Nodoka? Bad/Crazy?

[lwf58]

That's correct. Nodoka wasn't required to die by the contract. She was required to serve as kaishaku for Ranma and Genma. The job of the kaishaku is to end the person's suffering with a beheading stroke at the proper moment.

The throat-slitting Nodoka mentioned is a reference to the woman's version of seppuku. Instead of cutting the belly open (hara-kiri) as men do, a woman opens the veins in her throat with a knife and bleeds to death. This is thought to be less agonizing a way to go. Before the ceremony, the woman ties her upper legs together so that if she thrashes about in her dying moments, she won't end up in an indecent position.

In Nodoka's case, it would have been purely her own decision to die.

As a side note, I'm not at all sure I'd want Nodoka as my kaishaku if it were me. She has absolutely zero skill in handling a sword, and would probably mess up the job!

[FOG3]

Uh, lwf58 any wound to the gut _is_ historically the most agonizing as it is about the least fatal approach and sets the digestive products loose on the person's insides. They chose that way intentionally. Warriors concept of honor is as much about how badass you're perceived as, as anything else. I think the first Japanese guy to do it was supposed to be this legendary archer that someone decided they were going to take out with overwhelming numbers that thereby denied any of them claim for his head and secured that no one could claim he had just taken the easy way out by choosing the most painful way to open up his gut.

Openning the major blood vessels in the neck are on the other hand about as quick as it gets historically. Granted the normal person trying to open the neck isn't necessarily going to open those. I think that it is a little to much of a understatement in this case to have just thought to be less agonizing.

As a side note, I'm not at all sure I'd want Nodoka as my kaishaku if it were me. She has absolutely zero skill in handling a sword, and would probably mess up the job!

Heh, people didn't tip their executioners for nothing. The one clean slash and you're done was the ideal, not quite the reality even with people knowing what they're doing.

[Crescent Pulsar]

And I reckon that a katana might not ordinarily be ideal for cutting cleanly through the neck in the first attempt in the first place.

[Spokavriel]

It depends on momentum. And how well the blade is maintained. A proper smooth swing with enough force and momentum behind it can get through bone. But I don't think Nodoka is good enough with it to do more than hit a vertebrae. That would cause the cut to stop with one one partial beheading and allot more pain.

[Zwzn]

Nodoka seems to consider Genma to be honorable and a man among men, but it was Ranma acting in a inverse manner to Genma that she considers manly.

When does she consider him honorable, and a man among men, aside from, possibly, the flashback to when the seppuku pledge was made? She has been shown to be distrusting of Genma, and even accused him of lying before he could say anything.

It would not make sense to send Ranma to learn to be a man among men from someone who was not someone who was not a man among men, or at least had most of the qualities she was looking for.

Nodoka has never defined what being a man among men is.

It was Genma's job to instill those notions in Ranma. He should have known what Nodoka thought made a person manly. Also, the said notions really aren't obscure, so even guesses could have worked.

Yet both Genma and Nodoka seem to have very different ideas of how a man should behave.

Nodoka has also been shown to treat her sword almost as a toy.

So? O.o;

Treating deadly weapons as toys is not a sign of good judment, and she nearly killed Ranma with her carelessness.

Nodoka has atempted to kill...

...Ranma for being in a dress.

She thinks crossdressing isn't manly. Sometimes it's a lifestyle, not just a hobby. Not that the difference really matters, here.

She didn't bother to try to find out what was going on.

...Ranma for being in a dress when clearly not in his right mind. Ranma had a fever so hot water boiled away inches from his skin.

He was in his right mind. It wasn't the first time he dressed up in something feminine to lure in Happosai. And the degree of the fever doesn't automatically mean that our behavior changes, especially since both Ranma and Happosai act like they usually do. Plus, it wasn't a dress (at least in the manga it wasn't).

She goes for kill witout trying to find out what is going on.

...Because he was depressed/lonely.

She made no attempt on his life for that, even though she did have her sword on her, perhaps considering it.

You don't think it is just a little odd that she would even think about the sword? Most people I know would first try to talk to Ranma. You know, act like a mother or a friend.

...Akane's cross dressing friend by stabing him with a sword through a barely opened door while holding his braid. Akane's cross dressing friend just happened to be Ranma, but Nodoka did not know that.

