So I intended to just write another review at chapter 34, since that's everything you wrote, but I just got to say, holy shit, I take back what I said in an earlier review about Ranma's parents. With more information, they're not sympathetic whatsoever, and they pretty much match Himura now for how much I dislike them. Honestly this story is just getting darker and darker as it goes along, and it's making just reading it at all pretty unsettling. It's still really engaging, but god damn, I'm starting to struggle through some of these scenes. The beginning of chapter 33 though might be my threshold for how much I can handle, if it goes any darker than that, then I'm out. Someone talking about how they were abused as a child sucks, but to then see it play out? I wish Akane DID kill Genma, stuff like that really pisses me off.

A few other notes:

I love the link everyone has with one another. I like how it's not an instant fix to everything, they still get mad at each other, and annoy one another, but it just sort of lets them come to understandings and resolutions a bit quicker.

I cheered when Kodachi came and saved Ranma and Ryouga. The Kuno siblings getting more screen time is always a plus, and I absolutely love your spin on the characters. I'm kind of hoping that they, Mousse, and Ranma's harem gang all team up to face the upcoming trials.

Hiroshi, Daisuke, and Yuka are a ton of fun to read. I love how committed they are to helping out the group, and it's great how they acknowledge the danger they're in but stick with it anyway. I love how they're side characters that have a big role in the story, but since they're side characters they don't hog too much screen time. We get just enough to really appreciate it.

Ranma's true nature was actually a pretty big surprise to me. The moment the files were found in the basement I knew exactly where it was going. The depravity of her parents was kind of a huge shock for me though. This is the first story I've read where Nodoka is just straight up INSANE, it's different, but a nice change of pace. Genma in the meantime is no better, being an abusive piece of shit. Still, I was kind of surprised at how awful his mother was to her.

Ryouga's arc was pretty fun. His inner turmoils are great, and I love how he's pretty much the only character who has their shit together - he solved his problems with Akari and Anne, his curse is cured, and he finally confessed to Ranma. I love forward to seeing what he does with his newfound knowledge regarding Ranma when he finally wakes up.

Anyway, great work so far! I'm really enjoying this overall. Considering you haven't updated for over 4 months, I'm worried that the story is abandoned, but like I said last time, at least you wrote such a long and entertaining story, even if it's unfinished.

Don't know who Jiro is, but his scene was very entertaining.
Keep up the good work

A very cute and enjoyable story so far, I'm glad I started to read it.

Ok, I haven't quite finished this chapter yet, and I know I have eight more left to go before I reach everything you've written, but after reading Himura's scene here, I just feel the need to get this off my chest: I really don't like her character at all. I don't mean it because she's a villain, and that we're supposed to dislike her, nor do I mean that she's poorly written or anything. No, my dislike for her is because of how dark her scenes are, it's a major mood whiplash from the drama and humor of the rest of the story. She's a horribly malicious and manipulative person, who forces her team to sleep with middle aged men under the guise of making money, but it's actually for blackmail material. She's the girl who has a father that was previously abusive to her, and implied to have sexually assaulted her, and who she now torments due to his condition. It's very unpleasant stuff to read, and I KNOW that's the point, but it really doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of the story.

The other antagonists are at least more fitting - Ranma's parents for instance abused him. Both physically and mentally abused the shit out of him, but at least they did it thinking that they were right right. They have an angle that at least makes them somewhat sympathetic, especially Nodoka, even if you know they're in the wrong. Then there's also the Kuno family who basically are the same as they are in the show (well, initially anyway). Their father's crazy plans in regards to getting even with Ranma is wacky stuff, and it's great, I love it, and because of this it really contrasts hard with Hiruma's much more sinister plot.

Since I'm writing this stuff now, I might as well give the rest of my impressions here. Aside from Hiruma, I'm really enjoying this story. This is only the second harem story I have read where it feels like you've presented an actual plausible harem (the other being Kyon: Big Damn Hero) that can potentially make it. I LOVE the fact that everyone within the harem acknowledges that in order for it to work, they MUST also get along and learn to love one another as well. Akane and Ukyou's relationship, along with Nabiki and Shampoo's is freaking great. The fact that they growing so close makes me thrilled. I freaking hate it when harem stories all revolve around one guy getting all the women, and the women act like the rest of the harem doesn't exist. Something like that is straight up not sustainable!

Ryouga is my favorite character in the original series, and that still holds true here. I love how you expanded upon his horrible sense of direction making it into an actual curse, and I also REALLY enjoy the link he shares with Ranma. Honestly, for a while I was rooting for him and Ranma to finally get into a relationship, but with Akari back into the picture and how freaking sincere she is, I'm kind of on the fence. I could honestly go either way with his final pairing, and I'm eager to see exactly where you go with him.

I also REALLY WANT Tatewaki to have more scenes! I love everyone's reaction to him being sane now, and I really am looking forward to him finally meeting up with Nabiki again, and I really look forward to how the rest of the group will react to him being normal (as normal as he can be, anyway). His guilt for what he has done I'm sure will lead to some great developments in the future.

I enjoy how the volleyball team, Hiroshi, and Daisuke all have much larger roles and are all friends with Ranma and the rest of the cast. Rin in particular is a favorite of mine. I love how innocent she is, and I love how she can detect the Yin and Yang of people. I love her relationship with Mousse, and I am seriously rooting for them to get together. Hiroshi and Daisuke are hilarious, and I would love to see them a bit more often. I'm kind of excited to finally see what Sayuri's doing with her Ki as well to that volleyball. That being said, Yuka and Riko (I think that's their names), have had so little to do that I kind of forget about them from time to time.

