CAPOW's History

How it all Began...

The story of CAPOW, and how it came to be, is not a simple one. Nor is it short, and easy to explain. Nay, the history of CAPOW is a fantastical tale woven deeply into the Halls of RAAM. It is not always a pretty story, but when has fulfillment ever come without a price? "Lest too light winning make the prize light," so to speak. Read on, friend, and learn for yourself this magnificent tale...^_-

The Mother of all Cute wars.

Once upon a time in the great rec.arts.anime.misc newsgroup, a thread sprang up that changed the course of the newsgroup forever. The creators of this thread have been long forgotten, a secret hidden deep within Deja News. Little did they know of the effect that thread would have.

It was entitled simply, Ukyou & Nene..? NO, (was: RE: In anime, who is...?). For much of it's existence, too, it was uneventful, not really standing out among the many similar threads of the kind that had no doubt came before, and would most likely, come again. Many of the posts were similar to:

Subject:      Re: Ukyou & Nene..? NO. (was RE: In anime, who is...?)
From:         Timothy <Drew7995@aol.com>
Date:         1997/02/22
Message-Id:   <330F75B7.7EC3@aol.com>
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.anime.misc,rec.arts.anime.fandom,rec.arts.anime.crea,rec.arts.manga
#FFFFFF
> Nene is overrated!  She's not even partially cute!  Ukyou is cuter than
> Nene, but that doesn't exactly say much.  To call Ukyou 'beautiful' is
> way out of line...
> What is WITH you people?! The characters you argue for are not nearly
> the best in catagories such as these.  Granted, both Nene & Ukyou are
> good characters (Ukyou is one of my favorite Ranma characters), but
> neither are even remotely deserving of any of this fluff flattery, in
> GRIT or wherever...

In my opinion, Nene is ideal for this catorgory; but better yet is
Skuld.

AND

Subject:      Re: Ukyou & Nene..? NO. (was RE: In anime, who is...?)
From:         William C Walker <wwalker@world.std.com>
Date:         1997/02/24
Message-Id:   <Pine.SGI.3.93.970224173230.25208A-100000@world.std.com>
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.anime.misc,rec.arts.anime.fandom,rec.arts.anime.crea,rec.arts.manga

On Sat, 22 Feb 1997, Timothy wrote:

> > Nene is overrated!  She's not even partially cute!  Ukyou is cuter than
> > Nene, but that doesn't exactly say much.  To call Ukyou 'beautiful' is
> > way out of line...
> > What is WITH you people?! The characters you argue for are not nearly
> > the best in catagories such as these.  Granted, both Nene & Ukyou are
> > good characters (Ukyou is one of my favorite Ranma characters), but
> > neither are even remotely deserving of any of this fluff flattery, in
> > GRIT or wherever...
> 
> In my opinion, Nene is ideal for this catorgory; but better yet is
> Skuld.
> 
> 
Total agreement here...

---William C Walker

See? Fairly civilized discussion, nothing too crazy about it. However, one fateful day, on February 24, 1997, Weapon X made one of the most influential Subject line changes in recent history, and was heard to utter:

Subject:     BELLDANDY!! (was: Re: Ukyou & Nene..? NO. (was RE: In anime, who , is...?))
From:         Weapon X <krramdat@acs.ucalgary.ca>
Date:         1997/02/24
Message-Id:   <Pine.A41.3.94.970224105140.45658E-100000@acs5.acs.ucalgary.ca>
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.anime.misc,rec.arts.anime.fandom,rec.arts.manga

On Sat, 22 Feb 1997, Timothy wrote:

> > Nene is overrated!  She's not even partially cute!  Ukyou is cuter than
> > Nene, but that doesn't exactly say much.  To call Ukyou 'beautiful' is
> > way out of line...
> > What is WITH you people?! The characters you argue for are not nearly
> > the best in catagories such as these.  Granted, both Nene & Ukyou are
> > good characters (Ukyou is one of my favorite Ranma characters), but
> > neither are even remotely deserving of any of this fluff flattery, in
> > GRIT or wherever...
> 
> In my opinion, Nene is ideal for this catorgory; but better yet is
> Skuld.
> 
FOOLS!  Mwahahahahahahha! How dare you neglect mention of the most
beautiful, most kawaii, sweetest female ever created by a pencil!?!?!?!
All praise to Belldandy, goddess of goddesses! None are her equal.

