Ranma 1/2: who's who (spoilers)
Terry Martin
like a good time to repost the who's who...
This list began as a list of name translations to answer a query on the
rec.arts.anime newsgroup. From there, it grew to include other
information people requested or posted questions about-- descriptions
for a cast list; when all the characters first appeared; a list of
martial arts techniques, magic, and weapons for a card game.
There are 2 parts:
Who's who -- the cast of characters
What's what -- important places, magic, and martial arts
This list is current through:
comics:
Sh^onen Sunday Comics, volumes 1-30
Viz Comics, volumes 1-3
TV:
Ranma 1/2, all 18 episodes
Ranma 1/2 Nett^ohen, all 143 episodes
movies:
Ch^ugoku Nekonron daikessen! Okite yaburi no gekit^o hen
Kessen T^ogenky^o! Hanayome o torimodose!!
Ch^o-musabetsu kessen! Ranma team vs. densetsu no h^o^o
OAVs:
episodes 1-4 (of 6)
I've just added Unryuu Akari, the pig-loving girl. However, I haven't
caught up to OAV 5-6 yet (so you won't find Natsumi and Kurumi
herein).
{Note: Includes JIS kana and kanji codes in braces. ESC should be
changed to "^[" when posting.}
Without further ado:
Ranma 1/2: who's who (spoilers)
by Terry Martin
revised October 7, 1994
PEOPLE
------
MAJOR CHARACTERS
Saotome Ranma {^[$@Aa25=w!!MpGO^[(J}
Our macho hero/heroine (sort of). The martial art of kempo
is Ranma's life. Almost fearless, he never turns down a
challenge. Ranma can (eventually) master anything with
"martial arts" in its name, including martial arts rhythmic
gymnastics, martial arts skating, martial arts tea ceremony,
martial arts dinner, martial arts cheerleading, and so
forth.
Training with his father at the mysterious Jusenky^o
training ground in China, he was thrown into a spring called
Nyanniichuan, where a young girl drowned 1500 years ago. He
emerged as a young girl, according with the spring's curse.
When splashed with hot water, he changes back to a boy, but
when splashed with cold to room temperature water, he turns
into a girl again.
Ranma does have one weakness-- he is deathly afraid of cats.
When he was young, Genma taught him neko-ken, cat fighting,
by wrapping him in fish paste cakes and throwing him in a
pit of starving cats. Prolonged exposure to cats causes him
to lose it completely and think he is a cat.
Although he's only 16 years old, Ranma is engaged to marry
Tend^o Akane and become head of the Tend^o dojo, by their
parents' arrangement. Neither Ranma nor Akane wants to go
through with it.
Distinguishing features:
Pigtail. Often wears Chinese clothing.
Aliases:
`osage no onna' "pigtailed girl" to Kun^o
`mukodono' "son-in-law" to Cologne
Ran-chan to Uky^o
Akane's "cousin" Ranko to Nodoka
Disguises (to fool Ry^oga):
Girl in glasses
Nett^ohen #16. SS 8.11.
Ry^oga-sama's fianc'ee
Nett^ohen #24. SS 9.10.
Ry^oga's little sister Hibiki Yoiko
SS 11.2.
Cu-chan
Nett^ohen #43. SS 12.8.
Volleyball girl
Nett^ohen #62. SS 14.9.
Ry^oga's k^ohai [junior]
Nett^ohen #123. SS 20.2.
Dialect:
Uses rough, sloppy speech in either form.
(ex. `kawaikunee' instead of `kawaikunai',
`omoshiree' instead of `omoishiroi').
Name:
Saotome is a very common name, though it's also an
old word for "girl". Ranma means "wild horse".
In titles and credits, Ranma is written in kanji as
a male, and in hiragana as a female.
Voice:
(male) Yamaguchi Kappei {^[$@;38}!!>!J?^[(J}
(female) Hayashibara Megumi {^[$@NS86!!$a$0$_^[(J}
Saotome Genma {^[$@Aa25=w!!8<GO^[(J}
Ranma's insensitive father. Long ago, Genma trained
together with his friend Tend^o S^oun as Happ^osai's
students. S^oun and Genma arranged that someday their
children would marry.
While training Ranma at the remote Chinese training ground
Jusenky^o, Ranma kicked him into Shonmaoniichuan where a
panda drowned 2000 years ago. To Ranma's shock, Genma
emerged as a panda. As the Jusenky^o guide explained the
tragic legend of the spring, Genma whacked the distracted
Ranma into Nyanniichuan.
Unlike Ranma, he doesn't have much trouble with his curse.
He becomes quite accustomed to living as a panda, comporting
himself with human dignity even as he sips tea and plays
sh^ogi with S^oun. He even gets a part-time job doing
chores at the Ono Bonesetting Clinic. Since he can't speak
as a panda, he uses wooden signs to communicate.
Distinguishing features:
Round glasses with loops around each ear.
Weapons: As a panda, wooden signs.
Name: "dark horse"
Voice: Ogata Kenichi {^[$@=oJ}!!8-0l^[(J}
Tend^o Akane {^[$@E7F;!!$"$+$M^[(J}
The youngest daughter, age 16. A hot-tempered boy-hating
kempoist, yet admired by all the boys at school. She
refuses to be betrothed against her will, especially to a
weirdo like Ranma (who doesn't like being engaged to a
violent tomboy any better).
Akane is jealous of Ranma's many girlfriends, but hotly
denies her interest in Ranma. Ranma denies his attraction
to Akane just as vehemently. But despite their constant
bickering and denials, Akane and Ranma do grow to like each
other, though they cannot admit it.
Though her poisonous cooking is the bane of the dojo, Akane
will never accept defeat. Her attempts to cook often end in
a contest to see who will have to try it. Being Akane's
fianc'e, Ranma is usually the unwilling victim.
Akane is totally inept at traditional feminine pursuits like
cooking, sewing, and tea ceremony. She keeps trying and
takes pride in her work, then gets upset when someone
(usually Ranma) criticizes it. Even at martial arts, she is
often clumsy. And she swims like a hammer.
Name:
Tend^o "way of heaven; destiny". Akane from
`akane-gumo' "scarlet cloud".
Aliases:
Frequently called `kawaikune' "uncute" by Ranma
Voice: Hidaka Noriko {^[$@F|9b!!$N$j;R^[(J}
Tend^o Nabiki {^[$@E7F;!!$J$S$-^[(J}
Akane's conniving older sister, age 17. A mischievous
mercenary, con artist, and bookie, she finds ways to turn a
profit from the odd situations she becomes a part of. She
also maintains a steady income selling embarrassing pictures
of the female Ranma to Kun^o.
Name: From `nabiki-gumo' "fluttering cloud"
Voice: Takayama Minami {^[$@9b;3!!$_$J$_^[(J}
Tend^o Kasumi {^[$@E7F;!!$+$9$_^[(J}
Akane's eldest sister, age 19. A traditional, proper
Japanese girl, taking over the household duties of her dead
mother, keeping house and cooking for the Tend^o dojo's many
guests. She takes the bizarre events around the dojo in
stride with cheerful obliviousness or sympathetic remarks on
the obvious.
Name: From `kasumi-gumo' "hazy cloud"
Voice: Inoue Kikuko {^[$@0f>e!!4n5W;R^[(J}
Tend^o S^oun {^[$@E7F;!!Aa1@^[(J}
Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi's emotional father, head of the
Tend^o dojo [martial arts school].
Long ago, S^oun trained together with his closest friend
Saotome Genma as Happ^osai's students. S^oun and Genma
arranged that someday their children would marry. Now both
fathers try to force Akane and Ranma to bond against their
will, which rarely does any good.
