Jusenkyo

Jusenkyo


Jusenkyo is the fictional training ground of "cursed" springs. Jusenkyo is located in a secret area in the Bayankala mountain range (Bayan Har Shan), south of Mount Kensei, in Qinghai Province, China and is maintained by the Jusenkyo Guide. While it is almost always referred to by its Japanese name, the name of the "cursed springs village" in Mandarin would be Zhòuquánxiāng.

Many sad stories have happened in Jusenkyo, mainly that people and animals have drowned (in Japanese immersion was closer to the actual wording, but it was translated as strictly 'drowned') in the various pools hundreds or thousands of years ago. Legend has it that when something is immersed in one of these pools, the pool becomes cursed, and anyone falling into that pool will become whatever first fell in or drowned there, although, unless specified, they retain their mind, personality and skills. The cure (albeit temporary) is to be splashed with hot water. Then the victim would remain in his or her natural form until again encountering cold water. While the curses themselves happen instantaneously, with no "in-between" shots of cursed characters partially transformed in the manga (in the anime there are occasional transition shots), they do take a while to activate, with the cursed character usually standing dumbstruck for a second or so after being splashed. In the world of Ranma ½, Jusenkyo seems to sometimes serve as a "training ground" for martial artists through vaulting and dueling atop the bamboo poles that jut out of the many springs.

In Ranma ½, people have, among other things, accidentally fallen into the springs of the drowned girl, panda, duck, piglet, and cat, and at least one character chose to voluntarily bathe in one of the springs. However, most characters featured who have the curse find it to be obstructive and would rather be rid of it. The information about possible cures seems conflicted. It has been shown that instant nannichuan/"spring of drowned man" powder, which renders the subject immune to its effects after one application, temporarily cured Genma and Ranma, and the true spring has been stated as a working cure by the author, which was also heavily implied in the end chapter. However, it has also been found that bathing in two springs can also mix the curses rather than switch them. This was demonstrated in the manga when Pantyhose Taro bathed in the Spring of Drowned Octopus, and found that his cursed form (a minotaur with wings and an eel for a tail) had sprouted tentacles and gained the ability to squirt ink from its fingers. Another permanent cure was to use water from the Dragon Statue, a source of water for Jusenkyo that was located atop Mount Phoenix. The statue was destroyed toward the end of the manga. In the process, the waters of the cursed springs were jumbled up, temporarily combining the curses into an unpredictable and possibly dangerous mixture. By the final chapter of the manga, however, the flooding had receded and the springs were back to normal.

List of known Cursed Springs
* Spring of Drowned Panda (Shonmaonīchuan; Mandarin Xióngmāonìquán) - Cursed Genma Saotome * Spring of Drowned Girl (Nyannīchuan; Mandarin Niángnìquán) - Cursed Ranma Saotome, Herb, and a monkey (manga only) * Spring of Drowned Duck (Yazunīchuan; Mandarin Yāzǐnìquán) - Cursed Mousse * Spring of Drowned Black Piglet (Heitowennīchuan; Mandarin Hēitúnnìquán) - Cursed Ryoga Hibiki * Spring of Drowned Cat (Maonīchuan; Mandarin Māonìquán) - Cursed Shampoo and Arisa Nanjo (games only) * Spring of Drowned Yeti-riding-Bull-carrying-Crane-and-Eel (Niuhōmanmaorennīchuan; Mandarin Níuhèmánmáorénnìquán) - Cursed Pantyhose Taro * Spring of Drowned Octopus (Shanyuinīchuan; Mandarin Zhāngyúnìquán) - Cursed Pantyhose Taro (manga only) * Spring of Drowned Buddhist Priest (Fūshannīchuan) - Cursed Kin'nee (anime only) * Spring of Drowned Twins (Shuanshontsūnīchuan; Mandarin Shuāngshēngérnìquán) - No one cursed * Spring of Drowned Warrior Goddess (Asura) ( Ashiuruonīchuan; Mandarin Āxiūluónìquán) - Cursed Rouge (manga only) * Spring of Drowned Frog (Chiwanīchuan; Mandarin Chìwānìquán) - Cursed Frog Hermit (anime only) * Spring of Drowned Child (Tontsūnīchuan; Mandarin Tóngzǐnìquán) - Cursed Lukkosai (manga only) * Spring of Drowned Akane (Akanenīchuan; Mandarin Qiànnìquán) - Cursed Kiima (manga only). Akane was only immersed in the Spring. * Spring of Drowned Man (Nannīchuan; Mandarin Nánnìquán) - No one cursed * Spring of Drowned Good Samaritan (Shannannīchuan; Mandarin Shànnánnìquán) - No one cursed