What are the differences between the Ranma manga and anime?

[Kyrtythren]

See, there's another thing that gets me. We don't have Grades here, we have Years, so when you go on on about Grade-whatever, I have no clue as to how old you'd have to be to be in that Grade.
However, I'm assuming from your description that you start your first Grade at the same age we start our first Year (4-5 years old), am I correct in that assumption?

The average graduate from 12th grade is 18, though that varies by state somewhat due to the placement during the year of the cutoff for entrance. That would make the normal person starting 1st about 5-6. However, some people also do kindergarten (before 1st grade) and preschool (1-2 years before kindergarten), but I believe neither are mandatory.

[crystlshake]

It gets even more age discrepency however when you consider over and under achievers. I dont know how it is in other countries but the parent and child can decide to move the child ahead to the grade that they have the applicable knowledge for. I dont know what kind of test they have to take for it to prove they can handle it but I know a few people that have been held back(not optional) and advanced forward based on their performance.

[Kyrtythren]

Yeah, I was cheerfully ignoring that and just going with the averages. I, for example, graduated from HS at age 17 and was not the youngest person in my grade (though I don't know of any who were 16 when they graduated). I know we had at least one 19 year old, but dunno about any older than that.