> It's also totally out of character, as it implies that one of the adults has half a brain.


Funny, your other stories typically portray Nodoka as having a brain, which is why I thought her to be OOC in almost all of them.

Hey this story might not work as a real story but it would be great as a crack!fic.

*Tap, tap, taps on chin*
I might be able to think of something. After all, it takes a very smart person to play a dumb/brainless person. Take Junior... he's actually very smart, but he comes off as completely brainless! It's amazing!

^.^V

LATER

I like the chainsaw bit, but you're right. It's best just to let this hang off right where it is. Leave it to imagination... that's what Takahashi did, after all. O.O

LATER

This is a very interesting idea. This version of Ranma would be calculating instead of impulsive and very ruthless if neccessary.

Because of that, Ranma would be far less likely to get a Jusenkyou curse and probably wouldn't knock Ryouga into a Cursed
Spring, either. Ranma's encounter with the Amazons might go more smoothly as well.

Things would really start diverging when he reaches the Tendo house. A Ranma who has studied Sun Tzu & Musashi for eight
years should be able to run rings around Soun & Genma mentally. He'd insist on being allowed to choose his fiancee and
probably delay making that decision while he researches if there are any other arranged marriages Genma hadn't mentioned.
Nabiki would actually respect Ranma since he uses his brain.

Ranma would also be able to turn his enemies against each other, resulting in some radically different battles. He'd also not
allow Kodachi or Ukyou choose the battleground like they did in the manga, though he'd consider them superior opponents
because they tried.

OTOH, he would respond to Ukyou's explosive okonomiyaki with his own explosives which could reveal her secret a bit more
publically.

I think this idea has a lot of potential, but it would have a very different flavor.

I've been looking over your snippets, and they are quite interesting. There's some real potential here. As for number three, I don't believe it is too sensible or out of character. I've seen similar stories wherein Nodoka has done this (albiet not everything you've listed here) and for very good reasons (Ranma in line to inherit millions, Nodoka upset by how Genma has treated Ranma, Genma not Ranma's biological father, etc.). Remember, Nodoka is a mother first, and would probably want to make up for lost time and/or mistakes. What better way to do it than to give Ranma most of what he wants or needs?

A case in point. There's one story floating around the FanFiction.Net (I've forgotten the title) that has Nodoka running the show, and being very upset with Soun for jumping the gun, thus taking Akane into her own home to keep her away from 'that creep that daddy wants me to marry'. Unbeknownst to Akane, 'that creep' happens to be Ranma, who, having been raised by his mother for most of his life, is a much better and more rounded person than in canon. Many of the events that happened in the original series happened here, too, but were influenced by the fact that Ranma and Akane have been separate for over a year that they were together originally.

Nodoka had been planning their betrothal for years, but realized it could only work if Ranma asked Akane, rather than the two being forced together. Also, unlike Genma, Nodoka works very hard to eliminate any potential problems that may interfere with her plans, i.e. other fiancees, would be rivals, etc. Therefore, it is not out of character for her to do what you're having her do, as long as it benefits her, Ranma, or both.

I've also seen a variation of number four, but with the usual results (it was one of 'the Bet' series). Yours has much more potential.

If possible, I'd like a crack at these two. I might be able to do something with them.