Poor Student Ranma

[Zwzn]

Why do fanfics often depicted Ranma as getting poor grades when he is shown to get good grades, and Akane as getting good grades when she gets bad grades?

[Lioconvoy]

Er when is Ranma shown getting good grades?

Granted I normally have Ranma be smart, but I can't recall anything in cannon that shows him getting good grades.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

No canon as to how Ranma's grades is ever shown either way. There's a late manga story in which the Principal threatens to show all of the grades for the Furinkan High students on TV, and while Ranma is initially unconcerned, the Principal's acting that Ranma's grades may actually be very low makes Ranma concerned. Despite Ranma's efforts, the grades are put on TV, and Ranma's quite satisfied with what he had, though Genma is irked by Ranma's calm attitude towards this. It's not entirely clear, as far as I'm aware, whether he's actually disapproving of Ranma's grades or the fact that Ranma can be so blaise about having let his enemy "win the fight".

Akane's grades, similarly, are never spelled in canon. She has been just as willing to cut class as Ranma, there is a story in which the Principal claims Akane will fail gym if she can't pass her swimming test (though Akane (or is it Ranma?) is quick to accuse him of simply making that up to annoy her), and it's a reasonable assumption for many that she is doing very poorly, if not outright failing, Home Economics, seeing as how her domestic skills like cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc, are all absolutely terrible.

[Zwzn]

No canon as to how Ranma's grades is ever shown either way. There's a late manga story in which the Principal threatens to show all of the grades for the Furinkan High students on TV, and while Ranma is initially unconcerned, the Principal's acting that Ranma's grades may actually be very low makes Ranma concerned. Despite Ranma's efforts, the grades are put on TV, and Ranma's quite satisfied with what he had, though Genma is irked by Ranma's calm attitude towards this. It's not entirely clear, as far as I'm aware, whether he's actually disapproving of Ranma's grades or the fact that Ranma can be so blaise about having let his enemy "win the fight".

Akane's grades, similarly, are never spelled in canon. She has been just as willing to cut class as Ranma, there is a story in which the Principal claims Akane will fail gym if she can't pass her swimming test (though Akane (or is it Ranma?) is quick to accuse him of simply making that up to annoy her), and it's a reasonable assumption for many that she is doing very poorly, if not outright failing, Home Economics, seeing as how her domestic skills like cooking, cleaning, sewing, etc, are all absolutely terrible.

Well the last frame of the VIZ translation of "Give back the Tests!!"(Original27.11 VIZ25.11) doesn't make sense. Does anyone have the original version?

The thing is one would think that if Ranma's grades were bad it would have come up at some point like it does for Akane.

[Makoto]

Hmm... well, if anything, I probably shouldn't attempt to translate early in the morning, before I have to get ready to leave. ^_^;;;

Here's the original text from that last panel:

CMN: ...アカネ・テンドー86点。
Akane: まーまーだわ。
CMN: ランマ・サオトメ
Ranma: (overlaps previous bubble) 結構いーじゃねーか。
Genma: 世界に発表できる点数かっ。

Basically, Ranma seems to think it's okay (more or less "not bad, huh.") and Genma seems to be annoyed that Ranma let his scores be announced to the world (or that it's something (Ranma) shouldn't be doing). (See? I did say it'd probably be a mediocre attempt... )

[Uldihaa]

Why do fanfics often depicted Ranma as getting poor grades when he is shown to get good grades, and Akane as getting good grades when she gets bad grades?

I'm not sure that the series ever said how either did, grade-wise.

But as for fanon, I think this is from the few times Ranma was shown sleeping, or otherwise not paying attention, in class. But I honestly can't remember if that even happened, or if it might have just been a case of something misremembered.

[Wyrd]

I have Ranma doing well in certain classes and poorly in others for very specific reasons. For example, he does poorly in English because he learned to speak English rather fluently from sailors and soldiers. The teacher keeps deducting points and sending Ranma to the hall when he uses 'inappropriate' language, without ever bothering to explain to him why she is upset, and he also loses points when he uses words outside of the teacher's vocabulary instead of the list of words he is supposed to be learning. A running theme is assumptions causing problems, with the assumption in this case being that he knows the words are bad.

If you want to address grades in your fics, think about why the character would be doing well or poorly, and try to make it interesting. That is my philosophy on the matter, at least.

[TerraEpon]

There's at least one episode in the middle of the anime series where he's sleeping in class and gets an eraser thrown at him. But it doesn't happen much.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I know there's an anime episode where he was sleeping in class, but I'm pretty sure it was the episode "Ranma and the Evil Within", where he was kept up all the previous night by his seperated evil side which was basically sucking the life out of him. The episode where he got an eraser thrown at him and was sent out to hold buckets in the hall was the anime adaptation of the Masked Stalker story. He was also made to stand in the hall holding buckets the first episode he spent at Furinkan. There's also a 7th season filler episode (The Tendo Dojo Dragon Legend) where he admits he hasn't been studying for this big test that's coming and asks Akane for help, but I'm pretty sure there were a number of big fight type episodes prior to that, which would explain partially why he wouldn't have had the time to study.

Should this topic be here, though? Shouldn't it be in the "Ranma" boards, as it's asking questions about the Ranma 1/2 series and not looking for a specific fic/type of fanfic?

[Lioconvoy]

I could have sworn it started in the Ranma board. I thought someone moved it.

With the way he thinks while he fights, I can see him as being fairly smart, if not always able to apply his inteligence.

[Pale Wolf]

*Coughs*

Good thing I chatted with Sunny before coming in with the Hand of Mod...

Turns out he misread the opening topic as a fic request. Late night, I guess.

Moved back where it belongs, the Management apologizes for the confusion.

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

I have Ranma doing well in certain classes and poorly in others for very specific reasons. For example, he does poorly in English because he learned to speak English rather fluently from sailors and soldiers. The teacher keeps deducting points and sending Ranma to the hall when he uses 'inappropriate' language, without ever bothering to explain to him why she is upset, and he also loses points when he uses words outside of the teacher's vocabulary instead of the list of words he is supposed to be learning. A running theme is assumptions causing problems, with the assumption in this case being that he knows the words are bad.

I had more trouble with that in grad school. I knew French fairly well, but had the wrong vocabulary to pass the placement test. I knew technical French, and they were testing for literary French. I finally brought in a 50-page paper I'd translated, and the instructor gave me a pass without making me take the test again. Been using it in my work life ever since.

[Wyrd]

French is the only language other than English in which I am fluent. I've tried studying others, but was never willing to spend enough money on the proper books to master them. As a result, I can often work out the meaning of Spanish, German, Italian, and Russian(as long as it isn't written in cyrillic), and am getting much better at understanding Japanese through watching subbed episodes of Anime. I stink at written Japanese, however.

[Zwzn]

Er when is Ranma shown getting good grades?

Granted I normally have Ranma be smart, but I can't recall anything in cannon that shows him getting good grades.

By good grades I mean any grade that is not failing, and is good enough that no one feels the need to try to get Ranma to improve as a student. We certainly have no reason to think Ranma is failing any classes.

[Lioconvoy]

Er, why are you replying to the second post of the topic now?

Just cause we never see anyone try to force Ranma to get better grades doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It was simply never important to the stories being told.