Subject: Ranma 1/2: who's who (spoilers)
From: terianne@venice.mps.ohio-state.edu (Terry Martin)
Date: 8/18/1994, 8:10 PM
Newsgroups: rec.arts.anime

A few months ago, Jeff Yang asked me if he could use this list as a
source for capsule synopses in an article published in the July
Animerica.  But by way of attribution, he invited readers who wanted
more information about Ranma 1/2 to email me.  Since then, requests
for this list have been positively *trickling* in (6, at last count).

So, to stem this momentous ripple of mail, and to answer several Ranma
1/2 questions posted recently (What is that thing Nodoka carries?  Who's
that in Ukyo's sign in the first movie?  What are other characters are
there to name machines after?), I am posting an extensively updated version
of the old People, Places, and Things file.

This list began as a list of name translations to answer a query in
this newsgroup.  From there, it grew to include other information
people requested or posted questions about-- descriptions for a cast
list; a list of martial arts techniques, magic, and weapons for a card
game; episode and manga chapter numbers for reference.  And there's
a lot of interesting trivia, too.

There are 2 parts:
	Who's who -- the cast
	What's what -- important places, magic, and martial arts

This list is current through:
	manga volumes 1-29
	TV episodes:
	    all 18 episodes of "Ranma 1/2"
	    all 143 episodes of "Ranma 1/2 Nett\=ohen"
	movies:
	    "Ch\=ugoku Nekonron daikessen!  Okite yaburi no gekit\=o hen"
	    "Kessen T\=ogenky\=o!  Hanayome o torimodose!!"
	    "Ch\=o-musabetsu kessen!  Ranma team vs densetsu no h\=o\=o"
		(coming soon)
	OAV episodes 1-4 (of 6).

I haven't caught up to OAV 5-6 yet, so you won't find Natsumi and Kurumi
herein.

{Note: JIS codes in braces have ESC changed to "^[" for posting.}

Without further ado:

Ranma 1/2: who's who  (spoilers)
by Terry Martin
revised August 18, 1994

{Including JIS kana and kanji codes in braces.}

PEOPLE
------

MAIN CAST

    Saotome  "rice planting girl; girl"  {^[$@Aa25=w^[(J}
	Ranma  "wild horse"  {^[$@MpGO^[(J}
	    Our well-built hero/heroine (sort of).  The martial art of
	    kempo is his life.	Never turns down a challenge (martial
	    arts rhythmic gymnastics, martial arts skating, martial arts
	    tea ceremony, martial arts dinner, martial arts cheerleading,
	    and so on... if it has "martial arts" in the name, he'll
	    win, eventually).

	    Training with his father at the mysterious Jusenky\=o
	    training ground in China, he was thrown into a spring called
	    Nyanniichuan, where a young girl drowned 1500 years ago.  He
	    emerged as a young girl, according with the spring's curse.
	    When splashed with hot water, he changes back to a boy, but
	    when splashed with cold to room temperature water, he turns
	    into a girl again.

	    By their parents' arrangement, Ranma is engaged to marry
	    Tend\=o Akane and become head of the Tend\=o dojo.	But
	    neither party wants to go through with this arrangement.
		Name:
		    In credits, written in kanji for male Ranma,
		    and in hiragana for female Ranma.
		Distinctive features:
		    Pigtail.  Often wears Chinese clothing.
		Dialect:
		    Uses rough, sloppy speech in either form.
		    (ex. `kawaikunee' instead of `kawaikunai',
		    `omoshiree' instead of `omoishiroi').
		Aliases:
		    `osage no onna' "pigtailed girl" to Kun\=o
		    `mukodono' "son-in-law" to Cologne
		    `Ran-chan' to Uky\=o
		    Akane's "cousin" `Ranko' to Nodoka
		Disguises:  (to fool Ry\=oga)
		    Girl in glasses
			Nett\=ohen episode 16.	Volume 8 part 11.
		    Ry\=oga-sama's fianc\'ee
			Nett\=ohen episode 24.	Volume 9 part 10.
		    Hibiki Yoiko
			Volume 11 part 2.
		    Cu-chan
			Nett\=ohen episode 43.	Volume 12 part 8.
		    Volleyball girl
			Nett\=ohen episode 62.	Volume 14 part 9.
		    Ry\=oga's k\=ohai (underclassgirl)
			Nett\=ohen episode 123.  Volume 20 part 2.
		Voices:
		    (male)    Yamaguchi Kappei	  {^[$@;38}!!>!J?^[(J}
		    (female)  Hayashibara Megumi  {^[$@NS86!!$a$0$_^[(J}
	Genma  "dark horse"  {^[$@8<GO^[(J}
	    Ranma's insensitive father.  Long ago he arranged with his
	    Tend\=o S\=oun, that their children would marry.

	    While training Ranma at the remote Chinese training ground
	    Jusenky\=o, Ranma kicked him into Shonmaoniichuan where a
	    panda drowned 2000 years ago.  To Ranma's shock, Genma
	    emerged as a panda.  As the guide explained the tragic
	    legend of the spring, Genma whacked the distracted Ranma
	    into Nyanniichuan.

	    Unlike Ranma, he doesn't have much trouble with his curse,
	    and becomes quite accustomed to living as a panda
	    (comporting himself with human dignity even as he sips tea
	    and plays sh\=ogi with S\=oun).  Since he can't speak as a
	    panda, he uses wooden signs to communicate.
		Distinctive features:
		    Round glasses with loops around each ear.
		Weapons:  As a panda, wooden signs.
		Voice:	Ogata Kenichi  {^[$@=oJ}!!8-0l^[(J}

    Tend\=o  {^[$@E7F;^[(J}
	"way of heaven; providence; destiny; motion of heavenly bodies"
	Akane  "scarlet"  {^[$@$"$+$M^[(J}
	    The youngest daughter, age 16, like Ranma.	A hot-tempered
	    boy-hating kempoist, yet admired by many boys at school.
	    She refuses to be betrothed against her will, especially to
	    a hentai weirdo like Ranma (who doesn't like being engaged
	    to a violent tomboy any better).

	    Akane is jealous of Ranma's many girlfriends, but hotly
	    denies her interest in Ranma.  Ranma denies his attraction
	    to Akane just as vehemently.  But despite their constant
	    bickering and denials, Akane and Ranma do grow to like each
	    other, though they cannot admit it.

	    Though her poisonous cooking is the bane of the dojo, Akane
	    will never accept defeat.  Her attempts to cook often end in
	    a contest to see who will have to try it.  Being Akane's
	    fianc\'e, Ranma is usually the unwilling victim.

	    Akane is totally inept at traditional feminine pursuits like
	    cooking, sewing, and tea ceremony.	She keeps trying and
	    takes pride in her work, then gets upset when someone
	    (usually Ranma) criticizes it.  Even at martial arts, she is
	    often clumsy.  And she swims like a hammer.
		Name:  Related to `akane-gumo' "scarlet cloud"
		Aliases:
		    Frequently called `kawaikune' "uncute" by Ranma
		Voice:	Hidaka Noriko  {^[$@F|9b!!$N$j;R^[(J}
	Nabiki	"waving, fluttering"  {^[$@$J$S$-^[(J}
	    Akane's conniving older sister, age 17.  A mischievous
	    mercenary, con artist, and bookie, she finds ways to turn a
	    profit from the odd situations she becomes a part of.  She
	    also maintains a steady income selling embarrassing pictures
	    of the female Ranma to Kun\=o Tatewaki.
		Name:  Related to `nabiki-gumo' "fluttering cloud"
		Voice:	Takayama Minami  {^[$@9b;3!!$_$J$_^[(J}
	Kasumi	"haze, mist"  {^[$@$+$9$_^[(J}
	    The eldest daughter, age 19.  A traditional, proper Japanese
	    girl, taking over the household duties of her dead mother,
	    keeping house and cooking for the dojo's many guests.  She
	    takes the bizarre events around the dojo in stride with
	    cheerful obliviousness or sympathetic remarks on the
	    obvious.
		Name:  Related to `kasumi-gumo' "mistlike cloud"
		Voice:	Inoue Kikuko  {^[$@0f>e!!4n5W;R^[(J}
	S\=oun	"fast cloud"  {^[$@Aa1@^[(J}
	    Their emotional father.  S\=oun and Genma trained together
	    as Happ\=osai's students before starting their own martial
	    arts schools.

