Life’s been ridiculously busy lately, and I’ve totally fallen behind on reviewing the fanfics I’ve been diving into. I’m not a critic or anything, just a hardcore Ranma 1/2 fan who’s been absolutely starving for fresh content now that I’ve binged all the official material. Fellow fans, you get it!

Over the last few months, I’ve been on a mission to explore as much Ranma fanfiction as I could find and let me tell you, this story hit all the right notes. The premise, the arcs, the callbacks, the lore, it felt like I’d stumbled upon an unreleased novel. Seriously, I was hooked from start to finish.

Too many Ranma Fics turn the series into some heavy drama and forget all about the hilarious chaos and martial arts madness that made the original so amazing. That’s not what Ranma 1/2 is! It’s a romcom with martial artists kicking butt, and this story gets that. Sure, Takahashi-sensei would’ve paired Ranma with Akane (and that’s cool), but this fic has everything else you’d expect from her work.

On pairings... I’ve got no issues with Ranma/Akane. They’re the OG couple, and their chemistry is undeniable. That said, I was specifically searching for RyoRan Fics (because rivals-to-lovers is such an underrated trope) and stumbled onto this gem. Even though Ranma/Akane will always be the endgame for me, I love seeing different dynamics explored in fanfiction.

And Yukino? Wow, what a villain! Her backstory was fascinating, one of the highlights for me. I was really hoping she’d make a big return, but it looks like that was planned for a side story that sadly didn’t materialize... Regardless, the Jusenkyo Preservation Society was one of my favorite parts of the story. And while Kin’nee’s fight has been a bit divisive among readers, some commenting it was too long, I thought it was just the right amount of intensity to let each member of the Nerima crew step up and steal the spotlight.

Thank you so much for sharing this incredible work with the fandom! You said that you want to author an original novel, well, I’m sure it’s going to be amazing. You’ve got the talent, no doubt about it!

I don't care there's only two chapters left, I'm going to say this now: You got me.
You, honest to God, actually got me...
I don't remember the last time I fell for a plot twist like this in a book, much less a fanfiction.
And I really don't remember the last one that made me shout in surprise and start swearing like a sailor.
I'm actually sad this story is almost over, it's been a delightful adventure!

This fic is so good. One of these days I gotta make a hand bound version for personal reasons.

Oh so Ranma is trans now and VERY mad about it checks out

One of the best stories I’ve ever read—not just in the Ranma fandom, but in general.

Action, adventure, comedy, and romance.

Wow! It took you 5 years!
I need to be more patient…
Anyway, thank you so much for writing something so good and sharing it with the world.

I loved everything!

(ALMOST 10 years later…)

Hello dear Daniel !

Fair warning : make sure you have at least 20-30 minutes free to read this review, coz it’s gonna be very long… ;-)

Regaining interest for R last year, and reading several RxR (Ranma X Ryoga) stories in that pairing’s archive, I sensed that yours would be pretty good and that I should read it. And so I did, from… when was it again… March, or maybe late February, up to 28 May (today)… and YES, it was pretty good ! But actually more : it was AMAZING, no less !

I interrupted my chain of books reading to grant all the time necessary to your story, and boy, didn’t I regret it a single time, so enthralling TR proved to be !

Let’s begin… with the beginning, shall we ?

First of all, a MASSIVE thanxxxx to you for choosing to craft a RxR ! It’s more than obvious that fans in general favour canon stuff and frown at any unusual approach of their beloved “fanverse”. It can be in fanfics about films, manga, anime, books, videogames… in just ANY fan-made stuff, you get frowned upon if you wander away from the bases of the original material. BUT what would life be like, should no one ever try something original ? I do worship originality, creativity, differences, atypical stuff, risk-taking, so basically ALL attitudes that leads to crafting new, fresh, outside-the-box stuff ! And that’s what you (and others, including myself) did by pairing Ranma-chan with Ryoga. People whining, complaining about that choice of yours ? Too bad so sad, eh ! Don’t like don’t read, as we all know ! But some can’t help and just HAVE to complain anyway, instead of not reading and choosing other stories, that fit their expectations ( I was about to use the word ‘predictable’ but that wouldn’t be nice… ) So yeah, thanks a lot for your courageous and interesting pairing choice !

