On Tue, 11 Feb 1997, Andrew Huang wrote:

Actually, according to the Ranma 1/2 FAQ (a great site, by the way) If a
cursed person fell into another pool, that new curse would replace the
old.  If ranma fell into nannichuan, he would be "cursed" to be a boy when
splashed by cold water, or in other words, remain the same.  

But that doesn't explain Tarou then.  How does he have MULTIPLE curses?

	Well, the first pool that he was exposed to had multiple things
drown in it at the same time, so that would explain that bit. Now, as for
how he gained the attributes of an octopus _in addition_ is something that
everyone seems a bit fuzzy on. The only thing that's been said is that
perhaps since he already had a combination curse, getting exposed to
another curse added to the combination.
	Any takers on the rest of this?

What I suggested earlier is that the Jyusenkyou water (having seeped up
from underground, as we know), is diluted.  When concentrated in larger
quantities like a spring, it's sufficient to replace the curse with some
generalities about whatever drowned there.  When merely splashed on
someone, it is of much less concentration, and thus merely adds to the
curse.  This would also explain the Spring of Drowned Akane... it was (as
I recall from the manga), 'pure' magic water - undiluted.  This would mean
it was of MUCH higher concentration than the Jyusenkyou springs
themselves, and would not just curse with generalities about what drowned
there, but would in fact make someone look exactly like Akane.

Now, the other thing is that Ranma is not supposed to be a serious series.
Aren't we maybe carrying this a bit far with all this analyzing of the
story?  I mean, do we really think that Rumiko Takahashi sat there
thinking, before each story, "Now, does this contradict anything I wrote
before?"  I, for one, am not convinced of such. ;)

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