The Trouble of Ranma

[SaraJason]

I was 14 and had started hanging out with the "freaks and geeks" who had introduced me to the joys of Japanese anime. I remember pretty vividly my reaction to Ranma 1/2.  It was the closest thing I'd ever seen to articulate what I truly wished for. What I wouldn't give to change my body like that at will! I remember wanting to yell at the screen when Ranma would get upset about it. I didn't, because I didn't want my friends to know. I was just starting to figure it out myself.

It would be many years before I had the words gender fluid, nonbinary, or agender in my vocabulary, and maybe a few more before I had pansexual. But I always had Ranma, and somehow it helped.

One of those old friends once said to me, "Akane doesn't love girl Ranma or boy Ranma. Akane loves Ranma."