At 10:57 AM 8/7/1997 PDT, Chris McNeil wrote:

Someone told me you'd be the person to ask about this.

<bows modestly>  I sent the reply to the FFML too, in case anyone else
is interested and/or wants to argue (take it to e-mail if you do, tho).

I want to use Pansuto Tarou in a fic of mine, but I need some insights
into his characters.  I was hoping someone could help me.

Tarou hasn't met all of those people (though, due to spying, he 
probably knows OF virtually every Nerima character at the time):

Happousai: Happousai is sort of fond of Tarou, his 'godson', but can
be angered by him for short times.  He really doesn't seem to care that
Tarou beat him, but is utterly determined through some perverse 
stubborness not to change his name.  As for Tarou, he lost most of
his hatred for Happousai after crushing the old man in combat, and now
only cares about him in order to change his name.

I heard that Happosai named Tarou Pantyhose because he wanted the cute 
little baby to be loved by everyone (as if everyone else likes lingerie as 
much as Happosai does).  Maybe Happosai is honestly convinced that his 
perversion is totally normal?

For more in-depth info on Tarou's martial arts style and more 
comparisons and examples of his abilities, I recommend you check out 
my Shrine to him at www.wizard.net/~deva.  Or you could just ask me
to babble some more about it, if you like.  ^_^

That's pretty close, for a paragraph.  I could go on for pages about
the intricacies of his character, but only if asked.  ^_^  Just a few
things you SHOULD know, though:

-Tarou, unlike virtually every other male in the series, can and will
fight girls just as viciously as boys.  He doesn't pick fights with 
them, tho, but he WILL defend himself if attacked.

-Despite Tarou's general contempt and distrust of other people, he
displays a rather Raistlin-esque tendancy to pity and help those
in need.  He will help strangers or even midly disliked aquantances
in danger, but is not likely to want thanks and will generally quickly
leave (especially if they ask for his name :).

-Tarou is very honourless by most standards, but he does have a code
of conduct that he follows strongly, related possibly to the above and
a bit of general chivalry.  He is not actually cruel except to someone
who has enraged him (see below), and (especially where a woman is
concerned) will actually go through inconvienance when in the wrong.
An example would be that when he saw Rouge bathing, he ALLOWED her to
beat him up (even though it wasn't his fault) for several minutes,
before asking her if she was satisfied and attempting to leave.  
However, when she later murderously attacked him, she gained his wrath
and he would have killed her at the Tendo Dojo had Ranma and Soun not
interfered.  He also does not, oddly enough, seem to lie, and if
distrusted by others (even those he doesn't much like) he is clearly
hurt by it.  

-Tarou has low self-esteem, due to his name and horrible childhood.
He is utterly convinced that noone could love him with his name, and
is also rather prone to paranoia.  He will flee before telling a
stranger his name, will erupt in anger if it is mentioned, and will
not trust anybody until they can gain his respect and get close
to him, which is very hard to do (he only barely trusts Akane).  
Above all else, he wishes to get a new name and lead a normal life.

-In correlation with the above, Tarou acts the ultra alpha-male.  
Because his self-esteem is low, he has a driving need to prove himself
utterly superior to any other males.  If thwarted, he becomes

Actually, species that have alpha-males do so because most females in the 
group have offspring with the alpha instead of other males, so most of the 
next generation of females inherit the "ignore non-dominant males" instinct.

Tarou's not picking on other guys to get all the girls, he's picking on them 
because he thinks they're annoying.  So he's not an alpha.

I think that's it.

For those of you dying to know, I'm trying to use him as a possible
romantic interest for one of the characters.  Right now I'm waffling
between Nabiki and Ukyo.  

Could you send the fic to me?  I'd love to preread for you.  Anything
with Tarou in it... ^_^

Wasn't there a story in which Tarou married Ranma?  I have most of the
stories zipped on my hard drive but they're sorted by author and I forgot 
who wrote it....

<Hide> DON'T KILL ME! <cringe>

I won't!  Ucchan is my favourite choice for a Tarou matchup, though
I also think Nabiki, Kodachi and Kiima are good possibles.

                                      Blade