Kasumi Tendo
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Kasumi Tendo (天道 かすみ Tendō Kasumi) is a fictional, important supporting character in Rumiko Takahashi's anime and manga series Ranma ½.
History
Kasumi is the eldest daughter of the Tendo family. Although she is 19 and out of high school, she took over as the family matriarch after the death of her mother. She cooks the meals and cleans the house, and thus leads the life of a stereotypical Japanese housewife. Also unbeknownst to her is the fact that Dr. Tofu Ono, the local physician, has a crush on her and goes haywire when she comes by, or even talks to her on the phone.Kasumi is not a fighter, but she can use a variation of her father's yokai head when she's very upset; examples of this are: when Soun lost the Dojo in a bet and when she discovered her father had sold her into a marriage to the Chardin family.
Because of Kasumi's lack of fighting skill, her role in the series is usually peripheral, though Dr. Tofu's crush on her has been a running gag. Occasionally, perhaps due to her wallflower nature, she has figured largely in some episodes, such as the story "Evil and the Bean" in English volume 27, in which she is possessed by an oni which temporarily turns her evil. She is also sometimes used as a one-shot gag, cheerfully handing Akane a large hammer and telling her to use it on Ranma if he gets out of hand.
Personality
Kasumi is one of the only calm characters in a cast of rather frenetic people.
She is constantly cheery and pleasant, and never seems fazed by the wild events following Ranma and Akane around. It is unclear whether she truly is oblivious, as many fans of the series might believe, or just tries to keep a cool head as an example for the rest of the family to follow. Her name, however, actually translates as "mist", which may imply that she is actually in a bit of a fog.
Her calm temperament is such that once, by lightly tapping Ranma's forehead, she thought she was overreacting. A light tap on the forehead is a common form of discipline given to Japanese children. Although in one episode of the anime, she had a large battle aura around her because Happosai was trying to steal her underwear.
Though Kasumi seems oblivious, she actually appears to be quite intelligent. This is evidenced by her request that Akane return a book on human pressure points that she had borrowed from Dr. Tofu early in the series. For somebody outside of the medical profession, that is a highly advanced topic, which suggests her intelligence is very high. Kasumi also knows French, since she translated a piece of a French book once. Her role in the household, however, would prevent her from using her additional knowledge much as she is frequently absorbed in her constant housework.
During the time Kasumi was possessed by the demon ogre (oni), the only evil things she really did were some random non-lethal pranks such as knitting "Cross Dresser" on Ranma's clothing, ironing Genma's fur in panda form and scratching Soun's back with oversized and sharp nails. This shows that even while possessed she doesn't really have any evil desires.
Fan Fiction
Kasumi seems to have a cult following among Ranma fans, some of whom have even written fanfiction stories pairing her and the title character.
Her defining catchphrase in the majority of fanfiction is 'Oh, my.' She is often characterized as being exceptionally oblivious to reality, seeing Ranma's frequent and violent battles as simply "friends playing." Sometimes, Kasumi is shown as being very perceptive, using her image as something of a smokescreen.
She is also sometimes portrayed as completely uncomprehending about adult romantic relationships and totally innocent. However in the manga, during the Ice Skating arc when she, Nabiki, Soun and Genma interrupt Ranma's near-kiss with Akane, she referred to the two as "late bloomers." Kasumi also once requested a talk with Shampoo about bathtubs and modesty after the Amazon made Ranma faint.
She is mostly paired up with Dr. Tofu in the stories she appears in a major role, although in recent fanfiction, that pairing has been appearing less and less, often leaving Kasumi alone or with a different character entirely.
| Ranma ½ Series
| |
|---|---|
| Saotome Family | |
| Ranma Saotome | Genma Saotome | |
| Tendo Family | |
| Soun Tendo | Kasumi Tendo | Nabiki Tendo | Akane Tendo | |
| Chinese | |
| Shampoo | Mousse | Cologne | Jusenkyo Guide | |
| Kuno Family | |
| Tatewaki Kuno | Kodachi Kuno | Principal Kuno | |
| Furinkan Residents | |
| Ukyo Kuonji | Hikaru Gosunkugi | Tofu Ono | Hinako Ninomiya | |
| Other / Recurring / Minor Characters | |
| Ryoga Hibiki | Happosai | Ranma ½ minor characters | |
| Places | |
| Furinkan | Jusenkyo | |
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