"Hi, I'm Ranma Saotome! I'm attending Furinkan High right now, and I'm bethrothed to that most uncute
 tomboy, Akane!" (Avoiding a table.)
"I also like to eat, train, and occasionally find a cure for my curse, and while I keep trying to have my
  mother, Nodoka, to recognize me, my stupid dad always shows up. Say, isn't that her now!?"
(Looking around, no sign of Genma.)
"Mom!" *Slosh*
"KISAMA! GENMA!"
(Me) "Ranma sounds like he's at a dating agency!"

Of course, Ranma Saotome is the hero/heroine and main character of the story. He
is quite rash, but when is comes to martial arts, he's the best. Of course, he's stubborn to the extreme,
and does quite badly when in his school, Furinkan High, class 1-F, and is always getting into trouble with
the school authorities. But, When it comes to ANY challenge, if it concernse martial arts, he'll make sure
he wins or die trying. Of course, sometimes he goes too far to try winning, and then gets a berating from
anyone around him. He can pick up skills just by watching, makes his own sometimes, and is a natural
born athelete. When it comes to girls, they're all swooning for him. Shampoo, Ukyo, Kodachi, the works.
Ranma is bethrothed to his father's friend's daughter, Akane Tendou. While the two bicker alot, they
share a secret love for each other, and if it weren't for Akane, Ranma wouldn't get into so many
adventures. Of course, everyone also likes Akane, but they come later. Of course, you should know by
now that while the two love each other, they are mostly unable to express their feelings to each other, and
here's why. If Ranma tries to say something nice about Akane, she'll either misunderstand it to be a false
statement with the intention of gaining her favor, or else she won't believe him at all. But otherwise, if
Ranma can't say anything nice, he'll end up insulting her, which will hurt her feelings. Akane suffers from
the same problem, but we'll cover that later.
We all see that Ranma can sometimes be quite a jerk when it comes to Akane too, but as the story goes
along, we also see that Ranma has quite a noble side too, such as when in one of the mangas, a child
somehow loses her stuffed toy out the window, and Ranma retrieved it for her. Naturally, Ranma's
also quite a jealous person, especially when it comes to Akane. This throws his nobility out the window
sometimes, but...
Ranma's curse to turn into a girl has caused alot of trouble, and besides, without this curse, this story
would be so boring. Of course, Ranma doesn't have to like his curse, but doesn't mind it, and would
definitely prefer it if he didn't have this curse. Especially since his mother decided to come looking for
her husband and "son". And since Ranma's 1/2 girl, he has to avoid her to prevent a needless death.
Unfortunately, a bigger problem is Kuno's crush on Onna-Ranma. Poor Ranma.
He's actually quite notoriously popular with EVERYONE in the series though, and is making more
enemies than friends. He is quite a glutton, but not like Genma. For some inexplicable reason, he likes
walking on walls and fences instead of the pavement like normal people, but then again, Ranma isn't
normal, is he?
Anyway, we all think he's cute though, boy or girl, don't you agree?

"Thanks!"
(Me) " Don't mention it, Ranchan!"
".........."
 

RanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanmaRanm

Genma Saotome
Age : Approx. late 30s- mid 40s
Clothes : Gi                                                                Hair : Hair? What Hair? Oh, you mean panda fur!
Curse : Xiongmaonichuan (To change into a Panda)       Likes : Food, sleep, chess, sleep, marriage of
Weapons : Bare hands and Feet, occasionally signs.                  Ranma and Akane.
Chinese Name : Ji Xuan Mao  (Dark Fur)                      Dislikes : Happosai, Promise to Nodoka.
Eyes : Black
Sex : Male

"Hello little boys and girls, I'm Genma Saotome, Ranma's Father. I am married to Nodoka, and I  promised
 to raise Ranma into a Man among Men! But I've failed! Ranma's now 1/2 girl..." *Slosh*
*Slosh*
"*Ahem*, as I was saying, I failed to raise Ranma as promised, and now I have to face Nodoka's blade if
 I cannot hide the truth from her."
(A voice from somewhere calls out "You're a wimp, dad! YOU be a man and face her!")
"AND YOU CAN'T EVEN BE A MAN!"
"Excuse me, my son is a bit unruly. I still care for him though, ungrateful he may be, because he's going
 to inherit the Dojo when he marries Akane!"
(Same voice "Yeah right! That uncute tomboy? Who wants her!? OUCH!")

