We all have challenges in our life. For some, it’s school, others it is work, or family and so on. For Akane Tendo it was boys. They all wanted her but she didn’t want them. Then she finds out she’s been set up for an arranged marriage to a guy named Ranma Saotome and things got more challenging from there. What kind of challenges? Let’s find out!
Akane Tendo was the youngest daughter born to Soun Tendo and his late wife. Growing up, she would get labeled as a tomboy. When you’re raised in a martial arts dojo, you learn to fight, so she would become quite the accomplished fighter. This would come in handy as she got older, many suitors would try to win her hand, but it became clear, the only person who could date Akane, had to defeat her in a fight.
Having a crush on the family doctor, Akane didn’t have an interesting in anyone else. So she grew a hatred for boys as they were nothing but trouble for her. By the time Akane was in high school, the daily routine was trying to get to class while having to fight off as many would-be suitors as possible. Then came the day one of her dad’s old friends arrived, with his son, Ranma Saotome.
Turns out, Soun and Ranma’s father, Genma, had made an arrangement years ago to have Ranma and Akane marry when they were of age. Neither teen found this to their liking, Akane disliked any boy who wasn’t the doctor and Ranma didn’t seem to like Akane either. The two seemed stuck with one another, then something strange happened. A girl showed up who wasn’t around before, she seemed to be Ranma’s sister who was never mentioned before, but then, it was revealed that Ranma and his father had been cursed. When cold water touched them, they were transformed. Ranma would become a girl version of himself and his father became a panda.
This made things interesting, not only did both families have to deal with this, but Akane was able to find a bit of an except to her hatred of boys, she just found Ranma annoying instead. Soon, though, the Tendo/Saotome families would find others who were not only cursed in similar ways to the Saotome father and son, but that Genma had arranged many marriages for Ranma. Now, not only was Akane dealing with challenges from boys, but she also had to deal with fighting any woman Ranma was also set to be wed to.
Sometimes, Akane would befriend an adorable pig, not knowing it was also one of the cursed, a teen boy named Ryoga who often fought with Ranma for her hand in marriage. Everyone is all about marriage but Akane and Ranma, it seems. This became the new routine, Akane and Ranma fighting with one another, growing closer, dealing with new threats, and stranger individuals with curses. Eventually her crush on the doctor would fade, perhaps Akane could find this arranged marriage working, if Ranma would stop being so annoying. He did seem to be becoming less so, little by little, maybe there was hope for him yet.
There you have it! Akane is part of one of my all time favorite manga/anime series of all time, Ranma 1/2. Akane has mostly been animated on the big and small screen but has appeared in live-action as well. She’s one of the most recognizable figures from the series and has had all manner of merchandise made of her. Will Akane and Ranme end up together in the future? Maybe, but we may never know. See you next time!
Suggested Reading
Ranma 1/2
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