So, what should I say about TR, eh ? Well, I find your plot very imaginative, filled with so much inventiveness, with captivating ideas and events ! You sure are very clever and creative, and it’s a pleasure to see that intelligence and crafting potential put to such remarkable use !

One of the greatest qualities of your story is that it harmoniously mixes/alternates moments of : psychology (emotions, feelings, thoughts, and the way they’re expressed by characters, inwardly or outwardly, and between characters themselves via dialogs), adventure, action, humor, fancy moments, tragedy (hurt/comfort), horror (Yukino arc) a few joyful times as well… there’s a bit of everything in your fiction here ! Moments of doubts, of sadness, tender episodes (not many, but still…), amusing antics, epic battles, and always those tensions between protagonists… All this and more. Your story is very rich as it brings together all these various elements and skilfully arranges them all to form some globally homogeneous whole… and that’s praiseworthy, of course ! That diversified plot pattern is one of the best aspects of your fic ! Well done, really !

I do prefer psychological / mental and emotional aspects, so they have the upper hand in my heart and mind over the physical ones (battles and other violent moments when Ranma loses it and gets aggressive to others, punching them or destroying stuff around).

Also commendable is your mastery of language, with an impressive glossary and a real talent to accurately depict both inner elements (characters psychology) and outer ones (events). Syntactically and “grammarly” speaking, it’s very good, no doubt, and I really thought I was reading an actual book by an actual novel author, and not a fanfic on a website. That’s the lest of your feats, my friend !

Your characters’ depictions, particularly in the realm of their thoughts, feelings and emotions, is excellent, and it’s a pleasure to know how/what they feel, what their hopes, joys, doubts, fears are, how they evolve, hoe they change… That’s fascinating, no less, and I greatly enjoyed sharing the protagonists’ “inner life”.

The development of the relationship between Ranma and Ryoga, and how the redhead comes to realize and accept her feelings for the Lost Boy, is probably what I preferred overall. I found it absolutely captivating and moving, and never got enough of the moment that showed their “getting closer to each other”, feeling-wise. Among my fav’ chapters are therefore the date chapter, the dinner chapter (when Ranma and Ryoga shared a dinner together at the Saotome’s place), the final chapter (when ranma confesses her love, and that each of them kisses the other, with Ranma making the kiss last), but also all moments when she felt herself blush I his presence. Also great was the “all girls trip” with Akane and Ukyo… and I must say that the Yukino arc is also on my top chapters’ list !

Moreover, I loved the relationship between Ranma and Nodoka, their complicity, the mother’s concern… and I also enjoyed seeing Genma finally “maturing” and becoming a better man, making his relationship with his child evolve favourably (contrary to the anime). And also wonderful was Kasumi caring for Ranma, at some point during the first part of the story… I actually wished you had used Kasumi more as a confident and support during the story (she was only “plot-used” once more, when Ranma confessed to her about her own feelings for Ryoga). Ah, and Uko as well : I enjoyed her part in the story a lot, in terms of support and help. I must admit that she’s as a whole a lovable character in the manga and anime, and would make a great fiancée for our favourite martial artist, and you portrayed her in a very nice and interesting manner.

Now, the plot twists and turns (yeah, I know, this review is a tad messy and lacks structure, but let’s get outside of the box for once… ;P). They were well-thought and crafted, and there was much suspense and breath-taking moments, anticipation instants in TR. The interest never – or almost never, for some readers – faltered, and you had us glued to the screen for countless hours. The events imagined then described were captivating, and helped give the characters even more depth. And the fact that you switch from one genre to another, alternating them, certainly gives the plot its “consistency” (if I may say so)and quality. The final twist, with Tetsuya “coming out of the wood”, was a particularly brilliant, and I was thrilled to see all friends helping out Ranma and sending her upward through the tornado ! Awesome stuff, really !

Oh, before I forget (hopefully not though) : another thing I appreciated about your chapters is how they always started with a depiction of nature/environment, to set the general mood/context of the chapter. I worship nature above all else and am fascinated by its myriad of aspects/looks, and therefore dug those “natural introductions” of yours each time.

