History: Ranma was raised almost exclusively by his father. When he was still a baby, Genma insisted that he be allowed to take young Ranma from his loving mother and raise him to be a master of martial arts. He promised his wife, Nodoka, that he would not return until Ranma was a truly manly example of men - and that if he failed in this quest, he and Ranma would both commit seppuku, and Nodoka should enforce that promise. For the next sixteen years, Genma proceeded to teach Ranma everything he knew about martial arts; he also taught him horrible manners, an inability to relate to express his feelings, and a somewhat confused code of honour. Genma also proceeded to screw Ranma up in various ways which are revealed throughout the manga and anime. When Ranma was still young, Genma promised his best friend, Soun Tendo, that his son would wed one of Soun's daughters and together they would take over the Tendo Dojo and carry on the school of Anything Goes Martial Arts. Genma never saw fit to tell Ranma this, however; he also didn't see any need for exclusivity, and engaged Ranma to at least three other young girls before the boy was over six years old. While Ranma was in middle school, Genma pulled Ranma out to go on a long training trip in China. He chose the Jusenkyo training grounds to spar, despite the fact that he couldn't read any Chinese, and he and Ranma were well into a no-holds-barred sparring match before either found out that the pools of Jusenkyo were terribly cursed. Each pool, the Guide informed them as they both were knocked into separate pools, was the site of a tragic drowning by a different animal; now the pools are each cursed with the spirit of whatever animal died there. Thus, Ranma is knocked into the Spring of Drowned Girl, and discovers that cold water will forevermore cause him to grow breasts, and they'll stay there until she can get some hot water. Ranma is not pleased, and is even less pleased to find out later on that his father (now a panda whenever splashed with cold water) is dragging him back to Japan to meet the Tendos instead of staying in China to find a cure.
	-2- prev/next