Ranma-Akane Relationship

This page describes the romantic relationship between Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo.

Anime
Ranma generally does not want to admit any affection for Akane but it is shown in the episodes "P-Chan Explodes! The Icy Fountain of Love!", "Close Call! The Dance of Death... On Ice!", "The Abduction of P-Chan", "Kuno Becomes a Marianne!", and "Ranma the Lady-Killer" that he loves Akane. He does at times show that he cares in some way. In these instances, he typically brushes the gesture off (i.e. saying that he didn't mean it, or didn't have a choice). This is met with two responses: If he shrugs the gesture off as unimportant, Akane tends to become angry, frequently striking him. When Ranma does something important and downplays it, Akane appears hurt.

In the episode "Akane Goes to the Hospital!" Ranma shows how much he cares about Akane. In the beginning of the episode when Hikaru Gosunkugi takes pictures of Akane, and when his classmates asked to take pictures for them also, Ranma tries to stop them, and seems quite agitated when they continue. However this backfires as Akane gets hurt when Ranma's classmates are trying to restrain him. Akane falls and sprains her ankle. In the clinic all of her classmates and family members visit her except Ranma, who in the meantime is outside the clinic window pondering what to say to Akane to make her (and himself) feel better. He then daydreams about Akane and in both the dreams he has, he finds himself wanting to kiss her. The next day (having been unable to visit Akane the day before due to Tofu Ono almost catching him outside her window) he leaves a bouquet of flowers outside her door, still being unable to muster the courage to face her.

At the end of the episode, when he hears she is coming home from the hospital he stays up all night to make her a banner emblazoned with the words "I messed up, I'm sorry." and waits for her as she hobbles out of the clinic. However, as his luck would have it, the entire gang finds them and they break into a mad chase, with Ranma having swooped Akane onto his back. They run off together until Akane manages to make them both trip.

Moments in the anime
If you watch the two episodes in the OVA "Akane to remember" Ranma get jealous over her and Shonoske. Also in the last few minutes of the second part of "Akane to remember" Ranma blushes and reaches out for Akane's hand and they walk home holding each other's hand.

Moments in the manga
In the battle for phoenix mountain, Ranma almost says he loves Akane, when she's about to die, but he's only thinking it.