Ranma ½ Akane's reaction to Ryoga's curse

[Dumbledork]

We've all read lots of stories where Ryoga's curse is revealed to Akane. Usually these are the reactions:

- she already knew about it but didn't say anything to make Ranma jealous

- she knew about it and she and Ryoga had used the curse to have an affaire behind Ranma's back

- she didn't know and promptly unleashes her righteous feminine fury on the pig

- she pardons Ryoga but hits Ranma for not telling her.

- she hits the two of them

Here's my question.

In your opinion, how would CANON!Akane react to Ryoga's curse?

 

[nuclear death frog]

Assuming the message actually gets through her apparently-bulletproof obtuseness on the subject:

If Ranma is not around when it happens, I think she'd attack Ryouga over it. Hitting, screaming, crying, the works.

If Ranma *was* around when it happened, I think she'd attack them both at once.

I've never been able to buy the idea that she knows and is pretending not to, it feels GROSSLY out of character and I simply don't see her as even remotely close to that good an actress.

 

[Ezit Meti]

Honestly, that is a very tough question to answer precisely because we never actually see it. Any response given would automatically be based upon the inherent bias of the person giving it- what do they think Akane is really like? As the many, many arguments related to the character have indicated throughout the years, I can but conclude that there are many angles from which to perceive Akane Tendo. Depending on where a person stands, their answer will be different.

That is why there are so many different interpretations. They see it... differently. Alternatively, they use what is narratively sensible, but I'd say the former is more likely of the two.

However, since you did ask for an opinion, here's mine.

A lot of it depends upon exactly how she found out. Did Ranma show her? In which case, she'd have most of her anger directed at Ryoga. She would feel betrayed and hurt, and rightfully so. Here's a boy that pretended to be her pet so he could sleep in her bed, get hugged and pampered by his crush, etc. Finding that out would have to hurt.

If she saw the transformation occur, it again slightly depends on which way around it happens. Ryoga to p-chan? More likely to be tearful than angry. The other way around switches that up. I'd expect a scream, followed by various nearby items being broken on Ryoga's thick skull. None of which would affect him even remotely as much as the look in Akane's eyes.

In all cases, there'd be a brief moment of shock as she processes just what she's learned. I think the more emotional person in that situation would be Ryoga.

Oh, and the only way she hits Ranma over this, is if he reveals he knew the entire time. If Ryoga tells her, Akane would probably dismiss it as an attempt to deflect anger away from him. And other than that, she's really not likely to figure it out. People like to do a montage bit where she suddenly remembers Ranma trying to drop the hints, but she probably wouldn't remember any of that.

Well, that's what I think, anyway. Let's see how people differ.

And, I agree with NDF on the thought that she had no idea, right up until and beyond the end of the series. Too out of character. It would not surprise me if she never did find out.

 

[Muphrid]

I think she should be angry with both of them. With Ranma, the reaction might be typical, but has Akane ever been truly angry with Ryoga? I can't quite recall; I suspect her reaction toward him might be different, simply because it's not tinted with the standard tsundere response. I think she'd be more willing to tell Ryoga that he's hurt her by doing this; she may feel violated in some way.

I know there are some interpretations that suggest Ranma didn't make any promise to Ryoga to keep the secret; on balance, I think he made a promise in the mind and it should hold regardless of whether he thought Ryoga was a dog or a pig at the time. Even so, that defense of Ranma's is thin when it violates Akane's honor to keep it, and Akane would let him know that--forcefully. Even as much as Ranma tried to drop hints, Akane wouldn't be happy with that. I do think she'd realize just how obvious it should've been and place some blame on herself, too, but that doesn't absolve Ranma. I think Akane would go through a period where she doesn't know who to blame most.

To address one of Ezit Meti's points, I think quite the contrary, if Ryoga tells Akane that Ranma knew the whole time, she'll believe it: she shows herself time and again very willing to believe bad things about Ranma because it plays on her fears. I do think her anger toward Ranma can be mitigated somewhat if he's the one to reveal it to her, but that's not going to completely erase that he didn't tell her for as long as he did.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Assuming the message actually gets through her apparently-bulletproof obtuseness on the subject:

If Ranma is not around when it happens, I think she'd attack Ryouga over it. Hitting, screaming, crying, the works.

If Ranma *was* around when it happened, I think she'd attack them both at once.

