In Tokyo, Japan, there has been a template of Normality installed and enforced after many years of human nature carving it out. Basically, it's like this: There's going to be a boy, a girl, and an absurd number of other girls. All the girls will pursue the boy, except one which will be fairly reluctant to even acknowledge that she cares about him. The boy will be attracted to this one girl that happens to chase him the least. This sort of thing has happened consistently in the history of Tokyo.
The More Things Change is a Ranma ½ Alternate Universe Fic by Rodney P. Malapitan, co-writer of Children of an Elder God.
You know the old saying. THE MORE THINGS CHANGE… the more they stay the same. Ranma chooses Akane! Akane chooses Ranma! Within the span of a day, things seem to be changing drastically in Nerima, with that one important issue cleared up. Life seemed to be settling into an almost normal state. And then Ryouga got engaged to Shampoo... and then there's that chemical accident with Kodachi... did we mention he's living with Ukyou? And now there's someone from his past with a grudge showing up... does all this sound familiar?
The More Things Change and its unfinished sequel The Pursuit of Happiness can be read in Rod’s website
as well as FF.Net.
Tropes:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Akane is harassed by dozen of moronic school guys who can't get into their heads that she is getting married to Ranma and she wants nothing to do with them or their so-called 'Project "Free Akane"'.
- Alternate Universe Fic: This is one of the series included in Converging Series.
- This in turn also makes it one for the Altered Destinies.
- Always Second Best: The final match of the "King of Nerima" tournament proved that, regardless what else may change, Ranma will always beat Ryoga. Ryoga finds this absolutely depressing.
- Bedmate Reveal: It happens to Ryoga and Ukyou in "Friends and Lovers":Before Ukyou could get another word in, they were out the door.
"Hm. Wha's their hurry?" she said groggily, closing her eyes.
Time to open the restaurant. Ugh. No, definitely not yet. Too tired. She snuggled under the sheets and decided to get just a _little_ more rest.
<Seem t'be leaning on something.>
She raised her head again and looked around.
Ah. Ryouga. So that's what she was snuggling up against.
"'Mornin, Ryouga."
"Um... good morning," said Ryouga.
A full minute passed.
Something finally occurred to Ukyou.
"Um... Ryouga... hey..."
"Y-yeah?"
"You seem to be in bed with me."
"Y-yeah."
"Hmm."
Neither moved. They were entirely unsure of what to do next. Ryouga was surprised that Ukyou hadn't punted him through the roof yet. Ukyou was surprised she hadn't punted him through the roof yet. What to do next was entirely unclear to both sides. - Broad Strokes: The story mixes elements and characters from both the manga and the anime, particularly in the King of Nerima Tournament Arc, which features characters exclusive to the anime and characters exclusive to the manga.
- Cat Fight: Kodachi and Ryoko Muhoshin get into one at one point. Onlookers get disappointed. Hair-pulling instead of proper displays of fighting prowess? Meh.
- Combat Pragmatist: Ryoga goads Mousse into attacking Shampoo from behind. When Mousse refuses to, Ryoga points out that Ranma defeated Shampoo totally by accident. Eventually Mousse remembers he's never let that pesky thing called dignity stop him from winning Shampoo’s heart over.
- Crush Blush: Ukyou blushes after staring at Ryouga for a bit too long.
- Eating the Eye Candy: In "A Training We Will Go":Ukyou looked up at Ryouga curiously. She'd never seen him so... calm before. When he wasn't scowling, moping, or being an idiot, she had to admit he was cute. In fact, he was kinda handsome.
"Um, Ukyou? Something wrong?"
"Huh?" She realized that she'd been gazing right at him, and fixed that problem by turning away quickly. However, the blushing wasn't helping her any. "J-just thinking, that's all." - Hate Sink: Ryo Muhoshin is, by design, utterly unlikable and hateful.
- Hypocritical Heartwarming: Ukyo declares that nobody but her is allowed to hurt Ryoga.Ukyo: Wait a minute, sister, he's my friend! If anybody around here is gonna pound him into the ground, it's ME!
- Identical Stranger: Ryo Muhoshin bears an uncanny resemblance to Gosunkugi, to the point his own siblings have trouble telling them apart.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Only because Ryo Muhoshin was nice to Kasumi just once it doesn’t mean he isn’t an ass. The author himself stated Muhoshin would always be an utter asshole.I didn't make Ryo to be liked. I didn't make him to become friends with the Nerima crowd. I made'im to be _hated_. I made'im to be _bad_. Every Ranma ½ bad guy is either bad in a wacky and mischievous way, or they're just misunderstood. See Prince Toma, Tarou, Ryuu Kumon, Prince Kirin, Kuno, Kodachi, the Phoenix Tribe, the Amazons, etc.... Not this fella. He's a jerk, he knows it, and he enjoys it. I might give'im a soft spot or two but he's never going to exchange his devil's horns for angel's wings.
