Franken Fran

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by Solace

True, but at the same time Franken Fran has always given me the classic B movie/Outer Limits vibe, so I was expecting something more like her old self (maybe a bit older looking). You know, the temptress who lures in males and then shows them her "true form" so she can kill them after getting what she wants.

On the other hand it may very well not be her at all, or the author could be changing the story or adding to it later (like he did with Adorea). Given how much the series jumps around sometimes (like the bits with the police lady), it's hard to say.

For the record I hated chapter 2, mostly because the poor guy really didn't deserve that ending. I almost hope for a sequel where she brings the body to Fran to make him like her or something....I'm the odd kind of hopeless romantic maybe.

The 'fitting' part was the procedure-stealing doctor in Chapter 29. The poor bastard in Chapter 2... well, he got time with the girl, but the problem lay in Fran's methodology and her inability to think through the consequences of her actions, which lead to Kaneda going... well, buggy.

As for Adorea and the Police Lady, they're my favorite recurring characters. Especially the poor police lady.

[FateAnomaly]

I was re-reading this series from the start when a weird thought came to me. Why did the professor gave Fran and Veronica scars? Does he have a scar fetish or something.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by FateAnomaly

I was re-reading this series from the start when a weird thought came to me. Why did the professor gave Fran and Veronica scars? Does he have a scar fetish or something.

Because they don't heal naturally, not bring alive in the normal sense? I recall, during the uncontrolled mitosis chapter, that Fran said all living beings had their cells renewed on a regular basis - except that it was different in her case. Which suggests her body's static, and the cells are kept 'alive' in a way not like normal tissue (where old cells die and are replaced by new ones)... so no renewal or healing.

[FateAnomaly]

If he can create Fran, i am sure that shouldn't be a problem for the professor.

[Xion Valkyrie]

I think he wanted to make her seem kind of zombie-ish, but still keep her relatively the same in terms of human anatomy. This was probably the best compromise. I'm talking about the mangaka and the character designs.

[Hypernova]

Originally Posted by Haesslich

The poor bastard in Chapter 2... well, he got time with the girl, but the problem lay in Fran's methodology and her inability to think through the consequences of her actions, which lead to Kaneda going... well, buggy.

IMO it's her skill at a limit. She tend to use experimental methods that deliver in the short term but the long term results can be something even she can't control. I don't think she intended ch2 to turn out that way.

[FateAnomaly]

Of course she don't. She is a firm believer of love. She wants a happy end as much as we do, its just that her thinking is not that conventional sometimes. Also, people tends to forget that her offical profession is a researcher not a doctor.

[Wrath88]

Originally Posted by Xion Valkyrie

I think he wanted to make her seem kind of zombie-ish, but still keep her relatively the same in terms of human anatomy. This was probably the best compromise. I'm talking about the mangaka and the character designs.

I dont' think so. Remember the time she had her throat cut? I think those stitches are for her to add/remove/modify herself. Like her multi-armed surgery self.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Hypernova

IMO it's her skill at a limit. She tend to use experimental methods that deliver in the short term but the long term results can be something even she can't control. I don't think she intended ch2 to turn out that way.

it is not her skill that hit a limit, it is her ability to think like a normal human that hit a brick wall.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

it is not her skill that hit a limit, it is her ability to think like a normal human that hit a brick wall.

As I said, her ability to think through consequences. A less risky method which involved less radical changes might have worked almost as well, but have taken longer. So she chose to go for the best short-term payoff without thinking 'is the possible result or unintended side effect worth it?'.

This is where half the horror comes from, of course. Look at the Justice chapter for another example of the 'can't think through to possible end results'.

[Izayoi]

Originally Posted by Wrath88

I dont' think so. Remember the time she had her throat cut? I think those stitches are for her to add/remove/modify herself. Like her multi-armed surgery self.

It is probably more like a reference to Frankenstein. BUT DO NOTE, the creature in Frankenstein did not actually have stitches nor did Victor. Also look at the two electrodes at each side of her head.
The idea of creating the character Fran actually works backward. Author first comes up with a design then he thinks of the reason for the design. Therefore it doesn't really matter why they have scars, it just gives it a more of a horror element to it. I am pretty sure if Fran wanted to get rid of the scar, there is infinitely ways in the work of science fiction to do so. Thinking too deep into it, without given a reason from an author, would be like applying Physics to Touhou.

Originally Posted by Haesslich

As I said, her ability to think through consequences. A less risky method which involved less radical changes might have worked almost as well, but have taken longer. So she chose to go for the best short-term payoff without thinking 'is the possible result or unintended side effect worth it?'.

This is where half the horror comes from, of course. Look at the Justice chapter for another example of the 'can't think through to possible end results'.

