This is one time especially when I'm glad I'm a manga-first fan. The story of Yoiko Hibiki is one which I really wish was animated - and I'm
surprised it wasn't, considering how popular the character became. I also really didn't like the way in which "Checkers" came to be with
Ryoga in the anime - he was a rogue ninja dog?!! Come on - this plotline was much better - we get to see Ryoga at home and learn about his family and see how
loving and sweet a big brother he could have been. Of course, we also see further evidence of his gullibility. How many times can Ranma turn into a girl and
trick him? Well, I suppose she did have the fangs to prove it, and even Akane took a bit to recognize him, so perhaps it wasn't all that strange. And the
phone call to his father - gee, why doesn't dad know about his 'daughter', do you suppose? 
Oh my goodness, Happi does look good as a monkey, doesn't he YH? :P Oh yes, and the look on Ranma's face when he's surrounded by naked women - pricesless! This was one time I felt a kinship to Happi. I wrote a list of things to do a work one morning and that afternoon, I realized that I couldn't read some of the words because I had written so quickly - and, yes, I have terrible handwriting. Now, Ranma is usually clever, so why did it take Akane mentioning that Happi would just turn around and use the technique to make Ranma and co realize that it was a bad idea to give him the scroll?
She does seem rather unreasonable - she does at
many times. Sure, the guy picks up alot of female suitors, but, hey, it's not as if he went after them himself - though he doesn't do a great deal to
discourage them either.
Oh, I loved the Kuno hug - much more potent than the cat hug from the anime :P .
Now who wouldn't want some super-soba? I can see the appeal for Akane to refuse to take the antidote - not merely to spite Ranma for being jealous, but
she finally had the strength she wanted; she was stronger than Shampoo and that meant alot to her. -- of course, the wiskers I could do without 
.
Oh my goodness, Happi does look good as a monkey, doesn't he YH? :P Oh yes, and the look on Ranma's face when he's surrounded by naked women - pricesless! This was one time I felt a kinship to Happi. I wrote a list of things to do a work one morning and that afternoon, I realized that I couldn't read some of the words because I had written so quickly - and, yes, I have terrible handwriting. Now, Ranma is usually clever, so why did it take Akane mentioning that Happi would just turn around and use the technique to make Ranma and co realize that it was a bad idea to give him the scroll?
Akane jumping to the conclusion that Ranma is trying to rape her was quite funny to. She certainly has an active imagination. It reminded me of the story in Maison Ikkoku where Akemi was afraid to leave Kyoko alone at New Year's with Godai thinking he might try to do the same. I can remember one the old debate threads about Akane tended to focus a lot of her unwillingness to trust Ranma. As much as I like Akane, she seems really, really unreasonable in this story. *lol*As I recall from MI, Godai was thinking of something like that...maybe not rape, but he wanted to be more intimate with her, but it just never happened - he somewhat chickened out and Kyoko ended up thinking highly of him for being such a gentleman.
She does seem rather unreasonable - she does at
many times. Sure, the guy picks up alot of female suitors, but, hey, it's not as if he went after them himself - though he doesn't do a great deal to
discourage them either.
Oh, I loved the Kuno hug - much more potent than the cat hug from the anime :P .
·Special toshi-koshi soba is served on New Year's Eve and is a tradition, just like black eyed peas are surved here on New Years (though that may be something only southerners do here in the USA).I, a native New Englander, have no idea where this tradition came from, but on New Year's Eve it's traditional to get Chinese food around here. There are almost as many small chinese restaurants as McDonalds - at least around where I live - and each one is booked solid by noon - the popular ones are books a few days in advance, just in case you're ever in the area. I've waited as long as three hours for food I'd ordered that morning - supposed to be ready at 7 - didn't leave with the takeout till 10. :P
Now who wouldn't want some super-soba?
I can see the appeal for Akane to refuse to take the antidote - not merely to spite Ranma for being jealous, but
she finally had the strength she wanted; she was stronger than Shampoo and that meant alot to her. -- of course, the wiskers I could do without .
The game Shampoo and Akane play that resembles badminton is called "Hanetsuki". It's traditionally played by girls.Hence why Ranma got girly. - Again, these cultural notes are so helpful, thank you, YH.
). Anyway, back in '07, me and my friend held the Anime and
Manga Idiots Award, and I'm pleased to say that Principal Kuno won the title of Biggest Idiot in Anime and Manga. The first time I read the Principal Kuno
arc, I cracked up laughing in the bookstore(I'm surprised they didn't ask me to leave). Then I saw the Anime(Richard Cox's first episode, might I
add)and it was more hystarical than before(except for the lack of the deer drawn American flag bed). Then, the whole fiasco with Ranma's tardiness and the
bathrooms. Principal Kuno never ceaces to amaze me.
)
). In this case, Ukyo dreams of sustaining the family with her Okonomiyaki shop while Ranma
plays with the kids but the whole setting looks rather poor. Mr. Fujinami himself lived in extremely harsh conditions with Ryuu before moving into Tomobiki, so
I guess that suit is supposed to be associated with a poor or difficult lifestyle in Japan. 