She didn't know anything about any "friend." She identified the pigtail that belonged to the just-prior-established boy who took Ranko's clothing. She thought lowly of said boy (in a lot of ways), and what he did can be seen as an attack on a woman. She was trying to protect Akane.

He and Akane where talkin in her room, and Akane was making no atempts to get help. Akane's a big girl after all, and both come from martial artist families.

If anything it shows Ranko may have lied to her IMO.

All she saw was a pig tail.

In all of the above cases she never tried to find out what was going on. It was always: "unmanly behavor found... ...must kill".

First of all, they're trying to hide the fact that Ranma becomes a girl in the first place. There's only so much she would be able to understand without knowing that, and would probably get the wrong ideas without that knowledge. Second of all, what is she supposed to ask during the circumstances? "Oh, I think I saw a boy, who might be my son, crossdressing! Does he happen to turn into a girl with cold water? I'd be o understanding if that were the case." Thirdly, she often does try to find out what's going on, as best as the circumstances, and her position, allow. Lord knows how many times she's had her eyes covered or attention diverted, just to name a few key hindrances to her understanding of anything.

Needing to hide the girl curse alone shows she is not right in the head. A reasonable person would judge on behavor, and not make snap decisions.

Now, people will say, "It's just slapstick,", but ignore the fact that people die horrible deaths at the hands of the things Ranma deals with, and the intent of the characters Ranma faces.

Right, it's just comedy, not meant to be taken seriously, or literally.

Nodoka has issues, and takes killing far too lightly.

What? -_- She doesn't take killing too lightly. She takes oaths very seriously. If she took killing lightly, she'd be shown killing people with little to no reason.

Didn't she try to kill a peeping tom at a hot spring?

Didn't she nearly kill Ranma just by not knowing how to hold a sword?

It may just be the way she talks about killing her son and husband.

She does not take her own duty seriesly. She should know how to at least hold a sword.

What did Ranma agree to when he put his hand print on the contract? I doubt Ranma was agreeing to what was writen on the paper. What he was agreeing to would be what he was honor bound to do, and not what is writen.

He really wasn't agreeing to do anything. It was Genma's vow, and it was his task to raise Ranma as a man among men. Those were the conditions. Ranma could have helped himself, in becoming a man among men, but Genma never told him of what he expected of him, and/or why. But it's easy to assume that Nodoka makes Ranma responsible since he's supposed to be the end result, the product of the vow that Genma made. So whether Nodoka thought that her son agreed to her husband's vow is moot: there would be the same expectation either way.

So because Genma made a vow Ranma must die also if Genma fails to up hold it? You call that funny?

Nodoka thought Ranma making hand prints before he could walk or talk was him agreeing to the vow.

[Crescent Pulsar]

First of all, they're trying to hide the fact that Ranma becomes a girl in the first place. There's only so much she would be able to understand without knowing that, and would probably get the wrong ideas without that knowledge. Second of all, what is she supposed to ask during the circumstances? "Oh, I think I saw a boy, who might be my son, crossdressing! Does he happen to turn into a girl with cold water? I'd be o understanding if that were the case." Thirdly, she often does try to find out what's going on, as best as the circumstances, and her position, allow. Lord knows how many times she's had her eyes covered or attention diverted, just to name a few key hindrances to her understanding of anything.

Just thought I'd reiterate that, since it's once again a good response to many of the comments I'm answering in your post, both directly and indirectly. ;/

It would not make sense to send Ranma to learn to be a man among men from someone who was not someone who was not a man among men, or at least had most of the qualities she was looking for.

Which proves my point exactly. If she thought that Genma was a man among men, she'd have nothing to worry about, concerning such a pledge. But, as we can see, Genma's often a sneak and a liar. Even Ranma was surprised that he could find someone like Nodoka to be his wife, so it's possible that he put up a facade to woo her.

Yet both Genma and Nodoka seem to have very different ideas of how a man should behave.

That's no fault of Nodoka's. It was Genma's vow, the very making of said vow which made Genma look manly in her eyes. Surely he could instill that same manliness in her son. Whoops!

Treating deadly weapons as toys is not a sign of good judment, and she nearly killed Ranma with her carelessness.

So one accidental unsheathing is grounds for playing with it like a toy?

She didn't bother to try to find out what was going on.

See first quote.

She goes for kill witout trying to find out what is going on.

See first quote.

You don't think it is just a little odd that she would even think about the sword? Most people I know would first try to talk to Ranma. You know, act like a mother or a friend.

