Ranma ½ Guardians for the Tendos

[WarGiver]

Regardless who raises them depending on when soun dies would determine how Kasumi and Nabiki would turn out. Akane would likely be completely different, as it is she can barely remember her mother, Kasumi has a few more memories as she is older and likely started to fall into the same inital place as, well, caretaker of the family. Nabiki might just be worse as she became cold to hide her feelings, by losing Soun too she just might crack and either get worse or better, possibly going in the other direction, depends on who takes care of her, Akane would mostly build herself around who ever takes care of them, but since her early memories are of training with her father she might hang on to that bit of her personality.

As to the arranged marrage, it really depends on who takes them in. Some might allow it, others might reject it. It would be a hard fic to write without Ranma as a stable force. If soun dies before Genma goes on the trip though then it might be postponed or canceled. This one idea could rewrite everything. No Shampoo no Ukyo, no Ryoga, maybe no Kunos. Like a small ripple everything can change. With the loss of the Dojo would Genma even want to continue the engagment? Would he arrange others? Would Ranma even be in the fic at all?

Would Akane attend the same school? They lost the Dojo, as such they would need to live elsewhere.

A change of guardian for the Tendo sisters at that point of time could change the entire story completely, even having Genma lost holds less impact.

As such I recommend either way of someone who would keep The sisters close to original story or something completely different, if Ranma does make an appearance it might be an idea to keep his role minor in that case.

That is why I recommend Tokimi, she would manipulate events to keep the sisters close enough to their canon selves within the reason of her character and has the power to back it up, conversly she might go the other way, more options either way. Anyone else would likely try to skate in the middle ground which to me would seem more like someone trying to replace Soun with a Soun clone that acts different, AKA a Gary Sue. Who is chosen in the end won't matter as long as the choice has obvious changes to the characters.

Personally I would find a perverted Kasumi trying to grab Ranma for herself while fighting off other rivals to be entirely funny compared to Akane's semi-passive self (AKA she deals with Ranma as a problem rather then Ukyo or Shampoo most of the time).

 

[frice2000]

They are taken in by the Kunos because Tatewaki has a crush on Akane. (Yes, even at that age.)

Wow. Yes. That has a million possibilities. But instead of because of a crush maybe it was some promise and closeness the two families had hence why Kuno would lower his standards to be with someone of a lower class then him in the first place other then martial prowess, simply that their families were friendly.

The first very interesting thing this would change in my opinion is Nabiki. If they are adopted into the Kuno clan in this scenario she instantly has all the money she could want given the seemingly unlimited finances they had in canon. So, Nabiki instantly becomes a character without the most major element behind her character. Perhaps she'd want to make more money even with the substantial amount she already has but she'd be radically changed by this experience.

Kasumi? Instantly told not to do household chores since the Kuno's have a ton of servants for that. Perhaps she still cooks for pleasure, and wants to become a housewife of whatever type but with all the money behind her and all the little jobs she'd want to do around the house taken care of by paid servants she might complete university or find a husband since she doesn't have to worry about her father and siblings at all.

Akane? She might change the most. The youngest as other people have said and with a sudden influx of money and almost no memories of either parent? Totally different character when we get to what would be the start of canon. Could easily be a pampered princess. Striving to be the best housewife and marriage material she could be, or simply marching to the beat of her own drum in her own set of delusions like the other canon Kuno's. Or she could have taken the martial arts much more seriously and hired the best of the best trainers who wouldn't have coddled her and pushed her to be far better then she was at the start of canon. This to honor the memories of her deceased parents. There's many many different approaches that scenario could generate for her.

The other Kunos?

Maybe Principal Kuno returns home far earlier. Less effected by his Hawaiian trip and less batty?

Kodachi might have more friends and training partners in possibly Akane or Nabiki resulting in her having a much different childhood with 'sisters'. So she might be a bit better socialized and even keeled. Or maybe she's all the crazier because she wants to beat her new non-Kuno sisters in every little thing they do to prove her superiority?

Tatewaki might be basically the same...Or perhaps with a much stronger non-related female presence in the house, he might learn actual proper courting techniques and what would constitute creepy behavior. Perhaps with advice from his less unhinged, 'sisters' regarding this and maybe with his looks and money actually easily capture a great deal of suitors.

Either way yeah that'd have a lot of possibilities. Honestly could write the whole fic just about how they changed with Ranma, Genma, and all that comes after that simply not being a part of the story.

 

[fitzgerald]

frice minor quibble with your point.

The Tendo's aren't of a lower class than the Kuno's.

Both are blatantly old samurai families who've successfully held onto their ancestral land. The only real difference is that the Tendo's are land rich and cash poor, while the Kuno's actually have plenty of cash.