I've never been able to buy the idea that she knows and is pretending not to, it feels GROSSLY out of character and I simply don't see her as even remotely close to that good an actress.

Agreed... though one exception.

I'm of the opinion that if Ranma and Ryoga were both present for the revelation, while Akane would be angry at both, all it would take would be Ryoga stating something like 'It's all Ranmas fault' for her to focus first on Ranma, then go back to Ryoga.

The reason is simple... any situation involving Ryoga and Ranma, she takes the side of Ryoga over Ranma in canon without bothering for explanation or thinking about the situation. Ex. Ryoga coming out and attacking Ranma from the blue, it is 'Ranma quit picking on poor Ryoga'. I see this as being no different.

 

[MZephyr]

To ask how Canon!Akane would react seems to me to be asking how Takahashi-sensei would write the scene, if she were to have done so. In which case it could turn out many different ways, depending on why she wrote the scene into whatever story arc contained it. Although I think it would most likely be played for comedy.

So I can easily see Ranma and Ryoga running for the hills, hands held behind their heads protectively, while a veritable storm of household items are thrown at them.

Or I can see Ranma, having let the truth slip, teasing Akane while dodging her attempts at retribution. Until she finds something to distract him and punts him into the sky.

Or I can see Ryoga accidentally transform, a look at Akane's face while a thunderstorm forms above her head, then a cutaway to a scene of Ryoga in a hospital bed, bandaged from head to toe.

Or I can see (ignoring all previous evidence to the contrary) a revelation that every other character knew about his curse. Akane slumps to her knees, not knowing how to react, when the generally oblivious Kasumi asks, "You mean you didn't know?"

Or I can see Akari showing up just at the moment it is revealed and discovering, from Akane's reaction, what her "boyfriend" Ryoga has been doing. Just as Akane is about to wreak vengeance, Akari beats her to the punch, chasing Ryoga around, hitting him over the head, calling on her sumo pig to clobber him, etc., etc. All while Akane looks on, befuddled.

The one thing I'm sure of is that Takahashi would write it so that Akane and Ranma's relationship would remain essentially unchanged, perhaps after some initial reaction, and that there would be no permanent animosity toward Ryoga. Although I could see Akane's attitude toward Ryoga being changed for comedic effect, with her misinterpreting future events involving Ryoga. (Ryoga gets lost, wanders into the girls' locker room, and Akane chases the little pig, calling it a pervert, while refusing to explain her bizarre behavior to the other girls.) Or maybe she'd forgive and forget after it was over with. Takahashi did like to restore the status quo.

 

[Dumbledork]

To ask how Canon!Akane would react seems to me to be asking how Takahashi-sensei would write the scene

Exactly. And I think all the possibilities you mentioned are plausible.

 

[Hawk]

Or I can see (ignoring all previous evidence to the contrary) a revelation that every other character knew about his curse. Akane slumps to her knees, not knowing how to react, when the generally oblivious Kasumi asks, "You mean you didn't know?"

I can definitely see this one. I mean Soun knows, Genma I think knows, Shampoo, Cologne, and Mousse know. Ranma knows, Akari knows.

Most of the cast does in fact know.

 

[foesjoe]

I think it depends entirely on the circumstances.

Who tells her? When do they tell her? How do they tell her? Or does she find out by accident?

If Ranma decided he wants to commit to Akane and come clean about Ryoga, then seeks her out in private and calmly explains about Ryoga's curse and his reasoning behind keeping it secret (pity for the moronic pig; fear of Akane's reaction; regard for her feelings), I think Akane would be stunned and hurt, and probably order him to leave her alone. Then she'd stop speaking to him until she's processed everything. Eventually, she might forgive him, but depending on other events in that story, she might just decide that this was the last nail in the coffin of their engagement and break it off for good.

Or if Ryoga sought her out and explained to her about his curse and told her he'd wanted to tell her about it all along, but Ranma kept him from doing so (threatened to turn Ryoga into a pig and make into a meal if he tells Akane, or something like that), she'd probably forgive Ryoga immediately and murder Ranma in his sleep.

If Shampoo told her about it and used the fact that Akane was too dense and stupid to figure it out while everybody else knew about Ryoga's curse, Akane would probably explode with rage and go on a rampage where she stomped both Ranma and Ryoga into the ground; if Ryoga's around, that is.