I think that instance was meant to be amusing. That Ranma is no longer hiding and running for his life is proof enough that the threat of seppuku, as far as the story is concerned, is over. Around the same time Nodoka catches Ranma in one of her kimonos, and she yells at Ranma. That's it.

He and Akane where talkin in her room, and Akane was making no atempts to get help. Akane's a big girl after all, and both come from martial artist families.

If anything it shows Ranko may have lied to her IMO.

All she saw was a pig tail.

Le sigh.

1: Nodoka was drawn to Akane's room because of the sounds of a struggle (Akane's smacking Ranma around again).

2: Big girl or not doesn't mean she can't be protective.

3: Ranko didn't even illustrate what happened to her: Nabiki made it up, and in such a way as to give Nodoka more than enough reason to protect Akane from such a crossdressing pervert.

4: See 1, 2 and 3. Nodoka recognized the pigtail as belonging to the boy she didn't like, after hearing the sounds of a fight, and got protective.

5: And it didn't help when Akane acted like he really was the boy that Nodoka thought it was, which only urged her onward.

Needing to hide the girl curse alone shows she is not right in the head. A reasonable person would judge on behavor, and not make snap decisions.

Eh? Both Genma and Ranma assumed that merely being turned into a girl would be grounds for seppuku, not Nodoka. It's proven that Nodoka doesn't care about the curse, so long as Ranma's behavior is befitting of someone manly.

:roll:

Didn't she try to kill a peeping tom at a hot spring?

No. Don't assume that merely taking her sword with her is an intent to kill. It could have been for protection, to threaten the peeping tom away, and threaten their life only in self-defense. She neither unsheaths her sword or feels threatened enough to declare any intent to kill the peeping tom. She was only worried about Ranko.

Didn't she nearly kill Ranma just by not knowing how to hold a sword?

Accidents happen. Are you going to condemn her to Hell for one accident?

It may just be the way she talks about killing her son and husband.

She has a duty to perform, as per the vow dictates. She doesn't do it out of any malice, but out of concern. Because having to kill her son and husband would be tragic. (Well, she probably doesn't care much about Genma, but still.)

She does not take her own duty seriesly. She should know how to at least hold a sword.

As a kaishaku, no, I don't think she prepared herself properly. Perhaps that's because she hoped that she wouldn't have to do it.

So because Genma made a vow Ranma must die also if Genma fails to up hold it?

lwf58 explains it best.

You call that funny?

At what time did I say it was? Honestly.

Nodoka thought Ranma making hand prints before he could walk or talk was him agreeing to the vow.

Not necessarily. She said, "Oh, Ranma... what a boy you are!"

Which suggests nothing of an agreement. Ranma was obligated to do so by his father. Again, lwf58 explained it best.

[Zwzn]

First of all, they're trying to hide the fact that Ranma becomes a girl in the first place. There's only so much she would be able to understand without knowing that, and would probably get the wrong ideas without that knowledge. Second of all, what is she supposed to ask during the circumstances? "Oh, I think I saw a boy, who might be my son, crossdressing! Does he happen to turn into a girl with cold water? I'd be o understanding if that were the case." Thirdly, she often does try to find out what's going on, as best as the circumstances, and her position, allow. Lord knows how many times she's had her eyes covered or attention diverted, just to name a few key hindrances to her understanding of anything.

Just thought I'd reiterate that, since it's once again a good response to many of the comments I'm answering in your post, both directly and indirectly. ;/

So, she just ignores things that shed doubt on her preconceived delusions like the Kunos?

Which proves my point exactly. If she thought that Genma was a man among men, she'd have nothing to worry about, concerning such a pledge. But, as we can see, Genma's often a sneak and a liar. Even Ranma was surprised that he could find someone like Nodoka to be his wife, so it's possible that he put up a facade to woo her.

There is nothing to point to Genma behaving differently then what we see in the manga. Genma made a school of martial arts to be a abusive father/husband after all. She was not suprised at all at Genma's behavor in the later parts of the manga.

That's no fault of Nodoka's. It was Genma's vow, the very making of said vow which made Genma look manly in her eyes. Surely he could instill that same manliness in her son. Whoops!

I have no problem with her holding Genma to such a vow. It is the fact she believed Ranma had agreed to such a vow when he made the hand prints that I have a problem with. Who in their right mind thinks a little kid who can't walk or talk even understands what is going on half the time?

