Jason Liao wrote:

>From one point of view, that might all very well be true, and good

arguments can be made in support of it.  But first off, it really doesn't
matter.  Check out Ranma's and Shampoo's conversation with Death again.
If Shampoo really wasn't able to turn her back on all that stuff, she
wouldn't be around anyway.

An interesting way of putting it, but ultimately true.

Also, as I see it, there are some counterarguments to most of the points
you've raised:

While Akane may have chosen Ranma, Ranma chose Shampoo.

You know, that is the most simple way of putting that. Thank you.

No loss of Karma
there (and I'm sure there are plenty of couples out there who'll also
politely, but firmly disagree with you on this point).  In fact, if

you'll

remember correctly, Shampoo tried to take a hike after Nodoka, and it was
Ranma who stopped her.

Not sure if I quite understand what you meant there.

Kasumi chose to not let anyone know, precisely *because* if Shampoo knew
about the origins of his kid (which she doesn't), she might marry Kasumi
instead, and Kasumi didn't want to have Shampoo if it was in a loveless
marrage.

 Or even if she was in second place.

Is there a debt there?  Perhaps, perhaps not.  Again, it depends
on who you ask.

True. Shampoo obviously helped bring about the situation, but Kasumi has
done this without Shampoo's knowledge.

Nabiki doesn't have to go along with Kasumi's lie.  In fact, she tries to
get Shampoo to acknowledge Akira as her son here, and tries to get Kasumi
to acknowledge sleeping with Shampoo.  She's been doing this for some
time, not just in the recent timeframe of the epilouges.

Actually there hasn't been all that many chances to try to drop hints on
the situaition, though she wouldn't pass any oppurtunites up. As long as
she doesn't come forward and say it point blank she thinks she fine.

Kurumi might be keeping the secret, but that's for Kasumi's sake, and not
Shampoo's.  Remember, she hasn't even met Shampoo when she agrees.  So,
Karmic deby to her is contingent upon whether you believe that Shampoo
owes Kasumi a Karmic debt.  (If and only if condition)

Actually, Kurumi should not have been listening in at all. She was even
able to admit that even as she continued. She more or less put herself in
that situation.

Soun might have to give up his choice of Son-in-law, but who said it was
his choice, anyway?

It's not. He could choose a specific daughter from his side, but even then
he wanted the girls to choose.

 Genma might, but it was Ranma himself who 'dissuaded'

him.

Genma wanted both of his sons married. The more the merrier. But the
actual deal was simply that the lines be united, which applied from Nara
from the beginning since the family lines had not been united yet.

Anyway, that's my take on these points.

Thanks for your comments.

D. B. Sommer