Genma is Ranma's father, and a fairly important character of the comic. He taught Ranma martial arts at
a VERY young age, making a promise to Nodoka, his wife, that he would raise Ranma as a "Man among
Men". Of course, that promise was dashed when he brought Ranma to Jusenkyo, and both fell into the
cursed springs. Somehow, the image of a giant panda suits him. Must be because pandas and Genma
both spend the whole day eating. And Genma prefers staying in his Panda form, I guess because he likes
having hair all over his body rather than no hair at all.
He and Soun trained under the same master, Happosai. As a result of his cruel training, they both now
fear him, and are both cowards when it comes to almost anything, preferring to let their children do the
work. Genma has quite a few moves of his own, although Ranma definitely wins him in practically every
aspect.
But, speaking of moves, while Ranma is superior to his father in some ways, he still has many tricks up
his sleeve, and is continually teaching his son more moves from the Saotome school of Secret Arts. One
such skill involves grovelling and prostrating oneself before a person. (Is this really a skill?) Genma is
actually quite capable at fighting himself, and while Ranma is good, Genma taught him practically
everything he knows, and therefore, the two can be considered at a par.
Genma is greedy, and I can't put enough emphasis on that word. He stuffs himself during the table, like
Ranma, but if camping out with Akane, can eat bamboo shoots. He's always fighting with Soun for food
at the table.  He has also ripped off countless "possible fiancees", including Ukyo, when her father
promised his Okinomiyaki cart to Genma in return for marrying Ukyo to Ranma. He ran off with the cart,
leaving Ukyo behind. He's also gotten into alot of trouble with other people, although unmentioned. I'm
sure of that. He even once traded Ranma for some rice and TWO pickles. Is that cheap or
what!?

"DID NOT!"
(Me) "Then what about Ukyo...?"
" Erm..." *Slosh*
(Me) "Oi!"
 

GenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenmaGenma

Nodoka Saotome
Age : Approx. early 30s-mid 40s.                                   Hair : Short, Brownish tint with glint.
Clothes : Traditional Japanese Kimono                            Likes : Genma's promise coming true. "Ranko"
Curse : None.                                                                         & Akane Tendou, meeting Ranma-kun.
Weapon : Cloth Wrapped Katana                                  Dislikes : Genma's promise broken.
Chinese Name : Ji Jia Xiang  (Good/Beautiful Smell) (Nice smelling, I guess. Of Jasmine maybe?)
Eyes : Brown. Sometimes other colours. Mostly brown.
Sex : Female

Nodoka is Ranma's mother and Genma's wife. (How she could marry such a glutton is quite unknown.)
She's a sweet lady, who came to Nerima looking for Ranma and Genma, hoping to meet them as well as
making sure Genma lived up to their promise, or else commit Seppuku, stabbing themselves and having
their heads lopped off by that katana she carries around with her. She's had quite a few meetings with the
male Ranma, although always in suspicious circumstances and therefore, she passes them off as dreams.
When she goes to visit the Tendous and Ranma's around, Ranko makes her appearance. Ranko is Akane's
"Cousin", who sports a remarkable resemblance to onna-Ranma....
She's had an imitation Ranma once, who wanted nothing more than to get his hands on the missing half
of the "ultimate" technique created by Genma. But of course, she knew he wasn't Ranma.
What she wants more than anything else in the world is to meet Ranma, hoping that he will be a true
"Man amongst Men", and that she can be proud of him, but that doesn't mean her love goes only as far as
Ranma. She also works hard to defend Akane, Ranma's fiancee, against possible perverts. (Not as if
Akane couldn't protect herself if needed.)
Nodoka actually doesn't care much for her husband anymore, too, for some reason, but she'll go through
great pains to make sure Ranma recieves a mother's love, if she knows he's "home". Once, in book 34 of
the manga series, she did so.... but thanks to Happosai, that reunion was foiled.
Finally, in book 37, she meets up with the real Ranma while he was rescuing her while falling off a cliff.
The two fell into the sea, and she discovered his curse. Of course, she wanted him to commit Seppuku,
but later decided that because Ranma acted like a true man, cursed or not, she let him live. Much to
both's relief.

"Have you seen my darling Ranma?"
(Me) " Erm... sorry Mrs. Saotome, I... haven't."
(After she leaves, a Ranma-kun, wearing a sailor uniform, comes out from behind me.)
"Thanks! I thought I'd have to commit seppuku!"
(Me) "That's two you owe me."
 

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