See first quote.

She takes everything said at face value even when she has reason to doubt.

So one accidental unsheathing is grounds for playing with it like a toy?

It's at least ten times she nearly kills someone, and she sees nothing wrong on planning on using the sword on peeping tom. The lady seems to litterally take the sword everywhere she goes, and to top it all off she thinks she is a martail artist.

I think that instance was meant to be amusing. That Ranma is no longer hiding and running for his life is proof enough that the threat of seppuku, as far as the story is concerned, is over.

I found it to mean the opposite. He might not be killed for the curse, but the sword is still being held over to his neck.

1: Nodoka was drawn to Akane's room because of the sounds of a struggle (Akane's smacking Ranma around again).

Wrong, She heard a boys voice from Akane's room. We the readers can even make out the words being spoken.

2: Big girl or not doesn't mean she can't be protective.

Akane's words proved the boy was not a threat. In fact Akane's words point to her knowing the boy well.

3: Ranko didn't even illustrate what happened to her: Nabiki made it up, and in such a way as to give Nodoka more than enough reason to protect Akane from such a crossdressing pervert.

Ranko's behavor shines doubt on Nabiki's story, but Nodoka had made up her mind before Nabiki fed her delusions.

Ranko's behavor showed a close relationship with said boy IMO, and perhap hinted towards even more then just freinds.

5: And it didn't help when Akane acted like he really was the boy that Nodoka thought it was, which only urged her onward.

She started trying to kill him solely because he had a similar hair style to the boy she saw in Ranko's closes.

Akane said he was her friend, and actually says she should help him in a friendly manner. Tell me, does that sound to you like Akane was in danger?

To top that off Nodoka plans to ram the door open when the only thing keeping the door partly closed is herself.

Eh? Both Genma and Ranma assumed that merely being turned into a girl would be grounds for seppuku, not Nodoka. It's proven that Nodoka doesn't care about the curse, so long as Ranma's behavior is befitting of someone manly.

Not really, It was Ranma's behavor that made her not want to kill him. Nodoka thinks peeping tom, and boys who have similar hair styles to cross dresses she knows nothing about are for killing.

No. Don't assume that merely taking her sword with her is an intent to kill. It could have been for protection, to threaten the peeping tom away, and threaten their life only in self-defense. She neither unsheaths her sword or feels threatened enough to declare any intent to kill the peeping tom. She was only worried about Ranko.

Not taking! Drawing! When a martial artist/warrior draws a weapon it shows intent to use said weapon! Nodoka claims to be a martial artist, and has more then once tried to kill people who she thinks are perverts.

Accidents happen. Are you going to condemn her to Hell for one accident?

Once is an accident. Twice I can understand, but what seems like every other scene...

She has a duty to perform, as per the vow dictates. She doesn't do it out of any malice, but out of concern. Because having to kill her son and husband would be tragic.

A vow Ranma never agreed to.

The woman has a itchy sword hand.

(Well, she probably doesn't care much about Genma, but still.)

She say something to that effect during a fight with Genma, but the quote shouldn't be taken out of context. Her manly husband is trying many underhanded tricks, and about to hit her with a table to steal a 2000 yen martial arts prize. The scene does not make her look good either.

As a kaishaku, no, I don't think she prepared herself properly. Perhaps that's because she hoped that she wouldn't have to do it.

She has a duty to perform, and claims to be a martial artist/swords woman. She at times almost seem eager to perform such duty.

The least she could do if she cared is make sure she can do said duty well, if only so it will be over fast for her sake.

lwf58 explains it best.

And, how does this change the fact only Genma agreed to the vow, but she is holding both Ranma and Genma to the vow? Basicly Ranma must pay for yet another of Genma bad ideas even if Genma is being held to it.

Not necessarily. She said, "Oh, Ranma... what a boy you are!"

Which suggests nothing of an agreement. Ranma was obligated to do so by his father. Again, lwf58 explained it best.

If you take a quote out of context it is easy to twist to mean something it was not ment to mean.

Viz Vol.20 Page 43
Nodoka's Flash back

Nodoka: No! Wait! Stop!

Genma:Listen Nodoka! one day, Ranma must take over the Saotome school of anything goes martial arts.

Nodoka: I understand that.

Genma: If he is to be the man that he must be... ...He must not be softened by a mother's love! If you want what's best for Ranma, you must be patient!

Nodoka: What's best for Ranma...

