Speaking of which, I'm sort of ambivalent about Akane's training.  It sort of

makes >sense, but it falls  back onto the cliche of 'Ranma the super-trainer'
(which I was >ranting about only a few days ago.)  This is a series that
usually avoids 

cliche.  On the other hand, Ranma's training through pain method is

certainly new.

An interesting thought here: when one is breaking a horse to the bridle and
whip, you start with light touches, just a little, until it's used to the
contact. You usually offer it some kind of incentive to trust you too, like
carrots, or sugar cubes... or advanced training. Then, after a while you can
make it wear a saddle and bridle, go where you want, do whatever you want it
too. After that, you can start with little touches of the whip, and
eventually, you can ride and spur the dumb animal to death and it won't offer
a word of complaint, because after all the training for some reason the poor
brute trusts you.

Is the martial arts the only thing Ranma is 'training' Akane for?

	You know, that makes me think of another scene with interesting 
conotations, Ranma vigerously scrubing where Akane had touched him in the tub. 
 I'd say he was acting that way because he realised she felt compasion and or 
pity toward him, however his apparent aversion to something that would give him 
a level of influence over Akane is intriguing, and I think it's more a reaction 
against himself.  He felt something, something he thought he thought of a 
weakness that he had rid himself of.  So he was reacting against himself.  IMBS 
Ranma is a monster who sees himself as a monster and feels comfortable that 
way.  But he's not as complete a monster as he wants to be.