	    Long ago, S\=oun arranged with his closest friend, Genma,
	    that their children would marry.  Now both fathers try to
	    force Akane and Ranma to bond against their will, which
	    rarely does any good.

	    S\=oun is furious whenever Ranma turns out to have yet
	    another fianc\'ee, or when Ranma seems to prefer one of them
	    to Akane.
		Voice:	\=Obayashi Ryunosuke  {^[$@BgNS!!N42p^[(J}

    Hibiki  "sound; noise"  {^[$@6A^[(J}
	Ry\=oga  "good fangs"  {^[$@NI2g^[(J}
	    The eternally lost boy with fists of steel and a heart of
	    glass.  Ry\=oga has been Ranma's rival since junior high,
	    when he challenged Ranma to a fight in the vacant lot behind
	    his house.	But by the time he found his way there after a
	    four-day journey all over Japan, Ranma had gone off with his
	    father on a training expedition.

	    To avenge the grudge, he went to China after Ranma,
	    eventually blundering his way to a desolate mountain range,
	    where a pigtailed girl chasing a panda knocked him off a
	    cliff and into Heituenniichuan, where a black pig drowned
	    1200 years ago.  A panda rescued the little black pig...
	    only to deliver him to the Chinese guide for dinner.
	    Fortunately, the guide dropped him into a wok of boiling
	    water.

	    Ry\=oga blames Ranma for indirectly causing his condition,
	    and his anger multiplies when he finds out that Ranma is
	    actually directly responsible for it.  When this comes out,
	    Ranma remorsefully swears not to reveal Ry\=oga's secret.

	    Then Akane adopts Ry\=oga the pig as her pet "P-chan".
	    Ry\=oga falls deeply in love with her.  However, he feels
	    certain that no one could love him as a human with his
	    curse.

	    Despite several close calls, Akane is unaware that the pet
	    pig she sleeps with is Ry\=oga.  She gets angry whenever
	    Ranma abuses P-chan, and chides him for being jealous of a
	    pig.

	    In addition to a complete inability to follow directions,
	    Ry\=oga is fooled even by Ranma's most ridiculous disguises.
	    He is also extremely strong, and often inadvertently
	    shatters rocks and walls in his anxiety.
		Entrance:  Episode 7.  Volume 2 part 2.
		Distinctive features:
		    Cute fangs, like Lum in Urusei Yatsura.  Wears a
		    yellow and black (no, not tiger-striped) headband
		    around his head, or around his neck as a pig.
		Weapons:
		    Slings headbands, wields a heavy, sharp-rimmed
		    umbrella, and uses his belt like a blade.
		Aliases:
		    as a pet black pig: P-chan to Akane, Charlotte to Azusa
		Voice:	Yamadera K\=oichi  {^[$@;3;{!!9(0l^[(J}

    Kun\=o  "9 abilities"  {^[$@6eG=^[(J}
	Tatewaki  "belt sword; bringing a sword"  {^[$@BSEa^[(J}
	    2-E Kun\=o Tatewaki, 17-sai (17 years old), boastful captain
	    of the kendo club.	Apparently of wealthy samurai lineage.

	    At a speech contest, he announced that anyone who would date
	    Akane must first defeat her in a fight.  So every morning,
	    Akane runs the gauntlet from the school gate to the door,
	    beating up Kun\=o and a legion of attacking suitors.

	    Hearing about Ranma and Akane's engagement, Kun\=o
	    challenges Ranma.  But during their fight, a strange
	    pigtailed girl mysteriously takes Ranma's place and KO's
	    Kun\=o.  Kun\=o falls for the powerful mystery girl.

	    The other students accept Ranma and Akane's betrothal when
	    Ranma decisively beats Kun\=o, though Kun\=o himself refuses
	    to accept defeat.

	    Hating Ranma for being too close to both Akane and the
	    pigtailed girl, he agonizes over which girl he loves more
	    (which his classmate Nabiki capitalizes on).
		Entrance:  Episode 2.  Volume 1 part 3.
		Name:
		    In episode 2, Nabiki puns on his name by writing
		    it with the kanji "no ability/competence".
		Distinctive features:
		    Wears samurai robes and carries a bokut\=o.
		Dialect:
		    Affected formality.  Quotes poetry.
		Weapons:
		    A bokut\=o [wooden kendo sword] which he wields as
		    effectively as a blade.
		Aliases:
		    `Aoi Ikazuchi' "Blue Thunder" according to himself
		    `Tatchi' to his father
		Voice:	Suzuoki Hirotaka  {^[$@NkCV!!MN9'^[(J}
	Kodachi  "little long sword"  {^[$@>.B@Ea^[(J}
	    His even stranger younger sister, age 16.  She's a
	    formidable martial arts MRG (modern rhythmic gymnastics)
	    expert from F\=urinkan High's rival St. Hebereke girls'
	    academy.

	    Kodachi has taken to heart the principle that "all is fair
	    in love and war".  She honorably wins all her matches by
	    default by taking out her opponents before the competition.
	    She remorselessly uses every dirty trick at her disposal in
	    order to win.

	    A favorite trick of hers is to give her victim a bouquet of
	    black roses loaded with exploding powder, to induce sleep or
	    paralysis.

	    After a thwarted attack on Akane in her bedroom before their
	    upcoming match, Ranma, chasing P-chan, accidentally knocks
	    her off the dojo roof, then unknowingly rescues her.  When
	    she comes to and sees the hunk who "saved" her, she falls
	    for Ranma.	Living a sheltered life in a girls' school, she
	    had given up hope of a normal relationship (in her words).

	    However, not only is Akane in the way, but also a strong
	    pigtailed girl who has the audacity to use her Ranma's name!
		Entrance:  Episode 11.	Volume 2 part 9.
		Distinctive features:
		    Black roses are her trademark.  Sometimes they
		    appear on her clothing, or she holds one between her
		    teeth.  Spins her lash-like ribbon in the air,
		    and uses it to cast black rose petals all around.
		    Villanous laugh.
		Dialect:
		    Affected formality.
		Weapons:
		    Her favorite is the ribbon, but she's apparently
		    skilled with many.	Gives bouquets of black roses
		    loaded with exploding powder causing sleep or
		    paralysis.
		Aliases:
		    `Kuro-bara no Kodachi'  {^[$@9u%P%i$N>.B@Ea^[(J}
			"Black Rose Kodachi"
		    `Kotchi' to her father
		Voice:	Shimazu Saeko  {^[$@EgDE!!:c;R^[(J}
	the principal (`k\=och\=o')  {^[$@9;D9^[(J}
	    The antagonistic authoritarian high school principal with
	    Hawaiimania.  He makes crazy rules to inconvenience his
	    students, especially Ranma, who thwarts his discipline.

	    When he returns from America, he announces he has a big
	    present for his students: a new rule that all boys must have
	    marab\=ozu-style shaved heads and all girls have very short
	    okappa haircuts... unless the students get a coconut
	    containing an exemption slip within three days.  He goes to
	    extreme lengths in his attempts to cut Ranma's pigtail and
	    make an example of him, but only gets pounded.