S^oun is furious whenever Ranma turns out to have yet
another fianc'ee, or when Ranma seems to prefer one of them
to Akane.
Name: S^oun "fast cloud"
Voice: ^Obayashi Ryunosuke {^[$@BgNS!!N42p^[(J}
Hibiki Ry^oga {^[$@6A!!NI2g^[(J}
The eternally lost boy with fists of steel and a heart of
glass. Ry^oga has been Ranma's rival since junior high,
when he challenged Ranma to a fight in the vacant lot behind
his house. But by the time he found his way there after a
four-day journey all over Japan, Ranma had gone off with his
father on a training expedition.
To avenge the grudge, he went to China after Ranma,
eventually blundering his way to a desolate mountain range.
Suddenly, a pigtailed girl chasing a panda knocked him off a
cliff and into Heituenniichuan, where a black pig drowned
1200 years ago. A panda rescued the little black pig...
only to deliver him to the Jusenky^o guide for their dinner.
Fortunately, the guide dropped him into a wok of boiling
water.
Ry^oga blames Ranma for indirectly causing his condition,
and his anger multiplies when he finds out that Ranma is
actually directly responsible for it. When this comes out,
Ranma remorsefully swears not to reveal Ry^oga's secret.
Then Akane adopts Ry^oga the pig as her pet "P-chan".
Ry^oga falls deeply in love with her. However, he feels
certain that no one could love him as a human with his
curse.
Despite several close calls, Akane is unaware that the pet
pig she sleeps with is Ry^oga. She gets angry whenever
Ranma abuses P-chan, and chides him for being jealous of a
pig.
Ry^oga is a few noodles short of a cup ramen. In addition
to a complete inability to follow directions, Ry^oga is
fooled even by Ranma's most ridiculous disguises. He is also
extremely strong, and often inadvertently shatters rocks and
walls in his anxiety.
Appearance: #7. SS 2.2 (Viz 1.10).
Distinguishing features:
Cute fangs, like Lum in Urusei Yatsura. Wears a
yellow and black (no, not tiger-striped) headband
around his head, or around his neck as a pig.
Weapons:
Slings headbands, wields a heavy, sharp-rimmed
umbrella, and uses his belt like a blade.
Aliases:
as a pet black pig: P-chan to Akane, Charlotte to Azusa
Name: Hibiki "noise" Ry^oga "good fangs"
Voice: Yamadera K^oichi {^[$@;3;{!!9(0l^[(J}
Kun^o Tatewaki {^[$@6eG=!!BSEa^[(J}
2-E Kun^o Tatewaki, 17 years old, boastful captain of the
kend^o club. Speaks deeply and carries a big stick.
Apparently of wealthy noble lineage.
At a speech contest, he announced that anyone who would date
Akane must first defeat her in a fight. So every morning,
Akane runs the gauntlet from the school gate to the door,
beating up Kun^o and a legion of attacking suitors.
Hearing about Ranma and Akane's engagement, Kun^o
challenges Ranma. But during their fight, a strange
pigtailed girl mysteriously takes Ranma's place and KO's
Kun^o. Kun^o falls for the powerful mystery girl.
The other students accept Ranma and Akane's betrothal when
Ranma decisively beats Kun^o, though Kun^o himself cannot
bring himself to give up on either Akane or the pigtailed
girl. Hating Ranma for being too close to both girls, he
agonizes over which one he loves more (which his classmate
Nabiki happily capitalizes on).
Appearance: #2. SS 1.3 (Viz 1.3).
Distinguishing features:
Wears samurai robes and carries a bokut^o.
Dialect:
Affected formality. Quotes poetry.
Weapons:
A bokut^o [wooden kend^o sword] which he wields as
effectively as a blade.
Aliases:
`Aoi Ikazuchi' "Blue Thunder" according to himself
`Tatchi' to his father
Name:
In episode #2, Ranma writes Kun^o's name with the
meaning "agony". Kun^o writes his name with the
proper kanji, literally "9 abilities". Nabiki
changes the first character and writes his name as
Mun^o, "no ability". This is a better joke than the
original one in SS 1.2, where both Ranma and Kun^o
miswrite `baka' [idiot].
Tatewaki means "bringing a sword".
Voice: Suzuoki Hirotaka {^[$@NkCV!!MN9'^[(J}
Kun^o Kodachi {^[$@6eG=!!>.B@Ea^[(J}
Kun^o's even stranger younger sister, age 16. She's a
formidable martial arts MRG (modern rhythmic gymnastics)
expert from F^urinkan High's rival St. Hebereke girls'
academy.
Kodachi has taken to heart the principle that "all is fair
in love and war". She honorably wins all her matches by
default by taking out her opponents before the competition.
She remorselessly uses every dirty trick at her disposal in
order to win.
A favorite trick of hers is to give her victim a bouquet of
black roses loaded with exploding powder, to induce sleep or
paralysis.
After a thwarted attack on Akane in her bedroom before their
upcoming match, Ranma, chasing P-chan, accidentally knocks
Kodachi off the dojo roof, then unknowingly rescues her.
When she comes to and sees the hunk who "saved" her, she
falls for Ranma. Living a sheltered life in a girls'
school, she had given up hope of a normal relationship (in
her words).
However, not only is Akane in the way, but also a strong
pigtailed girl who has the audacity to use her Ranma's name!
Appearance: #11. SS 2.9 (Viz 2.3).
Distinguishing features:
Black roses are her trademark. Sometimes they
appear on her clothing, or she holds one between her
teeth. Spins her lash-like ribbon in the air,
and uses it to cast black rose petals all around.
Villainous laugh.
Dialect:
Affected formality.
Weapons:
Her favorite is the ribbon, but she's apparently
skilled with many. Gives bouquets of black roses
loaded with exploding powder causing sleep or
paralysis.
Aliases:
`Kuro-bara no Kodachi' {^[$@9u%P%i$N>.B@Ea^[(J}
"Black Rose Kodachi"
`Kotchi' to her father
Name: "little long sword"
Voice: Shimazu Saeko {^[$@EgDE!!:c;R^[(J}
the Joketsuzoku/Nyuchez^u [N`'"u ji'e z'u] {^[$@=w7fB2^[(J}
A clan of Chinese amazons who live in a village near
Jusenky^o.
Name: "woman hero tribe"
Shampoo [Sh^an p`'u] {^[$@;9`y^[(J}
A cute, uninhibited, acrobatic, ruthless, violent Chinese
girl.
Fresh from the cursed springs, the Jusenky^o guide led a
hungry Ranma and Genma to the Joketsuzoku village,
where Shampoo was defeating all challengers in their
annual contest.
Ranma and Genma sat at a fully laden banquet table and
gobbled down the prize. Challenged by the champion Shampoo,
Ranma entered the contest and quickly defeated her. Then
Shampoo gave this foreign girl the kiss of death, and
pursued Ranma across China trying to kill her.
Shampoo arrives in Tokyo and follows a panda back to the
Tend^o dojo, where she meets the boy Ranma for the first
time. Shampoo attacks Akane for hiding Ranma, so Ranma
defends her... accidentally KO'ing Shampoo. But instead of
giving the boy Ranma the kiss of death, Shampoo declares her
love for him and calls him "husband"!
According to the scriptures of the Joketsuzoku, when
defeated by an outsider, if it is a woman you give her the
kiss of death and kill her, but if it is a man you marry
him.
Ruthless with her rivals, she tries to make Akane forget
everything about Ranma by brainwashing her with the special
formula 110 shampoo.