So it all depends on how she gets told and by whom and under which circumstances. I think the only thing constant would be that Akane would be hurt and angry. I can't see her just laughing it off. And she'd probably be quicker to forgive Ryoga than Ranma.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Or I can see (ignoring all previous evidence to the contrary) a revelation that every other character knew about his curse. Akane slumps to her knees, not knowing how to react, when the generally oblivious Kasumi asks, "You mean you didn't know?"

I can definitely see this one. I mean Soun knows, Genma I think knows, Shampoo, Cologne, and Mousse know. Ranma knows, Akari knows.

Most of the cast does in fact know.

Sadly... few instances in fan fiction when Akane finds out cover what her reaction to learning her own father knew and did nothing to stop it.

A pity, as Soun deserves anything she could concievably do to him.

 

[The Ero-Sennin]

*Enters the thread, arms the charge*

Akane sees P-Chan change into Ryoga, and then back again. In broad daylight with no obstruction. She promptly fails to make any connection between Ryoga and P-Chan whatsoever. For you see, just like how Kasumi cannot get angry, or Nabiki cannot be arsed to do anything for something other than the lulz (or profit), Akane cannot psychologically process the very idea that someone nice as Ryoga has been duping her for his own benefit.

Ranma reacts to this with utter dismay, chapter ends, it is never brought up again.

*Dives out*

 

[Dumbledork]

*Enters the thread, arms the charge*

Akane sees P-Chan change into Ryoga, and then back again. In broad daylight with no obstruction. She promptly fails to make any connection between Ryoga and P-Chan whatsoever. For you see, just like how Kasumi cannot get angry, or Nabiki cannot be arsed to do anything for something other than the lulz (or profit), Akane cannot psychologically process the very idea that someone nice as Ryoga has been duping her for his own benefit.

Ranma reacts to this with utter dismay, chapter ends, it is never brought up again.

*Dives out*

Wouldn't suprise me. It's not like similar things haven't happened before in the manga.

 

[Muphrid]

For added lulz, Akane thinks Ryoga is an entirely different piglet and takes him home thinking he and P-chan will play nicely.

 

[nuclear death frog]

Hence why I said "Assuming the message actually gets through her apparently-bulletproof obtuseness on the subject", since that is not a safe assumption.

 

[lcpoketoon]

Hmm what I feel Might happen is she see him change from p-chan to ryouga, then her eyes drop an ryouga starts too try an explain himself but she looks up at him with tears in her eyes. she then slaps him and runs off too her room too cry.

 

[Prince Charon]

Hmm what I feel Might happen is she see him change from p-chan to ryouga, then her eyes drop an ryouga starts too try an explain himself but she looks up at him with tears in her eyes. she then slaps him and runs off too her room too cry.

That fits. Under those specific circumstances, I could see that, though I suspect her reaction would be more violent than just a slap (but as Ezit said, the look in her eyes would hurt him far, far more).

If Takahashi wanted to bring the series to a proper conclusion, tying up most or all of the loose ends, rather than just leave it like she did, I could see Akane finding out in a way that brings her closer to Ranma, and perhaps brings Ryouga closer to Akari.

 

[PCHeintz72]

Hmm what I feel Might happen is she see him change from p-chan to ryouga, then her eyes drop an ryouga starts too try an explain himself but she looks up at him with tears in her eyes. she then slaps him and runs off too her room too cry.

That fits. Under those specific circumstances, I could see that, though I suspect her reaction would be more violent than just a slap (but as Ezit said, the look in her eyes would hurt him far, far more).

If Takahashi wanted to bring the series to a proper conclusion, tying up most or all of the loose ends, rather than just leave it like she did, I could see Akane finding out in a way that brings her closer to Ranma, and perhaps brings Ryouga closer to Akari.

I cannot really see any believable scene with Ryoga curse being revealed to Akane that actually puts Ranma in a *good* light.

The best I could see is her being so distracted by going after Ryoga she does not actively go after Ranma as well.

 

[Algnar]

What gets me (and I'm detecting it in this thread) is alot of people think Ranma is more in the wrong for not telling Akane, then Ryoga is for what he's doing.

