General Questions mk 2

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Here's a question that I hope should be simple; does Akane actually ever use a mallet on Ranma? Fanon makes it out to be her primary weapon, but I can't think of one time where she was the one who used it in the manga.

In the anime, the only times I recall her ever using a mallet were the 5th season episode "Into the Darkness" (where she tried to use it to knock Ranma-chan out cold upon hearing it would free her from Happosai's twisted dreamworld) and the 1st movie "Big Trouble in Nekonron, China". At all other times, it was bare fist, whatever was to hand, or a shinai.

::Edit::
On a different note; as Lukkosai's Spring of Drowned Child gives him the alternate form of a little boy, does that mean his lifespan has been expanded, or will he die (irregardless of what form he's in) when he finally runs out of life-force?

Similarly, is it possible that Happosai's perversions are partially tied to his surviving so long, or is it just that after 1-3 centuries of lechery he mentally can't cope with not grabbing girls, swiping lingerie and peeping?

In the anime continuity, it's explicit that martial artists can survive a long time and also preserve their youth a fair while too- Happosai is 300 years old and looked merely middle-aged (starting to go bald, his trademark mustache) 100 years ago when he stole the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion chart. With that in mind, just how long would it likely be before Ranma or Ryoga started to show signs of aging? I mean, they're only sixteen and they already have tremendous reserves of ki for people without mystical bloodlines...

Finally, is it known when Genma came up with the 'senken styles?

[Crescent Pulsar]

Here's a question that I hope should be simple; does Akane actually ever use a mallet on Ranma? Fanon makes it out to be her primary weapon, but I can't think of one time where she was the one who used it in the manga.

She does use a mallet every now and again. If I remember correctly, she used one just prior to Nodoka's appearance, and she asked if they were having a party. O.o; But, generally, she punches, kicks, and otherwise finds handy things to hit him with. Like her desk lamp, her desk chair, and a cinder block with some of his clothes tied to it. <_<

::Edit::
On a different note; as Lukkosai's Spring of Drowned Child gives him the alternate form of a little boy, does that mean his lifespan has been expanded, or will he die (irregardless of what form he's in) when he finally runs out of life-force?

Pantyhose Taro is where your answer lies, since he was cursed at birth. Both forms seem to age equally. And, in Ranma's case, we know that his cursed form still ages (well, "grows", but that's the same thing). And his curse wasn't just a girl, but a young girl. So Lucky would probably age from that point. It's hard to tell if one's true age affects their cursed form, since the one old person that we have for an example is spry and has a lot of energy, much like a lot of other old people that we know.

Similarly, is it possible that Happosai's perversions are partially tied to his surviving so long, or is it just that after 1-3 centuries of lechery he mentally can't cope with not grabbing girls, swiping lingerie and peeping?

That will have to simply be left up to individual opinion. But people can become dependent upon a lot of things that they do too often. In Happosai's case, I doubt his behavior is tied to his longevity, since others are as old as he is without such a condition. But they all seem to have martial arts in common, so... Plus, he was able to survive in a cave for more than a decade without hide or hair of girls and their undergarments. In the end, it's probably not meant to be taken seriously.

In the anime continuity, it's explicit that martial artists can survive a long time and also preserve their youth a fair while too- Happosai is 300 years old and looked merely middle-aged (starting to go bald, his trademark mustache) 100 years ago when he stole the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion chart. With that in mind, just how long would it likely be before Ranma or Ryoga started to show signs of aging? I mean, they're only sixteen and they already have tremendous reserves of ki for people without mystical bloodlines...

As far as the cliche goes, people tend to age normally under such conditions, but end up spending most of their life in the form of an old man/crone. It's usually enduring age rather than a slowing of the aging process. They just age until they can age no more, and stay that way for a while.

Finally, is it known when Genma came up with the 'senken styles?

