Final Reflection

Collectively, all of these episodes question identity and the consistencies of categorization that make it increasingly harder to live outside of the conventional roles of society. The first episode, as the title indicates, immediately introduces Chinese influence as the driving force behind the chaos at the Tendo residence, and the overall theme of otherness that takes shape both through the curse, and through the character of Shampoo. As Soun Tendo points out at the end of the fifteenth episode, since the Satome's arrival there is never a dull moment in the Tendo household,their curse being the cause of many adventures to come. Shampoo is the first character to follow Ranma from China as a result of this curse, and as such, she represents what is foreign, operating by a different culture's codes throughout the series. This image of what is foreign is often a subject of mystery and intrigue, as seen not only in the news brief which depicts China as wild and filled with secrecy, but also in Shampoos abnormal customs, artifacts, and techniques, which bring nothing but chaos to the Tendo household. In addition to the stigmas that surround what is foreign, Ranma, Kuno, and the three Tendo girls extreme characters all give insight into what it means to be male and inversely what it means to be female. Femininity is embodied throughout the series by Kasumi, who is skilled domestically, being a fantastic cook and caregiver, while also being indiscriminately sweet, and soft spoken. Throughout the series, Ranma’s many suitors, including Akane, and Shampoo, will compete for Ranma’s affections through challenges that test these domestic skills that Kasumi has mastered. Nubiki, on the other hand, operates outside of this old fashioned view of femininity, exemplifying today’s modern women through her assertive, independent, and resourceful attitude. Manliness however, is defined by strength, bravery, and arrogance, all characteristics, which Ranma and Akane share. These same traits however, are condemned for Akane and his female half, who are ridiculed for being manly, while they are praised when Ranma is in male form. Kuno, although clearly influenced by these conventions, is demasculinized and generally seen as a buffoon, unable to back his arrogance up with merit as Ranma always defeats him effortlessly. In addition, despite his lofty and superior way of quoting men of integrity, his actions contradict the famous lines he quotes, his behavior being lecherous, and nonsensical as his vanity keeps him in a constant state of ignorance. However, although Ranma is the quintessential male and hero of the series, ironically he is the one who is cursed to periodically take the shape of the opposite sex, proving that gender has taken form outside of the physicality of genitalia, but through the characteristics that we as individuals are able to manipulate. Overall, Ranma 1/2 shows us that the changeable and impermanent characteristics that mold us in the course of our lives are what form the categories to which we succumb.