Let's play: guess the sexual orientation of the characters!

[Spokavriel]

Do you know anyone who wants to be around people who repeatedly beat them up with supposed romantic intentions? Sounds like rape themed nightmare fuel to me. You really think anyone wants to hang around inspiration for those kinds of dreams?

[Noy Telinú]

Unfortunately, yes, I do.

Some people just like that.

I know of people who like that sort of thing. Maybe THAT'S why Ranma loves her?

[Spica75]

Akane likes being around girls more. That's for certain.

Yes? And in what way does that affect sexual inclination?

And Akari just seems like the girl who would go with whoever defeated that pig. Maybe not attracted, but will do so enthusiastically.

And in what way does that suddenly jump over to "Although she might be into bestiality. "?

[Noy Telinú]

Fine, no evidence in your eyes for Akane, but Akari LOVES pigs. Like really, really, LOVES pigs!

Not likely, but, with Ryoga a piglet...

[Knight of L-sama]

I always wonder why people keep insisting Akane is anything but straight... She shows clear inclination towards males and no interest in girls.

Second movie, speaking to Ranma (who is just giving up a chance for a cure to save her): "I like you just the way you are."

Granted there are a couple of ways to interpret that and since its one of the movies its canonicity is a bit questionable but it can be taken to imply bisexuality on Akane's part.

[ckosacranoid]

there is one other thing to think about in akane.....she could really be into a S+M type of relataionship...she seems to love beating up ranma...meybe more then alaowed in fannon though...

[uragaaru]

there is one other thing to think about in akane.....she could really be into a S+M type of relataionship...she seems to love beating up ranma...meybe more then alaowed in fannon though...

There is a thought that most of the characters in this series would be more stable individuals if they channeled their propensity for emotionally-tinged violence into safe, sane, and consensual relationships.

I mean I assume that's what Ataru and Lum worked out for themselves, after all.

[Crescent Pulsar S]

As for Akane, while I can accept bisexuality or homosexuality in fan-fiction with a decent enough explanation and reasoning, by and large I don't think she's anything but heterosexual in canon. Just to start: when Ranma's a girl, she knows that he is a boy and thinks of him as such regardless of the physical evidence. The very beginning of the series establishes this, making us aware of the fact that she is very much aware of that fact herself.

Otherwise, how Akane treats him is more dependent on the circumstances than on his current appearance. After all, girls aren't the only individuals that she feels comfortable around (or at least not so adversely affected by), as there are a number of guys that she has little or no problem with as well. Plus, we can't very well expect her treatment of Ranma -- at any time -- to be the standard, as how many boys does she know that can change sex with water on top of being engaged to marry her? So we can't very well expect her treatment of Ranma as a boy or a girl to be reflective of how she treats other boys and girls, and vice versa.

Second movie, speaking to Ranma (who is just giving up a chance for a cure to save her): "I like you just the way you are."

Granted there are a couple of ways to interpret that and since its one of the movies its canonicity is a bit questionable but it can be taken to imply bisexuality on Akane's part.

I doubt it could imply that because having sex with Ranma as a girl is most certainly avoidable, and there's no expectation or need for them to consummate their relationship or show their love in that way for whatever reason. Whether they would be willing to try it out is something else entirely, and far from establishing anything factual about their sexuality.

[Spokavriel]

I'm thinking about shampoo. Not sure what the consensus is because I'm not really reading the whole thread. But my feeling on her is she is solidly Hedro in orientation. She just always thinks of Ranma as male after finding out which form of Ranma was the cursed one. And she has an easier time with affection to Ranma's girl form because of her society. Its doubtful someone like her could come from one that was prudish as the average for either Japan or China (Not that China shows much of its reality in media).

[Noy Telinú]

Shampoo may as well be "if it's you, it's ok". In fact, so could Akane. It makes sense.

I'll stick to Akane being "if it's you it's ok" in denial for Ranma due to the beach chapter.

When Ranma was told to kiss Akane as a girl in front of everyone, Akane BLUSHED and denied, saying that they were both girls. She DIDN'T angrilly hit her, or look disgusted, or throw up, or run away, she BLUSHED and denied! For anime girls, that is usually proof that they like the other.

So, Akane may like Ranma as a girl as well, just think it's perverted and unacceptable. Maybe it's just Ranma, maybe IRS just that she doesn't care about the outside sex but the inside.