I guess that's the last thing I'll go over - this story is huge! You've got so many different plot threads and characters that I hope you have a list keeping track of them all. Stories like this scare me, because I'm always fearful that you've bitten off more than you can chew, and it won't be finished. I hope you WILL finish it someday, because it's damn good, but so far what you've got is pretty great too. If this IS the last of it, then thank you for at least keeping me highly entertained for a few days (It'll probably be another day or two before I get through the remaining chapters).

Oh, I also want to mention that I freaking LOVE the small Persona 5 crossover. When Nabiki was texting Alibaba I was wondering that was where you were going to go with it. If it does go into full blown crossover territory, I hope they can sort out this mess with the Yakuza.

Anyway, excellent job so far, I'm eager to see where this goes!

Thanks for writing this beast of a story! It's without a doubt one of the best stories involving polyamory I've had the pleasure to find. Durandall's Kyon: Big Damn Hero has previously been my gold standard for this kind of story, and yours does some things even better, even though the overall tone is decidedly more serious and less lighthearted (I'll have to see in a year or two how much that hurts its re-read value).

If I were you, I'd use the word 'polyamory' in the summary rather than 'harem', to help set it apart from a lot of other stories that are just thinly veiled wish fulfillment without any serious effort put into maintaining characterization from the source material. The interpersonal relationships and how they develop as the characters navigate and negotiate their differing conflicts, desires and worldviews are the main draw of this kind of story for me, and you do that part superbly and should be proud of it.

Even the Ranma / Ryoga aspect is something you've made me like, despite it typically being something I avoid in Ranma fanfiction. By now I've been rooting for them for a while to finally overcome their inhibitions, but you're taking your sweet time with it. I didn't expect that relationship to turn into such a central aspect of the story. It's a good thing there are plenty of other relationships that are actually getting somewhere in the meantime, or this glacial pace would be far too frustrating to put up with.

Nodoka being as bad and abusive as Genma if not worse was a bit of a shock, and it's not something I've encountered before to this degree. Ranma defending her (and to a lesser extent Genma) 'just because' and out of reflex early on was rather frustrating. It's a good thing you didn't let that drag on for very long before letting Ranma see her true colors.

Himura kidnapping innocent people and forcing permanent changes on them is worrisome and honestly raises the grit level of this story a higher than I prefer. I really hope you're not going to do something like that to a character I'm actually invested in and then let it stew for a couple hundred thousand words before even getting back to that plot thread. That could end up being a deal breaker for this story for me.

There's a lot of other things to comment on here. I like what you've done with the Kunos, especially Tatewaki who often remains a cardboard cutout of a character even in stories that have otherwise excellent characterization.

Rin is made of awesome. Hopefully she can work this thing with Mousse out before this is all over.

The idea of the link is a great inclusion for the story and you've been doing a masterful job exploring that. I'm looking forward to where that's going now that every member of the group is part of it.

I'm wondering what Himura's endgame is going to be, after Sayuri and the team win all their matches. Obviously it has something to do with Ranma and getting her so used to her female form that she'll might be amenable for whatever Himura has planned, but that still leaves a lot of details up in the air. On one hand, it might be really bad and terrifying, but on the other hand she's been giving Nabiki & co. an awful lot of breathing room lately. Maybe by the time it all comes to a head, Ranma, Nabiki and everyone entangled with them have their shit together so well that they just end up laughing at whatever bit of blackmail or social manipulation is the capstone of Himura's scheme. That would be amusing, and it's definitely the option I'm hoping for.

Hoping for more updates soon! Keep up the good work!

I just love the drama the story brings the ups downs and growths the characters go through. I can't wait for more with how often I re read this

I've spent the entirety of the last two days bingeing this story. It had been a while since a Ranma fanfic had grabbed my attention to this degree but this has reinvigorated my interest. You're certainly a strong writer.

Was that dark magic a reference to d&d aquitions incorporated? Enjoy story.

The real question is ... will this break 1 million words? :b

though this is a good story, it disturbs me on sooo many levels. I beg konatsu breaks free before... God i hate Mind re-writes. worse then death, or mind control to me. Looking forward to see the end of this, defiantly want to know how this ends

Himura seems a bit like a Ptolemy, she wants to keep it in the family.

The chapter highlight for mine was Nabiki's realisation that she needs to seize the initiative. High risk high gain as opposed to gradual but inevitable loss of everything she holds dear.

Cologne isn't calling anyone son in law. Understandably her focus is on more immediate concerns.

Konatsu's traditionalism was nicely done, too few writers grasp this innate aspect of the character.

I'll never really agree with your handling of Nodoka in particular, but the depiction of diamond hard insanity was chilling. This may have been one of those uncomfortable bits you mentioned.

Old Kuno and Ryoga seem unlikely candidates for the umisenken, but the versions developed here might manage it.

Himura might consider opening a supply line to the Musk if things go well, although exceptional care would be needed dealing with something like Herb. She has the means at hand to eradicate the Nerimite martial artists (and more besides) not by killing, but rather via forced gender and mind alteration. How far this goes remains to be seen, Konatsu may or may not be the only victim.

Looking forward to seeing Mousse confront his past, and perhaps make choices about his future.

One of Nabiki's stated reasons for Link formation was to create new have yet to see whether this has happened or not. If so, would not Shampoo act like a homing beacon?

Ryoga's deep concern for his mother drove much of his earlier action, now it seems to be on the back burner. Although there is plenty going on, I would expect to see an ever present anxiety and even fury at those delaying her cure.

Resolving Ranma's identity and relationships is going to be a challenging business, both for Ranma and for all those concerned. Very curious to see how you resolve this.

Showering is amusingly unaware that she might acquire an unimpressed and exacting sister in law.

Here's hoping inspiration does not fail you.

xxxholic shop? great story.

sweet

Waiting for the Next Chapter, Man Himura is even worse than I thought.

Dear lord this is one hell of deep and treacherous labyrinth now.