Genma: This is my vow!! I shall raise Ranma to be a true man among men! And if i somehow fail that task... Father and son together will commit ritual SEPPUKU... and take our own lives!

Nodoka: What courage!! What MANLINESS!!

Page 49

Genma: while putting his thum print on the scroll: I now commit our vow to a scroll!

Nodoka: Putting the ink on Ranma's hand: Here, Ranma. You make a vow too.

Nodoka: As Ranma plays with the ink she put on his hand: Oh Ranma... What a BOY you are!

Nodoka: I too come from a martial arts family... I know how sacred such vows are.

IF you don't take the quote out of context it shows she had Ranma put his hand print on the scroll, and took it to mean Ranma was agreeing to the vow. She was proud Ranma put his hand print on the paper, and the only reason to be proud of him for doing such a thing is if she thought he was agreeing to the vow.

[Spokavriel]

Looks pretty different to me.

[J. St.C. Patrick]

Here's the VIZ translation

[Spokavriel]

Neither one matches up exactly with what Zwzn said. I wonder if someone made that other version he found to make people deliberately get things wrong and paint Nodoka in a dark light that isn't in Cannon.

Edit:It doesn't make it clear who's hands are applying the ink with the brush. The thumb used for Genma's print is the one on the brush if it were his hands and it could still very well be all him.

[Drawde]

I have no problem with her holding Genma to such a vow. It is the fact she believed Ranma had agreed to such a vow when he made the hand prints that I have a problem with. Who in their right mind thinks a little kid who can't walk or talk even understands what is going on half the time?

In pretty much all cultures the parents have the right to decide things for their children. In old ones they are almost considered to own them. Even if we don't approve of it now, it still happens today. Especially in ones that hold honor important, you're expected to uphold ALL decicions of the head of the household, up to and including arranged marriages and beyond, such as suicide pacts. We may not agree with it, but many cultures would have considered that normal.

Also, Nodoka never claimed to be a martial artist. She said she's the WIFE of one.

[Spokavriel]

There's no Almost about it. There are many court decisions from many cultures that documented in the decision "Children are the property of the Father" during family disputes. It's not something I enjoyed getting pointed out to me but at least in the past century that mentality seems to have died out for the most part.

[lwf58]

It doesn't make it clear who's hands are applying the ink with the brush. The thumb used for Genma's print is the one on the brush if it were his hands and it could still very well be all him.

If you compare the hands to the drawings of Nodoka's in the other frames, they are much larger and blockier. Genma was also the one with the brush to begin with.

Nodoka's role in the whole affair was passive. She agreed that such a vow was manly, and that such vows were sacred. But I strongly disagree that her tears in the scene were those of joy. She didn't want Ranma to be taken away from her, and what I see is her being devastated because it was going to happen anyway; she could do nothing since Genma pulled the "martial artist's honor" trump card on her.

It's also important to take the pages leading up to this one in consideration. It's ridiculous to think that a woman who was having hysterics about her baby being taken away from her would suddenly and gleefully go along with the scheme, to the point of aiding her husband in adding her son's handprints to the contract.

I stand by my earlier statements. Nodoka was presented with a situation where her own sense of honor demanded she give in, even though she really didn't want to. Genma authored the contract entirely on his own, and Genma was the one who got Ranma to add his handprints.

[Spokavriel]

I just took a closer look at the two pages posted. That's not a printing error on the thumb on the brush there's Still Ink ON IT. Nodoka didn't ink her thumb even if the hands could be mistaken for hers.

[Crescent Pulsar]

God. If I didn't care so much about this, I wouldn't have to worry about responding to this nonsense. -_-#

So, she just ignores things that shed doubt on her preconceived delusions like the Kunos?

There are only so many conclusions that she can arrive at, in light of how little she knows (and due greatly from the fact of having the facts hidden from her). The conclusions she arrives at aren't delusional; she just tends to assume the worst or best in regard to Ranma, according to what she knows. What else is she supposed to think when her son is wearing a school girl outfit? That her son crossdresses, or someone just happened to force him into the outfit just prior to her arrival? It wouldn't be the latter reason, so, to be wearing it, he must have put it on purposefully. She made a reasonable conclusion, all things considered.

There is nothing to point to Genma behaving differently then what we see in the manga. Genma made a school of martial arts to be a abusive father/husband after all. She was not suprised at all at Genma's behavor in the later parts of the manga.

