Caroline Ann Seawright wrote:
Btw, why is it Tendo Nouma and not Saotome Nouma?
Because, when Ranma and Akane got married and Ranma took over the dojo,
he took the Tendo name as his own. It hasn't come up so far, but
Ranma's name in this sequel is Tendo Ranma. This, I'm told, is not
uncommon in Japanese marriages of this sort.
Somehow, I think Genma and Ranma would be rather pissed
off about that ... Genma's often mentions Ranma carrying
on the Saotome-Ryuu, and you never hear Souun talk about
Akane carrying on the Tendou-Ryuu. Also, how in Kamisama's
name would *Ranma* take Akane's name?! Akane may hit him a
lot, but he's still the macho male ... and whatever happens,
Akane is still rather a traditional girl. It's just doesn't
sound right, at all, for Ranma to change his name to
Tendou... The dojo can still be called the Tendou Doujou,
but really... Tendou Ranma?! I think you need a whole story
about WHY Ranma accepted that name and who talked him into
it. I don't see Souun pushing for Ranma to take that name
... He just wants to schools joined. And I don't think
that Nodoka would be happy that he only son would be so
unmanly as to take his wife's name, and to effectivly kill
off the entire Saotome clan.
Forgive me Kun-chan, but that sounds like rather a Western attitude. I
don't think it's considered "unmanly" for a man to adopt his wife's name
in a Japanese marriage, especially when he's assuming her family's
property in the bargain.
You talk about tradition, but you're talking about Western tradition,
not Japanese tradition. And the Japanese tradition is for the man to
assume the woman's name in this kind of situation, and it doesn't mean
and kind of loss of face for the man. In fact, by assuming his wife's
name, the man may actually be gaining face. Certainly the Tendo family
*seems* to be a richer, more powerful family than the Saotome family.
I'm hoping Hitomi or someone can respond to this and give us some kind
of definitive answer. I've been hearing discussions on this for such a
long time, I decided to be the first one to actually take that position
in a fanfic. :) I'm open for discussion on whether this would be
appropriate or not...
Kun-chan...