Crushed when Ranma finally reveals his secret to her, she
goes home and renews her training at Jusenky^o with her
great-grandmother Cologne. Cologne knocks her into
Maoniichuan, where a cat drowned 1800 years ago. Now
assured that Ranma is truly a man, she and Cologne return to
Japan and try to get Ranma to fall in love with her, by any
means necessary, even magic.
Shampoo waits tables at Neko Hanten, her great-grandmother's
Chinese restaurant, and delivers ramen by bicycle,
occasionally running down people on the streets and
rooftops.
Appearance: #15. SS 4.4 (Viz 2.16).
Reappearance: Nett^ohen #2. SS 5.1 (Viz 3.1).
Distinguishing features:
Long purple hair. Wears Chinese clothing and round
hair ornaments that stay on her fur as a cat.
Dialect:
Speaks according to a stereotype of Chinese people
speaking Japanese (forming many adjectives with
`-teki', using `aru' as an ending). Uses katakana
Chinese conversational phrases:
nii hao [n`'i h`'ao] hello
shai shen [z`aiji`an] bye bye
shei shei [xi`exie] thank you
wuo ai ni [w`'o `ai n`'i] I love you
wuoda airen [w`'ode `air'en] my love
Weapons:
Wields bonbori [maces with big spheres on the end].
Also wielded a big curved sword when out to kill
Ranma.
Name:
The name ("coral" + "raw jade") is meaningless
Chinese.
Voice: Sakuma Rei {^[$@:45W4V!!%l%$^[(J}
Cologne [K`'e l'un?] {^[$@2DVG^[(J}
Shampoo's ancient, powerful great-grandmother. She and
Shampoo run the Neko Hanten, her Chinese restaurant.
Cologne holds Ranma responsible for Shampoo's curse, and
tries to make Ranma accept his "marriage" to Shampoo. In
the process, she subtly grooms her son-in-law by training
him in new martial arts techniques.
Even though she is a withered old crone, she is vain about
her appearance, and is not amused by jokes about it.
She knows all her clan's secret martial arts techniques and
magic, and has many arcane items stored away.
Appearance:
Nett^ohen #3. SS 5.6 (Viz 3.6).
Distinguishing features:
Hops around on a gnarled wooden staff somewhat like
a pogo stick.
Weapons: Her staff.
Name:
Not revealed until Happ^osai recognizes her much
later, in Nett^ohen #37 or SS 10.1. Throughout
Nett^ohen, she is listed in the credits as `o-baba'.
The name ("possible" + "rugged mountain place") is
meaningless in Chinese.
Voice: Asou Miyoko {^[$@Kc@8!!H~Be;R^[(J}
Mousse [M`u s^i] {^[$@]te/^[(J}
A boy blindly following his love, Shampoo, who detests him.
Even with his thick Coke-bottle glasses, he mistakes
bystanders, statues, and telephone poles for other people.
When he was a child, he tried to win Shampoo in a fight and
lost. Yet still he tries to win her heart.
Cologne tells Mousse that Shampoo is going to marry Ranma.
So he challenges his new rival for Shampoo's affections to a
man-to-man fight (a troublesome point for Ranma).
When Ranma defeats him, he seeks training at Jusenky^o,
where he walks into Yaazuniichuan, a spring where a wild
duckling drowned 1300 years ago. He returns to Japan with a
supply of Yaazuniichuan water, in order to turn Ranma into a
duck too. He fails.
Mousse goes to work at the Neko Hanten to be close to
Shampoo, where he takes a lot of abuse. He hates Ranma, and
would dearly like to do away with Shampoo's "husband".
Appearance: Nett^ohen #5. SS 5.7 (Viz 3.6).
Reappearance: Nett^ohen #13. SS 10.4.
Distinguishing features:
Thick glasses. Wears a white robe.
Dialect:
Seems to use Tohoku dialect (ex. `ora' instead of
`ore').
Weapons:
Mousse is a hidden weapons expert. He usually
throws various heavy or entangling objects on the
ends of long chains. He sometimes sprouts long
blades from his sleeves, or wears shoes with
spikes and talons on the ends. As a duck, his
eyesight is sharp enough to accurately throw knives
which sprout from his wings.
Aliases:
`anki no Mousse' "hidden tool Mousse" {^[$@0E4o$N%`!<%9^[(J}
in the circus, as a knife-throwing duck: `M^u-M^u'
Name:
Written "Moose" in Nett^ohen, but no doubt "Mousse"
was intended as another bathing product pun.
The name ("wash" + "thread") is meaningless in
Chinese.
Voice: Seki Toshihiko {^[$@4X!!=SI'^[(J}
Happ^osai {^[$@H,Ju@F^[(J}
A powerful old man, possessed of an evil spirit. The feared
and loathed sensei of Genma and S^oun. 10-several years
ago, he harshly trained them by making them take part in his
plundering and endure the punishments when he left them
behind. Finally, they got him drunk, chained him in a
barrel, threw the barrel in a cave, and sealed the cave with
dynamite and a boulder hung with Buddhist scriptures.
He escapes. Presently he moves into the Tend^o dojo to
train his successor. Genma gives him Ranma to train.
A 110% pervert, he lifts skirts, commits random acts of
frottage, and constantly goes around stealing women's
underwear for his extensive collection. His perversions are
the source of his strength; without touching young female
bodies or underwear, he loses his power. Akane and
especially Ranma are his favorite targets.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #15. SS 7.5 (Viz 4.1).
Reappearance: Nett^ohen #114. SS 19.9.
Weapons:
A small pipe, with which he flips opponents long
distances, and the long-forgotten devastating secret
Happ^o-daikarin technique (throwing fuse bombs).
Aliases: `Happy' to Cologne, as he called himself at 18
Name: "8 treasures together"
Voice: Nagai Ichir^o {^[$@1J0f!!0lO:^[(J}
Kuonji Uky^o {^[$@5W1s;{!!1&5~^[(J}
Okonomiyaki Uky^o, Ranma's cute fianc'ee.
10 years ago, on a training journey in the country with his
father, Ranma stole okonomiyaki [a cross between an omelet
and a pancake] daily from Uky^o's father's yatai [food
cart], easily overcoming Ucchan's defense. However, it
was a friendly rivalry -- Uky^o drew pictures with
okonomiyaki sauce on them for Ranma.
Her father told Genma that Uky^o said she wants to be
Ranma's wife. Genma said Ranma already has a fianc'ee.
Uky^o's father said that's too bad, he was thinking of
giving them the yatai for a dowry. Genma said, "We'll take
her!"
In a quandary, Genma let Ranma make the decision-- he asked
Ranma which he liked better, okonomiyaki or Uky^o. Never
suspecting that Uky^o is a girl, Ranma chose okonomiyaki.
So Genma and Ranma ran off with the yatai and left Uky^o
behind.
Shamed and ridiculed by her peers, Uky^o decided she
wouldn't like boys forever, dressed and lived as one, and
devoted herself to okonomiyaki style martial arts.
She shows up as a new student at F^urinkan High and
challenges Ranma. After a heated battle, Ranma discovers
Uky^o's actual gender (and verifies it by pouring hot water
on her!). Meanwhile, Uky^o discovers that Ranma does not
get along with his "uncute" fianc'ee. Ranma and Uky^o
reconcile, and she becomes enamored of him again.
Though she still dreams of marrying Ranma, Ranma still
treats Ucchan only as an old friend. Her plots to win him
over are less violent and more psychological that Ranma's
other suitors. For example, instead of trying to kill her
rival Akane, Uky^o arranges a date between her and Ry^oga.
