On Mon, 20 Apr 1998, TJ Hamilton wrote:

Umm, Akane calls Ranma a pervert because that's a Japanese pun, since "hentai"
can mean "transform".

I don't know any dialect where 'hentai' means transform.
I think its supposed to be 'henshin.' At least, in the memorial artbook.

I have a dictionary in front of me at this very moment.  It lists
"transformation" as a definition for "hentai".