Ranma ½ A different career for Ranma

#1
I know that Ranma's career is to marry Akane, teach at the Dojo, and pass on the Anything Goes style to their :sick: children. But what if teaching doesn't bring in enough money to support them? What other kind(s) of job(s) do you think he would be good at or well suited toward?

And for that matter, what kind of job do you think Akane or Shampoo could/would do? Akane and Nabiki seems the type to want to go to college after high school.
 

Dumbledork

Well-Known Member
#2
Ranma would make a good assassin (if he had the right mindset) or bodyguard I think.
 

seitora

Well-Known Member
#3
Stage magician

"Now I have boobs...now I don't!"
 

nixofcyzerra

Well-Known Member
#4
Sports team. If Yamcha can do it in filler, so can Ranma.

Professional Japanese Baseball players earn pretty well too, a few of them taking home over 500 million yen a year.
 

frice2000

Well-Known Member
#5
I don't think Ranma would do well as a Professional Sports player if we're really in the canon Ranma Universe. We see so many oddball and insane martial artists that all have their own styles that are amazing for their own little quirk or quirks. I bet the professional sports players of the Ranma universe have their own insane talents and bits too that they've honed to an insane degree. Ranma would by contrast be a novice in that.

As to a job Ranma could be good at, I bet Ranma could be a good personal trainer. I don't think he'd be great at any job that requires him to make set hours and follow a schedule. Would probably bug him in that.
 
#6
I know it's an irresolvable question that we'll never get an answer to but I really take issue with the idea that Soun and Genma intend Ranma to literally take over a school and actually teach martial arts to students in that dojo on the Tendou property. I just don't think it's a large enough facility for *Ranma-verse level martial arts* demonstrations by more than a couple people at a time, and that's nowhere near enough to be profitable.

I really think all Soun wants is a son (in-law) to inherit his property which is obviously incredibly valuable. Seriously. That amount of land in Tokyo? MAJOR fortune.

But, as I said, irresolvable question.
 

PCHeintz72

The Sentient Fanfic Search Engine mk II
#7
I can see him taking government jobs to handle unusual situations that they might run into.
 
#8
I forgot to write this the first time around. I know Shampoo already has a job but the restaurant always seemed temporary and not something she ever considered doing as a career outside martial arts. Maybe thats just me though.
 

ijp92

Well-Known Member
#9
I always pictured Ranma traveling across the country as a freeter a la Golden Boy. except instead of being on a quest to help people and get laid, he's on a quest to escape whatever enemy he made in the last town.

I actually had a chase scene in my head and the back story is that Ranma (inadvertantly?) helped put a Yakuza boss behind bars, but unknowingly had made friends with the boss's daughter. Said yakuza princess (incorrectly) feels that Ranma was using her to (successfully) get to her dad. And "hell hath no fury" and all that....

Long story short Ranma with his cartoonishly large backpack on a bike being chased by cars and eventually a helicopter.
 

daniel_gudman

KING (In Land of Blind)
Staff member
#10
Ranma grew up as an itinerant martial arts vagabond living hand-to-mouth with Genma.

I'd be kind of surprised if he even understood what a job is, really.

I mean, I can see him grasping day-laborer stuff or whatever, but I just don't think he'd entirely grasp or even like the long-term commitment.
 

Lawra

Well-Known Member
#11
daniel_gudman said:
I'd be kind of surprised if he even understood what a job is, really.
Other than both Ranma and Genma having multiple jobs throughout the manga.



I want to see librarian Ranma. Quietly monitoring a library, telling noisy people to shush, sorting books, and figuring ways to put them on the shelves. Gaining a rep that's totally at odds with how Akane sees him. All very meditative.
 

Ordo

Well-Known Member
#12
Lawra said:
daniel_gudman said:
I'd be kind of surprised if he even understood what a job is, really.
I want to see librarian Ranma. Quietly monitoring a library, telling noisy people to shush, sorting books, and figuring ways to put them on the shelves. Gaining a rep that's totally at odds with how Akane sees him. All very meditative.
All right, Perhaps while ducking someone Ranam slips into the local Library and spots a book on Martial Arts history or Theory. Since it's now raining he decides to sit down and read. While doing so he notices the elderly librarian is actually really good at their job as he can tell the person is holding back a lot of pain to complete their rounds in a surprisingly efficient manner. Closing his book he moves to help and things snowball from there.