"Genma made a school of martial arts to be an abusive father/husband," you say...

...

When? Never heard of it.

Also, while we don't see how he acted to win Nodoka's heart, you still can't assume he acted the same. Either way, despite how uncaring of her husband she is shown to be, she remains a faithful wife. She said as much when she first arrived, by saying how she had faith in her husband.

I have no problem with her holding Genma to such a vow. It is the fact she believed Ranma had agreed to such a vow when he made the hand prints that I have a problem with. Who in their right mind thinks a little kid who can't walk or talk even understands what is going on half the time?

Dead horse walking! Beaten by me, lfw58, and more recently by Dawde.

She takes everything said at face value even when she has reason to doubt.

Wrong. She gets doubts. She gets suspicions. She's just usually wrong. That's how she switched from thinking "that perverted boy" to "must be my son, and his actions are understandable." That and realizing that being close to Ranko might raise her chance of seeing Ranma, since there seemed to be some connection between them.

It's at least ten times she nearly kills someone, and she sees nothing wrong on planning on using the sword on peeping tom. The lady seems to litterally take the sword everywhere she goes, and to top it all off she thinks she is a martail artist.

Well, then I guess you won't have any trouble giving at least ten examples where she nearly kills someone.

And what suggests that she was determined to use her sword on the peeping tom?

And I don't recall her ever saying that she was a martial artist. Only that she came from a martial arts family, and knows the ways of how certain things function in said martial artist family.

Sure, she brings her sword everywhere, but why not? The world's a dangerous place. She doesn't go around with the intent of killing someone. If you want to point fingers at people who are really aggressive and dangerous, and don't mind using the weapons they tend to have on hand all of the time, kindly point to someone like Ryoga, Mousse, Ukyo, Shampoo, Kuno and Kodachi. They're a much bigger threat, as weapon-users, than Nodoka will ever be.

I found it to mean the opposite. He might not be killed for the curse, but the sword is still being held over to his neck.

Proof? Once he's reunited with his mother, and was deemed manly enough, he is never shown the need to do anything to prove, or coerced to show, his manliness. Otherwise she would have got him prepared to commit seppuku, like the last time she caught him crossdressing, instead of just yelling at him.

Wrong, She heard a boys voice from Akane's room. We the readers can even make out the words being spoken.

It was Akane's attacks that drew Nodoka's attention to the ceiling. She was already on the move by the time she heard anything, to notice that it was the voice of a boy. If not for that she may not have noticed a boy's voice, since it seems like she couldn't even hear what they were saying.

Akane's words proved the boy was not a threat. In fact Akane's words point to her knowing the boy well.

What words? "I hate you!" Those words? Besides, while Nodoka was making her way to Akane's room, she might not have heard a thing. (Plus what I said before, about not hearing what they were saying through the floor; just a deep enough voice to be from a boy.) And I think that's the case since she takes no note of it.

Of course, if you meant the part while she was at the door, Ranma and Akane were probably talking between each other quietly. Just because we can read something doesn't mean every character in the vicinity is aware of what's being said. I think it's obvious that Nodoka didn't hear a thing.

Ranko's behavor shines doubt on Nabiki's story, but Nodoka had made up her mind before Nabiki fed her delusions.

Ranko's behavor showed a close relationship with said boy IMO, and perhap hinted towards even more then just freinds.

What behavior? -_- Nabiki gave her an answer and Ranko talked quietly to Nabiki instead of contradict her. Nodoka hadn't already made up her mind: she asked for a connection first, after all. That suggests that she was open to the possibility that Ranko knew the guy who took her clothes, and that it might not have been as bad as an attack. (Which Nabiki illustrates it as.)

She started trying to kill him solely because he had a similar hair style to the boy she saw in Ranko's closes.

So you blame her for having a keen eye? And, after hearing a fight, and a man's voice, was seeing that pigtail again so soon too much to not be just a coincidence?

Akane said he was her friend, and actually says she should help him in a friendly manner. Tell me, does that sound to you like Akane was in danger?

As I said before, it's obvious that she didn't hear Akane and Ranma speaking to themselves. It's not until Akane yells (with a megaphone, no less) that he's a pervert and such that she hears anything definitive from inside the room.

To top that off Nodoka plans to ram the door open when the only thing keeping the door partly closed is herself.