I don't recall an exact date. Genma seemed to be alone when he gave the Yama-sen ken to Ryuu's father, but even then it had Ranma's doodling on it. Since they were created as a means of living, and not as a fighting style, he probably developed them while he was under Happosai, before Ranma was born. Happosai made it hard to live, after all, so he probably needed to make his thieving efficient (for his sake on both fronts: to make Happosai happy, and to be able to provide for himself when Happosai denied him (and Soun) food and such).

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

That was quickly answered, here's one that I hope goes down as smooth; why does most fanfiction paint the Nekoken as being some kind of invincible, unbeatable super-technique that allows Ranma to destroy just about any opponent? Hell, when you really get down to it, it's one of Ranma's biggest weaknesses- not only is activating it a long and difficult process that leaves all of his defenses open until it activates, but during the actual state Ranma has the mentality and IQ of a common housecat; he's easily outsmarted or outwitted. So why is it that just about every fanfic I've ever read uses it as some kind of ace in the hole? The only times he's ever used it and scored a victory were against Kuno (easily beaten), Maomolin (again, easily beaten), and Cologne (caught off guard and knocked around before she could react to the fact someone would actually try to use such a stupid technique against her).

[Crescent Pulsar]

That can probably be traced back to some of the oldest fanon.

I think it mostly stems from the fact that it only took a brief encounter with it before Cologne called off the fight and gave up the Phoenix pill. People tend to measure things by how handy something is with the limited applications given; it's not often that someone will examine the kind of circumstances that would undermine the ability. It certainly is a powerful ability to have, in general. There's no doubt about that. But Akane only had to "give" Ranma some catnip for him to take a liking to her. So, arguably, it's not too hard to get him under control while in that state. As for having the intelligence of a cat, I don't think it's much of a liability. After all, a boulder doesn't need to be intelligent to have the power to roll a person over with ease. The problem mostly lies with the person on the receiving end, and how they handle it. Because, no matter how intelligent the opposition/danger may be, it wouldn't matter if you yourself aren't capable of overcoming it with your own.

Personally, I find Cologne's reason for calling off the fight intriguing. For having a fighting spirit? I don't really think it was because she would have lost. Respect, perhaps? Pity? Both? After all, she must have known what the training in the nekoken would have entailed, to be able to identify it in the first place. At least I assume so, since she seems to be knowledgeable about such things. And the nekoken sounds like something that those in her village might restrict, or at least caution against, due to the experience(s) needed to learn it. I mean, unlike most techniques that are learned through practice, this one is only learned through the trauma. There's essentially nothing to gain, for all intents and practical purposes, except for losing your mind to a fear. So it's mostly a condition, rather than an actual skill, and thus not exactly a martial art. But those are just some of my thoughts on the matter. *Shrugs*

[three headed dog]

The thing is we really don't know much about the Neko-ken. When in it's angered state it maybe nigh invincible. Sure it can be distracted when playful, like real cats but cats that are angry or hunting are extremely hard to distract. House cats are extremely effective killers (with a far higher kill percentage than even large cats -lions, tigers, etc...).

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

Personally, I find Cologne's reason for calling off the fight intriguing. For having a fighting spirit? I don't really think it was because she would have lost. Respect, perhaps? Pity? Both? After all, she must have known what the training in the nekoken would have entailed, to be able to identify it in the first place. At least I assume so, since she seems to be knowledgeable about such things. And the nekoken sounds like something that those in her village might restrict, or at least caution against, due to the experience(s) needed to learn it. I mean, unlike most techniques that are learned through practice, this one is only learned through the trauma. There's essentially nothing to gain, for all intents and practical purposes, except for losing your mind to a fear. So it's mostly a condition, rather than an actual skill, and thus not exactly a martial art. But those are just some of my thoughts on the matter. *Shrugs*

To me, it's more like cat knowledge. Cologne knows that an excited and playful house cat can be VERY dangerous. (I have scars to prove it.) An excited and angry house cat is even worse. The potential downside of Ranma-neko is so large she doesn't want to be involved.

