Ranma Saotome

What does he think of his curse? How has his curse effected him? Why does he hide himself from his mother? Why does he wear Chinese clothing? Why does he tie his hair in a pony-tail? Can he be cured? How often has he nearly been cured? Can Ranma get pregnant, while female? How good is he at school/academic work? How good is he at sports and other physical activities? Does he have any special goals in life? How many times has he told Akane that he loves her? Why does he argue with Akane all the time? Will he and Akane be married before the series ends? How many dates has he been on? Why doesn't he go back to Jusenkyö in China, and get cured? Why doesn't he tell Akane about P-chan? Why does he walk on top of fences? Is Ranma's female form a mirror image of the girl who drowned in the pool originally? If Ranma really loves Akane, why doesn't he say so? What is he like compared to his father? Where does he get his money from? What disguises, special clothing has he worn? Who else has been interested in Ranma? Why doesn't he teach Akane to cook etc? What happens to him after he gets kicked sky-high by Akane? Why doesn't he wear a proper school uniform? Who has else slept in his bed? In the last chapter, did Ranma actually say that he wanted to tell Akane that he loved her?

Entrance: V1.1, Nibunnoichi part 1
Engaged to Akane (due to a agreement between Genma and Soün, for Ranma to marry a Tendö), to Ukyö (due to Genma being greedy) at age of 5, sort of engaged to Shampoo (due to a tribal custom) and is also pursued by Tatewaki Kunö in female form, and Kodachi in male form. His worst enemies are himself, Ryöga and Mousse and just about everyone else to some degree.
Distinctive features: Black hair, average height, muscular (but not heavy), foot-long pony-tail, and often wears Chinese style clothing.
Cursed at Jusenkyö and his body changes to a buxom female version of himself.

What does he think of his curse?
[C3] Every time he's had what he thinks is a cure (or a temporary cure) he's been very happy, and hasn't regretted not being able to be a girl at all, though there hasn't yet been a situation when it would be easier to solve a problem if he were female and hasn't been able to be female. Also Ranma really doesn't like being treated like a girl when female (though sometimes she'll act really feminine and cute for a particular reason), but she will put up with it if necessary.
Ranma also prefers to fight while male, and he has never chosen to be female just for the fun of it (except perhaps for one or two festivals, or buying some food in Kodachi's intro part, though I can't be certain of these). When Ranma goes to the beach, he almost always goes as female (wearing a girl's swimming costume), though this is because he wouldn't be able to swim in the sea without getting strange stares. I think he would not regret being cured, no matter what happened, and just try to solve a problem a different way if it would be easier to if he could be female.

How has his curse effected him?
[C4] Not a lot it seems - he likes cross-dressing as much as the other guys, though is prepared to act like a girl if necessary. He reacts little to seeing other girls naked (though he can get a bit embarrassed, particularly when Shampoo's hugging him while naked), and also probably has little desire to peep on them, and hasn't shown any inclination.
It is pretty hard tell how much it has effected him mentally, as we don't know what Ranma was like before he became cursed. However, I don't think he was particularly interested in girls before being cursed, and it's likely that this only reduced him desiring girls. Kodachi, Shampoo and Ukyö would all probably goto goto bed with Ranma without much hesitation - Ukyö for example was happy that she would be able to spend the night alone with Ranma in V15.5, when Ranma had been kicked out of the Tendö's, and Shampoo happily displays herself to Ranma. Ranma knows the three are all serious, but hasn't ever tried to take advantage of them. Ranma definitely doesn't like guys though, and has made this very obvious many times.

Why does he hide himself from his mother?
He thinks his mother will force him to commit seppeku if she finds out about the curse because Genma promised to raise Ranma as a 'man among men', and they have to commit seppeku if Ranma isn't manly enough. When his mother is around, Ranma pretends to be Akane's cousin, Ranko, and forces herself to be a cute girl, except she still wears her normal clothes..

Why does he wear Chinese clothing?
[C4] In flashbacks before they went to Jusenkyö, Ranma is only ever wearing a gi, but afterwards his casual clothes are generally Chinese style. However no reason is ever given for this, though it does help Ranma as the clothes are (sort of) appropriate in either form.

Why does he tie his hair in a pony-tail?
[C4,5] When in China onna-Ranma ate some soup which contained the Dragon's Whisker - which would make his hair grow wildly as a male, so he gets a Dragon's Whisker to tie his hair with, though why he ties it as a braid, I don't know - maybe it's so to make it harder to come off. Why he has his hair long in the first place is unknown - probably added to make him look more like a girl when female, by Takahashi.

Can he be cured?
The Spring-of-Drowned-Boy will cure him - Ranma got a once-off cure when he used 'instant Spring-of-Drowned-Boy' which only works once.

How often has he nearly been cured?
'instant Spring-of-Drowned-Boy', finding the Japanese Spring-of-Drowned-Boy which is no longer active, getting Kunö to wish for a cure with the sword, getting a high-temperature cold from Happosai.

Can Ranma get pregnant, while female?
[C3] Theoretically, it is possible if Ranma gets permanently stuck in female form by the Chiisuiton because humans have bred with animals thrown in the Spring-of-Drowned-Girl and permanently cursed using the Chiisuiton. Whether it would be possible at the moment is not known, and I strongly recommend you not to put theory into practice unless you want to die. Rumiko Takahashi was asked this, and replied that 'I won't think about it, and neither should you.', so we won't get a definitive answer. In V19.3 when onna-Ranma and Kunö are alone on a island, Ranma has a nightmare of having kids with Kunö.

