Last Name: Saotome
Children: Ranma Saotome
Jusenkyo Curse: Spring of Drowned Panda
Age: 30 or 40 something
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Black previously, Bald now.
Marital Status: Married to Nadoka Saotome
Loves: Nodoka Saotome
Loved by: Nodoka Saotome
Rivals: Ranma Saotome (Debatable)
First Anime Appearance
Ranma � Volume 1
Voice Actors:
(Japanese)
(American)
First Manga Appearance
Vol. 1.1
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Ki: Mr. Saotome, I'm Tsubasa's Ki and I was hoping to get a word with you for some of your fans.
Genma: Tsubasa? Is he that little...?
Ki: Don't go there, please. Tell me a little about yourself, Genma.
Genma: Well, I suppose you want to hear about the recent pieces of my life, not the early years. This is all about Ranma, correct?
Ki: You got it. Tell me about Ranma.
Genma: (getting a little teary eyed, I must add) Oh the shame! I've done everything in my power to raise the boy as best I could. After harsh training with the master, along with my dear friend Soun Tendo, I set out on a personal challenge to make my only son into a real man. Oh the hard work and toil I've put into bringing him up! What an ingrate!
Ki: Ingrate? I heard a few stories from "the boy" that could cause a bit of remorse, though apparently it hasn't.
Genma: He told you about the cat thing, didn't he? (After nodding he continued, though he seemed to have a nervous laugh about him. He had his eye on a pail of water, constantly as well.) Why can't he stop his whining? How does he expect to carry on the Anything-Goes School with his attitude? Anyway, I took Ranma when he was but a babe, and promised to make a man out of him. He hasn't set foot home in nearly a decade, nor will he until my goal is complete. How can he complain about such a character building experience?
Ki: I understand where you're coming from, but Ranma mentioned that had you read the next page of the tome, you would have discovered that it was a banned technique due to the traumas that it's produced.
Genma: Yes, that is true, but it's taught him an invincible technique. By your expression, I see he hasn't told you about it. When his fear of cats drives him far enough, he actually becomes a cat. It's very complicated to control him when he's like that, but he is able to produce the dreaded Cat Fist Technique.
Ki: That's impressive. Maybe it is worth it, from a martial arts point of view. But tell me about the Tendos, Akane in particular.
Genma: We've been staying at the Tendos since I can't bring Ranma home...
Ki: Oh! Right, sorry for interrupting, but why can't he go home?
Genma: I can't bring him back to my wife, Nodoka, until he has become a real man. It's.. sort of a promise. But about the Tendos. Soun and I have gone through many hardships together. So when we were training under Master Happosai we vowed to marry our children to secure the Anything-Goes School. It's taking a bit of effort getting Ranma and Akane to accept their engagement, though.
Ki: I see. What about your curse? (I pointed to the pail of water with my pen)
Genma: Ahh.. the trip to Jusenkyo was a memorable one. It has trained me well. The curse is only a price I pay for the sake of the art. It has taught me much about life.
Ki: Well, Mr. Saotome, I'll let you get back to your training. I'll stop by again when we have any questions from your fans.
Ask Ranma anything you want! Send your Questions to Ki and he will ask the cast for you! Follow set guidelines or questions will be disregarded. Guidelines are set on the main "Interview" page.
Ki: Well, Mr. Saotome, it seems your first question has come in from a friend of mine, a known Tsubasa fan.
Genma: What is with the obsession with that strange..
Ki: Well, the question was, "Why do you always let Ranma and Akane fight? I've never seen such a wimp of a fighter." I think he was speaking of you, sir. Then it goes on, "I've never seen Soun fight either. Are you both chicken???"
Genma: Chicken? Us? (Genma began laughing maniacaly) Don't be absurd. We let the children do the fighting because they have just begun their lives and training. Soun and I don't need the training. We've both attacked the master, and I also recall Soun sparring with Akane a time or two. So we do fight, but it would take a great cause to get us to act. The time on Togenkyou, for example when we had to rescue the girls. We were also motivated on Kirin's ship. We are definitely not chicken, just advanced.
Ki: Here's a new one, Mr. Saotome. "You don't need training? Then why don't you and Soun ever win against Happosai? And why does Ranma win and both of you don't?"
Genma: Yes, well, there is a simple answer to that. The Master is the Master and what good would it do if we thrashed Ranma every time he acted up? What would he learn? Surely you can't say that he always beats us. I merely let him win, give him a fair chance, I should say to build up his Martial Arts. I also never said that I had stopped training. I'm just not the one who needs it quite so much.
Ki: How about this? "Hey Genma! Why don't you tell Nodoka what happened to you and Ranma? What would happen if you did? Has she ever used the sword she carries around with her? Why don't you cheat at shogi and go? And why were you dumb enough to be in panda form at the beach?" Wow.. that's a lot. A few good ones in there, though. Tell us about Nodoka.
Genma: Nodoka, eh? Perhaps you haven't picked up on it. When I left with Ranma, I promised her that I would make a man out of him. If I return with Ranma and he is not a real man then she will have us killed with that sword on her back. She is a fierce warrior. Think about the consequences if she found out the boy was a girl!?
Ki: I see. That's a very good reason to be staying with the Tendos, then. What about the other questions?
Genma: Are you trying to call me a cheater? There is a matter of pride involved! And about the beach, how do you expect me to go swimming and remain in human form? You think I want to get splashed with hot water on a warm summer day?
Ki: Hmm.. I guess he should have thought about that, first. "Genma, about your panda side, do you think it has helped you in training or in helping you spiritually?"
Genma: Well, everything can be seen as a training exercise and this is no different. Becoming a panda has shown me the true values of what to live for, how to see through other's eyes. (Genma started staring longingly at the pail of water and a rubber tire, I tried to ignore it)
Ki: Here's a good question, "Mr. Saotome, how does the dojo seem to stay open and be able to house you and your ungrateful son at the same time? I have never seen Soun give any paying lessons to anyone. Only free ones to Akane."
Genma: That is indeed a good question. I work for Dr. Tofu, though recently I've been a little bit selfish on that. Nabiki is always good for some money, and Soun does teach students, though he has few. Perhaps you haven't seen them.
Ki: "When you decided to take Ukyo as Ranma's fiancee, why did you run off with the Okonomiyaki cart without her, and wasn't Ranma already promised to Akane?"
Genma: Ukyo, eh? Well, you see.. when the proposition was made, it was nearly too good to refuse. You can't imagine the hardships of living on the go like Ranma and I had been doing. The cart would have made our lives so much easier, and it did. But when it came to leaving Ukyo behind, that was Ranma's decision. He chose the Okonomiyaki over her. Yes, he was promised to a Tendo girl since the time of his birth.
Ki: "Well, concerning Ukyo, isn't a martial artist to show discipline instead of being a cheating liar and a petty thief? If you ask me, you don't sound like one at all....."
Genma: Well, if you ask me, you don't sound like you've grasped the concept of the School of Anything Goes Martial Arts.... Anything goes, if it works, a wonderful philosophy. Besides it was Ranma who left her behind, not I.
Ki: That makes sense, I suppose. "Genma, you say.. 'what good would it do if we thrashed Ranma...' yet you allow him to be severly beaten up in every attempt to learn a technique. Do you think it's good to beat him up or not?"
Genma: What you need is to learn the difference between training and pampering. Training is hard, but it's not senseless battle. What kind of coward do you think I'm trying to raise? I remember back when Ranma learned his Chestnut Fist thing.. I beat him with a pair of chopsticks. You don't seem to understand that he is beaten when he needs to be beaten. It makes his determinations stronger.