I like Kuno

[mondu_the_fat]

Shoot me now, but I do.
When I first saw the anime, where Kuno meets girl-Ranma and she catches an "attack" (which turned out to be flowers) and he professes his love... I felt giddy. I hate romantic crap, but at that moment I genuinely felt for him, and the tragedy (of sorts) that what he felt can never be returned.
When I read the manga version of that scene, it didn't change my opinion of him then.
The remaining anime and manga, however, potrayed Kuno in decidedely different light. Perhaps this was Takahashi's initial intention for Kuno -- incapable of seeing the truth/selectively seeing it, dumb as a brick, pompous, lecherous, delusional, etc...
But as I was watching certain parts of the anime (especially with prinicipal Kuno) and the manga, the impression I had of him was that he is slightly more than what people think of him. In the watermelon island story, for instance, when girl-Ranma was unconcious, it was seen that when push comes to shove, he really _won't_ take advantage of Ranma being unable to fight back (which probably also means that during the wishing sword story, he really wouldn't have gone through with the sleeping Ranma, even if Akane hadn't intervened). Instead of idiotic, I feel he's more... quixotic? Oh, he's not really noble, but maybe he isn't _that_ bad, and I feel that the abuse he takes can be disproportional (from Nabiki, for instance, or even his classmates as can be seen from the coconut story).
Too bad its left to fanfiction to explore him (and thus any expansion of his character would be non-canon).
Flames? Fruit?

[DCG]

Guy has a thing for cute redheads with big tits. Can you blame him?

[Nekomata-sensei]

I never thought Kuno was an idiot or stupid, delusional is a more accurate word. He see's the world through Tatewaki Kuno collored glasses. He really does want to battle foul sorcerers and rescue beautiful maidens, his mind doesn't want to acknowledge that someone who he allready sees as a foul sorcerer is the same person as he allready sees as a fair maiden to rescue from him, the curse could even be explained as the magic of the sorcerer doing things like that.
Of course, Nabiki even encourages Kuno's point of view, and he hasn't seen it or had it explained to him all that many times, after a while they just give up.
Given his flowery speach, occasional moments of insane insight, and his ability to explain away his own reality, Kuno might in fact be _very_ inteligent. And I wouldn't be surprised if his insanity is caused by his sister's experiments with drugs and botany. (This concept has been explored in fanfiction I've read, so I'm pretty sure it's not my own idea.) Some fanfiction I've read even goes so far as to make out his 'insanity' to be a facade of sorts to get people to underestimate him and get more sparring partners.

[lwf58]

Another word for Kuno is egotistical. Not so much in the "I'm better than anyone else, and no one else really matters" variety, but in the "I want what I want, and I won't take no for an answer" way. He's not particularly stupid, but if something doesn't fit in his worldview, he explains it in a way that fits how he wants things to be.
He doesn't get drugged by his sister in the manga, but he does a few times in the anime (which is why I'm always careful to point out that the anime is a source, but not canon; much was done in it that went against Rumiko Takahashi's wishes.)
Yes, he wants to be the hero, but fails because he doesn't realize that a true hero is chivilrous to all, even enemies. He wants to get a reward from the girls he fancies without having actually earned one, or having the girls express a desire to reward him.
On the whole, he's the straight man who the other characters can play for the fool, and has few truly admirable traits.
Fanon notes: Tatewaki Kuno doesn't use flowery or archaic speech in canon. He talks fairly normally, if a bit long-winded. In the anime, he used occasional allusions to classical Japanese literature and mythology. He never, ever used quotes from Shakespear; in fact, in the Romeo and Juliet story arc, he thought the play was supposed to be some sort of samurai drama.
I just took a quick look through several volumes of the manga, and found four instances of Kuno's appearances. He didn't use flowery language in any of them.

[Acey]

I'm also very fond of Kuno. He brings a certain humour and qualities to the manga that are absent in most of the other characters.
He's the only character whose confidence in his own desirability cannot be shaken, hence he's not a 'schemer for love' like Shamps, Ukyo, Mousse or even Ranma himself. (This doesn't mean that he's above using a toady like Gosunkugi to scheme for him).
He's actually a heroic character (far more than the likes of Shampoo or Taro who are often depicted far more kindly) and only talks down to those he considers miscreants or idiots. Of course, that he himself may be an idiot never comes into question ^^
His characterisation in the anime can vary much from original episodes to manga-inspired eps, and the introduction of Sasuke as his dogsbody has done more to influence people's idea of him than one could imagine.
IMO, he contributes hugely to the entertainment factor of the manga and is a vastly more significant character than the likes of Nabiki, Kasumi and Kodachi.

He doesn't get drugged by his sister in the manga, but he does a few times in the anime (which is why I'm always careful to point out that the anime is a source, but not canon; much was done in it that went against Rumiko Takahashi's wishes.)

Kodachi attempting to drug Kuno in the manga:
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/Book20/RM20-156.html
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/Book20/RM20-157.html

[lwf58]

Okay, you got me. She tried to drug him once.

