I hate it when people try to apply American stuff to Japan.

You must try to realise that if the children back out of it, and break   

the

engagement, then they lose face, dishonour their family, and they could
be disowned.
It may be less common these days, but it still happens.
Japanese culture isn't American culture - so don't try to place your own
values on the value of another society!
If Ranma broke off his engagment, which is a REAL engagement, with   

either

Akane or Ukyou, he could quite easily be kicked out of the Saotome clan,
and it would probably be his mother who'd kick him out.

Is there any honorable way to get out of a ridiculous situation like   
this?

I don't know. But Nodoka doesn't even seem to really care about the
engagement with Ukyou, so the only way for Ranma to be honourable
would be to marry Akane. Nodoka would have to be the one to think of
getting out of the situation with Ukyou.

But I guess that when Ukyou helped destroy the Saotome house, that
she doesn't deserve to have an honourable withdrawal of the engagement.

Genma may be the only Father in History to have sold his son for a bowl   
of rice (and a fish&pickle) so what would be the precedent for somebody   
who had multiple Honorable arrangements. (polygamy?) ????

Waah! Anime-only reference! Genma 'bought' Ukyou only when the dowery
would be a yatai, and then left her!

Yes but it's hardly Kosher to do it multiple times for the same child is   
it? After all Genma has engaged Ranma to - A Tendo daughter; Ukyou Kounji   

Kosher or not, that's the situation.

(and he has already taken the Dowry on that one{wouldn't that mean they   
are married?} - The martial arts takeout girl(actually sold the boy in   

Nope, they have to go through a ceremony to be married.

that case) plus a few others we may not know about. Shouldn't the whole   

No-one else, sorry. It's not Takahashi-sensei's Ranma 1/2 if you're
talking about the anime ...

question of honor be pretty firmly on Genma's shoulders? (of course   
everyone probably has higher hopes of Ranma doing something - Genma would   
probably just run off)

Well, maybe Genma can marry Ukyou off to Souun. That should settle
something. :p

Hey, cool! Then Ukyou wouldn't be allowed to be in love with Ranma
any more, as she'd be his mother-in-law!

Yes, but this is Genma's fault, and so it's a Saotome family 'wrong'. So
Ranma must keep the engagement to uphold the family honour.

Ok - So its Ranma's Duty to Fix everything Genma did? Does Genma get away   
scott free with all of this (or is that Nodoka's sword I hear)

Oh, no, it's the family's duty. Ranma upholds it because he's a good
son, despite everything. Plus his mother would probably kill him. ;p

Yeah, basically it's all held together by Nodoka - without her, all
they'd be are a bunch of thieves and liars... Wait, that's Genma!

Kent Armstrong (seriously I am curious about how on earth this would be   
handled in real life and not a manga)

*piku* I have no idea. Probably offer Ukyou something to regain face
for what was done to her by Genma ten years ago ... And Ranma would
marry Akane.

Kun-chan...
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