[Crescent Pulsar]

It's a possibility. But it could also simply be because she's only willing to devote so much effort on something, and her limit had been reached: since she only considered it troublesome. It can probably be interpreted by the reader either way, unless the meaning is more clear in Japanese or Takahashi states Cologne's reason directly.

Perhaps the illustration could help to illuminate what had been the deciding factor in her decision. When she gave her reason, the background had been dark and she had a small projection of "light" coming from her head. I don't know if I understand the right meaning of it, but I tend to get the impression that it means she's saying something important, or profound. Profound in the way that what's said may hold a deeper meaning than it has at face value.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Two new fanon questions:
*Why do so many fanfics state that Ukyo registered into Furinkan as a guy?

*How did the "grandbabies!" version of Nodoka become so well entrenched? I know why she was made, but why did that particular quirk become as well integrated into the Ranma 1/2 fanon as "Nabiki the money maker", "Kasumi's aura of calm", "Ukyo; Ranma's Best Buddy" and so on?

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

Two new fanon questions:
*Why do so many fanfics state that Ukyo registered into Furinkan as a guy?

*How did the "grandbabies!" version of Nodoka become so well entrenched? I know why she was made, but why did that particular quirk become as well integrated into the Ranma 1/2 fanon as "Nabiki the money maker", "Kasumi's aura of calm", "Ukyo; Ranma's Best Buddy" and so on?

Most stories can be built using a set of standard characters. There's the sidekick (Holmes/Watson, Wolfe/Goodwin, et al). You need a Best Friend somewhere in there, and so forth.

Fanon needed those standard characters, so the people in canon who came closest were given the jobs.

[Crescent Pulsar]

*Why do so many fanfics state that Ukyo registered into Furinkan as a guy?

Probably because she was dressed in the male's uniform, and no one seemed to know that she was, well, a she. That, and I don't know how she could have gotten into an all-boys school without lying about her gender on paper. Whether she did that at Furinkan is anyone's guess, but it's hard to tell since she only spent a day there (or, perhaps, only part of a day) before her "secret" was out. But, since it's a school for boys and girls, I don't see why she would need to lie about her gender. I suppose people assume that she did because she dressed like a boy... even though that's normal for her.

*How did the "grandbabies!" version of Nodoka become so well entrenched? I know why she was made, but why did that particular quirk become as well integrated into the Ranma 1/2 fanon as "Nabiki the money maker", "Kasumi's aura of calm", "Ukyo; Ranma's Best Buddy" and so on?

I can't speak for the anime, since I haven't watched the last season (nor do I plan to). However, as far as I know, she only shows interest in Ranma's and Akane's relationship in the manga. There's no mention of children, or anything that would make Akane and Ranma imagine themselves with children, or Nodoka mentioning or imagining herself with grandchildren. I suppose it came from an exaggeration of Nodoka's vested interest in her son and his fiancee in general, and the two times she seemed to support getting Ranma and Akane married (the first time with Akane unconscious and in a traditional, Japanese wedding outfit, and the second time with her a willing participant in a Western wedding dress). Another reason could be people rationalizing a desire for grandchildren because she missed out on raising Ranma for the better part of his childhood. And perhaps because people simply saw her as that kind of mother. But I'm willing to bet that it developed into fanon long before she's seen in the anime and manga, in English. That tends to explain everything.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Does Ryoga really have greater strength than Ranma? Or does he just have a worse time controlling it?

On a similar topic, I recently got my hands on the Project A-Ko films and I was wondering; how would a Ranmaverse martial artist stack up to either A-Ko, or B-Ko in her powersuit (sans missiles, of course)? I figure that the martial artist would be overpowered, but they'd have enough power to at least put up a fight...

[Drawde]

Ryoga's strength versus Ranma is debateable. On the one hand, you have the strength versus speed issue, where each rival focuses on one of those, the opposite of their rival. Old trope.

