Response to reviews on Apprentice
I'm indulging myself and responding to all the wonderful reviews. 71 so far, and I'm very thankful for all you readers. Not one flame! You're all so sweet!
I want to respond to some questions and comments.
I tried to make the ages of the characters plausible. Yahiko is early twenties. It's around ten years since K+K got together. He's at least ten when the series starts, so add ten or so years. He could have a 5-6 year old son easily if he's 22. Kenshin was married at 15, not that uncommon. BTW, his marriage with Tomoe was not formal, from what I can read. Not that shocking or anything. Happened all the time then, just as now.
I like traditional pairings so sue me, although I've read some good alternate pairing stories, I must say.
I just happen to think that Watsuki-san knew what he was doing putting opposites together as couples. My own experience is composed of the "opposites attract" theory and it's a sound psychological basis for sexual and other kinds of attraction.
I decided to throw everyone a bone in my fic and focus on how Kenji's personality and learning to be a great swordsman affects everyone around him. Since the Kenshin-gumi is in every way an extended family, it does just that, I figured.
My favorite couple is Sano+Megumi, although I got some feedback about their relationship. They definitely have one, but nothing is explicit in the series about how far it's gone. Some people would assume that Megumi is "too good" for the likes of Sano, that she's out of his class. Not true, really. Losing all her family makes her pretty much free to do as she wants in the culture of that time, a rarity. Sano would be about 29 here and Megumi a tad older. I had my first baby at 30, my last at 36. Yes, it can happen. LOL
EW, old people having SEX! Icky! Well, kids, life doesn't end at 30 or even 40. Or 54, if Hiko has anything to say about it. Someone said Kenshin was "old" in my story. I'm 43. I never think of myself as "old". So there.
Marriage in Japanese society of that time(and now, sometimes) was more a matter of pleasing family and fulfilling their expectations, than of love or romance, obviously. Material considerations are above other things. Yep, it's all about the money. Who gets what and who gets control. Marriage is to some extent anyway, regardless of emotional aspects. A sad reality of life.
Megumi has no family to please, no expectations of family to honor or fulfill. I doubt she's even a virgin, after her nasty experience with Kanryuu. (Gawd I hate that character. What a slimebag!)
People of Sano's class(basically peasants, although the Meiji was supposed to rid their culture of those nasty feudal class concepts) frequently lived together without legalizing unions. No big deal. No one to impress. No one was going to look down on that, because if you were from that class, you weren't expected to do anything else.
I'm indulging myself and responding to all the wonderful reviews. 71 so far, and I'm very thankful for all you readers. Not one flame! You're all so sweet!
I want to respond to some questions and comments.
I tried to make the ages of the characters plausible. Yahiko is early twenties. It's around ten years since K+K got together. He's at least ten when the series starts, so add ten or so years. He could have a 5-6 year old son easily if he's 22. Kenshin was married at 15, not that uncommon. BTW, his marriage with Tomoe was not formal, from what I can read. Not that shocking or anything. Happened all the time then, just as now.
I like traditional pairings so sue me, although I've read some good alternate pairing stories, I must say.
I just happen to think that Watsuki-san knew what he was doing putting opposites together as couples. My own experience is composed of the "opposites attract" theory and it's a sound psychological basis for sexual and other kinds of attraction.
I decided to throw everyone a bone in my fic and focus on how Kenji's personality and learning to be a great swordsman affects everyone around him. Since the Kenshin-gumi is in every way an extended family, it does just that, I figured.
My favorite couple is Sano+Megumi, although I got some feedback about their relationship. They definitely have one, but nothing is explicit in the series about how far it's gone. Some people would assume that Megumi is "too good" for the likes of Sano, that she's out of his class. Not true, really. Losing all her family makes her pretty much free to do as she wants in the culture of that time, a rarity. Sano would be about 29 here and Megumi a tad older. I had my first baby at 30, my last at 36. Yes, it can happen. LOL
EW, old people having SEX! Icky! Well, kids, life doesn't end at 30 or even 40. Or 54, if Hiko has anything to say about it. Someone said Kenshin was "old" in my story. I'm 43. I never think of myself as "old". So there.
Marriage in Japanese society of that time(and now, sometimes) was more a matter of pleasing family and fulfilling their expectations, than of love or romance, obviously. Material considerations are above other things. Yep, it's all about the money. Who gets what and who gets control. Marriage is to some extent anyway, regardless of emotional aspects. A sad reality of life.
Megumi has no family to please, no expectations of family to honor or fulfill. I doubt she's even a virgin, after her nasty experience with Kanryuu. (Gawd I hate that character. What a slimebag!)
People of Sano's class(basically peasants, although the Meiji was supposed to rid their culture of those nasty feudal class concepts) frequently lived together without legalizing unions. No big deal. No one to impress. No one was going to look down on that, because if you were from that class, you weren't expected to do anything else.
