Another bio for your comments...

GENMA SAOTOME

Source:  _Ranma 1/2_, created by Rumiko Takahashi, first published in 
Shonen Sunday Weekly (1987), Japan.
Other names:  Panda-san ("Mr. Panda") 
Occupation:  Martial artist (semi-retired), handyman 
Legal Status:  Japanese citizen with (at the very least) an arrest 
record, identity private, married.
Place of Birth:  Japan
Base of Operations:  Tendou Dojo, Nerima Ward, Tokyo, Japan
Important People:  Nodoka, wife; Ranma, son; Soun Tendou, best friend; 
Happosai, master. 
Group Affiliations:  Team Ranma
Eyes:  Black, wears corrective lenses  Hair: Bald (formerly black)
Distinguishing Features:  Turns into a giant panda when doused with cold 
water; hot water returns him to normal. 
Costume:  Usually wears a white gi, and a white headscarf. 
Powers:  Genma is a pretty decent martial artist, and has a Jyuusenkyo 
curse. 
Equipment:  Genma is able to pull signs out of thin air with writing on 
them.  (This may actually be a power...)

Background:  Relatively little is known about Genma's early life.  It is 
known that he and SOUN TENDOU were both students of the abusive master 
HAPPOSAI, and became good friends.  So much so that they vowed to engage 
their children to each other.
	At some point Genma met and married NODOKA SAOTOME, and they had 
a son, RANMA SAOTOME.  When Ranma was quite small, Genma and Soun were 
able to get Happosai drunk and sealed him in a cave.  Believing 
themselves free, they returned to their homes, not to see each other for 
a decade.
	Eventually, Genma grew restless and decided that motherly love 
would spoil Ranma's chances of becoming a truly great martial artist.  In 
order to convince his wife to let them go on an extended training voyage, 
he vowed to make Ranma a "man among men" or commit seppuku (ritual 
suicide). 
	While Genma was able to teach Ranma to fight, and very well, he 
also sowed the seeds for many of Ranma's other problems.  Even his 
proudest achievement, a set of special martial arts techniques based on 
thievery, proved disastrous enough that he discarded them. 
	Eventually, the Saotomes came to Jyuusenkyo, the Forbidden 
Training Ground of Cursed Springs.  Unable to read the Chinese warnings, 
and ignoring their guide, Genma insisted on training there.  As a result, 
he and his son both fell into magic pools.  Genma was cursed to turn into 
a panda in cold water, with hot water reversing the effect.  Ranma became 
a girl under the same conditions.
	Realising they could not return to Nodoka with the pledge still 
in effect, Genma took his son to the Tendou dojo to get him married off 
before it was too late.  Unfortunately, the fathers' clumsy attempt at 
matchmaking and a couple of bad coincidences got Ranma and AKANE TENDOU, 
his forced fiancee, off to a bad start.
	Eventually, Nodoka caught up with them, and decided to spare 
Genma and Ranma (for now) based on Ranma's "manly" behavior in girl 
form.  

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SKJAM!