Running her okonomiyaki restaurant "Ucchan" has made her
skillful at both domestic tasks and running a business.
Although she lives to cook okonomiyaki, she would give it
all up to marry Ranma.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #23. SS 9.5.
Distinguishing features:
Wears a bandoleer of small spatulas and a huge
spatula on her back.
Dialect:
Kansai dialect (ex. `da' replaced with `ya',
`-masen' with `-mahen', uses `uchi' instead of
`watashi', says `ooki ni' for "thank you").
Aliases:
`Okonomiyaki no Uky^o' "Okonomiyaki Uky^o"
Weapons:
Wields a huge spatula. Throws small sharpened
spatulas. Once, threw exploding bags of powder.
Aliases:
`Ucchan' to Ranma
Name: Kuonji "eternal temple" Uky^o "right of Kyoto"
Voice: Tsuru Hiromi {^[$@Da!!$R$m$_^[(J}
MINOR CHARACTERS
Sarugakure Sasuke {^[$@1n1#!!:4=u^[(J}
The Kun^o family's ineffectual ninja. He spies for Kun^o
and Kodachi, hiding in bushes or rafters and snapping
pictures.
He tries to defend the Kun^o mansion against intruders, but
his traps to catch them usually backfire. He also serves as
caretaker, repairing the property damage caused by violent
visitors and perpetual sibling rivalry.
(Sasuke does not appear in the comics. In the original
comics stories, Gosunkugi spies for Kun^o and Kodachi
instead.)
Appearance: Nett^ohen #2.
Name:
Reference to the legendary monkey-stylist ninja
Sarutobi Sasuke of Mt. Kun^o. Instead of Sarutobi
"monkey flying", his surname is Sarugakure "monkey
hiding".
Voice: Chiba Shigeru {^[$@@iMU!!HK^[(J}
the principal [`k^och^o'] {^[$@9;D9^[(J}
The antagonistic authoritarian Hawaiimaniac principal of
F^urinkan High. He makes crazy rules to inconvenience his
students, especially Ranma, who thwarts his discipline.
When he returns from America, he announces he has a big
present for his students: a new rule that all boys must have
marab^ozu-style shaved heads and all girls have very short
okappa haircuts... unless the students get a coconut
containing an exemption slip within three days. He goes to
extreme lengths in his attempts to cut Ranma's pigtail and
make an example of him, but only gets pounded.
In SS 12.3, the students force him to reveal that although
he doesn't remember where that coconut with the exemption
slip is, he tattooed directions to it on the shaved head of
his long lost son Tatewaki, who he left behind 3 years ago.
In Nett^ohen, this revelation does not come until Nett^ohen
#78. The principal pines after his son who ran away 3 years
ago, until Sasuke recognizes the principal as Kun^o's
father.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #46. SS 12.1.
Distinguishing features:
Bonsai palm tree growing on top of his head. Deep
tan. Wears sunglasses, a lei, and an aloha shirt.
Sometimes rides a skateboard.
Dialect:
Uses katakana American in his sentences, and draws
out the word `desu' (ex. `GIBU APPU de---su!' "I
give up!").
Weapons:
Wields a pair of barikan [hair clippers] or large
shears. Hands or throws exploding pineapples to
unsuspecting students. Has used silly tricks like
remote-control planes with sharpened propellers and
trained hair-clipping lobsters.
Voice: Hitouchi Tateno {^[$@?NFb!!7zG7^[(J}
Ono T^of^u {^[$@>.G5!!ElIw^[(J}
Dr. T^of^u, the local chiropractor, runs the Ono Bonesetting
Clinic, where he also practices acupuncture and moxibustion.
He is highly skilled in martial arts medicine, when he's
himself. But whenever Kasumi is in sight, his glasses steam
up, and he becomes a babbling fool. When he is in this
state, he is a danger to himself and his patients. Everyone
but Kasumi is aware of his deep infatuation and knows to
avoid the clinic when she is around. Often after seeing
Kasumi, he dances around in glee and runs through the park
with his skeleton `Betty-chan'.
At the beginning of the series, Akane is heartbroken over
his interest in Kasumi. Akane had had a crush on him since
she was a child.
Appearance: #2. SS 1.3 (Viz 1.3).
Name: T^of^u "east wind"
Voice: Mitsuya Y^uji {^[$@;0%CLp!!M:Fs^[(J}
Jusenky^o guide {^[$@<v@t6?%,%$%I^[(J}
The Chinese guide who explains the tragic legends befalling
the surprising number of people cursed by the springs of
Jusenky^o.
He warned Ranma and Genma that the cursed springs were
dangerous, but of course they didn't listen. He also
accompanied the transformed Saotomes to the Joketsuzoku
village, where he translated for them as they got themselves
into even deeper trouble.
Dialect:
Speaks according to a stereotype of Chinese people
speaking Japanese (as noted under Shampoo).
Voice: Yamadera K^oichi {^[$@;3;{!!9(0l^[(J}
Saotome Nodoka {^[$@Aa25=w!!$N$I$+^[(J}
Ranma's mother.
A mother's influence is detrimental to training a boy in
Saotome-style martial arts, so Genma took his infant son and
left Nodoka. As he left, he swore to make Ranma a manly man
inside and out, or they would commit honorable seppuku (more
crudely called `hara-kiri') like men.
As a martial artist's wife, she accepted Genma's decision.
Truly, a remarkable woman (she'd have to be to marry a man
like Genma!).
Nodoka received letters from Genma until he took Ranma to
Jusenky^o, when they suddenly stopped. So she comes to the
Tend^o dojo, wanting nothing more than to see her son Ranma
grown to be a manly man. And if Ranma isn't a manly man,
she'll hold Genma to his promise. So, when she hears about
her son doing unmanly things like wearing women's clothes,
her placid demeanor disappears and she draws her katana.
When she shows up at the dojo, Ranma and Genma are "off on
another training trip", leaving fianc'ee Akane behind with
her tomboy "cousin" Ranko and Ranko's pet panda...
Weapons: Carefully wrapped katana.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #142. SS 22.2.
Name: Nodoka "calm; peaceful; mild"
Voice: Ikeda Masako {^[$@CSED!!>;;R^[(J}
Ninomiya Hinako {^[$@Fs%N5\!!$R$J;R^[(J}
A new remedial teacher rumored to have totally subjugated
the students of Uchino High is hired by F^urinkan High's
principal to teach Ranma's class. But he is mortified when
the new teacher he hired turns out, to his shock, to be a
little girl.
But when there is fighting, she pulls out a 5 yen coin and
uses the Happ^o-go-en-satsu technique to absorb fighting
spirit through it, turning into an adult with a soldier-like
personality.
The counter-technique to change her back to a child involves
striking a couple pressure points around the heart, and on
the back. To execute it, Ranma has to put his hand somewhere
rather compromising on stacked Hinako-sensei. Any time he
gets close enough to try, someone interrupts and catches him
in the act.
As a sickly child, Happ^osai trained her in what she
thought was "good kid gymnastics". What he really taught
her were the Happ^o-go-en-satsu techniques, in order to take
out the opposition to his panty raids.
Appearance: SS 25.3. OAV 4.
Voice: T^oma Yumi {^[$@E_GO!!M3H~^[(J}
Gosunkugi Hikaru {^[$@8^@#E#!!8w^[(J}
Ranma and Akane's spooky classmate. Obsessed with Akane, he
takes pictures of her and tries to gain her companionship.
Jealous of Ranma, he nails voodoo dolls with strands of
Ranma's hair to trees and posts.
