Jusenkyo Guide

Infobox animanga character
color = brown
name = Jusenkyo Guide
series = Ranma ½


caption = The Jusenkyo Guide
first = Volume 1
last =
creator = Rumiko Takahashi
voiced by = Kōichi Yamadera (Japanese)
Ian James Corlett(English,1st)
Michael Donovan(English,2nd)
alias =
age =
born =
occupation = Guide
Translator
relatives = Plum, (daughter)
Wife, (only mentioned)
divider = yes
aux1 name = Curse
aux1 =
aux2 name = Fighting style
aux2 =

The Jusenkyo Guide is a fictional character in Rumiko Takahashi's anime and manga series "Ranma ½". His actual name has never been revealed.

History

The Jusenkyo Guide works at Jusenkyo and usually warns anyone that comes there that they should not train there or they will fall under a grave curse. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of the the hundreds of pools throughout the area, knowing their names, when they became cursed, and the "tragic story" behind each of them. This is impressive given that none of the pools are marked with signs, and that the Guide always knows a pool's background from memory. He uses a formulaic expression to describe all the various cursed springs to those who have fallen in. Usually this includes the phrase "very tragic story," the number of years past (x years ago), the name of the spring, the person(s)/thing(s) that drowned in the spring, and that whoever falls in it will take that form.

The Guide is also in charge of the guest registry that Pantyhose Taro later uses to track down all the victims of the Jusenkyo curses. Despite being the caretaker of Jusenkyo and having to deal with a parade of newly-cursed people, the Guide himself surprisingly does not have a single curse on him, possibly because he is careful enough to avoid falling in one of the pools.

The Guide has made two visits to Japan that only occur in the anime. In one episode, he was looking for a Japanese connection to the Jusenkyo Springs, and almost succeeded in turning the Tendos' koi pond into one through a transformation ritual that was disrupted by Ryoga. In the OVA "Tendo Family Christmas Scramble", he is one of the guests at the party.

Character

The Guide is always very helpful to anyone who visits and tries to offer whatever help he can. Unfortunately, he is not very efficacious. Despite his efforts, nearly every character who comes to the springs ends up cursed, and in the case of Pantyhose Taro, this happens multiple times.

The Guide is also somewhat of an expert on the local area, being knowledgeable about the Chinese Amazons and their customs. He is also an expert on the nearby mountain of Jusendo, within which is the fountainhead for the Jusenkyo springs themselves, and can navigate his way around it without the use of the Jusenkyo map. One of the perks of his job is a second home high on Jusendo, and he has a poster advertising Jusendo as a tourist attraction in the guide office. The Guide is also very knowledgeable about the Phoenix people and the capabilities of the Kinjakan and Gekkaja.

The Guide has a young daughter named Plum. He also mentioned having a wife, but she is never seen. He loves his family, as he modified his earlier claim that he was willing to die for Jusenkyo by stating that he could not leave them behind by risking his life.

The Tendos have his phone number and have called him about the nature of Rouge's curse. At the close of the Saffron arc, he sends a cask of Nannichuan ("Spring of Drowned Man") water to Soun Tendo as thanks for the help that was given him, which Soun had intended as a surprise wedding present for Ranma. However after Genma attempted to appropriate it for himself and the other cursed characters got into a fight over it, Happosai mistook it for sake and drank all of it. The ensuing chaos that resulted helped contribute to Ranma and Akane's wedding being postponed.

External links

* [http://www.animeinfo.org/featured/ranma/ranmapeople/jguide.html Jusenkyo Guide at AnimeInfo]
* [http://www.furinkan.com/ranma/characters/jusenkyo.html Jusenkyo Guide at Furinkan.com]