Ranma Saotome is one of the few people in the world
to undergo the training of "Anything Goes Martial Arts". He trained for the better part of his life on
the road with his father, Genma. The two of them went
from Japan to China to train at the ancient springs of
Jusenkyo. What they didn't know is that each spring at
Jusenkyo is cursed by people or animals that have
drowned in them. Now, if anyone comes in contact with
water from a spring there, they will be cursed by
changing into whoever or whatever drowned there
hundreds of years ago everytime they get splashed with
cold water. Hot water will reverse the effect though.
Ranma was unfortunate enough to fall into the "Spring
of Drowned Girl". Now, he constanly changes into a
buxom redheaded female version of himself. Ranma has
another problem to deal with though, his intense fear
of cats. Years before going to Jusenkyo, his father
subjegated him to trying to learn the long forbidden
art of the "Cat Fist" technique. It dealt with young
Ranma being forced to spend hours inside a dark well
filled with cats. The experienced traumatized him so
much that he now becomes frightened at the slightist
hint of cats. Worse is that if he's exposed to cats
for too long, he mentally becomes a cat and starts to
act just like one. This state allows him to perform
the "Cat Fist" technique though which as a martial
artist makes him almost unbeatable. But, he doesn't
remember anything of his experience as a cat
afterwards. Ranma's fear of cats also plays a part in
his dislike for one of his many suitors, Shampoo, who
also is affected with a Jusenkyo curse that turns her
into a cat that she occasionally uses as a tactic to
bring Ranma under her submission.
