Nodoka Saotome

Infobox animanga character
color = pink
name = Nodoka Saotome
series = Ranma ½


caption = Nodoka Saotome in the manga
first = Volume 22
last = Volume 38
creator = Rumiko Takahashi
voiced by = Masako Ikeda (Japanese)
Lisa Bunting (English)
alias = Auntie Saotome by Akane, Nabiki, Kasumi Tendo and Ranma Saotome (as Ranko)
Lady, by Ryu Kumon
Darling, by Genma Saotome
Mom, by Ranma Saotome
age = Mid-late 30s/Early 40s
born =
occupation = Homemaker
relatives = Genma Saotome, husband
Ranma Saotome, son

nihongo|Nodoka Saotome|早乙女 のどか|Saotome Nodoka is a fictional character in Rumiko Takahashi's anime and manga series "Ranma ½".

Nodoka means "calm" or "peaceful", two words that fit her personality perfectly. Saotome means "rice-planting girl", which applies more to Ranma's condition.

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 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. She has, upon drawing it, accidentally thrown it into the air, nearly impaling Ranma, who was off-screen.

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 amongst men."

After this, Genma and Ranma live for some time in her house, until it is destroyed (in an unshown scene) by Shampoo, Ukyo Kuonji and Kodachi Kuno, who are fighting over what they think is an engagement ring. She and her family then move back in with the Tendos.

Personality

Nodoka wanted nothing more than to see her son, to whom she had not seen since he was six years old. She was not the only one who had been affected by the deal, though. Ranma had 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 were fleeting at best, usually because he was pursuing some other objective at the time, or attempting to escape her.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. In her most notable incident of the sort, she took Ranko shopping to find her more suitable feminine clothing, including a bra, something Ranma would never normally wear. But the existence 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 initially convinced as to the imposter's identity as her son, but became suspicious after seeing him with Akane and was eventually told the truth.

Nodoka, while kind and slightly old fashioned, had a very strange set of principles. She seemed to despise perverts, but allowed and even encouraged Ranma to perform perverted acts such as peeping on girls, play with women's underwear and even had him spy on Akane while she takes a bath. It was explained, however, that she saw this as the way her son could "prove" his manliness. Her actual view of a true epitome of masculinity seemed to lie much closer to the savage, imposing, independent and semi-militaristic Ryu Kumon than to Happosai.In contrast to her enthusiasm to see Ranma, she was shown an often comical lack of concern for her husband. Going as far as to not notice him right next to her, and making almost no response at all when Ryu Kumon said he was dead.

Nodoka was dedicated to the seppuku contract Genma signed before he and Ranma left, and was more than willing to follow it if she believed she had to. One encounter with Ranma, which had Ranma dressed in girl's clothing thanks to Happosai, had her immediately get ready to perform the ceremony, though she was knocked out and apparently dismissed her memories of it as a dream after waking. She still retained the seppuku contract, and considered it valid, even after being reunited with Ranma and Genma. When the Saotomes moved back to Nodoka's house and Ranma was depressed at having left Akane, she declared that Ranma's behavior wasn't manly and would have drawn her sword had not Genma intervened.

External links

* [http://www.animeinfo.org/featured/ranma/ranmapeople/nodoka.html Nodoka at AnimeInfo]
* [http://www.furinkan.com/ranma/characters/nodoka.html Nodoka at Furinkan.com]