In the comics, he becomes a spy for Kun^o and Kodachi in
their plots to cause trouble for Ranma. (In the Nett^ohen
versions of those stories, Sasuke spies for Kun^o instead.)
When he tries to do something sneaky, he wears unconvincing
disguises.
Appearance:
Nett^ohen #96.
SS 5.1 (Viz 3.1).
Distinguishing features:
Big dark patches under his eyes. Straps burning
candles to his head.
Weapons:
Small wooden hammer.
Name: Gosunkugi "5 inch [`sun': Japanese inch] nail"
Voice: Futamata Kazunari {^[$@FsKt!!0l@.^[(J}
RECURRING GUEST STARS
These characters appear in more than one story or feature, though their
later appearances may only be cameos.
Pantyhose Tar^o [`Pansuto Tar^o'] {^[$@%Q%s%9%H!!B@O:^[(J}
One day, a monster steals the Jusenky^o client register
from the Jusenky^o guide, and flies to Japan seeking
Happ^osai.
Happ^osai baptized Tar^o in Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan, where
a yeti riding a bull carrying a crane and an eel drowned
2500 years ago. But Tar^o is not upset about turning into
a bizarre monster like a winged minotaur with a serpent
tail. Happ^osai cursed him with something far worse-- he
baptized him with the humiliating name "Pantyhose Tar^o".
And by his customs, only Happ^osai can change his name...
After failing to persuade Happ^osai to change his name
the first time, Tar^o went back to Jusenky^o for water
from Shannanniichuan to turn Happ^osai into a virtuous man.
He doused himself with water from Chanyuiniichuan, where a
giant octopus drowned 1600 years ago. His cursed form
gained tentacles and the ability to shoot ink.
His plan to make Happ^osai virtuous has the dojo's
approval... until the Jusenky^o guide calls and tells them
that he made a terrible mistake! What Tar^o actually
bottled was Shuanshontsuniichuan water, which turns whatever
it hits into twins!
Appearance: Nett^ohen #103. SS 18.1.
Reappearance: SS 23.1.
Voice: Furumoto Shinnosuke {^[$@8EK\!!?7G7Je^[(J}
the ghost cat [`bake-neko'] {^[$@2=$1G-^[(J}
A huge ghost cat inhabiting Maom^orin, a legendary huge
jingle bell. The girl with the matching little bell is
to be his bride.
Shampoo gives Ranma the big bell as a souvenir from China,
keeping the little one for herself. That night, the huge
ghost cat comes out and seeks his bride. But Shampoo claims
Ranma is her husband...
Ranma, afraid of cats, is too terrified by the ghost to put
up much of a fight. But it doesn't take much. While the
ghost cat can act threatening, he is a big crybaby and gives
up after one hit.
The ghost cat can possess people's bodies. He also has a
typical feline weakness for playing with cattails.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #54. SS 14.2.
Reappearance:
Nett^ohen #73.
SS 20.7.
Distinguishing features: BIG white cat.
Dialect:
In Japan, cats go `nyaa nyaa'. The ghost cat
frequently replaces `na' in words with `nya' (ex.
`gomennyasai' "Sorry"). Uses `nya' as a verb
ending.
Voice: Yoshimura Y^o {^[$@5HB<!!$h$&^[(J}
Golden Pair [`^Ogon Pair']
Shiratori Azusa {^[$@GrD;!!$"$:$5^[(J}
Cutesy martial arts figure skater of the free-skating
Golden Pair from Koru Hosei Gakuen.
When Azusa sees something she considers cute, like
P-chan ("Charlotte!"), she gives it a French name and
selfishly claims it for her own (and if a man has it,
beats him over the head until she gets it).
She challenges Akane to a martial arts ice skating match
with P-chan as the prize.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #7. SS 3.6 (Viz 2.9).
Name: Shiratori "white bird" Azusa "catalpa tree"
Voice: Matsui Naoko {^[$@>>0f!!:Z:y;R^[(J}
Sanzenin Mikado {^[$@;0@i1!!!Dk^[(J}
Very handsome and very conceited playboy martial arts
figure skater of the free-skating Golden Pair from Koru
Hosei Gakuen.
His favorite tactic is kissing his female opponent. He
thinks of little else.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #7. SS 3.6 (Viz 2.9).
Name: Sanzenin "3000 mansions" Mikado "emperor"
Voice: Inoue Kazuhiko {^[$@0f>e!!OBI'^[(J}
Linlin and Ranran
Shampoo's "younger sister" villagers of her clan, who
trained very hard in ridiculous martial arts techniques
when they saw Shampoo beaten by Ranma. They come to
Japan to ask Shampoo how she killed Ranma, and when they
find out she hasn't, they try to. Shampoo stops them the
first time and gives them the kiss of death. But when
their techniques later backfire, Shampoo ends up saving
their lives.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #40.
Reappearance: Nett^ohen #72.
Name:
From real Chinese sisters famous for singing `LINLIN
RANRAN ry^uen!' in a TV commercial for a Chinese
restaurant.
Dialect:
Speak according to a stereotype of Chinese people
speaking Japanese (as noted under Shampoo).
Voice:
(Linlin) Mita Y^uko {^[$@;0ED!!$f$&;R^[(J}
(Ranran) Kobayashi Y^uko {^[$@>.NS!!M%;R^[(J}
Kurenai Tsubasa {^[$@9H!!$D$P$5^[(J}
An extremely cute junior high schoolmate of Uky^o's, who
gives Uky^o presents and sends Uky^o love letters. Uky^o
responded to one letter, sending Tsubasa a picture of her
fianc'ee, the female Ranma. So Tsubasa challenges Ranma to
win Uky^o. Ranma tries revealing Uky^o's true gender, but
it comes as no surprise. Tsubasa likes girls. Any girl who
acts kindly.
Skilled at camouflage, Tsubasa wears bizarre disguises like
mailboxes, vending machines, umbrella costumes...
Appearance: Nett^ohen #27. SS 10.9.
Name: Kurenai "scarlet" Tsubasa "wings"
Voice: Yamada Eiko {^[$@;3ED!!1I;R^[(J}
Bakuchi-^O King {^[$@GnTu2&#K^[(J}
The unscrupulous carnival gambler to whom young Ranma, 10
years ago, loses his shirt and the Tend^o dojo he would
eventually marry into. King returns with Ranma's signed
promise in writing, to claim the dojo and turn it into a
casino.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #67. SS 15.4.
Aliases: `Casino King' in Super Famicom game
Distinguishing features:
Looks like and dresses similar to a playing card King.
Weapons: Throws cards.
Name: Bakuchi-^O "Gambling King"
Voice: Aono Takeshi {^[$@@DLn!!Ip^[(J}
the dojo yaburi {^[$@F;>lGK$j^[(J}
A dojo yaburi is one who comes to the dojo and challenges
the champion with the dojo's signboard as the stake.
A big dojo yaburi with a large collection of signboards
challenges the Tend^o dojo to a fight the following day.
S^oun and Genma want Akane and Ranma to fight him together,
but Shampoo has offered Ranma her Nanniichuan mix if he goes
on a date with her then. Akane insists she can handle it
herself, but Ranma worries.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #12. SS 8.1.
Voice: Kamiyama Takumi {^[$@?@;3!!Bn;0^[(J}
the niku-men-- Niku, An, Curry, and Pizza
In the Tsinghai region of China, four little men come to the
Yakusaikan store seeking a 4000-year-old dragon's whisker
of mysterious power. They coerce the shopkeeper to draw them a
picture of the person who has it now, who has a conspicuous
pigtail. Finally they find Ranma, who uses it to tie off the
end of his pigtail and never removes it because it's his
"seal". But remove it they will...