	    In the manga, the students force him to reveal that although
	    he doesn't remember where that coconut with the exemption
	    slip is, he tattooed directions to it on the shaved head of
	    his long lost son Tatewaki, who he left behind 3 years ago.
	    In the TV series, their relation is revealed later.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 46.  Volume 12 part 1.
		Distinctive features:
		    Bonsai palm tree growing on top of his head.  Deep
		    tan.  Wears sunglasses, a lei, and an aloha shirt.
		    Sometimes rides a skateboard.
		Dialect:
		    Uses katakana American in his sentences, and draws
		    out the word `desu' (ex. `GIBU APPU de---su!' "I
		    give up!").
		Weapons:
		    Wields a pair of barikan (hair clippers) or large
		    shears.  Hands or throws exploding pineapples to
		    unsuspecting students.  Has used silly tricks like
		    remote-control planes with sharpened propellors and
		    trained hair-clipping lobsters.
		Voice:	Hitouchi Tateno  {^[$@?NFb!!7zG7^[(J}

    the Joketsuzoku/Nyuchez\=u [N\v\"u ji\'e z\'u]  {^[$@=w7fB2^[(J}
	"woman hero tribe"

	Shampoo [Sh\=an p\vu]  "coral + raw jade"  {^[$@;9`y^[(J}
	    A cute, uninhibited, acrobatic, ruthless, violent Chinese
	    girl.

	    Fresh from the cursed springs, the Jusenky\=o guide led a
	    hungry Ranma and Genma to the village of the Joketsuzoku, a
	    clan of Chinese amazons, where Shampoo was defeating all
	    challengers in their annual contest.

	    Ranma and Genma sat at a fully laden banquet table and
	    gobbled down the prize.  Challenged by the champion Shampoo,
	    Ranma entered the contest and quickly defeated her.  Then
	    Shampoo gave this foreign girl the kiss of death, and
	    pursued Ranma across China trying to kill her.

	    Shampoo arrives in Tokyo and follows a panda back to the
	    Tend\=o dojo, where she meets the boy Ranma for the first
	    time.  Shampoo attacks Akane for hiding Ranma, so Ranma
	    defends her... accidentally KO'ing Shampoo.  But instead of
	    giving the boy Ranma the kiss of death, Shampoo declares her
	    love for him and calls him "husband"!

	    According to the scriptures of the Joketsuzoku, when
	    defeated by an outsider, if it is a woman you give her the
	    kiss of death and kill her, but if it is a man you marry
	    him.

	    Ruthless with her rivals, she tries to make Akane forget
	    everything about Ranma by brainwashing her with the special
	    formula 110 shampoo.

	    Crushed when Ranma finally reveals his secret to her, she
	    goes home and renews her training at Jusenky\=o with her
	    great-grandmother Cologne.	Cologne knocks her into
	    Maoniichuan, where a cat drowned 1800 years ago.  Now
	    assured that Ranma is truly a man, she and Cologne return to
	    Japan and try to get Ranma to fall in love with her, by any
	    means necessary, even magic.

	    Shampoo waits tables at Neko Hanten, her great-grandmother's
	    Chinese restaurant, and delivers ramen by bicycle,
	    occasionally running down people on the streets and
	    rooftops.
		Entrance:  Episode 15.	Volume 4 part 4.
		Re-entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 2.  Volume 5 part 1.
		Distinctive features:
		    Long purple hair.  Wears Chinese clothing and round
		    hair ornaments that stay on her fur as a cat.
		Dialect:
		    Speaks according to a stereotype of Chinese people
		    speaking Japanese (forming many adjectives with
		    `-teki', using `aru' as an ending).  Uses katakana
		    Chinese conversational phrases:
			nii hao 	hello
			shai shen	bye bye
			shei shei	thank you
			wuo ai ni	I love you
			wuoda airen	dear husband
		Disguises:
		    Pido-chan
			Volume 12 part 8.
		Weapons:
		    Wields bonbori (a pair of maces with big spheres on
		    the end).  Also wielded a big curved sword when out
		    to kill Ranma.
		Voice:	Sakuma Rei  {^[$@:45W4V!!%l%$^[(J}

	Cologne [K\ve l\'un?] (`o-baba')  {^[$@2DVG^[(J}
	    "possible + rugged mountain place"

	    Shampoo's ancient, powerful great-grandmother.  She and
	    Shampoo run the Neko Hanten, her Chinese restaurant.

	    Cologne holds Ranma responsible for Shampoo's curse, and
	    tries to make Ranma accept his "marriage" to Shampoo.  In
	    the process, she subtly grooms her son-in-law by training
	    him in new martial arts techniques.

	    Even though she is a withered old crone, she is vain about
	    her appearance, and is not amused by jokes about it.

	    She knows all her clan's secret martial arts techniques and
	    magics, and has many arcane items stored away.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 3.  Volume 5 part 6.
		Name:
		    Not revealed until Happ\=osai recognizes her much
		    later, in Nett\=ohen episode 37 or volume 10 part 1.
		Distinctive features:
		    Hops around on a gnarled wooden staff somewhat like
		    a pogo stick.
		Weapons:  Her staff.
		Voice:	Asou Miyoko  {^[$@Kc@8!!H~Be;R^[(J}

	Mousse [M\`u s\=i]  "wash + thread"  {^[$@]te/^[(J}
	    A boy blindly following his love, Shampoo, who detests him.
	    Even with his thick Coke-bottle glasses, he mistakes
	    bystanders, statues, and telephone poles for other people.

	    When he was a child, he tried to win Shampoo in a fight and
	    lost.  Yet still he tries to win her heart.

	    Cologne tells Mousse that Shampoo is going to marry Ranma.
	    So he challenges his new rival for Shampoo's affections to a
	    man-to-man fight (a troublesome point for Ranma).

	    When Ranma defeats him, he seeks training at Jusenky\=o,
	    where he walks into Yaazuniichuan, a spring where a wild
	    duckling drowned 1300 years ago.  He returns to Japan with a
	    supply of Yaazuniichuan water, in order to turn Ranma into a
	    duck too.  He fails.

	    Mousse goes to work at the Neko Hanten to be close to
	    Shampoo, where he takes a lot of abuse.  He hates Ranma, and
	    would dearly like to do away with Shampoo's "husband".
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 5.  Volume 5 part 7.
		Re-entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 13.  Volume 10 part 4.
		Name:
		    Written "Moose" in Nett\=ohen, but no doubt "Mousse"
		    was intended as another bathing product pun.
		Distinctive features:
		    Thick glasses.  Wears a white robe.
		Dialect:
		    Seems to use Tohoku dialect (ex. `ora' instead of
		    `ore').
		Weapons:
		    Mousse is a hidden weapons expert.	He usually
		    throws various heavy or entangling objects on the
		    ends of long chains.  He sometimes sprouts long
		    blades from his sleeves, or wears shoes with
		    spikes and talons on the ends.  As a duck, his
		    eyesight is sharp enough to accurately throw knives
		    which sprout from his wings.
		Aliases:
		    `anki no Mousse' "hidden tool Mousse"  {^[$@0E4o$N%`!<%9^[(J}
		    in the circus, as a knife-throwing duck:  `M\=u-M\=u'
		Voice:	Seki Toshihiko	{^[$@4X!!=SI'^[(J}

    Happ\=osai	"8 treasures together"  {^[$@H,Ju@F^[(J}
	    A powerful old man, possessed of an evil spirit.  The feared
	    and loathed sensei of Genma and S\=oun.  10-several years
	    ago, he harshly trained them by making them take part in his
	    plundering and endure the punishments when he left them
	    behind. Finally, they got him drunk, chained him in a
	    barrel, threw the barrel in a cave, and sealed the cave with
	    dynamite and a boulder hung with Buddhist scriptures.

	    Years later, he escapes.  He moves into the Tend\=o dojo to
	    train his successor, where Genma gives him Ranma to train.