Weapon X

The reply to this was:

Subject:      Re: BELLDANDY!! (was: Re: Ukyou & Nene..? NO. (was RE: In anime, who , is...?))
From:         Susano Orbatos <Chan.Meniscus.Otaku@postoffice.worldnet.att.net>
Date:         1997/02/24
Message-Id:   <3311F3CD.7C6F@postoffice.worldnet.att.net>
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.anime.misc,rec.arts.anime.fandom,rec.arts.manga

> ME > Nene is overrated!  She's not even partially cute!  Ukyou is cuter than
> ME > Nene, but that doesn't exactly say much.  To call Ukyou 'beautiful' is
> ME > way out of line...
> ME > What is WITH you people?! The characters you argue for are not nearly
> ME > the best in catagories such as these.  Granted, both Nene & Ukyou are
> ME > good characters (Ukyou is one of my favorite Ranma characters), but
> ME > neither are even remotely deserving of any of this fluff flattery, in
> ME > GRIT or wherever...
> >
> > In my opinion, Nene is ideal for this catorgory; but better yet is
> > Skuld.
> >
> FOOLS!  Mwahahahahahahha! How dare you neglect mention of the most
> beautiful, most kawaii, sweetest female ever created by a pencil!?!?!?!
> All praise to Belldandy, goddess of goddesses! None are her equal.
> 
> Weapon X

[ME! ME! ME!] [a great Air Miami album... =)]

Hey! I didn't say who was the cutest anime girl is, so don't call me a
fool!!!
The most BEAUTIFUL anime female drawn is Kushinataa-hime in Shirow's
Orion...
[not that any of you guys would know...]

-- 
_____________________________________________
Flight Officer Susano Orbatos
WolfPack X-Wing Squadron
Assign.: The Cruiser Defiance
http://www.wizard.net/~rcpcacmc
---------------------
176th Mobile Suit Platoon
'Cloud 9' Gun EZ Squadron
"We Get There When We Do."

Now, if left at that, this entire issue might have faded into obscurity quickly. But Susano, unsatisfied with his initial response, broke with dogma, and replied to his own post:

Subject:      Re: BELLDANDY!! (was: Re: Ukyou & Nene..? NO. (was RE: In anime, who , is...?))
From:         Susano Orbatos <Chan.Meniscus.Otaku@postoffice.worldnet.att.net>
Date:         1997/02/24
Message-Id:   <33120495.5AEE@postoffice.worldnet.att.net>
Newsgroups:   rec.arts.anime.misc,rec.arts.anime.fandom,rec.arts.manga

Susano Orbatos wrote:
> 
> > ME > Nene is overrated!  She's not even partially cute!  Ukyou is cuter than
> > ME > Nene, but that doesn't exactly say much.  To call Ukyou 'beautiful' is
> > ME > way out of line...
> > ME > What is WITH you people?! The characters you argue for are not nearly
> > ME > the best in catagories such as these.  Granted, both Nene & Ukyou are
> > ME > good characters (Ukyou is one of my favorite Ranma characters), but
> > ME > neither are even remotely deserving of any of this fluff flattery, in
> > ME > GRIT or wherever...
> > >
> > > In my opinion, Nene is ideal for this catorgory; but better yet is
> > > Skuld.
> > >
> > FOOLS!  Mwahahahahahahha! How dare you neglect mention of the most
> > beautiful, most kawaii, sweetest female ever created by a pencil!?!?!?!
> > All praise to Belldandy, goddess of goddesses! None are her equal.
> >
> > Weapon X
> 
> [ME! ME! ME!] [a great Air Miami album... =)]
> 
> Hey! I didn't say who was the cutest anime girl is, so don't call me a
> fool!!!
> The most BEAUTIFUL anime female drawn is Kushinataa-hime in Shirow's
> Orion...
> [not that any of you guys would know...]

Oh, yeah, Rei Ayanami gets  my second vote? =) =) -)
-- 
_____________________________________________
Flight Officer Susano Orbatos
WolfPack X-Wing Squadron
Assign.: The Cruiser Defiance
http://www.wizard.net/~rcpcacmc
---------------------
176th Mobile Suit Platoon
'Cloud 9' Gun EZ Squadron
"We Get There When We Do."

(ed. note) How did all this form the basis of CAPOW? <shrug> Beats me..