Sunday, July 1, 2007

Apologies in Ranma manga

I found a list of times people in the Ranma ½ manga apologize or feel guilty at: Ranma Apologies. I found it to be fairly interesting even though it is incomplete and contains several spelling errors. I had considered making my own list but decided not to since that would require me to go through each volume and write down every guilty feeling and apology. I really don't feel like doing that.

I find it interesting that Ranma apologizes for things that are not his fault and apologizes when he doesn't even know why he should apologize. I've heard people call Ranma a self centered, uncaring person. If that were true Ranma would not apologize for anything, especially things that were not his fault or for the express purpose of making someone happy.

Some forgotten ones I can remember off the top of my head are:
  • Ranma apologizes for not telling the Tendo's about his curse when he first showed up (He didn't know how to tell them, after all how would you go about explaining that your really a guy with a curse).
  • Ranma was going to Akane's room to apologize to Akane in the first volume until he heard her say that she's engaged to her worst nightmare.
  • Ranma apologizes to Kasumi for almost jumping on her when he jumped down the steps and almost landed on her.
  • Ryoga apologizes as well as Ranma for cutting of Akanes hair.
  • Ranma felt guilty for hurting Ryoga with the Hiryu Shoten Ha.
  • Not an apology, but should be on the list when Shampoo jumps into the bath with Ranma he was trying to think of a way to tell Akane that he isn't going to apologize to her every time she is upset.
  • The two kids who thought Happosai was Santa Claus feel guilty for bothering Happosai.
  • Everyone feels guilty because Happosai is so sick he drops his rejuvenation potion so they mop it up and give it to him.
  • Volume 20 had an entire story about apologizing. (Kuno destroyed Kodachi's pictures of Ranma so she steals his pictures and spreads doctored photo's of Kuno. She'll give back the pictures and stop spreading doctored photo's if Kuno apologizes. Ranma ends up knocking kuno out and use's Kuno like a puppet to apologize to Kodachi).
  • Ranma apologizes to a duck he thinks is Akane cursed by Mousse for allowing Mousse to turn her into a duck.
Some that I feel should have more context added to them or changed:
  • Ranma's apologies to Mousse in volume 27 were because of magical influence.
  • Happosai begins to regret giving Pantyhose Taro his name because Ranma used magic incense to make him more open to suggestion and staged an entire play that made it look like Pantyhose Taro stole all the pantyhose in the world.
I'd comment more but I'd need to look at the various manga to determine each one listed and whether it should be on the list or changed in someway.

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