	    A 110% pervert, he constantly goes around lifting skirts,
	    stealing women's underwear for his extensive collection, and
	    committing frottage.  His perversions are the source of his
	    strength; without touching young female bodies or underwear,
	    he loses his power.  Ranma and Akane are his favorite
	    targets.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 15.  Volume 7 part 5.
		Re-entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 114.  Volume 19 part 9.
		Weapons:
		    A small pipe, with which he flips opponents long
		    distances, and the long-forgotten devastating secret
		    Happo-dai-karin technique, which turns out to be
		    throwing fuse bombs.
		Alias:	`Happy' to Cologne, as he called himself at 18
		Voice:	Nagai Ichir\=o	{^[$@1J0f!!0lO:^[(J}

    Kuonji  "eternal temple"  {^[$@5W1s;{^[(J}
	Uky\=o	"right of Kyoto/capital"  {^[$@1&5~^[(J}
	    Okonomiyaki Uky\=o, Ranma's cute fianc\'ee.

	    10 years ago, on a training journey in the country with his
	    father, Ranma stole okonomiyaki [a cross between an omelet
	    and a pancake] daily from Uky\=o's father's yatai (food
	    cart), easily overcoming `Ucchan''s defense. However, it was
	    a friendly rivalry -- Uky\=o drew pictures with okonomiyaki
	    sauce on them for Ranma.

	    Her father told Genma that Uky\=o said she wants to be
	    Ranma's wife.  Genma said Ranma already has a fianc\'ee.
	    Uky\=o's father said that's too bad, he was thinking of
	    giving them the yatai for a dowry. Genma said, "We'll take
	    her!"

	    In a quandary, Genma let Ranma make the decision-- he asked
	    Ranma which he liked better, okonomiyaki or Uky\=o. Not even
	    suspecting that Uky\=o is a girl, Ranma chose okonomiyaki.
	    So Genma and Ranma ran off with the yatai and left Uky\=o
	    behind.

	    Shamed and ridiculed by her peers, Uky\=o decided she
	    wouldn't like boys forever, dressed and lived as one, and
	    devoted herself to okonomiyaki style martial arts.

	    She shows up as a new student at Furinkan High and
	    challenges Ranma.  After a heated battle, Ranma discovers
	    Uky\=o's actual gender (and verifies it by pouring hot water
	    on her!).  Meanwhile, Uky\=o discovers that Ranma does not
	    get along with his "uncute" fianc\'ee.  Ranma and Uky\=o
	    reconcile, and she becomes enamored of him again.

	    Though she still dreams of marrying Ranma, Ranma still
	    treats Ucchan only as an old friend.  Her plots to win him
	    over are less violent and more psychological that Ranma's
	    other suitors.  For example, instead of trying to kill her
	    rival Akane, Uky\=o arranges a date between her and Ry\=oga.

	    Running her okonomiyaki restaurant "Ucchan" has made her
	    skillful at both domestic tasks and running a business.
	    Although she lives to cook okonomiyaki, she would give it
	    all up to marry Ranma.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 23.  Volume 9 part 5.
		Distinctive features:
		    Wears a bandolier of small spatulas and a huge
		    spatula on her back.
		Dialect:
		    Kansai dialect (ex. `da' replaced with `ya',
		    `-masen' -> `-mahen', uses `uchi' instead of
		    `watashi', says `ooki ni' for "thank you").
		Aliases:
		    `Okonomiyaki no Uky\=o' "Okonomiyaki Uky\=o"
		Weapons:
		    Wields a huge spatula.  Throws small sharpened
		    spatulas.  Once, threw exploding bags of powder.
		Alias:
		    `Ucchan' to Ranma
		Voice:	Tsuru Hiromi  {^[$@Da!!$R$m$_^[(J}

    Sarugakure	"monkey + hide"  {^[$@1n1#^[(J}
	Sasuke	"help + assistance"  {^[$@:4=u^[(J}
	    The Kun\=o's ninja, who defends the Kun\=o mansion against
	    intruders with strange traps where he also serves as
	    housekeeper and handyman.

	    (Sasuke replaced Gosunkugi in the stories that were adapted
	    from the manga at the start of Ranma 1/2 Nett\=ohen.)
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 2.
		Name:
		    Reference to the legendary monkey-stylist ninja
		    Sarutobi Sasuke of Mt. Kun\=o.
		Voice:	Chiba Shigeru  {^[$@@iMU!!HK^[(J}

RECURRING GUEST STARS

These characters appear in more than one story or feature, though their
later appearances may only be cameos.

    Jusenky\=o guide  {^[$@<v@t6?%,%$%I^[(J}
	    The Chinese guide who explains the tragic legends befalling
	    the surprising number of people cursed by the springs of
	    Jusenky\=o.

	    He warned Ranma and Genma that the cursed springs were
	    dangerous, but of course they didn't listen.  He also
	    accompanied the transformed Saotomes to the Joketsuzoku
	    village, where he translated for them as they got themselves
	    into even deeper trouble.
		Dialect:
		    Speaks according to a stereotype of Chinese people
		    speaking Japanese (as noted under Shampoo).
		Voice:	Yamadera K\=oichi  {^[$@;3;{!!9(0l^[(J}

    Ono  {^[$@>.G5^[(J}
	T\=of\=u  "east wind"  {^[$@ElIw^[(J}
	    Dr. T\=of\=u, the local chiropractor, is highly skilled in
	    martial arts medicine, when he's himself.  But whenever he
	    sees Kasumi, his glasses steam up and he becomes a babbling
	    fool, and a danger to himself and his patients, as everyone
	    but Kasumi knows.  Often after seeing Kasumi, he dances
	    around in glee with his skeleton `Betty-chan'.

	    At the beginning of the series, Akane is heartbroken over
	    his interest in Kasumi.  Akane had had a crush on him since
	    she was a child.

	    Genma gets a part-time job doing chores at his clinic.
		Entrance:  Episode 2.  Volume 1 part 3.
		Voice:	Mitsuya Y\=uji	{^[$@;0%CLp!!M:Fs^[(J}

    Saotome  "rice planting girl; girl"  {^[$@Aa25=w^[(J}
	Nodoka	"calm; peaceful; mild"  {^[$@$N$I$+^[(J}
	    Ranma's mother.

	    A mother's influence is detrimental to training a boy in
	    Saotome-style martial arts, so Genma took his infant son and
	    left Nodoka.  As he left, he swore to make Ranma a manly man
	    inside and out, or they would commit honorable seppuku (what
	    we call hara-kiri) like men.

	    As a martial artist's wife, she accepted Genma's decision.
	    Truly, a remarkable woman (she'd have to be to marry a man
	    like Genma!).

	    Nodoka received letters from Genma until he took Ranma to
	    Jusenky\=o, when they suddenly stopped.  So she comes to the
	    Tend\=o dojo, wanting nothing more than to see her son Ranma
	    grown to be a manly man.  And if Ranma isn't a manly man,
	    she'll hold Genma to his promise.  So, when she hears about
	    her son doing unmanly things like wearing women's clothes,
	    her placid demeanor disappears and she draws her katana.

	    When she shows up at the dojo, Ranma and Genma are "off on
	    another training trip", leaving fianc\'ee Akane behind with
	    her tomboy "cousin" Ranko and Ranko's pet panda...

	    (Strictly speaking, she is not a major character, but...)
		Weapons:  Carefully wrapped katana.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 142.  Volume 22 part 2.
		Voice:	Ikeda Masako  {^[$@CSED!!>;;R^[(J}

    Ninomiya  {^[$@Fs%N5\^[(J}
	Hinako	{^[$@$R$J;R^[(J}
	    The new remedial teacher the principal hired turns out,
	    to his surprise, to be a little girl.

