Name: Genma Saotome
Age: Approx. 30-40
Eyes: Black
Hair: None, used to be black.
First Appearance (Anime): Ranma 1/2 TV series, Vol. 1
First Appearance (Manga): Volume 1
Love Interest: None
Loved By: No one
Rivals/Opponents: Happosai, Ranma, Ukyou
Profile: Genma Saotome is the father of Ranma Saotome, and probably the man most responsible for acquiring their curses while in Jusenkyo.
During the time when Genma took Ranma on a decade-long training trip to improve their martial arts skills, he insisted on going to Jusenkyo - a place which he figured was a training ground for marital artists. However, Genma's ignorance of the Chinese language made him unaware to the fact that in actuality, the ground was actually a place which no one frequented anymore due to the fact that it was cursed. Nevertheless, Genma took Ranma across the Sea of Japan to China, and arrived at the aforementioned Jusenkyo, hoping to further Ranma's training there. Genma realized all too late the mistake he made, as he was knocked into a cursed spring during his training session with Ranma.
Genma was knocked into Shonmaoniichuan, or the Spring of Drowned Panda. Due to the nature of the Jusenkyo curse, a victim who falls into the spring is cursed with the ability to turn into whoever or whatever drowned there before (by means of cold water). Thus, whenever Genma is splashed with cold water, he becomes a panda. Hot water, as with the rest of the Jusenkyo-cursed characters, can change him back into human form. (NOTE: He is, probably, the only one of the Jusenkyo-changers that can keep his clothes even in panda form - a strange phenomenon...)
Despite the fact that he and his son were cursed, Genma still brought Ranma back to Japan and made a marriage engagement with his long-time friend and fellow martial artist Soun Tendo, the terms of which were as follows: Ranma would marry one of Soun's daughters in order to carry on the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts. Genma and Soun took Soun's youngest daughter Akane and engaged her to Ranma, albeit unwillingly on both Ranma and Akane's part - at first. Genma now currently resides in the Tendo dojo along with Ranma, in the hopes that one day Ranma and Akane will get married and fulfill the agreement made by the two families.
Personality: Genma follows his own interpretation of the Anything-Goes Martial Arts code (which isn't exactly all that virtuous). Though he himself claims to be a model martial artist, and makes a point of telling Ranma about the right thing to do, it is evident that he does not practice what he preaches. He concerns himself with food, seems to look out for himself most of the time, and is a notorious coward when it comes to confrontational situations. He is by no means dishonorable, but he has been known to attempt to justify what he has done through ridiculous logic and pleading tones of language. In short, Genma does have a sense of honor, but is defninitely more willing to bend the rules more than the average martial artist.
Despite being cursed, Genma actually seems to like his panda form and goes about in public freely in it. He has even been known to use his panda form to get out of situations or otherwise use it to his advantage.
⌐ 1997 by Frank Sanchez