river

injured

AKANE BRAIDING RANMAS HAIR

AKANE BRAIDING RANMAS HAIR PLSPLSPPPSLSPSLSPLSPLS

akane is ranma's number one priority.

one thing i really like about ranma 1/2 is instead of seeing akane as an enemy, the girls see her as a friend.

its so easy to fall into that trope "love interest doesn't get along with other girls", "girls hate love interest for being with the main character", or whatever variation that trope has.

akane doesn't fit that trope, and she never will! even with the fact that she's often in fights with one of the other female character in the main cast (shampoo).

the manga states over and over that akane is gentle to these girls, using her skills to defend and protect them when needed. she listens and swears to avenge the girls who came to her after getting beaten up, she puts a protective arm over her classmates when shampoo appears, etc.

the first time ranma kisses akane is in his cat-form. akane is visibly upset, but it's not because of the fact that he kissed her. but because she assumes that he only kissed her because she was the closest person around.

but that's clearly not true. even in his catform, ranma recognizes akane, and listens to her when she calls for him.

this scene makes it clear that he didn't kiss her because she was the closest person around. he kissed her because in this state, ranma can recognize that akane is someone that she feels safe with -- someone he wants to be affectionate with.

being in his catform didn't make ranma kiss akane, but it just made him feel safe enough to do so.