	    But when there is fighting, she pulls out a 5 yen coin and
	    uses the Happ\=o-go-en-satsu technique to absorb fighting
	    spirit through it, turning into an adult with a soldier-like
	    personality.

	    Unfortunately, the counter-technique to change her back to a
	    child involves striking a couple pressure points around the
	    heart.  This involves Ranma putting his hand somewhere very
	    compromising on stacked adult Hinako-sensei.

	    As a sickly child, Happ\=osai trained her in what she
	    thought was "best gymnastics".  What he really taught her
	    was the Happ\=o-go-en-satsu technique, in order to take out
	    the opposition to his panty raids.
		Entrance:  Volume 25 part 3.  OAV 4.
		Voice:	T\=oma Yumi  {^[$@E_GO!!M3H~^[(J}

    Gosunkugi  "5 `sun' [measure: about an inch] nail"  {^[$@8^@#E#^[(J}
	Hikaru	{^[$@8w^[(J}
	    1-F Gosunkugi Hikaru, spooky classmate of Ranma and Akane.
	    Obsessed with Akane, he takes pictures of her and tries to
	    gain her companionship.  Jealous of Ranma, he nails voodoo
	    dolls with strands of Ranma's hair to trees and posts.  He
	    becomes a spy for Kun\=o and Kodachi in their plots to cause
	    trouble for Ranma.	Wears unconvincing disguises when he
	    tries to do something sneaky.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 96.  Volume 5 part 1.
		Distinctive features:
		    Big dark patches under his eyes.  Straps burning
		    candles to his head.
		Weapon:
		    Small wooden hammer.
		Voice:	Futamata Kazunari  {^[$@FsKt!!0l@.^[(J}

    Pansuto Tar\=o  "Pantyhose Tar\=o"  {^[$@%Q%s%9%H!!B@O:^[(J}
	    One day, a monster steals the Jusenky\=o client register from
	    the guide, and flies to Japan seeking Happ\=osai.

	    Happ\=osai baptised Tar\=o in Niuhoomanmaorenniichuan, where
	    a yeti riding a bull carrying a crane and an eel drowned
	    2500 years ago.  But Tar\=o is not upset about turning into
	    a bizarre monster like a winged minotaur with a serpent
	    tail.  Happ\=osai cursed him with something far worse-- he
	    baptised him with the humiliating name "Pantyhose Tar\=o".
	    And by his customs, only Happ\=osai can change his name...

	    After failing to `persuade' Happ\=osai to change his name
	    the first time, Tar\=o went back to Jusenky\=o for water
	    from Shannenniichuan to turn Happ\=osai into a virtuous man.
	    He doused himself with water from Chanyuiniichuan, where a
	    giant octopus drowned 1600 years ago.  His cursed form
	    gained tentacles and the ability to shoot ink.

	    His plan has everyone's approval... until the Jusenky\=o
	    guide calls and announces that he made a terrible mistake!
	    What Tar\=o actually bottled was Shuanshontsuniichuan water,
	    which turns whatever it hits into twins!
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 103.  Volume 18 part 1.
		Re-entrance:  Volume 23 part 1.
		Voice:	Furumoto Shinnosuke  {^[$@8EK\!!?7G7Je^[(J}

    the bake-neko  "ghost/monster cat"  {^[$@2=$1G-^[(J}
	    A huge ghost cat inhabiting a huge jingle bell, looking for
	    a bride.

	    Shampoo gives Ranma the legendary big bell as a souvenir
	    from China, and keeps the matching little one for herself.
	    But the huge ghost cat starts looking for the girl with the
	    little bell to be his wife.

	    Ailurophobic Ranma is terrified out of his mind by the huge
	    cat, but the ghost cat, a big crybaby, gives up at even a
	    half-hearted punch.  The ghost cat can also possess people's
	    bodies, but Ranma isn't afraid of humans.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 54.  Volume 14 part 2.
		Distinctive feature:  BIG white cat.
		Dialect:
		    In Japan, cats go `nyaa nyaa'.  The ghost cat
		    frequently replaces `na' in words with `nya' (ex.
		    `gomennyasai' "Sorry").  Uses `nya' as a verb
		    ending.
		Voice:	Yoshimura Y\=o	{^[$@5HB<!!$h$&^[(J}

    \=Ogon Pair  "Golden Pair"
	Shiratori  "white bird"  {^[$@GrD;^[(J}
	    Azusa  "catalpa tree"  {^[$@$"$:$5^[(J}
		Cutesy martial arts figure skater of the free-skating
		Golden Pair from Koru Hosei Gakuen.

		When Azusa sees something she considers cute, like
		P-chan ("Charlotte!"), she gives it a French name and
		selfishly claims it for her own (and if a man has it,
		beats him over the head until she gets it).

		She challenges Akane to a martial arts ice skating match
		with P-chan as the prize.
		    Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 7.  Volume 2 part 6.
		    Voice:  Matsui Naoko  {^[$@>>0f!!:Z:y;R^[(J}
	Sanzenin  "3000 temples/mansions/palaces"  {^[$@;0@i1!^[(J}
	    Mikado  "emperor"  {^[$@Dk^[(J}
		Very handsome and very conceited playboy martial arts
		figure skater of the free-skating Golden Pair from Koru
		Hosei Gakuen.

		His favorite tactic is kissing his female opponent.  In
		fact, he thinks of nothing else.
		    Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 7.  Volume 2 part 6.
		    Voice:  Inoue Kazuhiko  {^[$@0f>e!!OBI'^[(J}

    Linlin, Ranran
	    Shampoo's "younger sister" villagers of her clan, who
	    trained very hard in ridiculous martial arts techniques
	    when they saw Shampoo beaten by Ranma.  They come to
	    Japan to ask Shampoo how she killed Ranma, and when they
	    find out she hasn't, they try to.  Shampoo stops them the
	    first time and gives them the kiss of death.  But when
	    their techniques later backfire, Shampoo ends up saving
	    their lives.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 40.
		Re-entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 72.
		Name:
		    From real Chinese sisters famous for singing `LINLIN
		    RANRAN ry\=uen!' in a TV commercial for a Chinese
		    restaurant.
		Dialect:
		    Speaks according to a stereotype of Chinese people
		    speaking Japanese (as noted under Shampoo).
		Voice:
		    (Linlin)  Mita Y\=uko  {^[$@;0ED!!$f$&;R^[(J}
		    (Ranran)  Kobayashi Y\=uko	{^[$@>.NS!!M%;R^[(J}

    Kurenai  {^[$@9H^[(J}
	Tsubasa  "wings"  {^[$@$D$P$5^[(J}
	    An extremely cute junior high schoolmate of Uky\=o's, who
	    gives Uky\=o presents and sends Uky\=o love letters.  Uky\=o
	    responded to one letter, sending Tsubasa a picture of her
	    fianc\'ee, the female Ranma.  So Tsubasa challenges Ranma to
	    win Uky\=o.  Ranma tries revealing Uky\=o's true gender, but
	    it comes as no surprise.  Tsubasa likes girls.  Any girl who
	    acts kindly, in fact.

	    Skilled at camouflage, Tsubasa wears bizarre disguises like
	    mailboxes, vending machines, umbrella costumes...
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 27.  Volume 10 part 9.
		Voice:	Yamada Eiko  {^[$@;3ED!!1I;R^[(J}

    Casino King (Bakuchi-\=O King)  "Gambling King `King'"  {^[$@GnTu2&#K^[(J}
	    The unscrupulous carnival gambler to whom young Ranma, 10
	    years ago, loses his shirt and the Tend\=o dojo he would
	    eventually marry into.  King returns with Ranma's signed
	    promise in writing, to claim the dojo and turn it into a
	    casino.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 67.  Volume 15 part 4.
		Distinctive features:
		    Looks like and dresses similar to a playing card King.
		Weapons:  Throws cards.
		Voice:	Aono Takeshi  {^[$@@DLn!!Ip^[(J}

    (`dojo yaburi')  {^[$@F;>l^[(J ^[$@GK$j^[(J}
	    A dojo yaburi is one who comes to the dojo and challenges
	    the champion with the dojo's signboard as the stake.

