David Lerman wrote:

If you assume that Ranma has to "adjust to acting feminine" because a
real-life transsexual would, you're ignoring the difference.

Well said.  In many ways, Ranma's situation would be more comparable to if
he had been castrated in a fight or accident, i.e. an unwanted change.  He
wouldn't be able to have a standard heterosexual sexual relationship with
Akane under that circumstance either.  Would Akane still have broken off
the relationship if Ranma had been castrated?

Actually, the situation most comparable to Ranma's would be the one in
_THE CRYING GAME._  Akane still loves Ranma, but she no longer *desires*
Ranma.  Insisting that she try to "be gay" for Ranma is asking an awful
lot.  Akane broke off the *engagement,* but she clearly wanted to
continue the *relationship*, albeit on different terms.  

I did think, though, that the relationship with Ryoga sprang up awfully
fast.  Akane would have been almost as devastated by Ranma's new
situation as Ranma was, and Akane's never been romantically interested
in Ryoga.

-- David