Appearance: Nett^ohen #70. SS 15.8.
Distinguishing features:
Their heads look like niku-man, an-man, curry-man,
and pizza-man.
Voices:
Tanonaka Takeshi {^[$@ED%NCf!!M+^[(J}
Chiba Shigeru {^[$@@iMU!!HK^[(J}
Shimada Satoshi {^[$@EgED!!IR^[(J}
Hase Arihiro {^[$@D9C+!!M-MN^[(J}
Daimonji Sentar^o {^[$@BgJ8;z!!@yB@O:^[(J}
Sentar^o, unconscious on a wild horse charging through the
rain, is "saved" by Ranma. Happy to have found a strong
girl his grandmother could approve of, he tries to take
Ranma for a bride (and Akane after she comes to rescue
Ranma).
Appearance: Nett^ohen #75. SS 6.9 (Viz 3.20).
Dialect: Kyoto dialect (exaggerated used of `dosu').
Name:
Common name with unusual kanji; the first character
is the character for "boiling".
Voice: Shimada Satoshi {^[$@EgED!!IR^[(J}
the Iemoto {^[$@2H85^[(J}
Sentar^o's grandmother, Iemoto [head of a school of art or
philosophy] of tea ceremony style martial arts, who tests
Ranma to prove her as strong and as worthy as Sentar^o
claims.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #75. SS 6.9 (Viz 3.20).
Reappearance:
Nett^ohen #79.
Nett^ohen #112.
Weapons: Tea ceremony implements.
Dialect: Kyoto dialect (exaggerated used of `dosu').
Voice: Ky^oda Naoko {^[$@5~ED!!>0;R^[(J}
Miyako-ooji Satsuki {^[$@ETBgO)!!Cc7n^[(J}
The 1988 Miss Tea Ceremony, intended bride of Sentar^o.
In Nett^ohen, daughter of the "dark side" martial arts tea
ceremony school.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #112. SS 6.11 (Viz 3.22).
Name:
Satsuki is a common name with unusual kanji meaning
"tea moon".
Yotar^o {^[$@M?B@O:^[(J}
A weak little boy who doesn't like to go outside. He loves
pandas, and tells his mother he will go outside and play if
he gets a panda for Christmas. Looking for a good Christmas
tree, Genma gets lost and happens upon their mansion.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #57. SS 14.6.
Voice: Matsui Naoko {^[$@>>0f!!:Z:y;R^[(J}
Yotar^o's mother
His mother, who gratefully serves the panda expensive
delicacies.
Voice: Yokoo Mari {^[$@2#Hx!!$^$j^[(J}
Picolette Chardin II
A blond-haired blue-eyed French prince. Able to slip huge
amounts of food in his incredibly flexible mouth, too quickly
to be seen (according to his family's manners).
Twenty years ago, a starving S^oun and Genma, after losing
in a martial arts dinner contest and being presented with a
monstrous bill, promised one of their daughters to marry
into the Chardin family.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #87. SS 16.8.
Name: French-sounding name of a Japanese toilet cleanser.
Distinguishing features:
Blond-haired, blue-eyed gaijin. Can stretch his mouth
bigger than someone's head. Mixes French and Japanese.
Dialect:
Mixes katakana French words with very formal
Japanese (ex. `Bonjour de gozaimasu').
Voice: Namba Keiichi {^[$@FqGH!!7=0l^[(J}
Madame Saint-Paul
Monsieur Picolette's governess who trains Ranma in martial
arts dinner, so she can be a proper bride.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #87. SS 16.9.
Name: Reference to floor cleaning spray.
Dialect:
Uses a dialect associated with snooty rich people
(ex. `zansu' instead of `desu').
Voice: Mita Y^uko {^[$@;0ED!!$f$&;R^[(J}
Konj^o (M-A-R-I-K-O) Mariko {^[$@:#>r!!%^%j;R^[(J}
A martial arts cheerleading expert from Seisyun Gakuen,
who strikes down her team's opponents while cheering. She
knocks down the entire F^urinkan High volleyball team
except for Akane. She falls for Kun^o and challenges Ranma
to a martial arts cheerleading contest for him during their
schools' upcoming kend^o match.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #136. SS 21.7.
Dialect: Constantly cheers out words alphabetically.
Weapons: Cheerleading implements (batons, pompoms...)
Voice: Kobayashi Y^uko {^[$@>.NS!!M%;R^[(J}
the school observer [`kage no don' "the shadow don"]
F^urinkan High's school observer, appointed by its first
principal. Ranma discovers him running the long-neglected
second school store in the dark basement. The current
principal wants to get rid of him, but he knows all of
F^urinkan's secrets.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #98.
Reappearance: Nett^ohen #117.
Voice: Masuoka Hiroshi {^[$@A}2,!!90^[(J}
Shirokuro
In the comics, Ry^oga's dog, age 4. The only one in
Ry^oga's household that can find her way home. Appears on
television as a lost dog looking for her master, with a
litter of two-tone puppies that Akane adores.
In the TV series, a ninja dog that Ry^oga rescues and
adopts.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #140. SS 11.1.
Distinguishing features:
White on one side, black on the other.
Name:
`Shiro' "white" and `Kuro' "black" are common dog
names.
ALSO FEATURING
Many characters appear for only one episode to set up a conflict, then
disappear, never to be seen again. There are far too many to list,
but here are a few of the more significant ones.
7 Fukud^ojin
When Happ^osai trained in China, he stole a half scroll
containing a secret technique from the 7 Fukud^ojin. The
legend of the scroll holds that a prince on a white horse
will come for the holder and make her happy, so he gives it
to an old woman when he tries to skip out on a restaurant
bill.
Appearance:
Movie: Ch^ugoku Nekonron daikessen! Okite yaburi
no gekit^o hen
Name:
7 Fukud^ojin [lucky martial artists] are based on
the 7 Fukujin, the 7 Gods of Luck, who come to Japan
from afar on New Years' Eve, bringing good luck in a
treasure ship. The 7 deities are:
Bishamon(ten), the God of War and Defense, whose
spear is said to protect people from evil.
Daikoku(ten), the God of Wealth and Harvest, who
brings luck to farmers. He carries a huge treasure
sack and carries a magical gavel of luck.
Hotei, the potbellied God of Happiness and
Prosperity, who carries a huge sack of treasures to
ensure a happy and prosperous life like a treasure
hammer, a money-producing purse, etc.
Ben(zai)ten is the Goddess of Arts and Wisdom, a
talented beauty who plays the biwa.
Ebisu, the smiling God of Fishing and Commerce
worshipped by merchants, usually depicted with a
fishing rod and a huge red sea bream.
Fukurokuju, the God of Wealth and Longevity, a very
old man with a huge bald head a long full beard. He
holds a crooked cane with a scroll attached to the
top containing the secret to gaining wealth and
longevity. Usually accompanied by a crane, another
longevity symbol.
Jur^ojin, the similar God of Longevity, who looks
very much like Fukurokuju. He holds a similar cane,
and also a flat fan in one hand. Usually
accompanied by a stag. He and Fukurokuju are
usually confused, though they have different
origins. They've been depicted playing karuta
together.
Lychee
Granddaughter of the old woman Happ^osai sold the scroll to,
who after a series of misfortunes, doubts the power of the
scroll and seeks Happ^osai. She tracks him down to the
Tend^o dojo and throws the scroll at him. It ends up in
Akane's hands, just as the "prince", Kirin, arrives.