	    A big dojo yaburi with a large collection of signboards
	    challenges the Tend\=o dojo to a fight the following day.
	    S\=oun and Genma want Akane and Ranma to fight him together,
	    but Shampoo has offered Ranma her Nanniichuan mix if he goes
	    on a date with her then.  Akane insists she can handle it
	    herself, but Ranma worries.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 12.  Volume 8 part 1.
		Voice:	Kamiyama Takumi  {^[$@?@;3!!Bn;0^[(J}

    the niku-men
	Niku, An, Karee, and Piza
	    In the Tsinghai region of China, four little men come to the
	    Yakusaikan store seeking a 4000 year old secret "dragon's hair"
	    of mysterious power.  They coerce the shopkeeper to draw them a
	    picture of the person who has it now, who has a conspicuous
	    pigtail.  Finally they find Ranma, who uses it to tie off the
	    end of his pigtail and never removes it because it's his
	    "seal".  But remove it they will...
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 70.  Volume 15 part 8.
		Distinctive features:
		    Their heads look like niku-man, an-man, curry-man,
		    and pizza-man.
		Voices:
		    Tanonaka Takeshi  {^[$@ED%NCf!!M+^[(J}
		    Chiba Shigeru     {^[$@@iMU!!HK^[(J}
		    Shimada Satoshi   {^[$@EgED!!IR^[(J}
		    Hase Arihiro      {^[$@D9C+!!M-MN^[(J}

    Daimonji  {^[$@BgJ8;z^[(J}
	Sentar\=o  "boiling first son"  {^[$@@yB@O:^[(J}
	    Sentar\=o, unconscious on a wild horse charging through the
	    rain, is "saved" by Ranma.  Happy to have found a strong
	    girl his grandmother could approve of, he tries to take
	    Ranma for a bride (and Akane after she comes to rescue
	    Ranma).
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 75.  Volume 6 part 9.
		Name:  Common name with unusual kanji.
		Dialect:  Kyoto dialect (exaggerated used of `dosu').
		Voice:	Shimada Satoshi  {^[$@EgED!!IR^[(J}
	(`baa-sama')
	    His grandmother, master of tea ceremony style martial arts,
	    who tests Ranma to prove her as strong and as worthy as
	    Sentar\=o claims.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 75.  Volume 6 part 9.
		Weapons:  Tea ceremony implements.
		Dialect:  Kyoto dialect (exaggerated used of `dosu').
		Alias:	the Iemoto  {^[$@2H85^[(J}
		Voice:	Ky\=oda Naoko  {^[$@5~ED!!>0;R^[(J}

    Miyako-ooji  "main thoroughfare of the metropolis"  {^[$@ETBgO)^[(J}
	Satsuki  "tea moon"  {^[$@Cc7n^[(J}
	    The 1988 Miss Tea Ceremony, intended bride of Sentar\=o.
	    In Nett\=ohen, daughter of the "dark side" martial arts tea
	    ceremony school.

		Sanae  "tea sprout"  {^[$@CcID^[(J}
		    In the manga, her monkey, trained in tea ceremony,
		    who improbably takes her place.
			Entrance:  Volume 6 part 10.
			Name:  Common name with unusual kanji.

		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 112.  Volume 6 part 11.
		Name:  Common name with unusual kanji.

    Yotar\=o  {^[$@M?B@O:^[(J}
	    A weak little boy who doesn't like to go outside.  He loves
	    pandas, and tells his mother he will go outside and play if
	    he gets a panda for Christmas.  Looking for a good Christmas
	    tree, Genma gets lost and happens upon their mansion.

		(`Maman')
		    His mother, who gratefully serves the panda
		    expensive delicacies.
			Voice:	Yokoo Mari  {^[$@2#Hx!!$^$j^[(J}

		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 57.  Volume 14 part 6.
		Voice:	Matsui Naoko  {^[$@>>0f!!:Z:y;R^[(J}

    Picolette Chardin II
	    A blond-haired blue-eyed French prince.  Able to slip huge
	    amounts of food in his incredibly flexible mouth, too quickly
	    to be seen (according to his family's manners).

	    Twenty years ago, a starving S\=oun and Genma, after losing
	    in a martial arts dinner contest and being presented with a
	    monstrous bill, promised one of their daughters to marry
	    into the Chardin family.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 87.  Volume 16 part 8.
		Name:  French-sounding name of a Japanese toilet cleanser.
		Distinctive features:
		    Blond-haired, blue-eyed gaijin.  Can stretch his mouth
		    bigger than someone's head.  Mixes French and Japanese.
		Dialect:
		    Mixes katakana French words with very formal
		    Japanese (ex. `Bonjour de gozaimasu').
		Voice:	Namba Keiichi  {^[$@FqGH!!7=0l^[(J}
    Madame Saint-Paul
	    Monsieur Picolette's governess who trains Ranma in martial
	    arts dinner, so she can be a proper bride.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 87.  Volume 16 part 9.
		Name:  Reference to floor cleaning spray.
		Dialect:
		    Uses a dialect associated with snooty rich people
		    (ex. `zansu' instead of `desu').
		Voice:	Mita Y\=uko  {^[$@;0ED!!$f$&;R^[(J}

    Konj\=o (M-A-R-I-K-O) Mariko  {^[$@:#>r!!%^%j;R^[(J}
	    A martial arts cheerleading expert from Seisyun Gakuen,
	    who strikes down her team's opponents while cheering.  She
	    knocks down the entire F\=urinkan High volleyball team
	    except for Akane.  She falls for Kun\=o Tatewaki and
	    challenges Ranma to a martial arts cheerleading contest
	    for him during their schools' upcoming kendo match..
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 136.  Volume 21 part 7.
		Dialect:
		    Constantly cheers out words alphabetically.
		Weapons:  Cheerleading implements (batons, pom-poms...)
		Voice:	Kobayashi Y\=uko  {^[$@>.NS!!M%;R^[(J}

    the shadow don (kage no don)
	    F\=urinkan High's school observer, appointed by its first
	    principal.	Ranma discovers him running the long-neglected
	    second school store in the dark basement.  The principal
	    wants to get rid of him, but he knows all of F\=urinkan's
	    secrets.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 98.
		Voice:	Masuoka Hiroshi  {^[$@A}2,!!90^[(J}

    Shirokuro  "white and black"  {^[$@%7%m%/%m^[(J}
	    In the manga, Ry\=oga's dog, age 4.  The only one in
	    Ry\=oga's household that can find her way home.  Appears on
	    television as a lost dog looking for her master, with a
	    litter of two-tone puppies that Akane adores.

	    In the TV series, a ninja dog that Ry\=oga rescues and
	    adopts.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 140.  Volume 11 part 1.
		Distinctive features:
		    White on one side, black on the other.
		Name:
		    `Shiro' "white" and `Kuro' "black" are common dog
		    names.

ALSO FEATURING

Many characters appear for only one episode to set up a conflict, then
disappear, never to be seen again.  There are far too many to list,
but here are a few of the more significant ones.

    7 Fukud\=ojin  "7 martial arts gods of luck"
	    When Happ\=osai trained in China, he stole a half scroll
	    containing a secret technique from the 7 Fukud\=ojin.  The
	    legend of the scroll holds that a prince on a white horse
	    will come for the holder and make her happy, so he gives it
	    to an old woman when he tries to skip out on a restaurant
	    bill.
		Name:
		    Based on the 7 Fukujin, the Seven Deities of Luck,
		    who come to Japan from afar in a treasure ship on
		    New Year's Eve, bringing good luck.  The Seven
		    Deities are:

		    Bishamon(ten), the God of War and Defense, whose
		    spear is said to protect people from evil.