That... That actually makes me smile. If it was true. I think so, do you?

[Crescent Pulsar S]

The thing about "it's okay if it's you," is that it does not necessarily relate to sexuality, or even having sex. It's more like saying, "I accept you despite this or that." Basically, if someone likes another person enough, they're willing to deal with the negative baggage (in whatever form it may happen to come in) along with what attracts them. Sometimes this results in an effort to make them into/see them as attractive parts, but that's highly circumstantial.

If you turn that around, it would be like Ranma agreeing to marry Akane despite being uncute and a violent maniac (which would likely result in Akane displaying said side of herself). And if he were to enjoy that part of her as well, that'd make him a masochist.

[Noy Telinú]

Yeah I've been confused what that means.

If a girl is straight, but is in a lesbian relationship, is that true? Is she straight? I'm confused. D:

[Crescent Pulsar S]

Just because someone eats a free sample doesn't mean that they'll feel obligated to buy the product, much less stick with it loyally. I mean, some people know what they want from the get-go and don't bother trying anything else, but would you call someone bisexual if they gave the same sex a try once? But if not once, then at what point can one judge someone's sexuality one way or the other without it being arbitrary?

As for your question in particular, in what way do you know that she's straight if she's in a lesbian relationship? Is it because she'd only had heterosexual relationships before that point? Is it because you're taking her own word for it? And what are the circumstances that would lead her to contradict the trend or her word?

I suppose there comes a point where someone might think: "what I need is sex, but my preference is unavailable. I guess I'll just take what I can get." Seeing this in action as an observer could likely result in questioning that person's sexuality, but for the person whose thoughts and situation you're unaware of it is not a matter of preference but something much simpler that guides their actions. After all, we can't always eat the food that we like, and sometimes we eat what we don't like because we think it will be good for us, or because we don't really have another choice. In the end, what you choose to do may not be about satisfying your mouth, but your stomach.

[Noy Telinú]

...

I'm still confused. Heck, this kind of thing is actually encouraged in Japanese schools and American universities! You have a schoolgirl lesbian relationship to "practice" for a real one. Bleah! Or you're lesbian until graduation.

Look, I know sexuality is fluid, but come on! If you're in a relationship like that and say you're straight, than you're lying! At the moment anyway.

It gets harder due to the stuff females do with each other and still be accepted as het.

Girls touching each others breasts in the bath and they're still straight, KISSING each other, and people can believe they're still straight. Guys doing the same thing would be called gay all day long.

I'm not saying having sex once like that means that you're not straight, but being in a relationship kinda means you like it enough to do that. (unless the whole thing is faked due to something plot related) but still...

[Crescent Pulsar S]

Humans are complicated creatures, in part because we don't necessarily have to do what we do based on logic or reason, and on top of that we tend to over-complicate things seemingly just because we have the ability to.

But there's a simple (to me) way to clear this up, because classifying what kind of intimate relations or sex (I distinguish the two because some would argue that sex is the only way in which to produce offspring, which would assume the pairing to be heterosexual) is being had is ultimately redundant information, much as someone's race would be if used as a qualifier: why would it matter? When you get down to it, physically speaking everyone has the potential to be heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual, as the point of sex or intimate relations is to directly or indirectly (as in: it not being the main goal) seek some kind of physical pleasure regardless of the tools and playground involved.

That leaves the mind as the main deciding factor. To some, that would mean that they were born without a choice. Regardless, for those who have a preference in sex, to such a degree that they will identify themselves as heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual, they can still choose differently for one of many reasons.

In the case of the girl in the lesbian relationship claiming to be heterosexual, what if she wants the complete experience to figure out if that's what they want? After all, if someone's after more than just sex, how can sex alone define the entire experience? Does it make more sense for her to be a lesbian while she just happens to be in a lesbian relationship, or whatever she decides to be when she figures out exactly what she prefers?

There are also such circumstances where someone will decide to marry the opposite sex and have children, to give the illusion that they're heterosexual because they don't want others to know that they're not. Does that make them heterosexual, bisexual or homosexual? In the end (pun intended), it'd likely depend on the perspective. The logical argument would likely go either way, the emotional/sympathetic would likely accept their preference over their actions, and the bigoted would likely also choose their preference (if only to demonize them).