Title: Inside Out Author: armlessphelan
Source: Ranma ½ Character(s): Ukyou & Ranma
Rating: K Genre(s): Romance & Character-centric
Chapter(s): 1 Status: Complete
Author’s Synopsis: They say it’s better to have loved and lost. Does that hold true if the love is unrequited?
http://archiveofourown.org/works/577875
Welcome Readers, it’s the beginning of another week and to kick it off I’m taking a look at this Ranma ½ one-shot centered on Ukyou. For me, this series will always hold a special place in my heart because it was one my first animes. I own and have seen the entire series, OVAs, and movies (anime and live action), and I’ve read the entire manga series multiple times; so yeah, this series has stuck with me for over two decades. However, what drew me to this one-shot is the fact that it is Ukyou-centric.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am your reviewing host, the Fan Fic Reviewer; here to review the good, the bad, and those that should never exist in fan fiction.
As I said, what drew me to this fan fic is the fact that its focus is on Ukyou. When I was much younger I favored Ukyou out of the fiancées but as I got older she fell out of favor; she was a tomboy but would shame Akane for being one; she owned and operated her own restaurant but was always willing to give it up to be Ranma’s wife; she was always quick to call Akane “friend” then belittle her in front of Ranma. As I got older, I saw her more as a hypocrite than the strong, independent woman I saw as a child.
What does this have to do with the one-shot? Well, this is an introspective piece on Ukyou after the fight with Safron and it takes its time to acknowledge the flaws in Ukyou that keep her forever in the Friend Zone.
In case anyone did not read the manga or never got to the fight with Safron, it’s the last enemy of the whole series. Akane is kidnapped and taken to China so everyone joins the effort to get her back, except Ukyou because no one ever tells her that something has happened and they could use her help. Instead, Ukyou is left completely out of the adventure and wouldn’t know about it until after the party has returned.
The text explains Ukyou’s feelings about this and it becomes the catalyst to the rest of the introspection. Ukyou examines her feelings for Ranma starting from childhood when she’s bitter and filled with resentment for him to them reuniting when all her hatred melts after Ranma calls her “cute.” Then it continues until the current events.
I mentioned that this story acknowledges Ukyou’s flaws, it does this by showing that she’s not like the other fiancées in that they only know Ranma as he is in the series. Ukyou – as the story points out – knew Ranma as a child and recognizes his lack of maturity. The story also points out how due to Ukyou’s business she couldn’t drop everything and follow Ranma at the drop of a hat (although in the anime and manga she has done so). It also points out that a lot of Ukyou’s romantic feelings are tied to past Ranma rather than to present Ranma.
It’s this kind of analysis and depth I can appreciated. I don’t think that this one-shot goes too depth into Ukyou’s motivations and behavior, but it’s a good start.
The writing helps to keep the focus on Ukyou and her reflections by having limited dialogue and guiding the Reader through Ukyou’s muses and actions. It feels more like a silent movie where the audience sees the impact and emotion from the actors but any dialogue or set up is presented in cue cards. I thought it helped to keep this one-shot focused and centered on Ukyou.
There isn’t really anything wrong the story to complain. It’s simple and gets done what it means to get done, evaluate if it is “better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all” when the love is unrequited. In Ukyou’s case, based on the story, I’d say, “no.”
Readers, if you are a fan of Ranma ½ then give this one-shot a quick read. It doesn’t matter what couple you are a fan of because this is just an excellent introspective look at one of the other fiancées as she realizes that she doesn’t have a chance.
Stars: 8/10
The Fan Fic Reviewer 