Seeing that the children don't get to spend much time with their
father, the mother is the head of the family to the children. And
so in Ranma 1/2, it's probably a way of satirising this. Although
Genma raised Ranma for ten years of his life, Ranma's still more
interested in his mother, and he only shows love towards her, and
only disrespect towards Genma. Maybe he's upset that Genma stole
him away from the mother-child relationship that he should have
gotten?

Ranma has several other causes for resentment.  Not least of which
is having to steal or fight to keep from losing every scrap of food
he eats.  And since it's the mother's job to teach children to be
respectful and polite in the first place, without a mother, Ranma is
naturally disrespectful and impolite.

Well, since I was talking about Japanese society, not the actual situation
itself, that's why I never mentioned Genma's very obvious idiotic thieving
self. Anyone can pick that up from the manga, ne?

And, well, it's a mother's job to teach the child _everything_... but
still, there is a certain level of politeness that Japanese people as
a whole have - and a mother would teach that. But Japanese males are
polite only to equals and superiors ... somewhat less polite to males
under them ... and even less polite to females, except to their mothers.
>From Ranma's nature, and his ego, I'd say that even with his mother
brining him up, he'd still be disrespectful and impolite... personally,
the way mothers spoil their sons, especially only sons, I'd say that
Ranma could possibly be _worse_ than he is in the manga, if he was
raised by his mother. Although he would have more honour than he does,
but I'd say that he'd still be the egotistical jerk he is today... But
he'd act even more "manly" (read: jerky) than he is in the manga. He'd
probably be jumping into bed with Akane at the first meeting, too,
considering what his mother thinks of as "manly"! O_o

Kun-chan...
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