so quickly. It felt like a deflated balloon or a snapped rubber band, no matter how well it’s written (and many are extremely well-written so it’s not a shade to the writers). The only sort-of exceptions were when they had another significant adversary or conflict to maintain the tension, but canonical slice-of-life fics of them in love just fell flat for me.
Every time I read these type of fanfics, I realize Rumiko knew what she was doing, lol. So I firmly believe that if there was actual progress in their relationship other than the subtle ones that stops short of a confession, she would not have been able to recapture the tantalizing tension that drives the whole story. Because the main driver isn’t “when will they finally become a couple?” so much as “how will these two stubborn people continue to subtly reveal their feelings despite refusing to say them outright?”
Every arc resets just enough to keep that dynamic alive but still with very subtle progress, and she does it so masterfully.
I know that some fans who agree with this still object to her not even giving us a kiss or an actual confession at the very end. For that, I used to be conflicted, but I think I ultimately like what she gave us. She gave us enough closure to feel confident they will eventually end up together but left it so that we can keep imagining their “undefined” relationship until the day they do confess for real. They are only sixteen and have known each other for less than a year anyway. We also probably wouldn’t have half the great fan art or fanfics if she had presented a definitive moment of them becoming “official”.
So overall, I think the romance is close to perfect for the story Rumiko wanted to tell. I understand why some readers wanted a more conventional payoff, but I don’t think Ranma would have had the same enduring appeal if she’d resolved everything explicitly.