"Confused": RANMA SAOTOME

Ranma is used to being the center of attention, even if it is attention he doesn't want. Saotome has survived through really chaotic experiences throughout his life. His wife's infidelity has forced him to requestion his life path, as well as his repressed attraction to both men and women.

Saotome blames his extremely complicated life on bad parenting. He was born in Tokyo of anything-goes martial artist expert Genma Saotome and ginzu ninja Nodoka. Genma developed a stupid idea that he would train his son to be a "real man" as an expertise in every form of martial arts as possible. And if he doesn't, both will committ sepukku aka suicide. Genma also manages to engage his son to a large number of women heirs to schools of martial arts including Akane Tendo, Ukyou Kuonji, Shampoo Chen and Kodachi Kuno. They all find out about each other when Ranma returns to Tokyo. Chaos ensues.

Another character from Ranma's past returns to haunt him in Tokyo- Ryoga Hibiki. Ranma befriends the weakling Ryoga after bullies threaten to beat him up afterschool. They quickly become best friends and develop their martial arts skills together. However, Ryoga mistakens Ranma's friendship for affection. After many years of reflection, Ranma ponders if his feelings of friendship were also feelings of affection for the handsome, shy and sexually allurious Japanese martial artist. He wouldn't have the chance to answer that question because Ryoga also wants to kill Ranma as a way of repressing his own impure affections. More chaos. With five fiances and a lot of physical abuse, Ranma has many problems. Add a stalker ex-boyfriend with murderous intent for a very interesting life.

His father's death allows Ranma to settle the chaos. With frantic urging from his mother, Ranma marries Akane Tendo. His problems start to go away. Ryoga's mysterious disapperance following Ranma's wedding also leads to his other fiances to depart from Tokyo peacefully. There is nothing one can do about unforeseen death and Ranma's tragedy evokes sympathy. Their absence from Nerima allows Ranma to find a sense of peace. He feels that his marriage, loveless at is, has made him a man and he prepares to settle down in a peaceful state of mind, forgetting about his past and Ryoga.

However, his superficial world becomes completely shaken when he discovers that Ryoga is in San Francisco. Then, Ukyou Kuonji shockingly asserts her affections for his wife. And Akane even more shockingly returns the affection. With his marriage falling apart and his sister Ranko Saotome's upcoming wedding in San Francisco, Ranma wonders if freedom from his physical and mental pain lies at the welcoming Golden Gate Bridge and the "Castro" that his gay Japanese friends dream of escaping to.

Ranma Saotome's model is Takeshi Kaneshiro