David Johnston wrote:

Hmm.  There's no way of getting around the darkness in this business.
Either Dr. Mizuno is lieing or Mrs. Tendo really mistrusted and
disliked her husband.

<nods>  If I were to continue this, I would probably bet on the former.
After all, Dr. Mizuno has been carrying one lie for years; why not make
the whole basis of it just more lies?

Where would Dr. Mizuno get the idea that Akane loves Ranma?
"fiance".

Exactly.  Dr. Mizuno thinks "fiance" = "love" here, despite the
circumstances - i.e., potentially forcing Ami into a loveless marriage -
being what she wanted to avoid in the first place.

What, does she assume that every time Ranma gets bunged up it's Akane's
doing?  With only one exception, most of Ranma's major injuries in the
actual source material have been duels of the week.

Ah, but of those, how many duels does Dr. Mizuno see?  Only the ones
that get carried into the hospital - i.e., the ones between Akane and
Ranma, when Akane visits him.  Given as she already has a negative bias
towards the Tendos...

I really can't imagine what way Kasumi is like Usagi.

<piku, piku>  Usagi is, perhaps, the third closest anime character
personality I know of to Kasumi.  (The others being Sasami and
Belldandy.)  Kasumi maintains order and calm despite the chaos that
surrounds her...she is serene.  Usagi is so serene (or, at least, can
be), that her "real" name *is* Serenity.

Well, actually I think it's a wee bit more likely that Dr. Mizuno is nuts.

Nuts?  Nah, she's just overworked, saves lives every day, lost the love
of her life years ago, and constantly has to worry about her only
daughter putting her life on the line day in and day out trying to
achieve some vague future dream with, from what little she's heard of
it, overtones of mass mind control.  ^_^

No misconception there.  Dr. Mizuno is clearly aware that the engagement could
apply to any Tendo daughter, including Ami Tendo.  The horror of being engaged
to a Saotome, even potentially, is certainly one reason why the good doctor may
have told a brace of lies.

Ranma: So, why didn't she tell you you were a Tendo?

Ami: She was afraid I might be forced to commit one of the most evil,
depraved, vile acts imaginable: get engaged to a Saotome.

Ranma: ...

Akane: ...

Ukyo: ...

Shampoo: ...

Kodachi: You see?  Even she agrees with me, Ranma-sama.  Let's skip the
engagement and just enjoy each other for all time.

Ami: Although, I must say, Ranma, you're nothing like your father.  If I
had to, I could bring myself to love...

Akane, Ukyo, Shampoo, & Kodachi: *Don't* go there.