At first he shows up to avoid his usual troubles (since no one thinks to look for him in a Library) and over time strikes up a friendship with the elderly Librarian. Eventually Ranma starts helping as an assistant since his new friend is rapidly deteriorating physically despite their stubborn refusal to retire. This leads to Ranma taking over a number of shifts.

Thoughs?
 

Stormfury

Well-Known Member
#13
it only works for Ranma if the elderly librarian was the last master of Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Librarians.
 

Ordo

Well-Known Member
#14
Stormfury said:
it only works for Ranma if the elderly librarian was the last master of Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Librarians.
I thought about putting that in...but it seemed kind of Cliche...
 

Lawra

Well-Known Member
#15
Ordo said:
Stormfury said:
it only works for Ranma if the elderly librarian was the last master of Anything Goes School of Martial Arts Librarians.
I thought about putting that in...but it seemed kind of Cliche...
And unnecessary, Ranma tends to help out people in need of it regardless if it's martial arts related or not.

Some examples
Book 14
Yotaru, who won't go outside.
Book 17
Panda painting that wants a date
Book 23
Island owner that Ranma stole food from
Book 33
Ranma attempts to get a boy to take his medicine
Ranma helps out at a shrine as a miko to get rid of an asshole horse
Book 36
Ranma helps Ryoga get back to his house to see Akari
Ranma/Akane both help out at Ukyo's shop while she's sick
 

Stormfury

Well-Known Member
#16
various short term one off helping =/ spending repeated free time working in a library.

Also, I meant Ranma the series, not Ranma the character. Thematically for the show it fits better with what I said.


Didn't the panda painting harass them into it? Also, the 2 book 36 examples are of him helping friends, not sure why you included them.
 

Lawra

Well-Known Member
#17
Stormfury said:
various short term one off helping =/ spending repeated free time working in a library.
No but a one off and easily lead to more. In the series, it's a one off because that's all that were required

Also, I meant Ranma the series, not Ranma the character. Thematically for the show it fits better with what I said.
Ranma the character repeatedly will help any random person so long as it doesn't grate on his nerves enough. (The guy who wanted a kiss to take his medicine fraying Ranma's last nerve) Thematically there is no justifiable reason why it would have to require some obscure martial arts to get Ranma there because there are plenty examples of that not being required.

Didn't the panda painting harass them into it? Also, the 2 book 36 examples are of him helping friends, not sure why you included them.
Because they are examples of Ranma going out of his way to help others when there is no martial arts incentive being dangled in front of his face.
 

Stormfury

Well-Known Member
#18
So basically, despite Ranma 1/2 being an entirely slapstick martial arts based comedy, where pretty much everything Ranma does relates to or involves martial arts in some way, having Ranma involved with someone who could be very easily inserted into the bizarre world of Anything Goes schools of martial arts shouldn't be because he happens to occasionally help people who aren't martial artists or are his friends?

Sure, I guess that makes total sense.

Also, it helps remind me why I avoid reading your stories.


Ordo, it is a 'cliche' idea, but for a reason. Because even though Ranma is a jerk with a heart of gold, he's still a jerk, and his entire existence revolves around fighting and martial arts. I think it would make for an enjoyable story if he initially stays around because of the new martial arts incentives, but then over time truly begins enjoying his time there for all the reasons one could in a library... all according to the librarians plan, or whatever. Needs to be more of a plot then just "ranma hangs out in a library." Maybe he meets someone there? A new fiancee perhaps? A slice of library life fic doesn't seem like it would have much drive behind it on its own.
 

Lawra

Well-Known Member
#19
Stormfury said:
So basically, despite Ranma 1/2 being an entirely slapstick martial arts based comedy, where pretty much everything Ranma does relates to or involves martial arts in some way, having Ranma involved with someone who could be very easily inserted into the bizarre world of Anything Goes schools of martial arts shouldn't be because he happens to occasionally help people who aren't martial artists or are his friends?

Sure, I guess that makes total sense.

Also, it helps remind me why I avoid reading your stories.
While martial arts are a big part in many major stories, the majority of Ranma 1/2 has very little direct focus on the fighting, it's random comedy with wacky people and magic. Martial arts is something used during an arc to tell the story but not the focus or main motivation for anything and everything.

It's sad that after being finished for decades and being available online for years, people are still so entrenched in fanfiction cliches.

I can't say that I feel a great sense of loss to know that you avoid my work.
 
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