Of course, I must also thank you for the explanations you provided in your various A/N each time. That was precious in understanding a few things about your story, and not misinterpret the chapters’ contents.

Ah, and I must say I loved the original conclusion of the story, with that lil’ surprise : Ranma as a very old greatgrandma ! What an original way to conclude it ! :D

Now… given that I consider that a good critic should contain both positive and negative elements, I’ll alas have to address more debatable points of your stories, and I do hope I won’t hurt your feelings as I do… but on the other hand, being used to speak my mind and be frank, I can’t guarantee I’ll be that much of a diplomat, which I apologize for in advance.

Although I like long stories, that take the time to unfold gradually and offer many details, I can’t help but feel that your extraordinary suffers to some extent from length. Just like in an art movie (which is a kind of movie that I love !), there’s the risk that the fascinating slow rhythm, that allows a contemplative experience, proves excessively stretched nevertheless. Although I did love the introspective paragraphs about characters’ “inner life”, although the battles sequences were very well written, although the A/N were interesting and enlightening, I still had the impression that not everything was absolutely needed or necessary, and that some of it didn’t need to be added to the story’s content.

The battles, for instance, despite being very catchy, were still a tad long, and there were elements of the A/N that could have been omitted (for instance, you don’t have to provide the exact reasons of your delay, as readers easily understand and respect that one has a busy life and therefore cannot update on a regular basis). Also, while I absolutely adored the introspective parts of the story, I still felt that some of them could have been more synthetic, without getting too much in detail (although I do appreciate details, don’t mistake me).

Form-wise… well, you’ve already expressed your will for reviewers NOT to point out the mistakes of the story, and I understand why. Yet if I am to write a review as objective and complete as I intend to, I’m alas forced to at least mention that point as well. I’m well aware that, in very long story, typos are almost unavoidable and must be accepted by readers. I agree with that… as long as the amount of mistakes/errors remains normal. But in this case, there were so many in those 38 chapters that this unfortunately slightly alters the reading pleasure. Only slightly though, mind you. But yeah, when you’re reading something great, you’d have to feel sorry that the number of typos, missing words, superfluous words (not deleted from the original version), word confusions and even repetitions (hair standing on end at the back of the neck, to mention the most frequent repetition as example) is that high overall. And what surprises me is that you had people re-reading your text as well (Beta readers), which means that there were each time at least two people re-reading it (you and the Beta reader), and it’s strange that, even with that double control, there were still numerous mistakes left behind. It’s not THAT serious, mind you, but still a bit of a pity.

Content wise, while I’m extremely happy with the vast majority of what you have written, I was still displeased by some characters’ reactions, especially Ranma’s. I know that the protagonist of the manga and anime is not exactly famous for being subtle, even on the contrary… and to say that the gender bender is often (re)acting like a would be an understatement. Which is why I have difficulty liking Ranma as a character : I often found his/her behaviour disrespectful, aggressive, if not insulting, and I greatly disapproved of that (even if I know that you can expect that much politeness from a male teenager… or even female, in Ranma’s case). I was really ticked off when reading about Ranma lashing out at Ryoga (often) or Akane (sometimes)… or possibly other people, especially when her interlocutor was trying to help her or comfort her. I was like : “Come on, don’t always get at someone else’s throat for just anything that doesn’t fit your expectations ! Learn to treat people better, dammit !” And yet no. Sometimes, it was Akane or Ryoga “misreacting”, and I didn’t like it either. It was annoying, and in part of those cases, I even considered that the infuriating character’s reaction was deprived of logic or common sense, which was a real pity… and a personal source of upset.

I must say that I was also notably disappointed by some aborted moments, especially Akane ruining the end of the date chapter… and ruining again the RxR “river moment”. Since there are not many tender moments, I was disappointed by the abrupt end of such sweet times, most of all Ranma and Ryoga’s kiss not taking place shortly before the end of the date chappy (I wish you had made them kiss and ONLY AFTER brought Akane in the picture…)

Another personal disappointment was the presence of Happosai. I loathe that character and therefore don’t include him in my RANMA fictions, and from what you wrote, you don’t appreciate him too much either… yet you still had him in TR. I will not comment on that lil’ paradox, but yeah, I do regret that choice of yours. My displease of it was nevertheless somewhat “alleviated” by Happosai’s unexpected – and most welcome – help in the final moment of the final battle.