		    Daikoku(ten), the God of Wealth and Harvest, who
		    brings luck to farmers.  He carries a huge treasure
		    sack and carries a magical gavel of luck.

		    Hotei, the potbellied God of Happiness and
		    Prosperity, who carries a huge sack of treasures to
		    ensure a happy and prosperous life like a treasure
		    hammer, a money-producing purse, etc.

		    Ben(zai)ten is the Goddess of Arts and Wisdom, a
		    talented beauty who plays the biwa.

		    Ebisu, the smiling God of Fishing and Commerce
		    worshipped by merchants, usually depicted with a
		    fishing rod and a huge red sea bream.

		    Fukurokuju, the God of Wealth and Longevity, a very
		    old man with a huge bald head a long full beard. He
		    holds a crooked cane with a scroll attached to the
		    top containing the secret to gaining wealth and
		    longevity.	Usually accompanied by a crane, another
		    longevity symbol.

		    Jur\=ojin, the similar God of Longevity, who looks
		    very much like Fukurokuju.	He holds a similar cane,
		    and also a flat fan in one hand.  Usually
		    accompanied by a stag.  He and Fukurokuju are
		    usually confused, though they have different
		    origins.  They've been depicted playing karuta
		    together.
		Entrance:
		    Movie:  Ch\=ugoku Nekonron daikessen!  Okite yaburi
		    no gekit\=o hen

	Lychee
	    Granddaughter of the old woman Happ\=osai sold the scroll to,
	    who after a series of misfortunes, doubts the power of the
	    scroll and seeks Happ\=osai.  She tracks him down to the
	    Tend\=o dojo and throws the scroll at him.	It ends up in
	    Akane's hands, just as the "prince", Kirin, arrives.
		Name:
		    From the Chinese evergreen that produces lychee
		    [l\`i zh\=i] nuts as fruit.  In Japanese, this
		    is rendered as `Raichi'.
		Voice:	Tamagawa Sakiko  {^[$@6L@n!!5*8J;R^[(J}

	Jasmine
	    Lychee's ususual elephant with a powerful fighting spirit.

	Kirin
	    The leader of the 7 Fukud\=ojin, who finally arrives just as
	    the scroll ends up in Akane's hands.  He holds the other
	    half of the scroll, whose power comes when both halves are
	    used as a pair, so there is a rule that the bearers of the
	    two pieces must marry.  He takes Akane away to his castle in
	    China.  Ranma and company go to rescue her.
		Voice:	Shiozawa Kaneto  {^[$@1vBt!!7s?M^[(J}

	Ebiten	{^[$@7CHfE7^[(J}
	    The Fukud\=ojin version of Ebisu, the god of fishing.
	    Guardian of the 5th gate.
		Weapon:  His fishing pole.
		Voice:	Yoshimura Y\=o	{^[$@5HB<!!$h$&^[(J}

	Daikokusei  {^[$@Bg9u@1^[(J}
	Daihakusei  {^[$@BgGr@1^[(J}
	    The go-playing twins.  Guardians of the 2nd gate.
		Name:
		    Daikokusei doesn't resemble Daikoku, but takes part
		    of his name from him.  Daihakusei has almost the same
		    name, but the kanji for "black" is replaced with
		    "white".
			They look more alike than Fukurokuju and
		    Jur\=ojin, but instead of karuta, they play go
		    (Daikokusei plays black and Daihakusei plays white,
		    naturally).
		Voice:
		     (Daikokusei)  Koyasu Takehito  {^[$@;R0B!!Ip?M^[(J}
		     (Daihakusei)  Matono Mitsuaki  {^[$@??EB!!8w><^[(J}

	Bishamonten  {^[$@Ht<VLgE7^[(J}
	    A formidable-looking warrior.  Guardian of the 1st gate.
		Name:
		    From Bishamon(ten), the God of War.  The first two
		    kanji in the traditional name are replaced with
		    `hisha', the name of a shogi piece.
		Weapon:  A big polearm.

	M\=u  {^[$@L5^[(J}
	    The Fukud\=ojin version of Hotei.  A walking wall.	Guardian
	    of the 3rd gate.
		Weapon:  His tremendous belly.

	Monron	{^[$@%b%s%m%s^[(J}
	    The biwa-playing Fukud\=ojin version of Benten.  Guardian of
	    the 4th gate.
		Weapon:  Her biwa, sharpened strings.

    T\oma  {^[$@%H%&%^^[(J}
	    A young martial artist on the magical island T\=ogenky\=o
	    with a spring that turns animals into animal-men.  The cast
	    gets shipwrecked there and all the girls are kidnapped to
	    compete to be T\=oma's bride.

	    In a Japanese fairy tale, Momotar\=o, the Peach Boy, has
	    three followers, a dog, a bird, and a monkey.  T\=oma's
	    three followers are:

		Wan-tan
		    The dog man.
			Name:
			   `wan' is the sound barking Japanese dogs.
			   Pun on wonton, as in Chinese soup.
		Tori-sutan
		    The bird man
			Name:
			   `tori' means bird, and he seems to be named
			   after Tristan of medieval romance.
		Saru-toru
		    The monkey man.
			Name:
			   `saru' means monkey.  Pun on Jean-Paul
			   Sartre, French existentialist.
		Entrance:
		    Movie:  Kessen T\=ogenky\=o!  Hanayome o torimodose!!

    Jak\=o \=Och\=o no Matsuei	{^[$@sM9a2&D+$NKvjc^[(J}
	"Descendants of the Musk Dynasty"
	    A 1400-year-old dynasty of animal-stylist martial artists.
	    They throw wild animals into Nyannichuan to turn them into
	    women, and pour water from a magic bucket, the Chiisui-ton,
	    on them, keeping them in their cursed form permanently.
	    Their children inherit some of the abilities of the wild
	    animal their mother once was.

	Mint [M\vin D\`u]  "nimble + careless"  {^[$@IREN^[(J}
	    A wolf-boy with superhuman speed, who has never seen a woman
	    before.
		Entrance:  Volume 24 part 1.
		Distinctive features:  Wears a wolf's scalp.
		Weapons:  Throws knives incredibly fast.

	Lime [L\'ai M\`u]  "come + friendly"  {^[$@MhKS^[(J}
	    A tiger-boy with superhuman strength, who has never seen a
	    woman before either.
		Distinctive features:
		    Wears tiger-skin loincloth and leg warmers.
		Entrance:  Volume 24 part 1.

	Herb [H\=a F\vu?]  "laugh + ?"  {^[$@R}!R;3Jc!S^[(J}
	    Dragon-leader of the Musk Dynasty with the ability to fly.
	    When he threw a monkey in Nyanniichuan, he was so captivated
	    by his first sight of breasts, the monkey girl pushed him
	    into the spring too.  Then, captivated by his/her new body,
	    the monkey girl splashed her with Chiisui-ton water.  So
	    Herb comes to Japan in search of the long-lost opposite to
	    the Chiisui-ton, the Kaisui-f\=u.
		Entrance:  Volume 24 part 1.

    Kinnii
	    A violent swordsman from the Guardians of Jusenky\=o.

	    The Guardians of Jusenky\=o are a secret organization that
	    keeps tabs on the 144 people who have fallen in the cursed
	    springs.  They have three rules:

	    - Don't abuse the power to change.
	    - Don't use the power to hurt people.
	    - If you don't break those two rules, you can use the power.

	    Ranma, Genma, Ry\=oga, Shampoo, and Mousse have broken the
	    rules, so Kinnii volunteers to go to Japan to deal with them.
	    The committee vice-president goes along to keep him out of
	    trouble.