I don't think there was even an intended effect in the first place. It was all just an experiment, she never said that she is a doctor out to save anyone. The horror comes not from Fran's inability to think but the first time experimental aspect of it. Fran doesn't really care if they died, she just wanted to test if it worked. You are very mistaken if you think Fran's goal was to use the safest method to grant anyone's wish. The fact that Fran's standard of norm is different from everyone else just makes it worse.

[Cinocard]

Originally Posted by Solace

Interesting chapter, for those who don't remember - Kanade is the "insect girl" from the Chrysalis chapter. Odd that she doesn't look very human anymore though.

Still, gross. Not the worst thing I've read in Franken Fran however, it's rather tame in comparison to older chapters.

That is what this manga lacks: recurring characters. The only character that isn't in Fran's crew and is presented again and again is also the one I had absolutely no interest in, that female cop.

And I'm STILL pissed over chapter 2 whenever I think about it.

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by Izayoi

It is probably more like a reference to Frankenstein. BUT DO NOTE, the creature in Frankenstein did not actually have stitches nor did Victor. Also look at the two electrodes at each side of her head.
The idea of creating the character Fran actually works backward. Author first comes up with a design then he thinks of the reason for the design. Therefore it doesn't really matter why they have scars, it just gives it a more of a horror element to it. I am pretty sure if Fran wanted to get rid of the scar, there is infinitely ways in the work of science fiction to do so. Thinking too deep into it, without given a reason from an author, would be like applying Physics to Touhou.

That's part of it anyways, although during the first school chapter she noted that she needed time to 'do maintenance' on her arm, rather than just letting it rest and heal naturally. That suggests that whatever process was used to make her doesn't make her 'living' in the normal way, just as she stated in the Multiples2 chapter.

Originally Posted by Izayoi

I don't think there was even an intended effect in the first place. It was all just an experiment, she never said that she is a doctor out to save anyone. The horror comes not from Fran's inability to think but the first time experimental aspect of it. Fran doesn't really care if they died, she just wanted to test if it worked. You are very mistaken if you think Fran's goal was to use the safest method to grant anyone's wish. The fact that Fran's standard of norm is different from everyone else just makes it worse.

Actually, she said she was a doctor who wanted to heal everyone and that life was the most valuable thing repeatedly in earlier chapters... even as people like Okita quietly questioned how someone who did the horrible things she did to others could call themselves a doctor, since she 'never healed anyone'. Of course, this is the same girl lecturing Victoria on killing people despite harvesting people's organs like in the chapter "Adorea" or else bombing a section of forest to kill a bunch of cockroaches even though there were possible victims of the blast there.

Fran does care if the victims die - but at the same time, she believes that this is all in the name of advancing the quality of life, which makes the end results that much more horrifying given her professed intentions and the results of those experimental procedures.

[Wrath88]

Well, Fran does help sometimes. Remember the girl who asked her to save her heart-condition brother? Although she couldn't help directly, she did accomplish it.

[Mizuno]

I hope we get some backstory about Fran... she must have been a normal girl once.

[Hypernova]

Originally Posted by Wrath88

Well, Fran does help sometimes. Remember the girl who asked her to save her heart-condition brother? Although she couldn't help directly, she did accomplish it.

And the school plastic surgery ch, everyone got what they wanted and Fran was just tired at the end.

It is certainly possible to have good outcomes from her research, we are shown a number of times that she actually publish her research with no strings attached. If a proper doctor is willing to continue her work many of them have great potentials.

[FateAnomaly]

Originally Posted by Wrath88

Well, Fran does help sometimes. Remember the girl who asked her to save her heart-condition brother? Although she couldn't help directly, she did accomplish it.

The brother was fine but the doctor she worked on, not so good. His surgical ability improved but he is drooling. lol.

[Samanosuke]

Originally Posted by FateAnomaly

The brother was fine but the doctor she worked on, not so good. His surgical ability improved but he is drooling. lol.

Blessing in disguise ? Think of what would have happened if she had operated directly on the kid himself. Better the doctor be weird than the kid damadged for the rest of his....er life.

[Hypernova]

Hm... Guess this ch finally spooked the admins at mangafox enough to close down their FF page.

"The series Franken Fran has been categorized as 'mature', therefore may contain intense violence, blood/gore, sexual content and/or strong language that may not be appropriate for underage viewers thus is blocked for their protection. It is not available in Manga Fox. "

[Haesslich]

Originally Posted by Hypernova

Hm... Guess this ch finally spooked the admins at mangafox enough to close down their FF page.

"The series Franken Fran has been categorized as 'mature', therefore may contain intense violence, blood/gore, sexual content and/or strong language that may not be appropriate for underage viewers thus is blocked for their protection. It is not available in Manga Fox. "

It was still available last night when I went there to get some of the omake for a friend. I guess the warning page was pointless after all, and they should pull Mirai Nikki next due to a similar level of horror. Those hypocrites.