So, how to conclude this long review, eh ? Well, I must say that I was way enthusiastic about this formidable story which I sensed would be a major achievement, and certainly one of the best stories of the RxR archive. And now that I’ve finished it, I can confirm that : it IS one of the finest stories about that original pairing, and boy can you be proud of yourself, dear Daniel, coz TABULA RASA is nothing else than a gem of a fiction ! I Mean it : it’s as precious as can be, and worth anybody’s time ! (shame on the dumbass who left such a short disparaging review in the early stages of the story :((( …that person knows nothing, really !)

Yes, it was a pleasure and honour to read your story, Buddy, and I do hope that the few negative points I mentioned didn’t outbalance all the positive there was before… and after, i.e. right now ! ;-) Because there’s definitely far more positive than negative in this outstanding fic ! And honestly, you’ve outdone yourself with this impressive story ! Congrats, again and again and again !

Honestly, after finishing such a long, intense, moving, wonderful fiction as this one, I don’t think I’ll be able to read any other RxR story. I did read a few of them (other ones I loved are MAGIC AND MUSHROOMS and A LADY’S QUEST, as well as the short DIAL IT IN), but after finishing yours… I’m exhausted, Man, and think that whatever I might possibly read would be inferior to your work !

Anyway, time to put the final dot to this endless review, with warm WELL DONE’s and CONGRATULATIONS for this absolutely fabulous RxR story, and whatever became of you during these past 10 years… I do hope you’re still writing, possibly making a living out of it, and mostly, mostly… that you are HAPPY, dear Daniel !

Take care, and may the odds be in your favour !

XOXOXOXO

Léo :D

loved the story its strange seeing Ranma so old but refreshing.

Thank you so much for this awesome work. God I can't even imagine how hard this was to produce but I enjoyed every second... Wish we got a bit more of mom and sis Ranma but it's still fantastic. Thank you.

I laughed, I cried, I related, I cheered. I loved it

I’m enjoying this fic, but...certain things about it just...rub me the wrong way. Ranma’s friends and family seem...almost controlling of her. For her entire life, the people around her have basically been going “sink or swim, bitch” and throwing her into situations she wasn’t ready for, whether it’s training or confronting her own feelings. I think it’s perfectly justified that she wants time to process her own emotions on HER OWN TERMS.

“Ranma doesn't need you deciding what she does and doesn't need." But isn’t that what you and pretty much everyone else have been doing this whole fic, Akane? You and everyone else have kind of been coercing Ranma into acting a certain way, forcing her to confront things she doesn’t feel ready to.

Keeping everything bottled up can be incredibly damaging, but being forced to let it out instead of doing so on your own terms can also be damaging. I don’t know if you realize this, Rivyn, but there IS such a thing as “not ready to talk about it”. Even if it’s only for a little bit, sometimes the best thing you can do is just let it be. From your writing, I gather that you hate doing nothing, but sometimes doing nothing is a right answer, even if just for a little bit. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t talk to her and try to get her to open up, I’m saying they shouldn’t do so IMMEDIATELY.

All her friends and family just keep pushing her, and sure, maybe breaking through those walls she puts up by force would make everything she’s been keeping bottled up spill out, but...something still had to break to accomplish that. Maybe the thing that broke wasn’t a very nice part of herself, but...it was still part of her. You shouldn’t DESTROY the parts of yourself you hate, that’s...an extremely unhealthy outlook to have. They’re not...separate from you. You shouldn’t cut off a finger just cause you don’t like the way that it looks.

And why is Ranma always portrayed as the only one at fault? Granted, she usually IS at fault, the way she constantly blows up at those around her isn’t okay, but...it’s certainly understandable. And why do all her friends and loved ones suddenly seem to have magically gotten rid of their numerous issues and emotional problems? They’re suddenly all perfectly sane and stable individuals who somehow know EXACTLY what Ranma should do about her latest emotional obstacle (and definitely aren’t coercing her into following their advice, no sirree) and are NEVER at fault or make mistakes.