Name:
From the Chinese evergreen that produces lychee
[l`izh^i] nuts as fruit. In Japanese, this
is rendered as `Raichi'.
Voice: Tamagawa Sakiko {^[$@6L@n!!5*8J;R^[(J}
Jasmine
Lychee's unusual elephant with a powerful fighting spirit.
Kirin
The leader of the 7 Fukud^ojin, who finally arrives just as
the scroll ends up in Akane's hands. He holds the other
half of the scroll, whose power comes when both halves are
used as a pair, so there is a rule that the bearers of the
two pieces must marry. He takes Akane away to his castle in
China. Ranma and company go to rescue her.
Voice: Shiozawa Kaneto {^[$@1vBt!!7s?M^[(J}
Ebiten {^[$@7CHfE7^[(J}
The Fukud^ojin version of Ebisu, the god of fishing.
Guardian of the 5th gate.
Weapons: His fishing pole.
Voice: Yoshimura Y^o {^[$@5HB<!!$h$&^[(J}
Daikokusei {^[$@Bg9u@1^[(J}
Daihakusei {^[$@BgGr@1^[(J}
The go-playing twins. Guardians of the 2nd gate.
Name:
Daikokusei doesn't resemble Daikoku, but takes part
of his name from him. Daihakusei has almost the same
name, but the kanji for "black" is replaced with
"white".
They look more alike than Fukurokuju and Jur^ojin,
but instead of karuta, they play go (Daikokusei
plays black and Daihakusei plays white, naturally).
Voice:
(Daikokusei) Koyasu Takehito {^[$@;R0B!!Ip?M^[(J}
(Daihakusei) Matono Mitsuaki {^[$@??EB!!8w><^[(J}
Bishamonten {^[$@Ht<VLgE7^[(J}
A formidable-looking warrior. Guardian of the 1st gate.
Name:
From Bishamon(ten), the God of War. The first two
kanji in the traditional name are replaced with
`hisha', the name of a sh^ogi piece.
Weapons: A big polearm.
M^u {^[$@L5^[(J}
The Fukud^ojin version of Hotei. A walking wall. Guardian
of the 3rd gate.
Weapons: His tremendous belly.
Monron {^[$@%b%s%m%s^[(J}
The biwa-playing Fukud^ojin version of Benten. Guardian of
the 4th gate.
Weapons: Her biwa, sharpened strings.
T^oma {^[$@%H%&%^^[(J}
A young martial artist on the magical island T^ogenky^o
with a spring that turns animals into animal-men. The cast
gets shipwrecked there and all the girls are kidnapped to
compete to be T^oma's bride.
Appearance:
Movie: Kessen T^ogenky^o! Hanayome o torimodose!!
Wan-tan
T^oma's follower, a dog man.
Name:
`wan wan' is how Japanese dogs bark. Pun on wonton,
as in Chinese soup.
In a Japanese fairy tale, Momotar^o, the Peach Boy, has
three followers, a dog, a bird, and a monkey.
Tori-sutan
T^oma's follower, a bird man.
Name:
`tori' means bird, and he seems to be named after
Tristan of medieval romance.
Saru-toru
T^oma's follower, a monkey man.
Name:
`saru' means monkey. Pun on Jean-Paul Sartre, French
existentialist.
the Jak^o [Musk] dynasty {^[$@sM9a2&D+^[(J}
A 1400-year-old dynasty of animal-stylist martial artists.
Their ancestors threw wild animals into Nyanniichuan to turn
them into women for their brides. To keep the women in
their cursed form permanently, they poured water on them
from a magic bucket, the Chiisui-ton. Their descendants
inherit some of the wild animals' superhuman abilities.
(Nowadays, the descendants marry women from villages in
neighboring districts who excel in martial arts.)
As part of their harsh training, as soon as they are weaned
they are separated from even their mothers. They are raised
never knowing a living thing called a "woman".
Mint [M`'in d`u] {^[$@IREN^[(J}
A wolf-boy with superhuman speed. Since he has never seen
a woman before, he is obsessed with breasts.
Appearance: SS 24.1.
Distinguishing features: Wears a wolf's scalp.
Weapons: Throws knives incredibly fast.
Name: "nimble" + "careless"
Lime [L'ai m`u] {^[$@MhKS^[(J}
A tiger-boy with superhuman strength. Since he has never
seen a woman before, he is obsessed with breasts.
Appearance: SS 24.1.
Distinguishing features:
Wears tiger-skin loincloth and leg warmers.
Name: "come" + "friendly"
Herb [H^a f`'u?] {^[$@R}!R;3Jc!S^[(J}
Dragon-leader of the Musk Dynasty with the ability to fly.
To learn about women before his arranged marriage, Herb
threw a monkey in Nyanniichuan. As he stood transfixed by
his first sight of breasts, the monkey girl pushed him into
the spring too. Then, as Herb was captivated by his/her new
body, the monkey girl splashed Herb with Chiisui-ton water.
So, Herb comes to Japan to search for the long-lost opposite
to the Chiisui-ton, the Kaisui-f^u.
Appearance: SS 24.1.
Name: "laugh" + ?
Kinnii
A violent swordsman from the Guardians of Jusenky^o.
The Guardians of Jusenky^o are a secret organization that
keeps tabs on the 144 people who have fallen in the cursed
springs. They have three rules:
* Don't abuse the power to change.
* Don't use the power to hurt people.
* If you don't break those two rules, you can use the power.
Ranma, Genma, Ry^oga, Shampoo, and Mousse have broken the
rules, so Kinnii volunteers to go to Japan to deal with them.
The committee vice-president goes along to keep him out of
trouble.
Kinnii is also cursed. He fell in F^ushanniichuan, where a
Buddhist monk drowned 999 years ago. When splashed with
cold water, he changes from a hulking swordsman into a
scrawny priest, and tries to repair all the damage he
caused.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #30.
Weapons: Great big sword.
Voice: Aono Takeshi {^[$@@DLn!!Ip^[(J}
the frog wizard [`kaeru sennin'] {^[$@%+%(%k^[(J ^[$@@g?M^[(J}
The Frog Wizard trains frogs to do tricks in a sidewalk
show, and more.
He was at Jusenky^o training a frog to sit on a bamboo
pole. A boy attacking a panda kicked the poles out from
under them. Man and frog fell into the spring and came out
frog-man.
Seeking revenge against Ranma, he fills a bottle with
Chinwaniichuan water and turns people with Jusenky^o curses
into frogs.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #82.
Voice: Enji Ry^uji {^[$@\G!!LxFs^[(J}
Harumaki {^[$@=U4,^[(J}
The ghost of an old man who enters Ranma's dreams. He
wishes to relive a date with lost love Gy^oko-san, whom
the female Ranma reminds him of.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #126. SS 20.9.
Unryuu Akari {^[$@1@N5!!$"$+$j^[(J}
A girl who really, really, really, really loves pigs.
For generations, Akari's family has raised sumo pigs.
Before her grandfather died, he told Akari to look for a
strong man. However, he won't allow her to date any boy who
cannot beat 14-time sumo champion pig Katsu-nigiri
["cutlet-ball"]. But Katsu-nigiri defeated every boy.
While Ry^oga is fighting Ranma in the street, Akari sends
Katsu-nigiri to attack him. Ry^oga easily defeats
Katsu-nigiri. Akari runs up and promptly gives Ry^oga a
love letter.
From the first time she saw Ry^oga, he was her ideal man,
because he's "strong like a pig, burly like a pig, gentle
like a pig, clever like a pig, eloquent like a pig, cool
like a pig... the most pig-like guy I've ever met!" It's
like a moment of spring for Ry^oga's frozen heart.