Yeah, Ranma's wrong for not telling her. But his motivations for not telling her are an extremely complex mixture of guilt and "what is the right thin" Actually according to eastern concepts of "honor" (to be honest I find eastern concepts of honor to be complete bullshit, but that's a different thing) Ranma has no way out of the situation that doesn't leave him lower then pond scum.

And I think we all know bitter crushing unrequited love.. but frankly the kind of vionlation Ryoga is pulling.. well again diffrence in western/eastern perceptions, but I can tell you there are many jurisdictions in the US where if a situation like that did occur, and akane or somebody else killed Ryoga for what he was doing they would be acquitted by a jury, and rightfully so I'd think.

Ryoga doesn't have it in him to be a rapist.. but his first encounter with Ranma showed he's as self centered as ranma and even more reckless considering he nearly killed Akane, Ranma for all his narcissism has never endangered a bystander with a fight he initiated or his actions. I honestly don't think Ryoga really thinks much at all about how his actions could hurt people.

Maybe it was upbringing around tons of firearms.. and having the responsibility for dealing with them beat into me, but from that first encounter, no matter what happened, I found it virtually impossible to view Ryoga as a sympathetic character.

 

[lcpoketoon]

Hmmm No I think Akane won't be letting her temper out on Ranma since even if she doesn't like it Ranma did have a reason for keeping ryouga's curse a secret. No I think we cann all agree the one who going too have too face Mt. Akane is Soun who knew about it but never said anything or did anything about it.

 

[PCHeintz72]

What gets me (and I'm detecting it in this thread) is alot of people think Ranma is more in the wrong for not telling Akane, then Ryoga is for what he's doing.

Ummm... no, or more acurately, no for me. Ryoga and Soun are without question far more at fault than Ranma, but Ranma's actions do not place him in a good light. Soun was all but required to end this, since he knew from nearly the start by at least two instances of witnessing the change.

You seem to be missing the point. This is not speculation on how *we* would react or whom we blame... but how we feel *Akane* would react and whom she would blame. Not the same thing at all.

All the individuals here talking about Akane releasing retribution against Ranma instead of or at least in addition to Ryoga likely have a similar take, that Akane in canon has the tendancy to blame Ranma or go to the conclusion that anything Ranma is associated with is his fault and Ryoga getting off comparatively light... Like if Ryoga attacks Ranma, it is either 'stop picking on poor Ryoga', or 'what did you do to him now'.

Thus why I'm of the opinion that all Ryoga would have to say to deflect a lot of the blame onto Ranma (assuming he is present) would be to state 'its Ranma's fault', or something to that effect.

I do not for one instant believe any possible believable situation could occur where this places Ranma in a good light with Akane.

It should be noted Soun does this as well, for that matter, most of the cast. But Soun comes to mind due to the way the manga ended. Since he was certainly willing to lay blame at Ranma's feet for the wedding fiasco, but not at either Akane's suitors, or at Soun's and Akanes own feet, for their attempted blackmail of Ranma during the wedding and causing the loss of the water.

 

[foesjoe]

I think Ryoga's curse, and Ranma's knowledge of it, can be a believable reason for a Ranma/Akane break-up.

Like I said earlier, all it needs is one of the other suitors with knowledge of Ryoga's curse to have a talk with Ryoga. They tell him to come clean about it to Akane, but to lay the blame entirely at Ranma's feet.

"I wanted to tell you about it, Akane, but that scoundrel Ranma threatened to lock me in pig-form / cook me as a meal / murder me if I did."

Cue a montage where Akane remembers several instances where Ranma prevented Ryoga from falling into cold water.

I think Akane's immediate reaction to that would be to call Ranma all kinds of bad names and break off the engagement. And Ranma would be pissed and hurt enough not to fight it too much.

From then it could go in different directions, from Ranma packing his things and going on a solitary "training trip", to Akane, with a little help from her family, slowly questioning Ryoga's story and a possible reconciliation of Ranma and Akane.

 

[Drawde]

One thing I've seen in discussions on what would happen if Akane discovered Ryoga's curse is HOW she discovers it. If "P-chan" somehow was in bed with Akane when he changed back would be different if she happened to see Ryoga get splashed while walking down the street.

Not to mention other witnesses. Even with Akane not knowing about Ryoga's curse, there'd be a huge loss of face if everyone else discovered she was "sleeping with her fiance's rival". Rumor does have a way of trumping fact after all.

