Tendo Soun receives a postcard from China indicating that his old friend, Saotome Genma, is returning from a training trip with his son, Ranma, to marry one of Soun's daughters to carry on the tradition of the Anything-Goes-School-of-Martial-Arts.

When Ranma arrives, Soun faints in shock when it's revealed to him that Ranma is actually a girl. Here's the catch, though: Ranma's not really a girl, but a boy with a Chinese curse, triggered by cold water while hot water reverses the effect.

Ranma is then given a choice of Soun's three daughters: sweet and demure Kasumi, money-grubbing Nabiki, or cute but violent Akane. Kasumi and Nabiki immediately pick Akane for Ranma, since "Akane hates boys, but Ranma's only half a boy."

Akane doesn't like Ranma because he beat her at martial arts (he was a girl at the time), and Ranma doesn't like Akane because she's violent and "uncute." Ranma makes the crack that he's better built as a girl than Akane is, and Akane thanks him by crushing him with the dining table. A healthy start to a beautiful relationship. And this is only the beginning ...