The supposed pervert is obviously blocking the door. But if you mean which way it swings on its hinge, it's in, not out. It looks like Nodoka could pull it open at first, but the panel where you can see her hand reaching into the room, and the one where Akane says, "...And now what to do," show otherwise. I think the inconsistency is there since the angle for showing Nodoka's initial grabbing of his pigtail was better.

Eh? Both Genma and Ranma assumed that merely being turned into a girl would be grounds for seppuku, not Nodoka. It's proven that Nodoka doesn't care about the curse, so long as Ranma's behavior is befitting of someone manly.

Not really, It was Ranma's behavor that made her not want to kill him.

Uh, yeah. You might want to read more carefully before you reply.

Nodoka thinks peeping tom, and boys who have similar hair styles to cross dresses she knows nothing about are for killing.

Let's see if I can make sense of that sentence. ;/.

Last time I checked Nodoka wasn't Shampoo. Plus, she had a good enough reason. For one, it's established that she thinks the boy had randomly attacked a girl (Ranko), stole her clothes, wore them, then ran away with them. Then she encounters him again, in Akane's room. Not only does she have a reason to believe that the same was happening to Akane, but that the perpetrator had forced their way into the house. Sounds dangerous.

Plus, it's just this one boy she threatens to kill; she's not on a crusade to kill anyone who might happen to fit the description.

No. Don't assume that merely taking her sword with her is an intent to kill. It could have been for protection, to threaten the peeping tom away, and threaten their life only in self-defense. She neither unsheaths her sword or feels threatened enough to declare any intent to kill the peeping tom. She was only worried about Ranko.

Not taking! Drawing! When a martial artist/warrior draws a weapon it shows intent to use said weapon! Nodoka claims to be a martial artist, and has more then once tried to kill people who she thinks are perverts.

Read what I say. Seriously. She did not draw, I repeat, she did not draw. Everything else I've already responded to.

Once is an accident. Twice I can understand, but what seems like every other scene...

Oh? I know of one accident, and one time she drew it in a hazardous place (where Ranma's flower got cut by the sword). So, give me some examples that would suggest that it happens every other scene. And I don't mean literally, since I doubt you meant it that way. (I just wanted that to be clear.)

A vow Ranma never agreed to.

Been answered already. Another dead horse walking.

The woman has a itchy sword hand.

And most of the time within reason, and/or for a just cause. Otherwise I'd like to think it's supposed to be humorous.

She say something to that effect during a fight with Genma, but the quote shouldn't be taken out of context.

If you take a quote out of context it is easy to twist to mean something it was not ment to mean.

IF you don't take the quote out of context it shows she had Ranma put his hand print on the scroll, and took it to mean Ranma was agreeing to the vow. She was proud Ranma put his hand print on the paper, and the only reason to be proud of him for doing such a thing is if she thought he was agreeing to the vow.

I didn't take it out of context. Genma made the vow, for both himself and his son, making Nodoka's reaction to him signing it irrelevant since Ranma was obligated to. So you could still argue that what she said was in response to him playfully slapping his hand prints onto the paper. Sounds boyish to me.

And she doesn't make Ranma put his hand print on the paper: she is shown seated opposite of father and son, a good distance away, when he's slapping the paper with his ink-covered hand.

But, again, this is another dead horse walking, in general. I'm just not going to be quiet while someone accuses me of taking something out of the context.

She has a duty to perform, and claims to be a martial artist/swords woman. She at times almost seem eager to perform such duty.

If she were anywhere near eager than she'd look happy and/or interested to do it, not sad and/or solemn. Her nature is evident, and been answered for. I don't know why we're still discussing/arguing about it. ;/

The least she could do if she cared is make sure she can do said duty well, if only so it will be over fast for her sake.

I guess that blows the suggestion, that she almost seems eager to do her duty, out of the water. Oops.

And, how does this change the fact only Genma agreed to the vow, but she is holding both Ranma and Genma to the vow? Basicly Ranma must pay for yet another of Genma bad ideas even if Genma is being held to it.

Wow. Lots of zombie horses around these parts.

And this will be my last post in response to much of the content herein, since I know I've made my points (more than once in most cases), and I've yet to be contradicted irrefutably. Besides, do you know how long it took me to respond to all this? I could be doing better things. -_-;

And since I took so much time to post this, I checked to see if there were more posts and I agree with the assessment during the signing of the seppuku pledge. Though by reading my previous posts you can clearly see that. ;p