 

[Uldihaa]

I'm going to add my voice to the 'it depends on when/where/how, and by whom, the curse is reveled' opinion.

I will say that Ranma will be on the receiving end of Akane's righteous (a rarity!) rage at some point. When that anger turns toward him depends on too many factors to give a singular answer for. It's also possible that there would be more than one 'round' of anger venting. For example, she finds out Ranma knew about it since the beginning and didn't tell her; she beats the crap out of him and runs off in genuine tears; she calms down, remembers all the times Ranma dropped hints instead of just coming out and saying that Ryoga is cursed, returns to vent a second time. That pattern would also incline me toward Akane calling it all off and sticking with that decision.


As for Ryoga, I'm really not sure how she would react. There's clearly a tremendous amount of trust between them. So much that I'm not really sure we've ever seen a betrayal of trust at that level before; certainly not one that Akane was central to. I can honestly imagine the 'righteous beatdown' scenario and the 'breakdown into tears, flee, and never speak to him again' scenario, equally. Or some combination of the two.

I do think she could be easily steered into turning most, or all, of her anger toward Ranma, particularly if it's Ryoga doing the steering. At least initially. She might eventually realize she was played, but then again she might not. :huh.:

The one thing that I do think wouldn't happen is Akane forgiving either immediately.

 

[MZephyr]

"I wanted to tell you about it, Akane, but that scoundrel Ranma threatened to lock me in pig-form / cook me as a meal / murder me if I did."

I can agree that Akane jumps to conclusions, and blames Ranma for things he didn't do or aren't his fault (and she's not alone among the cast at doing that sort of thing). I can also agree that Ryoga, if he thinks fast, might be able to deflect her anger, or some of it, onto Ranma (although if he did, it would be more a matter of luck than any native skill at deception on his part).

But the stated reasons just don't wash. I can't see even a farce-based conclusion-jumping Akane accepting them. Surely even she must have trouble overlooking the question of why Ranma would make such threats to Ryoga. I think if you want things to play out that way, it has to be at least a little more reasonable, something like, "I was worried about Happosai sneaking into your room at night, but Ranma didn't care and just told me that if I was so worried, I should let you continue thinking of me as your pet so that I could keep watch at night. And since he refused to do anything else to help, I didn't think I had any choice."

Not that I think Ryoga is clever enough to come up with such an excuse. Unless someone else supplies such a tactic to him, I would see him upon being discovered with a "deer in the headlights" reaction. Akane's own reaction would arrive before Ryoga could come up with any response.

 

[Muphrid]

Indeed, I think the only scenarios in which Ranma or Ryoga comes out palpably ahead of the other are ones that involve one or the other of them revealing the secret and repenting for past misdeeds. Would that happen in Takahashi's Ranma? Heavens no.

But say it did. Say Ranma finally got fed up with Ryoga taking advantage of Akane that way and blew the lid on it. Even then, there's one question Ranma can't really dodge: why on earth did he let things sit the way they were for so long? If it was for some debt to Ryoga, didn't Ryoga's behavior nullify that? (This point may be some intricacy of Japanese honor concepts, but even still, I can't help but think Ranma has a greater responsibility to Akane than he does to stay silent for Ryoga; as often as he drops hints, he's clearly not happy with the situation, but on the other hand, he does save Ryoga from being revealed often enough to think it in his own interest not to do it.) Any reason Ranma has for having sat on this secret for so long just comes off as fatally misguided or selfish. From Akane's perspective, I can't imagine anything flies.

Conversely, say Ryoga admits what he's done. The natural question is why, and for Ryoga, there are no great answers. What's he going to say? That he was so infatuated with Akane, he wanted to snuggle next to her breast? Is that going to endear him to her, or just creep her out? My bet is on the latter. And while Ryoga might shift the blame to Ranma for some moments, any deception would probably get found out eventually: as prone as Akane is to believing the absurd, usually the truth comes back to her. It just takes a more...circuitous route.

In the end, though, what "would" happen probably depends most critically on the boundary conditions, so to speak: Takahashi as a rule maintained the status quo, and (as has been pointed out) probably wouldn't write such a story at all. If she were to, though, then I can see this as being a time where Akane comes to a better understanding of both of them. That's the kind of positive end I can imagine Takahashi doing. It would take a lot for Ranma and Ryoga to redeem themselves, though.