Where do you see Ranma in 5 years?

[Pale Wolf]

She will undoubtedly seek a resolution to the problem

You give Nodoka fanon levels of credit. She wouldn't.

[DBHay]

I agree that Nodoka isn't likely to resolve anything.
That would involve facing a number of unpleasant facts, such as the fact her husband is an honorless thief.
That brings up one of the things that got me asking the question that started, how long before Ranma decides that having a family like his isn't worth it?

[A.Nonymous]

In regards to the Kuonji agreement being at best an arrangement for a marriage meeting, then Genma by rights should not have taken the yattai until after the meeting - IF the meeting resulted in an engagement. The "Ukyo or Okonomiyaki" conversation does not count. I think marriage meetings have to be done at an age when the parties theoretically getting married are old enough to know what's going on.

No, I'm not saying the arrangement is for a marriage meeting. The transfer of the dowry shows that to the Kuonjis it was a matter of honor. By asking Ranma to choose, GENMA was saying that it wasn't a matter of honor.
It was a matter of theft, misrepresentation and a couple of dozen other crimes. In truth, it's entirely Genma's dishonor and only impacts the family's honor to the length of Nodoka's blade...and however loud Mr. Kouji is. If Ranma walks from that engagement it's Genma who has to commit seppuku, not Ranma. Ranma won't be disowned because of Genma's claim that it wasn't an honor agreement.

As such, it could be that all the Saotomes owe the Kuonjis is money to replace the yattai, which could be countered by a bill for Ukyo's share of the damage to the dojo during the aborted wedding.

Yattai's aren't actually worth a hell of a lot when compared to real estate in Tokyo. Someone posted a link to a brand new (ramen) Yattai to this site a while ago that when you take into account the apparent age/condition of the Kounji Yattai was probably worth about the same. The Kounji yattai was about twice the size.

As for trying to settle the engagement mess with marriage meetings: I'm not too solid on the requirements, but I think the components needed for one to occur are

Actually the process doesn't actually involve an actual meeting until both parties are pretty much convinced the marriage will actually occur. Usually pictures are exchanged.
Remember Mrs. Tofu pulling out all those pictures to show Dr. Tofu. That was about half way through the meeting.
It's all set up so no one gets refused to their face...and looses public "face."
That's what happened to Ukyo, and remember her treatment afterwards. The Kounji's swore a blood feud after all.
Of course, what we're really dealing with here is every parent being a poster child for "bad parenting." They're all ramming their dishonor down their children's throats and demanding their children "honor it."
I found an article a while ago dealing with Ranma and the arranged marriages...I tracked down a link. I found it on a blog, but it doesn't look like it orignated there. It's by Caroline Searight.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2203598

[otiina]

You give Nodoka fanon levels of credit. She wouldn't.

I dont know, it may seem that way, but who can really say several years down the line. Its easy to act tough and unyielding early on, but ones resolve can weaken over time.

[DBHay]

I think Nodoka would try to help, if she saw that the only way Ranma could keep his honor were Seppuku or renouncing the family name.
That destroys her dreams of grandbabies so she'd have some motivation to try and find a solution.
Given her obsessions would her 'help' be any use though?
If Nodoka doesn't see anything wrong with the situation that means Genma will probably see it as permission to just continue adding to Ranma's burdens.

[DBHay]

I found an article a while ago dealing with Ranma and the arranged marriages...I tracked down a link. I found it on a blog, but it doesn't look like it orignated there. It's by Caroline Searight.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2203598[/quote]
That's very interesting, it helps explain why Ranma is so desperate to please his mother.
I didn't know just how powerful a hold Japanese mothers had over their sons.
Could be another reason for Genma to take Ranma away, he didn't want Nodoka having more control over Ranma than he did, plus if they'd stayed Genma would be expected to get a job.

[A.Nonymous]

I didn't know just how powerful a hold Japanese mothers had over their sons.
Could be another reason for Genma to take Ranma away, he didn't want Nodoka having more control over Ranma than he did, plus if they'd stayed Genma would be expected to get a job.