[Atlan]

I can't say i like him, but I dont hate him.
I guess that would be because:
A: The arc where Kodachi wants Kuno to appologise, and spreads pictures. The last scene from that story, where Kuno is showing off his pictures to Ranma was too amusing to let me hate him. Sure, he'll fight Ranma occaionally, but you must admit, He'll work with Ranma more often than Mousse.
B: Out of all Ranma's aquaintences, he's the odd one out. He Isnt a friend like H and D (Ranmas freinds, whose names I can never spell). He isnt a rival like Mousse and Ryoga. Instead, he falls somewhere in the middle. (This i say becuase he never goes off training to become a serious threat to Ranma).

[A.Nonymous]

This i say becuase he never goes off training to become a serious threat to Ranma.

Ya, Kuno goes off training to come up with an unbeatable technique for slicing watermelons to impress the girls.
Kuno is so convinced of his own perfection that he can't admit to ever having been beaten by Ranma. Thus what possible reason would he have to improve...he's already the greatest swordsman ever, after all. If Kuno could ever come to understand that he's actually been beaten, other than by sorcery, he'd be training with the rest of them.

[lwf58]

The trip he took that involved sitting under a waterfall where watermelons dropped on him at random intervals was training to improve his swordsmanship, and it was successful. He was much better afterward, although by that time, Ranma had improved so much that it was too little, too late. Kuno got better with his sword, but still had no chance to catch up.
He didn't do it to impress girls. A side effect of the training was that he had an irrational and irresistable impulse to attack every watermelon he saw. When he visited the beach and saw some watermelons laying on a blanket, he cut them in half before he even realized what he was doing. That he impressed the girls the fruit belonged to was unexpected and very much surprised him. After that, he cut them into slices in one of the kindest and most rational scenes he was ever given. It was one of the very few times he left girls with a positive impression.

[antimatterenergy]

Actually Kuno wasn't training to improve his swordmans ship that was a side effect, Kuno went there to show his pig tailed goddess his watermelon cutting technique. (wasn't a challenge letter to Ranma was a love letter.)
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 19-052.gif
I like that Kuno has mangaged to go on at least 4 realish dates with Ranma. Trying to get magic sword, because of cursed swim suit, because of cursed cherry tree, and during martial arts cheerleading story arc.
Also Kuno can be pretty romantic if he wasn't so overbearing and was going after someone besides Ranma could easily see him being like tuxedo mask.
He also shows that he loves Ranma-chan better then Ranma's real fiancees do occasionally i.e. doesn't hit Ranma-chan, will go to great lenghts for her, and was willing to eat horrible Ramen noodles just because Ranma-chan gave it to him. We also see that even though he's going after both Ranma-chan and Akane he goes after Ranma-chan a lot more and more persistantly.
I also like when he's with male Ranma and not fighting like when NAbiki was Ranma's fiancee he called Ranma his little brother, when he oftered to show his pictures of Ranma-chan to Ranma, and how he allows Ranma to date Kodachi.
(Not really having to do with Kuno per sae but I alway find it funny when Ranma makes comments to Kuno's non-spoken daydreams.)

[lwf58]

Kuno did invite female-Ranma to see his watermelon cutting skills, but that wasn't why he undertook the training. He just wanted to show off after he got good at it and before he knocked himself in the head with his bokken and lost his memory. Watermelon island is a martial arts training ground.
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 9-039.html
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 9-045.html
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 9-049.html
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 9-050.html
http://ranmahentai.ranma.ws/RanmaManga/ ... 9-051.html

[Lightspire]

Kuno is a pretty good character, and in general, I kinda like him. But there is just one thing that really sticks out in my mind that paints him in a very bad light for me. I can't remember which date they were on, but in the manga (i think they were having a picnic, maybe?) ranma-chan is certain that he is going to drug her drink, and so she drugs HIS drink. However, Kuno actually DOES drug her drink. And, I don't care if that's funny. It's not cool, and doesn't speak well for his character...

[Knight of L-sama]

My take on it is that Kuno's not really a bad guy as such. It's just that Kuno operates by a different set of rules. On the rare occasions when the rules of Kuno-world and what the rest of the cast think of as reality overlap he comes off in a very positive light.
It just seems that unfortnuately for Kuno those moments never seem to last for long.

[Goldarmy]

Shoot me now, but I do.
When I first saw the anime, where Kuno meets girl-Ranma and she catches an "attack" (which turned out to be flowers) and he professes his love... I felt giddy. I hate romantic crap, but at that moment I genuinely felt for him, and the tragedy (of sorts) that what he felt can never be returned.

It is good to hear that I am not the only one that liked that scene.

But there is just one thing that really sticks out in my mind that paints him in a very bad light for me. I can't remember which date they were on, but in the manga (i think they were having a picnic, maybe?) ranma-chan is certain that he is going to drug her drink, and so she drugs HIS drink. However, Kuno actually DOES drug her drink. And, I don't care if that's funny. It's not cool, and doesn't speak well for his character...

It was in the date with magic sword. Kuno didn't drug Ranma's drink. Ranma fell into the pit he dug and drank the drink he drugged himself.

[runnerz]

It's not like he's a bad person overall. In fact, if Ranma hadn't been brought up by his father but still had been cursed, he might have actually fallen for Kuno.