Could this idea work?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

This is an idea that trails itself back to quite a few things, including a comment on these boards about how Shampoo is a pretty pathetic champion, my dislike of the Ranma/Akane matchup (solidified by my discovery of the Akane Good/Bad/Ugly list written by Acey) and a rembrance on an old fnafic called Cube of Chaos. The basics of it are this:

The reason why Shampoo doesn't know any of the Chinese Amazon special moves (and is generally lower in skill than Ranma) is due to the Kiss of Death/Marriage thing. When Shampoo first earned her position as the village champion during that festival Ranma-chan and Genma-panda crashed, she earned the "right" to be taught the more advanced/secret techniques such as the Bakusai Tenketsu and Amaguriken. However, she had to leave the village before she could be taught, due to having to chase Ranma down, and you all know what happened when she finally caught up with him in Nerima. When she returned to China that first time, she not only received her Jusenkyo curse as punishment, but also placed under "probation". This means she cannot actually be taught any of the special techniques until she does something for the tribe that brings her back into the goodbooks- marrying Ranma is the most obvious route, especially given that he has already proven worthy of being taught some of those same special techniques that Shampoo would have been learning had Ranma not appeared that day.

The reason I just listed that was to further "flesh out" the story outline I'm about to describe. The vague plot idea I have is that, as the story opens, Shampoo experiences an epiphany (or several) concerning her current situation and her methods of pursuing Ranma's affections. Upon these revelations, Shampoo devises a new course of action. She approaches Ukyo shortly afterwards, requesting a secret meeting. When Ukyo arrives, instead of the duel she was anticipating, she and Shampoo have a long talk about Ranma and their reasons for pursuing him. Finally, Shampoo reveals her ultimate goal; she offers Ukyo a chance to be adopted into the Joketsuzoku. The two main "inticements"? First is the fact that Ukyo's skill means she will be able to request training in the advanced techniques of the tribe from Cologne. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, as a fellow Amazon, she and Shampoo will be able to share Ranma.

Truth be told, this isn't really what Shampoo would like. She'd prefer to be Ranma's only wife. However, so long as she and Ukyo are constantly working against each other, there's no one to oppose Akane- and the Tendo girl's success is the last thing Shampoo wants. In addition, with a little manipulation, Ukyo will request advanced training from Cologne (though truth be told she might not even need to be manipulated), and though Shampoo is forbidden from asking to be trained, there's nothing to prevent her watching the training and then trying it herself. So, even if she does end up having to share him, at least this way Shampoo's chance of actually winning Ranma goes up.


So, what do you think? Could this idea actually work and be writable, or is it so much delirious gibberish?

[Comartemis]

I like it. Three-way romances like this are my favorite kind, though I don't know enough about Ukyou's character to know if she'd go for this plan.

The only sticking point I can see is that your plot ideas are all short-term; there's no plan for a final villain (maybe Akane with the Super Soba or something, or one of the amazon elders besides Cologne). 'Course, there doesn't necessarily have to be one, I just have trouble picturing a plot without a tangible nemesis of some sort.

[ToastedPine]

Three things that need more fleshing out since they ruin by suspension of disbelief.

1) Why would Colone teach Ranma techniques? Ranma earned the "right" after he beat Shampoo? somehow, that doesn't fly so well.

2) Why would Ukyo share Ranma with anyone. It'll have to be some pretty special circumstances (more than the usual Nerima balance) to get her to agree to such terms.

3) What kind of manipulation is needed for Ukyo to switch her passion from martial art okonomiyaki to Amazon martial arts? The solution to this problem may be linked to issue two.

Side note: Where does Ranma fit into the picture here? Ranma's main appeal (aside from his large breasts) is his agency.