How good is he at school/academic work?
He's has no academic interests, and ignores class if he can. In V27.11 the Principal tries reveal Ranma's test results, which eventually get broadcast on TV, but we don't find what he got. If he tried hard, and studied, I think he would be average/slight higher than average.

How good is he at sports and other physical activities?
He's very good at all sports, and seems to enjoy them, but doesn't use his full abilities - probably because it wouldn't be fair, and make it boring.

Does he have any special goals in life?
To be a good martial artist seems to be the only one, though he does want a cure, and to be able to be reunited with his mother.

How many times has he told Akane that he loves her?
Twice, both by accident - firstly in V17.10 when he decides to get 'revenge' on Nabiki for lying when she said she loved Ranma, and mistakenly told Akane instead, and secondly in V21.11 when she was having a martial arts cheerleading battle with Mariko, she was going a bit over the top in cheering for a 'guy' who was fighting on her team, but it was Akane dressed up.

Why does he argue with Akane all the time?
They both seem to be very good at antagonising each other. However, they don't argue all the time, just fairly frequently. The section of character relationships has a more in-depth study of this.

Will he and Akane be married before the series ends?
It's almost certain that they'll be married before the series ends, or will highly likely to marry soon when it end. Rumiko Takahashi has said that Ranma and Akane are the only real couple in Ranma ½ , and also that they will marry.

How many dates has he been on?
Shampoo in V8.2, Kunö in (nearly in V12.4, first V15.1-3, V22.9, V27.7), ghost-panda (V17.11), ghost of an old man (V20.9), very briefly with Kinnosuke ('The King of Dept', Nabiki's only ever rival in V29.9), asks Nabiki (V17.9) & Tsubasa (V10.11), Densuke (V33.1), Kodachi (V33.6).

Why doesn't he go back to Jusenkyö in China, and get cured?
[C1-3,5] In V1.2 Ranma wants to go back, but after that only shows interest when he can get a free trip to China. Of course if Ranma went back and got cured it would end the series quite quickly.

Why doesn't he tell Akane about P-chan?
[C1-3,5] He did promise Ryöga not to reveal his curse.

Why does he walk on top of fences?
[C4] Probably to help with training his balance, though he may just like it.

Is Ranma's female form a mirror image of the girl who drowned in the pool originally?
No, his female form is the female equivalent of his male form. Girls will probably not be at all effected by the Spring-of-Drowned-Girl.

If Ranma really loves Akane, why doesn't he say so?
[C4] It is not known if he loves Akane, and has realised it. The only things that could be preventing him are embarrassment (he gets very embarrassed when he appears to be showing affection for Akane) and/or pride - he's always been insulting Akane, so why would he want to marry such a person.

What is he like compared to his father?
He's not as lazy, isn't terrified of Happosai, isn't a petty thief and not as stupid. Genma also used to steal food off Ranma (they now often fight over it), and has also sold off Ranma to pay for stupid things, got Ranma engaged to both Akane and Ukyö. Ranma has fought for Akane as a prize, and has sometimes stolen food (when absolutely starving) but he's a much better man than his father.

Where does he get his money from?
[C4] Ranma has never been shown receiving any money. So I can only guess he could get it from his father, or maybe Soün gives him some money.

What disguises, special clothing has he worn?
ice-skater (V3.9-4.4), Chinese waitress (at Neko Hanten, V5.10), Furikan School girl (V8.9), volley-ball player (V14.8), Ryöga's sister Yoiko (V11.2-3), Ryöga's fiancée (V9.10-11), Ryöga's admirer (V20.2), Hibiki household maid (V31.5), Cheer-leader's dress (V21.7-22.1), Chinese one-piece dress (V29.9), tuxedo (V22.5,V22.10, 33.7), onsen attendant (V12.8, V23.3), desert island girl(V12.2-3), bunny suit (V10.10, 29.10), and general girl's clothes (lots).

Who else has been interested in Ranma?
Apart from Kunö, Kodachi, Shampoo and Ukyö, there's been Tsubasa (V10.10-11), Sentaro (V6.9) , Picollet (V16.9-17.4), V23.5 (V23.5), Densuke (V33.1), and Ranma's female 'copy' (V35.1-4).

Why doesn't he teach Akane to cook etc?
[C4-5] Doesn't think of it probably, and it might not work either.

What happens to him after he gets kicked sky-high by Akane?
He often lands on his head (and cracks the ground/roof he hit), and stays upright standing on his head, and often thinks a bit about his current problem.

Why doesn't he wear a proper school uniform?
[C4] Can't afford one?, doesn't want to wear one? Besides, no-one would be willing to force him to wear one.

Who has else slept in his bed?
Ukyö (V19.4), Konatsu (V35.7), Ryöga (V33.4), Kunö (V29.2), Nodoka (V22.4), and the copy of his female side (V35.1).

In the last chapter, did Ranma actually say that he wanted to tell Akane that he loved her?

File last modified: Sun Jun 02 7:40pm 2002

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