YMMV / The Road to Cydonia

• Strawman Has a Point: Doctor Pearson has little regard for holistic, alternative or 'traditional' medicine, including the acupuncture and pressure points seeing their effects as more due to the one using the technique and not the technique itself. While he’ wrong that the technique is only effective if the person using them has psionic capabilities he does have a point. The Shiatsu techniques seen in Ranma 1/2 are similar to the ones in Fist of the North Star. Matter is merely an expression of energy and by changing that expression you change the form the matter takes. This is why the Hokuto Shinken works on demon. The effect is due to the one using the technique and not the technique itself. There is not an actual pressure point to make someone’s head explode, force them to cry, or make their body unable to stand hot water. What kenshiro, cologne, happosai are actually doing is disrupting the flow of the opponents’ ki centers. This requires an extensive experience in energy manipulation and knowledge in ki flow. High enough reserves of energy to overpower and manipulate the Chi-flow. And finally enough skill to keep the body from automatically corrects itself. So while anyone can perform them ithey can only do it after years of study and physical training.
• Unintentionally Unsympathetic: Throughout the story Mouse repeatedly laments the fact that Shampoo didn’t instantly run into his arms declaring her eternal undying love after he refused to mentally enslave her into loving him. Instead of making him come across as a dogged nice guy he just comes across as completely missing the point about why forcing her into loving him is a bad thing.