Nodoka Saotome

  • Gender: Female
  • Age: Mid-40s
  • Hair: Brown
  • Eyes: Brown
  • Nationality: Japanese
  • From the manga Ranma 1/2, by Rumiko Takahashi
  • First Appearance: Chapter 8

The mother of Ranma Saotome, Nodoka appears to be a typical Japanese housewife. She is very nice, very motherly and has a very traditional view of the roles of men and women in modern society. She dresses in a kimono most of the time, but also constantly carries around a long wrapped bundle. Inside this bundle is a sword with which, should it be neccesary, she will cut off her son’s head.

When Ranma was very young (one, perhaps two years old) Genma cajoled Nodoka into letting him take their son on an indefinitely long “training trip” with the justification that her feminine affection would soften their son and keep him from becoming a superior martial artist. Nodoka agreed, but only under the caveat that if Genma failed to make Ranma a “man amongst men” he and Ranma would commit ritual suicide. The reason she carrys the blade is that she plans on serving as the second in this ritual, beheading the two should they fail to fulfill their obligations. Nodoka takes this pledge very seriously, but also deeply misses her son. Her traditional views on masculinity do not seem to preclude the idea of Ranma engaging in what some people might call “perverted” behaviour, however.

Nodoka’s skill with the sword and her overall combat competence is unknown, but presumably low. She can swing the sword with enough force to behead someone, but otherwise doesn’t appear to be a trained combatant.

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