Copyright & Provenance

For a variety of reasons, including artistic aptness, Phoenix is a transformative work. If you’re going to write a story about transformation that might in some small way transform the reader, surely it should be a transformative work—one that takes existing material and creates something substantially new from it.

The source material is Rumiko Takahashi’s beloved Ranma ½, specifically the Cat’s Tongue Arc.

The legal status of transformative works varies by jurisdiction. In the United States, “fair use” considers factors including the purpose and character of the use (here: commentary, education, and creative transformation), whether the work is transformative (it is), the amount used relative to the whole (a small arc from a much larger work), and the effect on the market for the original (negligible—this work is unlikely to substitute for experiencing the original, and may, in fact, drive readers to seek it out). This work could also be characterized as parody or critique; examining what the source material might look like if its premise were taken seriously rather than played for comedy. Your mileage may vary. Consult a lawyer if you need legal advice; this is not it.

In writing this story, various beats from the Cat’s Tongue Arc were treated as narrative requirements—fixed points that this story needed to respect and, where necessary, work around. The creative exercise was to thread an entirely new storytelling strand through those established needles. It is worth explicitly outlining what those constraints were:

• The overall setting and cast of characters, with their strengths, weaknesses, back stories (up to the Cat’s Tongue), and relationships.

• Cologne confronts Ranma, strikes an acupressure point that makes hot water painful, has Ranma work at her café as a waitress, thwarts Ranma’s first attempt to obtain the Phoenix Pill, moves her café to the beach, engages in a prolonged fight while controlling a shark, and, finally, although Ranma doesn’t definitively win, hands over the pill anyway.

• Shampoo persistently tries to get Ranma to marry her, is offered as some sort of prize in the beach watermelon race (details vary across the manga and anime versions), and triggers Ranma’s Cat Fist, which helps bring success against the shark.

• Mousse attacks Ranma early on, creating a fight where Ranma must deal with being stuck in girl form and not performing well.

• Ranma remains stuck as a girl for an extended period. Despite various opportunities to be splashed with hot water, it never actually happens. Ranma wears a swimsuit with “BOY” on it in the beach scene. The shark fight continues for an extended period.

• In the beach scene, Akane expresses jealousy, dives into the ocean despite being unable to swim, and nearly drowns.

• In the manga (but not in the 2024 Netflix anime), Ranma and Akane attend a summer festival wearing yukatas.

• Ranma and Akane must misunderstand each other in various ways, yet the reader should yearn for them to be together.

These elements appear in this story not as plagiarism but as the established framework within which a new story is constructed. Each constraint became an opportunity: the “BOY” swimsuit became a recurring symbol of misunderstanding; Akane’s jealousy became ironic; the prolonged shark fight became a canvas for emotional stakes far beyond the original’s comedic intent.

The reader familiar with the source material may find it interesting to note where this story adheres to the original beats, where it recontextualizes them, and where it exploits ambiguities or gaps in the source to tell something new. The reader unfamiliar with Ranma ½ need not worry—this story stands alone, though they may find enjoyment in discovering the original afterward.

For people who like legalese, here’s the essence: This work is © 2025 by its authors. The original characters and settings are © Rumiko Takahashi and her licensors. This work is a transformative work and is not authorized or endorsed by the original rights holders. It is provided for educational, commentary, and creative purposes only. No infringement intended. It is intended for noncommercial distribution only. Commercial distribution would require a more thorough legal analysis and likely permission from the original rights holders. This work may be stored in a retrieval system, tokenized, and translated. It may be used in the training of seals, badgers, and large language models. In the USA, the fair-use doctrine may allow further transformation of this work. Any similarity to actual persons, human or dryad, or to actual events, is a matter for philosophical debate. No warranty. All liability disclaimed. Magical transformations may be dangerous, and readers are advised to think carefully before any such attempts. Bathtubs can be a hazard. Empathy is possible. Love is a circumstance and allowed.