Nodoka Saotome
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| Nodoka Saotome 早乙女 のどか |
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 Nodoka Saotome |
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| Alias: | Auntie Saotome |
| Gender: | Female |
| Age: | Mid-late 30s/Early 40s |
| Family: | Genma Saotome, husband Ranma Saotome, son |
| Love Interest: | Genma |
| Loved By: | Genma |
| Occupation: | Homemaker |
| Residence: | Formerly: The Saotome Household Now: Tendo Dojo, Furinkan |
| Seiyū: | Masako Ikeda |
| Voice Actor: | Lisa Bunting |
Nodoka Saotome (早乙女 のどか Saotome Nodoka) is a fictional, important supporting character in Rumiko Takahashi's anime and manga series Ranma ½.
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[edit] History
Nodoka is Ranma Saotome's mother and Genma's wife. She is a gentle, attractive woman, who very closely resembles Ranma's female form, noticeable after Nabiki comments on how similar they look during Nodoka's first visit to the Tendos. She always carries around a fairly large bundle, which contains the family katana.
Before departing on their training journey, the only way Nodoka agreed to let Genma take Ranma from her was for her husband to promise her that he would train Ranma to be "a man among men." If Genma were to fail in this regard, both he and Ranma would commit ritual seppuku. Nodoka agreed to this and also that she would be the kaishakunin for her husband and son - hence the need to always carry the katana. She is not particularly skilled with the sword, though.
Because of this promise, Genma and Ranma are terrified of showing their true forms to Nodoka and for her to find out about their curses, although Genma is more afraid than Ranma. To prevent her from finding out, they hide in their cursed forms, with Ranma taking the alias of "Ranko" and pretending to be Akane's cousin from the countryside, and Genma assuming the identity of "Mr. Panda" and pretending to be Ranko's pet. Late in the manga, Nodoka learns the truth and she decides she won't force them to commit seppuku so long as Ranma stays interested in girls and continues to fight like "a man among men."
After this, Genma and Ranma live for some time in her house, until it is destroyed (in an unshown scene) by Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi, who are fighting over what they think is an engagement ring. After her house is trashed, she and her family move back in with the Tendos.
[edit] Personality
When Genma expressed his desire to take Ranma on their fateful training voyage, Nodoka was the one who included the "man among men" provision that now threatens their lives whenever she visits the Tendo Dojo. It is clear that she wants a Ranma to be a true man like her husband announced, but she never seems to see him when she comes. Instead, she finds Akane's cousin Ranko (actually Ranma in girl form) with her pet Mr. Panda (Genma).
Nodoka wants nothing more than to see her son, to whom she has not spoken since he was six years old. She is not the only one who has been affected by the deal, though. Ranma has tried on numerous occasions to talk to her as a man, but Genma repeatedly foiled his efforts. For Nodoka, her glimpses of Ranma as a male have been fleeting at best, usually because he was pursuing some other objective at the time.
Nodoka has the mind of a mother. When she met Akane, she quickly approved of her and offered to help with her cooking skills so that she could make a better wife for her son. She also dotes on "Ranko" and has aided her to similar ends. But her assumption of Ranko's identity created a strange situation for Ranma when Ryu Kumon arrived. Posing as Ranma, the rival martial artist had sought out Nodoka for his own ends. She was completely convinced as to the imposter's identity as her son, but eventually figured it out with help from Ranma.
Nodoka, while kind and slightly old fashioned, has a very strange set of principles. She seems to despise perverts, but is willing to allow, even encourage Ranma to perform perverted acts such as peeping on girls, play with women's underwear and even have him spy on Akane while she takes a bath. It is explained, however, that she sees this as the way her son can 'prove' his manliness.
[edit] Trivia
- Nodoka means 'calm' or 'peaceful,' two words that fit her personality perfectly. Nodoka's given name is written in hiragana. Japanese readers feel 'calm' or 'peaceful' in hiragana, than kanji letter.
[edit] References
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Ranma ½ Characters
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| Saotome Family | |
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| Ranma Saotome | Genma Saotome | Nodoka Saotome | |
| Tendo Family | |
| Soun Tendo | Kasumi Tendo | Nabiki Tendo | Akane Tendo | Mrs. Tendo | |
| Chinese | |
| Shampoo | Mousse | Cologne | Jusenkyo Guide | Pantyhose Taro | |
| Kuno Family | |
| Tatewaki Kuno | Kodachi Kuno | Principal Kuno | Sasuke Sarugakure | |
| Notable Furinkan Residents | |
| Ukyo Kuonji | Hikaru Gosunkugi | Dr. Tofu Ono | Hinako Ninomiya | Konatsu | |
| Major Adversaries | |
| Ryoga Hibiki | Happosai | Mariko Konjo | Herb | Ryu Kumon | Saffron | |
| Recurring / Other Characters | |
| Akari Unryu | Tsubasa Kurenai | Shinnosuke | Ranma ½ minor characters | |
| Other Articles | |
| Locations in Ranma ½ | Anything Goes Martial Arts | Chinese Amazons | |