Akari comes to the Tend^o dojo. Akane is delighted that
Ry^oga has found a girlfriend, but when Akari gives Ry^oga
pig-shaped cookies and a pig sweater as presents, he cries
and runs off.
Wandering through the city, Ry^oga has been so affected by
Akari's love, that when anyone says the word "buta" [pig] he
yells "I love you!" and grabs them in a tight embrace.
Meanwhile, having gotten the impression that Ry^oga cried
and ran off because he hates pigs, Akari resolves to hate pigs
too, and never let the "bu" of "buta" pass her lips...
Appearance: SS 30.1.
Shinnosuke {^[$@??G72p^[(J}
An absent-minded boy who lives with his grandfather in the
forest setting monster traps, who saved Akane from a giant
monster when she was little.
Appearance: SS 25.10.
Kumon Ry^u {^[$@8xLf!!N5^[(J}
A martial artist who came by Ranma's scroll for the Saotome
school technique Yamasen-ken. After saving Ranma's mother
from a rampaging bear, Nodoka returns the scroll to him and
he gives his name as Saotome Ranma.
By infiltrating the Tend^o dojo and pretending to be Ranma,
he hopes to find the technique the Yamasen-ken pairs with,
the Umisen-ken.
Appearance: SS 28.1.
Pink [P'i? k`'e?] {^[$@!R2&Hf!S2Q^[(J}
Link [L'ing k`'e?] {^[$@NV2Q^[(J}
10 years ago, Cologne took Shampoo to the medicinal herb
village to stock up on herbal medicines. Prankster Pink
blew Mandragora seeds on Shampoo, and poured water to make
them sprout. When Shampoo pulled off one of the poisonous
roots, it screamed and she collapsed. Link came along and
fed Shampoo some antidote. Mistaking Link for Pink, Shampoo
ungratefully punched Link away.
After Shampoo runs a big wedding announcement in the
newspaper, they show up to kill Ranma, so that Shampoo can
taste the same pain she gave Link.
Pink and Link grow many bizarre magical and poisonous
plants, all of which spring into full flower instantly.
Distinguishing features:
Pink wears the kanji `doku' [poison] in white on
red. Link wears the kanji `yaku' [medicine] in
blue. Together, the characters mean a poisonous
drug.
Appearance: SS 29.3.
Kasha-^O Kinnosuke {^[$@2P<V2&!!6bG72p^[(J}
The son of the Iemoto [head of a school of art or
philosophy] of the Kasha-^O school of the art of sponging
off others. Seven generations of this school lived their
lives letting other people pay the bills and never spending
a penny of their own money.
But Kinnosuke finds a worthy opponent when he dates the
ultimate material girl, Tend^o Nabiki.
Name:
The first character of Kinnosuke means "money".
Kasha-^O literally means "fiery chariot king", but
the characters can also mean "extreme poverty king".
Appearance: SS 29.9.
Ono Kin {^[$@>.G5!!$-$s^[(J}
Dr. T^of^u's mother, who comes to his clinic toting a
butsudan [household shrine] to her dead husband. She also
brings a picture of a muscle-bound girl with good hips for
bearing grandchildren (her main qualification), whom she's
arranged for him to marry.
Appearance: #14.
Voice: Oota Toshiko {^[$@B@ED!!=J;R^[(J}
Kinnosuke {^[$@6bG72p^[(J}
About 15 years ago, Genma trekked across a desert on martial
arts training, with baby Ranma on his back. Starving, he
came upon a man about to eat a fish he'd just cooked. Genma
begged for the food, and finally traded Ranma for a fish and
a bowl of rice. Years later, he shows up at the Tend^o dojo
calling Ranma "son".
Appearance: Nett^ohen #1.
Distinguishing features: Big ears.
Voice: Yoshimura Y^o {^[$@5HB<$h$&^[(J}
Kaori {^[$@$+$*$j^[(J}
His daughter, whom he wants Ranma to marry. To resolve this
conflict between fiancees, Kaori challenges Akane to compete
in the Miss Martial Arts Food Delivery race to determine who
will marry Ranma.
(In the original comics story, the martial arts food
delivery race was between Shampoo, Akane, and Ranma, with
Kun^o judging.)
Appearance: Nett^ohen #1.
BACKGROUND CHARACTERS
A few background characters deserve a small mention.
Midorigame-kun {^[$@%_%I%j%,%a^[(J}
Kodachi's deceptively-named pet, who lives in the moat at
the Kun^o mansion. Midorigame gives Ranma a nasty surprise
by being an alligator.
Appearance: Nett^ohen #19. SS 9.2.
Name: "green tortoise"
Hiroshi {^[$@$R$m$7^[(J}
Brown-haired classmate who admires Akane (and the female
Ranma).
Appearance: #5. SS 1.8 (Viz 1.8).
Name: Given in Nett^ohen.
Voice: Tsujitani K^oji {^[$@DTC+!!9L;K^[(J}
Daisuke {^[$@Bg2p^[(J}
Black-haired classmate who admires Akane (and the female
Ranma).
Appearance: #5. SS 1.8 (Viz 1.8).
Name: Given in Nett^ohen.
Voice: Koyasu Takendo {^[$@;R0B!!Ip?M^[(J}
Yuka {^[$@$f$+^[(J}
Akane's friend with long brown hair.
Name: Given in Nett^ohen.
Voice: Toshima Masami {^[$@K-Eg!!$^$5$_^[(J}
Sayuri {^[$@$5$f$j^[(J}
Akane's friend with short black pony-tailed hair.
Name: Given in Nett^ohen.
Voice: Kamei Yoshiko {^[$@550f!!K';R^[(J}
old woman {^[$@GL$5$s^[(J}
Little old lady who waters her plants (and occasional
passers-by) by the bridge en route from the dojo to the
high school.
Appearance: #2. SS 1.3 (Viz 1.3).
Name: Credited only as `baa-san' "old woman".
Voice: Suzuki Reiko {^[$BNkLZ$l$$;R^[(J}
Sanae {^[$@CcID^[(J}
In the comics, Satsuki's monkey, trained in tea ceremony,
who takes her place.
Appearance: SS 6.10 (Viz 3.21).
Name: "tea sprout", common name with unusual kanji.
Arumajiro-kun
In one comics story, Kun^o's trusting pet dog and poison
tester for Kodachi's cooking.
Appearance: SS 20.10.
Shampoo's father
In the comics, Shampoo's father witnesses her fall into
Maoniichuan, and also works at the Neko Hanten restaurant.
(Only a background character, but he has a big part in the
PC Engine CD-ROM action game as the boss of the final
level.)
Voice: Ginga Banj^o {^[$@6d2O!!K|>f^[(J}
Profess'nal Agitator
>Ranma 1/2: who's who (spoilers)
>by Terry Martin
>revised October 7, 1994
Oh good, Teri's on the ball and has reposted her guide, and with a new
revision too. I was beginning to lose track of how many times I've
referred people to it in the past week. :-)
Agitator
#->
*Moonlighting-Mad About You-Babylon 5-Seinfeld-Wonder Years-Lois & Clark*
*Quantum Leap-Equal Time-Highlander-Young Indiana Jones Chr // Macgyver*
*------------- R E M E M B E R B E I J I N G-------------//-----------*
*IBM PC - Who wants a politically correct computer? \\ // Only AMIGA!*
*=============================== Bring Back the Caltech \X/ Cannon!! ===*
*Roderick Lee, HMC '91 "The Professional Agitator" agit...@kaiwan.com*