Ya...with a father like Genma there's no telling what would happen if Ranma was allowed to form actual relationships with real people...
Personally I don't accept the premise that Genma's been dragging Ranma from Dojo to Training Ground every two weeks for his entire life. I give Genma a little more credit than that.
I actually believe Ranma went to school...I know, it's not popular, but I don't think he just happened to go to a few weeks of school during Jr. High so he could meet up with Ryoga. The "Ranma spent an entirety of two months in school" concept just doesn't wash.
The truth is probably that Genma picked out an area with several likely Dojos/Temples/Ninja Schools/Training grounds within reasonable distance and somehow "enrolled" Ranma in them for afternoons and weekends while he went to school. Genma probably got a job ala sweeping for Dr. Tofu to keep them in rent-money...and petty theft for the food and supplies. After a year or so when Ranma had learned everything from the local masters or the local authorities started looking too closely at Genma, they would move on. Probably skipping on the last months rent... During the school breaks they would go on "training trips."
That's what I see the "China trip" as. A couple of month long trip into the depths of China to visit "Forbidden training grounds..." Which is why they arrived well after the start of the school year.

[P.H. Wise]

In five years, I see absolutely no change ocurring in Ranma's life. I also see nobody aging, because time is mysteriously not passing, even though there are several Christmases. In five years, he will still be 16, still not have decided anythings, and still engaged in various slapstick martial arts adventures.

[nuclear death frog]

I think Nodoka would try to help, if she saw that the only way Ranma could keep his honor were Seppuku or renouncing the family name.
That destroys her dreams of grandbabies so she'd have some motivation to try and find a solution.
Given her obsessions would her 'help' be any use though?
If Nodoka doesn't see anything wrong with the situation that means Genma will probably see it as permission to just continue adding to Ranma's burdens.

Canon Nodoka is not obsessed with grandbabies. She mentions them, at most, once in the entire manga. Maybe not even once.
Canon Nodoka is utterly oblivious to Ranma having multiple legal/honor entanglements. She refers to the girls other than Akane as Ranma's friends even when sitting around the table with them.
Canon Nodoka is a firm supporter of Ranma/Akane because *Genma* is such and she will not go against him. To her, that isn't her place.
Canon Nodoka is *perfectly willing* to be Ranma's kaishaku if it means he retains honor or manliness.

[otiina]

Canon Nodoka in five years.... unknown.

[Seed00]

Unknown.
Time changes people. SOMEONE will do something. SOMETHING will happen. Who knows? Likelyhood of Ranma who initiates it: likely. Goes to college, meets new people.
It's impossible for someone not to grow up, and realizes how stupid things are, and how out of hand they become

[Seed00]

Ranma becomes slightly more sensitive in the latest volume sof the manga.
In one of them, I forgot which. He personally beats himself up with nunchucks.
Something, someone, will do something. Ranma is human. There is a limit. Saffron is a an example.

[Goldarmy]

To be honest, I cannot see this ending well for Ranma. He's very much a victim of his circumstances, and beyond that he allows himself to be. He's stubborn and socially inept enough that he can't manage to extricate himself from the situation he's been thrown into. Given his mixed feelings about Akane and the influence from all the people closest to him (location-wise that is--so the Tendos and his parents) I'm guessing that eventually he'll marry her. Given the events of the late manga and extra-manga information from Takahashi et al, it's clear that by then they really do love each other, or at least think they do. They just don't like each other.
That, of course, is more than a slightly dangerous mix, especially with Akane's tendency to speak with her fists (or whatever's handy really). I'm definately that Ranma someday pulls a Genma and takes his heir off on an extended training trip. (Honestly, it makes me wonder what Genma's parents were like...)
I don't seem him fleeing before then though, not without something that seriously shakes his world at the very least. He's trapped in Nerima and doesn't possess the initiative to leave without something on the order of someone dying to get out.
I think the real tragedy of the Ranma series is that it's a vicious cycle. The status quo never really changes, and things keep on as they always have with no one really happy. It's not only Ranma either--everyone seems to be stuck in the dystopia of Nerima, trapped in Ranma's orbit, and by virtue of that trapping him in the centre of them.
That was perhaps a bit too poetic, but I think the essence of it is correct. Nerima is a large mesh of people each trapping everyone else there. It's going to keep gnawing at everyone until they start collapsing from a thousand small injuries--physical and otherwise--picked up along the way.
Although to be quite honest, it gives me something of a morbid pleasure. Dystopias amuse me--it's like 1984, but not quite as awesome.

One would think Nerima is one of the modern Domain of Dreads. There is only two problem, one there isn't much of the Mists, two a lot people doesn't die in horrbile ways.

As for topic five years is a very long time, a 13 year old brat becomes fine looking 18 year old lady in five years. But I doubt Ranma would stop living in interesting times.