On the other hand, it's possible that Takahashi was subverting it, in other words setting it up to appear to be the usual deal, but it's not. When you compare Ranma's first fight with Ryoga, Takahashi made a big deal about Ryoga's strength. Yet Ranma was easily able to handle it, and even do some of the same things. In other words, she was making it seem like Ryoga was stronger, only to show that Ranma was just as strong.

It's hard to tell, since people still argue it.

[Crescent Pulsar]

Does Ryoga really have greater strength than Ranma? Or does he just have a worse time controlling it?

I pretty much agree with Drawde on this one. Either way, just how strong he his is rather moot when it's not enough to win. But I do recall that Ryoga himself has reason to be wary of Ranma's own strength (such as during the koi rod story), whether it's less than, equal to, or greater than his own.

On a similar topic, I recently got my hands on the Project A-Ko films and I was wondering; how would a Ranmaverse martial artist stack up to either A-Ko, or B-Ko in her powersuit (sans missiles, of course)?

Well, arguably, Ranma-chan is more stacked than either girl. ;p

But, to answer your question, I think that some could manage against B-ko, since they might be able to damage the suit, or figure out a way to undermine or otherwise short-circuit the technology.

And unless someone knows some pressure point (or something else along the same line) that would decrease (or null) A-ko's strength to a manageable level, I don't think anyone has a chance to stand up against her. They'd either be done or dead after one hit.

[antimatterenergy]

I have a few questions:

I was looking at wikipedia and saw mentioned that Ranma and Soun fight a staff battle to a draw. When did that occur, is that an anime only thing or am I just forgetting the scene?

Second question also brought about by wikipedia: How does Ranma's usage of weapons not match the diversity of the Tendo-ryu?

Ranma has used a lot of weapons during the course of the manga: Staffs (bo, clothes line, broom, etc...), Nunchucks, blow dart (against Principals balloon), bow and arrow (to send message), rocks, magical weapons (fire breathing staff, magic fan, etc...), paper fan (versus Happosai couple of times), a pencil, tennis rackets, swords (versus cologne and mothers sword), rope, ribbons, spoons, chemicals (chloroform, knockout powder, alcohol), etc...

[Crescent Pulsar]

I was looking at wikipedia and saw mentioned that Ranma and Soun fight a staff battle to a draw. When did that occur, is that an anime only thing or am I just forgetting the scene?

I don't recall a staff battle. I looked at the article (Tendo Soun) at Wikipedia and saw no mention of any battle with Ranma, save for one referring to each using a bokken. (Edit: Well, I found the article you were referring to, but I can't think of the occasion where Soun and Ranma battle with staffs. Perhaps it was in the anime.) And the only time I can remember that happening, was during the watermelon-splitting contest. But it had only been shown for an instant, so I'm not sure if it can be considered a serious battle, much less a battle. Frankly, I'd be wary of the information simply because it's copied word for word in only a few places. But, I suppose that it's up for grabs since Ranma resorted to trickery to get to Soun's melon. But it could have been just a matter of saving time, since, if I remember correctly, it was also a race to the finish line, and not just a contest of elimination.

Second question also brought about by wikipedia: How does Ranma's usage of weapons not match the diversity of the Tendo-ryu?

Well, first of all, we see neither schools (at least to my knowledge of the manga) actually practice with any weapons as a part of their regimen. What we do see is a lot of improvisation from practitioners of both schools and, mostly in Ranma's case, learning the use of "weapons" from other schools of martial arts. While I don't doubt that both schools teach the use of at least some weaponry, it doesn't seem as important as harnessing the body's potential as a weapon itself.

However, if we were to compare the notable figures of both schools, and what they've used, Ranma has been shown to use more (and handily enough, suggesting at least some basic skill) than Soun. Then again, it may just be due to having more opportunities.

But, in the end, what I read in the article only suggests the possibility, and makes little to no claims. There are a bunch of "seems" and "may" used for a number of things about the Tendo's school of Anything-goes. The best way to answer it is probably by reading/watching through the entire series, and take notes. Then compare your notes afterward.