Why is everyone so DOWN on Nodoka???

[Zwzn]

Unfortunately, you could argue that the entire cast of Ranma should commit seppuku for dishonorable actions. Akane attacks her fiance with potentially lethal force for poor reason and never once apologizes. If you accept the fanon idea notion that Nabiki's schemes help pay the bills, she'd be at best honor-neutral (And this board has thoroughly debunked that theory). Kasumi knows about all the stuff her family does and never attempts to rein them in, which in a way makes her even worse.
The schemes of the fiancees, rivals and the Dopey Duo don't need explanations of how their actions are dishonorable.
The thing that makes the contract dishonorable is that 1: Expecting a contract that the signer couldn't read, let alone understand the implications of, is hardly a binding concept, and 2: The terms are arbitrary and highly subjective. If Ranma had been tricked into signing the contract at ten instead of five, and the term 'manly' had been clearly defined, then I would consider it a nasty trick, but technically binding.

Are we sure he was five when he finger painted on the contract? He looks and acts younger to me.
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 2-040.html
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 2-041.html
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 2-044.html
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 2-047.html
Ranma may not have been able to walk yet let alone talk or read.

[Jester_of_doom]

So personally i dont dislike Nodoka at all, but i have to admit i think in cannon she is very stupid. And i think people dislike her because they view her stupidity as though it was a more rational person doing what she does.
In terms of evidence of stupidity heres a few points. She married Genma, maybe not really her fault but still not showing intelligence. She carries a sword she is not skilled with and almost injures people with it. She believed Genma that the best thing for ranma was to be raised without her. She believed ranma's manner of smacking the seppuku contract showed he was commited to the idea. She is pretty oblivious to how other people are feeling. Lots of things she does are just stupid seeming, its just for the purpose of humor but still it can make her character seem less likable.
Also there is the whole manliness thing. In my opinion however the manliness thing basically springs from the single instance with wanting ranma to be a peeper. But consider the peeping incident like this: she found out ranma should be committing seppuku, and she really didnt want this, but ranma being a peeper could be vaguely related to manliness and as such she could use it as a logical loophole to avoid enforcing the seppuku contract. I at least think it makes sense for her to act that way.

[WG_Writer]

I got to thinking on this and I believe that Nodoka is Ranma's ideal of what a mother is suppose to be, hence how the character is based
1. As obsessed about proving his masculanity as he himself tends to be
2. Acts as the bearer of Honor for the family
3. Innocent, I mean the non-combatant, would not intentionally harm someone outside self defence type of innocent
4. Kind, caring, stolic figure, someone who stands alone but is willing to help others do the same.
Contrast this to Genma (point for point)
1. Usus Ranma's Masculanity as a way to manipulate Ranma (mostly with name calling)
2. His honor is questionable at best, you be the judge
3. although not evil, he is very self centered, he will help people, but usually seems to need a reason to do so.
4. He is at times a stolic figure, but would rather let others learn themselves rather then actually hand out answers.
The two are seemingly opposites, and since Ranma generally tollerates Genma in his life (he does love his father, otherwise he probably would be long gone) and with the opposite, he wants his Mother in his life more so.
That was all said to back my point that Ranma, despite Nodoka's quirks, would see her as a good mother, if somewhat intimidating.
As to her intelligence, the only proof we have of the intelligence is the curse situtation, and if you look at how close she came to the answer before it was revieled then you can see her working it out. She clearly had a hunch when she was placing the kettle on 'Ranko's' head. We as the readers know its the water, but she isn't a reader, how easily would you figure out that a cousin you might see once a month changes genders in water if the family is working to keep that from you.
As to the fiancees, this is a hard one, she seems oblivious. But the same arguement could be said for Kasumi about many things, yet nobody would question her powers of observation. I just see it as "See no evil, hear no evil, say no evil" situtation. She, in my opinion, knows that Akane is the "True" fiancee, and the others have "claims" although not shown is is implied, and much in true Japanese literature and stories is not shown fully. She probably is just choosing to not acknowledge the dishonor.
Like Kasumi said about Akane, "she is a nice girl she is just violent at times (a violent mainac)", Nodoka is a good mother, she just ignores aspects of reality that don't fit in with her ideal.

[Atlan]

She married Genma, maybe not really her fault but still not showing intelligence.

But what was Genma like when she married him? There were no pre-wedding flashbacks. Was Genma once a good man who Happosai corrupted? Did he just get lazeyer and lazeyer over the training journey? We have no way of knowing.

[Cheb]

And, which is sooo often forgotten, the seppuku is a *family* suicide. Nodoka is obliged to kill herself as well after she fulfills her role as kaishaku (介錯) by lopping their heads off.
I believe, she said "And then I'll slit my throat with the same sword, joining my family in death" while explaining the suicide contract to the Tendous (both manga and anime).
P.S. My bad. Anime only.

[lwf58]

Where did you get that idea from? Seppuku (suicide) is just the formal term, while hara-kiri (belly-cutting) is more of a slang term, and refers only to the way men commit seppuku.
The kaishaku doesn't commit suicide afterward. When Nodoka said that, she was talking about committing suicide in addition to the men because she would have felt a sense of personal failure, not because it was required in any way. It would have been a completely seperate act on her part.
The kaishaku's job in hara-kiri is to determine when the person who is killing his self has suffered enough, and ends his suffering quickly by a sword stroke to the neck, severing the spine. Properly done, that stroke does not remove the head completely. Part of the skin and muscle is left to keep the head connected to the rest of the body.
Traditionally, the role of kaishaku is asked of a friend or family member because those are people trusted to do the job right, and not prolong the agony the suicidee is feeling needlessly.
Women are not permitted to perform hara-kiri. They may only commit seppuku by cutting the major veins and/or arteries in their neck, normally using a tanto (a type of knife) rather than a sword. That is why Nodoka said she would "slit her throat".

[Cheb]

Oh. Thanks
Nonetheless, this is one interesting (and barely known) difference between anime and manga. The anime version of Nodoka seems more... fair?
Or maybe this detail was just overlooked in the manga scanlation?

[BlueDragon]

Wow, after almost ½ a year the thread is active again… Not that I mind.
ToastedPine thanks for the link. While not the first story I’ve read where Ranma goes back to meat his parents younger selves or grandparents for that matter. It was probably the best of the lot. And it even gave a believable reason for Nodoka being the way she is.
Me I was originally just hoping that I could get some people to not take such a poor view of Nodoka, just because they thought she was either crazy, or even worse then Genma in her own way. I have read and enjoy stories where she could only be considered a certified loon, or an obsessed B!tch. And where it is needed for the story plot I don’t mind. But I like seeing stories where she has a reason for being the way she is, or even heaven forbid, might be almost normal.
For my stories I personally tend to take the almost normal view. But I am hoping that at least in my current story the readers here don’t mind that I’m taking a kinder view towards her.

[Bialaska]

I personally like Nodoka and I do think that she shows some good sides, even if she's fixated on the whole manly thing.
I do think that the fact that the contract has been Nodoka's only connection to her only child has gotten her to focus on that. We don't know the reason why they made the contract in the first place, but my guess is that it was supposed to be a training trip over the weekend and Nodoka was reluctant to let Genma alone with her child.
When it all is summed up, I do see Nodoka as a tragic figure. She's a mother with no child, who has only a single piece of paper to remind her of Ranma's existence and for that reason the contract and everything it stands for has become an obsession for her.