- Martial Arts and Crafts: Already a staple of the series, this fic reveals there's an entire school devoted to learning "Unorthodox Weaponry Martial Arts." Ryoga learned how to use his umbrella there, and Tanya Noori is a martial arts chimney sweep.
- The Matchmaker:
- Mousse drugs Ranma and Akane's food in order to get them confess their feelings.
- Ranma and Akane engineer several schemes to get Ukyo and Ryoga together.
- Never My Fault: Ryoga holds the firm belief it's ALWAYS Ranma's fault, no matter what. He rescues Akane, making the whole school think he's hitting on her? Ranma's fault, even if he wasn't even around.How did things get this ugly? Why was this happening to him?
Suddenly, he knew. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew who to blame for this mess. After all, it was always his fault, somehow.
"RANMAAA! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!!!" - "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Ukyo to Ryoga after he lambasts Ranma for the umpteenth time.Ukyou: Oh shut up. It's not like you're any better.
Ryoga: What's that supposed to mean?
Ukyou: (smirking) Leeeeet's see. One, you took advantage of Akane over and over...
Ryoga: I DID NOT!
Ukyou: ...by sleeping in her bed as her 'pet'. Don't you deny it. Two, you're totally untrustworthy with a girl's heart. How many times did Ranchan make you fall for him?
Ryoga: Don't remind me!
Ukyou: If you were REALLY faithful to Akane, IT WOULD'VE NEVER HAPPENED! Three, you always picked a fight with Ranma for no reason at all.
Ryouga: No reason? There was plenty of reason! Thanks to him, I've-
Ukyou: -seen hell, yeah yeah yeah. Half the things you blame him for wouldn't have happened if you weren't so much of a jerk to begin with.
Rouga: Hey!
Ukuou: Then there's your total lack of direction...
Ryouga: That isn't my fault!
Ukyou: Whatever. - Put on a Bus: Shampoo, Cologne, and Mousse head back to China towards the end. The Bus Comes Back in the prelude to Act 3 of the sequel.
- Samus Is a Girl: Ryoga mistakes Tanya Noori for a boy until he slashes across her chest, uncovering her bra.He clearly saw that he'd managed to tag him with his belt/sword twice, once across the arm, and once across the chest....
<Why's he wearing a... A BRA?>
"YOU'RE A GIRL!!!" - She Is Not My Girlfriend: Ukyou and Ryouga repeat over and over they're not together. Nobody believes them.Yuka: And given all things equal, I'll bet on Ranma.
Ukyou: You guys really don't think Ryouga has a chance?
Nabiki: Defending your boyfriend, Ukyou?
Ukyou: He is NOT my boyfriend! - Shout-Out:
- Ryoga's aura of depression makes Kyosuke Kasuga from Kimagure Orange Road suicidal.
- Ranma bumps into Ataru Moroboshi from Urusei Yatsura twice.
- Later, Lum shows up (and zaps Happosai into the hospital) and Shutaro Mendou entering a business partnership with Ukyou becomes a minor plot point in the sequel.
- The Muhoshin family rents a room in Maison Ikkoku.
- One of the best umbrella designers at the Unorthodox Weaponry Martial Arts dojo was a "fat and arrogant" foreigner who went on to a life of crime, obviously meant to be the Penguin.
- One of the Jusenkyo springs Ryouga falls into when he returns there while amnesiac is the Nissanniichuan, which turns him into a car. Ukyou jokes they could call him Turbo Teen.
- Tsubasa gets a job with Mishima Heavy Industries after he starts building mech versions of his disguises.
- After one of their fights wrecks her restaurant, Ukyo forces Ranma, Ryoga, and Tsubasa to record a commercial for her where they sing a parody of "Where It's At" by Beck.
- Unknown Rival:
- Ryo Muhoshin craves for killing his hated rival Ryoga Hibiki due to (perceived) unforgivable slights. He spent years tracking him down and found out that Ryoga didn't even remember him.
- Tanya Noori. Ryoga has absolutely zero idea as to why she wants to kill him.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: In spite of their daily fights, Ranma and Ryoga are good friends. Or so Akane thinks.Akari winced as she saw the two fighters hit each other savagely. "Oh! I hope they don't kill each other!"
"Those two? No, they won't. You'll never get them to admit it, but they're good friends," said Akane. "Really they are. Nobody's going to be killed."
Ukyou rolled her eyes. - With Catlike Tread: Kuno's penchant for ruining his surprise attacks with a war cry is duly lampshaded:Narator: "Many observers of Tatewaki Kunou wonder why on earth Kunou totally _ruins_ the element of surprise almost every single time whenever he charges at his foe with the ridiculous battle cry of "[insert name here] PREPARE TO DIE!". Many feel that it's the rough equivalent of yelling "here I come, beat me up!" Why does he constantly ruin his advantage time after time?
It's still a mystery.