	    Kinnii is also cursed.  He fell in Fuushanniichuan, where a
	    Buddhist monk drowned 999 years ago.  When splashed with
	    cold water, he changes from a hulking swordsman into a
	    scrawny priest, and tries to repair all the damage he
	    caused.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 30.
		Voice:	Aono Takeshi  {^[$@@DLn!!Ip^[(J}

    Kaeru Sennin  "frog wizard"  {^[$@%+%(%k^[(J ^[$@@g?M^[(J}
	    Kaeru Sennin trains frogs to do tricks in a sidewalk show,
	    and more.

	    He was at Jusenky\=o training a frog to sit on a bamboo
	    pole.  A boy attacking a panda kicked the poles out from
	    under them.  Man and frog fell into the spring and came out
	    frog-man.

	    Seeking revenge, he fills a bottle of water from the Drowned
	    Frog Spring, and attacks anyone with a Jusenky\=o curse in
	    order to find Ranma.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 82.
		Voice:	Enji Ry\=uji  {^[$@\G!!LxFs^[(J}

    Harumaki  {^[$@=U4,^[(J}
	    The ghost of an old man who enters Ranma's dreams.  He
	    wishes to relive a date with lost love Gy\=oko-san, whom
	    the female Ranma reminds him of.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 126.  Volume 20 part 9.

    Pink [p\'i? k\ve?]  {^[$@!R2&Hf!S2Q^[(J}
    Link [l\'ing k\ve?]  {^[$@NV2Q^[(J}
	    10 years ago, Cologne took Shampoo to the medicinal herb
	    village to stock up on herbal medicines.  Prankster Pink
	    blew mandragora seeds on Shampoo, and poured water to make
	    them sprout.  When Shampoo pulled off one of the poisonous
	    roots, it screamed and she collapsed.  Link came along and
	    fed Shampoo some antidote.	Mistaking Link for Pink, Shampoo
	    ungratefully punched Link away.

	    After Shampoo runs a big wedding announcement in the
	    newspaper, they show up to kill Ranma, so that Shampoo can
	    taste the same pain she gave Link.

	    Pink and Link grow many bizarre magical and poisonous
	    plants, all of which spring into full flower instantly.
		Distinctive features:
		    Pink wears the kanji `doku' (poison) in white on
		    red.  Link wears the kanji `yaku' (medicine) in
		    blue.  Together, the characters mean a poisonous
		    drug.
		Entrance:  Volume 29 part 3.

    Shinnosuke	{^[$@??G72p^[(J}
	    An absent-minded boy who lives with his grandfather in the
	    forest setting monster traps, who saved Akane from a giant
	    monster when she was little.
		Entrance:  Volume 25 part 10.

    Kumon Ry\=u  {^[$@8xLf!!N5^[(J}
	    A martial artist who came by Ranma's scroll for the Saotome
	    school technique Yamasen-ken.  After saving Ranma's mother
	    from a rampaging bear, Nodoka returns the scroll to him and
	    he gives his name as Saotome Ranma.

	    By infiltrating the Tend\=o dojo and pretending to be Ranma,
	    he hopes to find the technique the Yamasen-ken pairs with,
	    the Umisen-ken.
		Entrance:  Volume 28 part 1.

    Kasha-\=O  "extremely poor king"  {^[$@2P<V2&^[(J}
	Kinnosuke  {^[$@6bG72p^[(J}
	    The son of the Iemoto [head of a school] of the Kasha-Oh
	    school of the art of sponging off others.  Seven generations
	    of this school live their lives letting other people pay the
	    bills and never spending a penny of their own money.

	    But Kinnosuke finds a worthy opponent when he dates the
	    ultimate material girl, Tend\=o Nabiki.
		Name:
		    The first character of Kinnosuke means "money".
		    The `Kasha' in Kasha-\=O means "chariot of fire", but
		    the characters can also mean "extreme poverty".
		Entrance:  Volume 29 part 9.

    Ono Kin  {^[$@>.G5!!$-$s^[(J}
	    T\=of\=u-sensei's mother, who comes to town toting a
	    butsudan [household shrine] to her dead husband.  She also
	    brings a picture of a musclebound girl with good hips for
	    bearing grandchildren (her main qualification), whom she's
	    arranged for him to marry.
		Entrance:  Episode 14.
		Voice:	Oota Toshiko  {^[$@B@ED!!=J;R^[(J}

    Kinnosuke  {^[$@6bG72p^[(J}
	    About 15 years ago, Genma trekked across a desert on martial
	    arts training, with baby Ranma on his back.  Starving, he
	    came upon a man about to eat a fish he'd just cooked.  Genma
	    begged for the food, and finally traded Ranma for a fish and
	    a bowl of rice.  Years later, he shows up at the Tend\=o dojo
	    calling Ranma "son".
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 1.
		Distinctive features:
		    Big ears.
		Voice:	Yoshimura Y\=o	{^[$@5HB<$h$&^[(J}
    Kaori  {^[$@$+$*$j^[(J}
	    His daughter, whom he wants Ranma to marry.  To resolve this
	    conflict between fiancees, Kaori challenges Akane to compete
	    in the Miss martial arts food delivery race to determine who
	    will marry Ranma.

	    (In the original manga story, the martial arts food delivery
	    race was between Shampoo, Akane, and Ranma, with Kun\=o
	    judging.)
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 1.

BACKGROUND CHARACTERS

A few background characters deserve a small mention.

    Midorigame	"green tortoise"  {^[$@%_%I%j%,%a^[(J}
	    Kun\=o Kodachi's deceptively-named pet, who lives in the
	    moat at the Kun\=o mansion.  Midorigame gives Ranma a nasty
	    surprise by being an alligator.
		Entrance:  Nett\=ohen episode 19.  Volume 9 part 2.

    Arumajiro-kun
	    In one manga story, Kun\=o Tatewaki's trusting pet dog and
	    poison tester for Kodachi's cooking.
		Entrance:  Volume 20 part 10.

    Hiroshi  {^[$@$R$m$7^[(J}
	    Brown-haired classmate who admires Akane (and the female
	    Ranma).
		Entrance:  Episode 5.  Volume 1 part 8.
		Name:  Given in Nett\=ohen.
		Voice:	Tsujitani K\=oji  {^[$@DTC+!!9L;K^[(J}

    Daisuke  {^[$@Bg2p^[(J}
	    Black-haired classmate who admires Akane (and the female
	    Ranma).
		Entrance:  Episode 5.  Volume 1 part 8.
		Name:  Given in Nett\=ohen.
		Voice:	Koyasu Takendo	{^[$@;R0B!!Ip?M^[(J}

    Yuka  {^[$@$f$+^[(J}
	    Akane's friend with long brown hair.
		Name:  Given in Nett\=ohen.
		Voice:	Toshima Masami	{^[$@K-Eg!!$^$5$_^[(J}

    Sayuri  {^[$@$5$f$j^[(J}
	    Akane's friend with short black pony-tailed hair.
		Name:  Given in Nett\=ohen.
		Voice:	Kamei Yoshiko  {^[$@550f!!K';R^[(J}

    (`baa-san')  {^[$@GL$5$s^[(J}
	    Little old lady who waters her plants (and occasional
	    passers-by) by the bridge en route from the dojo to the
	    high school.
		Entrance:  Episode 2.  Volume 1 part 3.
		Voice:	Suzuki Reiko  {^[$BNkLZ$l$$;R^[(J}

    (`Shampoo no chichi' "Shampoo's father")
	    In the manga, Shampoo's father witnesses her fall into
	    Maoniichuan, and also works at the Neko Hanten restaurant.

	    (Only a background character, but he has a big part in the
	    PC Engine CD-ROM action game as the boss of the final
	    level.)
		Voice:	Ginga Banj\=o  {^[$@6d2O!!K|>f^[(J}