Ranma Saotome was an average teenager, that is until his father, Genma Saotome, took him on a journey to improve his martial arts skills. They journeyed to China to find the famous training ground known as Jhosenkyo. The mystical training ground was filled with over 100 pools of water. It is said that if you fall into one of the pools you will be cursed with the body of who of what ever drowned there last. While fighting Ranma knocked his father into one of the pools. Suddenly out of the pool came a big panda that knocked Ranma into a different pool. Ranma was transformed into a well proportioned, red haired, female version of himself. From then on when ever Ranma is drenched in cold water he turns into a girl, and hot or warm water will turn him back to normal. This also applied to Genma Saotome who became a giant panda, whenever he got splahsed with cold water.
Soun Tendo, owner of the "Anything-Goes Martial Arts Training Hall", gathered his daughters - Katsumi, Nabiki and Akane - together and told them that an old friend, Genma Saotome, is coming for a visit. He also said that one of them is to marry Genma's son Ranma so that they will take over the training hall together. Apon finding out about Ranma's curse, it is voted that Akane is to be engaged to Ranma, since Akane hates boys and Ranma is now half girl, it was the only solution. However the two did not start off very well and at first hated each other, but over time who knows what will happen.