Author Topic: Melissa Chapman  (Read 2473 times)

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Offline rocklobster

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Melissa Chapman
« on: June 15, 2009, 10:06:48 AM »
I was wondering if anyone out there thinks Melissa should've been a more important character.  I've noticed that in some fanfics and in the RPG I'm on, she's a more important character and even one of the Animorphs.  I think it would've been a great idea to flesh out her character more.  What do you folks think?

Offline Chad32

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2009, 10:32:48 AM »
I think it would have been good. But lately, I could take the idea or leave it. At first, I didn't think there was much point in book 2, and a big way of making it more important would be to make Mellissa more important. But now I realise that book 2 is about Rachel finding her purpose in fighting. She does it for broken families. So book 2 really is important, even if Mel doesn't have a bigger role.


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Offline Galladerotom

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2009, 09:33:02 PM »
Yeah. Melissa is kind of an extra character who doesn't out live book two. Still I always wonder what the heck happened to her during the invasion.
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Offline JFalcon

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #3 on: June 16, 2009, 08:41:29 AM »
She's one of many characters that might have been better fleshed out but unlike characters like Tom or Chapman (we don't know what Yeerk was in Tom's head or why he seemed to keep going to rising-star yeerks, we don't know why Iniss 226 is considered a high ranking controler but never actually seems to succeed anywhere) she's probably low on my list of people who should have been fleshed out.

Honestly character development for Melissa, Tom (or like a name for his Yeerk?) and Chapman/Iniss, some threatening moments from Visser Three, these would have been great things for the series to go over . . . instead we get field trips to Atlantis, the north pole, etc.
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Offline Chad32

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #4 on: June 16, 2009, 10:05:32 AM »
I agree so much with you. But obviously KA didn't want too much focus on other things beyond the Anis. I know the books are titled animorphs, and the Animorphs are the main characters, but that doesn't mean you can't have a bit of focus and development on other stuff every now and then.


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Offline JFalcon

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #5 on: June 16, 2009, 10:29:17 AM »
Agreed. One wouldn't even have to take any focus away from the plot of the real book to give minor updates on characters at least, which while they're far from really expanding on a character, theyre at least a way of showing that the character remains relevant to the series.

If you have time to visit Atlantis, you have time to spare a paragraph for Rachel to mention "Melissa won the gymnastics competition, isn't that great?" just to show she and Rachel still speak at all since book 2 ended with them maybe or maybe not being on speaking terms.

Or to have Visser Three bark an order to Chapman but call his Yeerk a differen't name, like "Blindiss 622" to show that Iniss blundered enough to be replaced, or indeed moved to a more or less important host (Like Tom, heck I dunno . . . actually I kind of like the idea of Iniss being demoted, given to Tom, then becoming the vicious little beast that Tom's Yeerk was, rising back up through the ranks then stabbing Visser Three/One in the back only to be defeated by Rachel in her final although unwitting vengeance for the pain he caused Melissa . . . fanfic fodder), minor things could have been done but with ghost writers it may have led to continuity errors (Cassie's niece?) so I can see [at least one reason] why they didn't . . .
"I would be a ghost of this dynasty before I'd be a general of rebels and traitors!" ~ Pang De, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

"My brain! My brain! Me hurty to think!" ~ Zim, Invader Zim

"Fight it off? You must have me confused with someone who's brave." ~ Church, Red vs Blue

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #6 on: June 16, 2009, 10:29:38 AM »
i dont think anything would have made a difference if there was no melissa.

Offline Chad32

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #7 on: June 16, 2009, 10:46:20 AM »
That would have been interesting, if the Yeerk Rachel killed was Iniss. It would have also been good to have Rachel mention Mellissa in passing. I assume she put more effort in being with her, and their friendship grew stronger again, but it would be nice if there was strong canonical evidence for that.

Also, Tobias could mention Toby from time to time. Showing that the Great Liberator still thinks about his biggest fans. Of course he does go live with them at the ned, so we know he keeps in touch.


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Offline JFalcon

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #8 on: June 16, 2009, 10:54:09 AM »
i dont think anything would have made a difference if there was no melissa.

Yeah, she ended up being utterly unnecessary, but that's exactly the problem, she was supposed to be a major part of Rachel's life, her next best friend after Cassie, she has problems in her home, parents who emotionally abuse her which I guess is too mundane a problem for the Animorphs to care about beyond the whole "oh yeah, well your alien dad secretly doesnt hate you" note.

Rachel tries to comfort her for all of one book and we never see the resolution, did the note really help her so much that she became a well adjusted teen thereafter? Did Rachel try harder to keep them from drifting away or did she consider her work done? Why have her at all and just cast her away? In the end she might as well have not been involved and Chapman might as well have been Rachel's own father showing her no affection and Rachel can morph her own darn cat to sneak into daddy's office and listen in on his telephone calls.  :P
"I would be a ghost of this dynasty before I'd be a general of rebels and traitors!" ~ Pang De, Romance of the Three Kingdoms

"My brain! My brain! Me hurty to think!" ~ Zim, Invader Zim

"Fight it off? You must have me confused with someone who's brave." ~ Church, Red vs Blue

Offline Chad32

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2009, 10:58:51 AM »
You may have been joking about that, but that seems like a good idea. Or morph his cat, since he's not living with her. That may even turn out to be why her mother divorced him. He got infested, and the Yeerk didn't care to keep the cover up, so she got frustrated and divorced him. Dang, that would be good!


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Offline UEDfleet

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #10 on: June 16, 2009, 07:49:23 PM »
hmmmm were all discussing "if" she should have been, but has anyone stopped to think about how interesting another book 2 would be?

Offline Kit Cloudkicker

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2009, 05:30:08 PM »
What do you mean by "another" book 2?

Offline Kitulean

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #12 on: June 20, 2009, 04:05:13 PM »
I think he means another book following the similar side plot to book 2. (make Melissa feel better). Which... I don't think that's at all what people who wanted Melissa to be a bigger character were saying.

And my own opinion on if Melissa should have been a bigger character is obvious by my bringing her into my fanfiction.

Offline Chad32

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #13 on: June 20, 2009, 04:30:28 PM »
So what are you doing with her in your fic? Additional Animorph, or some other role?


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Offline Kitulean

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Re: Melissa Chapman
« Reply #14 on: June 20, 2009, 10:42:05 PM »
uhhh, long story short, Rachel and Ax made a deal with the Drode to reverse time and 'try again', which sent the series back to book 20. Melissa ESSENTIALLY replaced Cassie after finding the blue box instead of David.  But like I said, long story.

You can find the original rewrite of books 20, 21, 22 here http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4547995/1/Animorphs_Redux

and I just finished rewriting book 23 here
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4819381/1/Redux_The_Pretender

Both are also in the fanfiction area of this site.