Particularly since Nodoka's katana indicates that her social status
is very high, while Genma isn't exactly the classiest man in Japan.  
So does that mean that Ranma will become Ranma Tendo?  (Although 
strictly speaking, Akane is only the heir because she is going to 
marry Ranma.)

In Japan, mukoyoshi (where the husband is adopted by the wife's parents,
so he takes their family name) is seen as rather unmasculine thing to do.
So no way will Nodoka let Ranma do that - she'd rather have him commit
seppuku than take his wife's name - she wants a MANLY son, remember!

Plus, families sometimes even disown the men that marry into a girl's
family, or are treated badly by the family.

And another point - Ranma is an ONLY son. If Ranma _was_ to do the unmanly
thing and be adopted by Souun, so becoming Ranma Tendou, what will happen
to the Saotome line? Somehow, I don't think that either Nodoka OR Genma
wishes to kill off the Saotome clan.

The Tendou family still has two more daughters. If someone WAS going to
marry into the family, it is the eldest daughter who marries a man to
take on the family name, not one of the other daughters.

There's no way that Ranma would take Akane's family name, due to honour,
masculinity, carrying on the family clan, and because the youngest
daughter of a family is one of the least likely to take the husband into
the family - especially since she'll be one of the first of the girls to
marry. The Tendou family still have two more daughters to go, remember!
So there's no way that Saotome Ranma would become Tendou Ranma!

Kun-chan...
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* High Priestess of Ryouga         *
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