Soun Tendou operates the Tendou Martial Arts School alongside his three daughters: Akane, Nabiki, and Kasumi. The sisters' lives are upended when their father reveals he has promised one of them in marriage to a fellow martial artist's son, aiming to preserve the family legacy. Amidst their varied reactions, the arrival of the fiancé brings an unexpected surprise: Ranma Saotome and his father, Genma, are the last people the Tendou family anticipates. Ranma trained in China with his father until a mishap altered them both. Now, contact with water causes Ranma to transform into a girl and Genma into a giant panda. Ranma ½ tracks Ranma's efforts to adjust to his new betrothal to Akane, the youngest Tendou sister. As they start attending the same school, they navigate relationships with friends and rivals, all of whom have opinions on their engagement.