Actual number of times Akane uses a mallet on Ranma

[Slab Bulkhead]

Full disclosure: I've only watched the anime and I'm still working my way through the manga (current on volume 5-6 of the Viz 2 in 1 re-release) so I'm mainly looking at the anime here.

I know it's a common fanon thing to portray Akane as frequently using a comedy oversized mallet out of nowhere, but I'm curious to know how many times she's actually used it.

I know when I watched the anime series, I only counted two instances. Once was during a shared dream that everybody had due to Happosai, in which Akane malleted Ranma in the dream. The only other instance was a later episode which had Akane launching Happosai with a mallet for exactly the reason you think.

[Spica75]

I don't remember exactly, but yeah, i'm fairly sure the total number was in the very low single digit area.
I vaguely seem to recall it happening 3 times in the anime, but i could easily be wrong, it's too long since i watched it.

I know someone made an exact tally on this forum sometime not too long ago though, just cant find it know.

[PCHeintz72]

Might be a good idea while reading the manga to keep the following thread in mind.


Akane: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly
- viewtopic.php?t=33

There used to be another good link on that... but it is long gone due to link rot...

[Crescent Pulsar S]

Can't speak for the anime, but she uses a mallet enough times in the manga for its stereotypical usage to be understandable. (Just off the top of my head, I remember one time in the arc about breast growth, and twice when there was that whole involuntary hugging thing. And she was poised to hit Ranma with one at the end of the super soba story.) By and large, though, if Akane uses a weapon/blunt instrument it's more likely to be some handy object in the vicinity. It just so happens that the mallet probably makes the most reappearances/reuses, and for various reasons probably became preferable to the shinai, even though it also shows up often enough and its presence usually makes more sense.

[Cheb]

Yeah, but she uses it on Genma. And even that is in single digits.

it's more likely to be some handy object in the vicinity.

Vases and stuff.

[TerraEpon]

. It just so happens that the mallet probably makes the most reappearances/reuses, and for various reasons probably became preferable to the shinai, even though it also shows up often enough and its presence usually makes more sense.

My theory on why the mallet fanon became so prominent is because a lot of the early fanfic writers' first exposure to Ranma at all was through the first movie, where she uses quite a large one (same reason the giant chase scene happens a lot in fanfics)

[Pata Hikari]

My theory on why the mallet fanon became so prominent is because a lot of the early fanfic writers' first exposure to Ranma at all was through the first movie, where she uses quite a large one (same reason the giant chase scene happens a lot in fanfics)

The two movies are massively influential to fanon tropes and characterization, yes.

See also: Akane getting kidnapped constantly, often by magic princess. At least half the the popularity of the Ryoga/Ukyo pairing is the scene in in the second movie where Ryoga saves Ukyo.

Of course, this is a problem because man. both movies are pretty bad writing wise.

[Spica75]

Of course, this is a problem because man. both movies are pretty bad writing wise.

Sadly all too true.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Akane malleting Ranma is, similarly to "Shampoo running over Ranma", a gag in the original manga that was largely dropped in the anime. It's not entirely fanon, but it's overemphasized in fanon, and probably has its roots in the very famous and eye-catching Ranma 1/2 movie #1, "Big Trouble in Nekonron, China".