Summary
Nodoka Saotome is the devoted mother of Ranma, having been separated from her son and husband Genma for more than ten years following their departure for martial arts training. Before they left, Genma forged a strict pact with her, promising to raise Ranma as a "man amongst men" under the severe condition that both he and Ranma would commit seppuku if he failed in this endeavor. This agreement was made with the belief that a doting mother would interfere with Ranma's rigorous training regimen. However, due to Ranma’s curse, which transforms him into a female version of himself for half the time, Nodoka rarely encountered her son directly. Instead, she mostly met his female alter ego, Ranko Tendo, and her companion, Mr. Panda, forcing the family to hide their true identities from her. Throughout their absence, Nodoka endured constant heartbreak, driven by an overwhelming desire to reunite with her son. In the manga, she eventually crossed paths with Ranma and Genma again, where she uncovered the truth about their curses. Contrary to their fears, her reaction was surprisingly accepting, largely because she had already begun to suspect that Ranma and Ranko were actually the same individual.