It’s definitely good for her to have stable, caring people in her life, but the way that their advice always boils down to “force the issue and NEVER take time to process your emotions and calm down before rushing ahead” just...isn’t right.

Take it from someone with severe ADHD: being forced outside your comfort zone is NOT always a good thing. My parents have been doing that for pretty much my entire childhood, and unfortunately, it did not help me relax and be more comfortable with things outside of my usual comfort zone. What it DID teach me was how to operate in a state of extreme panic, except nowadays I can pretty much ONLY accomplish most tasks while panicking. Yeah. My life is kind of a mess.

Anyway, all that aside, I am getting enjoyment out of this fic, the action scenes are on point, and some of the shipping moments are just adorable.

(Yeah, this one...got away from me. Even I can see I was overreacting, but I do feel like some of the points I brought up had a shred of validity to them, so I’m gonna post this anyway.)

Tetsuya gives me strong Thanos vibes now.

If you’re gonna be a right cunt to me before I even get a chance to to then I might as well leave a nasty review. Not that you’d have a right to complain anyways. By your own logic it’s fine for me to call you a goddamn motherfucking bitch; after all you didn’t even need to read this comment.

It has been six years since the end of this story was posted, so I don't know if you are still going read this. But if you do, I wanted to say: Thank you. Thank you for writing and sharing this story! Reading Tabula Rasa really helped me.

I just don't know where to start. This is the second time I've read Tabula Rasa and it's still as enjoyable. As someone said, one very good quaility is that it's long AND finished. May sound silly, but that's really enjoyable when the story's good! Of course the writing could have been a bit better, what with grammar and some too often recurring phrases. But when it's not overwhelming, this can be ignored.
You said it was hard to ignore action when writing Ranma, well it's a good thing that you didn't. Ranma is a blend of action, romance and humour. While some fictions with only one of theses aspects are very good, the best ones are those that pack it all. Your actions scenes were very enjoyable, with the many different arcs. The one with Yukino bordered on the too angsty for me, but it all made sense for the rest of the story. Humour is not your forte, but there were some good moments. Two that left me an impression were "put P-chan back in the pen" (loved that line! ) and the moment Nabiki realizes she missed on the opportunity to blackmail Ryoga (even if that's not very likely, but much fun nonetheless). And then the romance. You've got my favorite pairing, so that's a good point. Well, my favourite is actually Ranma-kun/Ryoga, but I can go for Ranma-chan/Ryoga too if it's well written and backed up, and it was here. Their slow progress makes so much sense. I enjoyed to see them act more maturely, especially Ryoga. It was cute that he had so many urges to do something for Ranma, mostly protect her, but found the sense to refrain from it because he understood he would just get under her skin. The scene in the final fight was so sweet. The one where Ryoga reveals his sort-of-crush for Ranma's female form from the very first time he saw her, too (the implications of this could have been developped a bit more, by the way!) And the final scene in front of Furinkan just tops it all. I loved how you wrote those two.
And the very epilogue was a fun way of tying up the very last lose ends. I guess you had something in mind for Yukino and never got to it, what with the story becoming so huge. Not that I missed her, mind you! It may have been a good choice to drop some plotline(s) to make sure to finish the story. And I also thought I felt something brewing between Akane and Ukyo, so I must have been right... Well, we'll never know, now, I guess.
In any case: congrats and thank you for the awesome story!

Damn! Don't know what to say. Are there even any words to review this masterpiece with? You are one heck of a writer. I can't wait for the sequel. Your style is better than the original canon. No joke!

You kept it on track the whole time. The subtle characterization and storytelling was stunning. I couldn't stop reading. It is rare thing to feel something when reading. I have to say, you destroyed me. I literally cried when I read the ending, and I was nerve wracked several times through the story.

You weave the story like a fine tapestry of silk and gold that is smooth and shines brightly. No significant loose ends accept Yukino which is not really loose end since she served her purpose and her arc ended there.

The twists and turns were unexpected and flipped the story several times on its head. You didn't shy away from deep philosophical questions and the really messed up stuff that is a part of the human condition. I only wish I could write as well as you.

Thank you for excellent story.