On Thu, 1 May 1997, Webdragon wrote:

        What would YOU do if someone attacked the person you had
feelings for?

In this circumstance I would do anything but knock her out.

        That's the point which invalidates the rest of your
current argument.  He did not intend to KO her.  What did he do?  He
kicked the bonbori, broke the ball, but never anticipated it hitting Shampoo
on the head.  If he wanted to KO Shampoo, she would have
a foot-shaped bruise on her face.

Okay, he picked the second stupidest option available to him, he still
attacked her recklessly.  He stuck his foot in it, stupidly.  Like I said,
I consider all the so called engagements to be meaningless.  Ranma had no
choice in any of them.  Now, if you argue one or two are valid because his
father agreed to it then I argue back to say that has no legal basis even
in Japan whereas Shampoo's does in her society (not in Japan, granted) and
carelessness and even ignorance is not a defense (given that he was at one
time in the Amazon society and had the obligation to respect their laws and
therefore know them.  If this was the first time he met an Amazon I'd let
him off but not under the actual circumstances.)

Wade