Have to disagree with you there.  First of all, Shampoo is *NOT* dumb.
Her broken japanese is a lot better than Ranma's chinese as many fics
have pointed out.

Since when were fics canonical? From what I've seen in both the manga and
anime, Shampoo starts out as fairly dim and goes -downhill.-

What _is_ cannonical is that Ranma can't even speak Chinese even after an
extended stay in the country. Otherwise, he might have nailed Jyusenkyo as
a Bad Place right off, or might've been able to understand some basic
sentances. Shampoo, on the other hand, went from no proficiency to some
basic sentances by the time she caught up to Ranma in Japan, and got worlds
better by her second appearance. There are a few rough spots, but she
communicates (which is the point of language).

She's no dumber than the rest of the cast. She was smart enough to replace
the Nanniichuan powder in her backpack with a cat in case Ranma tried
something funny, and he _did_. Most of her plans are quite ingenius, but
have one fatal flaw based on a wrong premise.

She does it, and continues to do it, because she's too dumb to catch on to
the fact that it doesn't work.

That's her upbringing; in the Amazon villiage this just might work. And it
probably does all the time. That's influence of culture. She's violent
because she's an Amazon. She aggressively pursues Ranma because she comes
from a matriarchal society; women are the agressors in her culture. She may
think that Ranma is playing an extended game of 'hard-to-get'. Don't
confuse cultural influence with lack of smarts.

She's smitten, too. People in love tend to do goofy things.

      If she seems like a bimbo at times, it's because she's deleriously
happy at being with Ranma.  Look at Ryouga whenever he's around Akane,
he's not acting like a bimbo, he's just lost in bliss.

Even when Ranma is nowhere around, Shampoo acts like a bimbo- in fact, her
monomania re: Ranma is excellent proof of that.

Ryouga gets all goofy even when Akane's not around either. That's because
he keeps her constantly in mind.

Shampoo is only in Japan to do one thing, snag Ranma. Her every action has
the ultimate goal of winning him. She has Ranma constantly in mind, an
obsession. It's not that she doesn't have the brainpower to figure some
things out, it's just that she's unwilling to waste the effort thinking
about them.

Ranma is undoubtibly brilliant when it comes to martial arts, but in other
areas, he's a dim bulb. His relationship with Akane is one example; he just
doesn't get it. His schooling is another. I get the general impression that
his grades aren't the best.

Furthermore, if Ranma did marry Shampoo, he would have to go back to
China and become a househusband while Shampoo led the Amazons on to
glory. Not the preferred career plan for a martial artist.

I think Ranma would do his share of the fighting as well.  He's not the
type to sit down for long.

Only if he is *PERMITTED* to, which from the little we know of the Amazons
is extremely unlikely.

Oh? Explain Mousse.

Likewise, I believe Shampoo would want to

have a child at some point, giving Ranma some of the responsibility of
leadership.

And from what little we know of the Amazons, it is all too likely that
Shampoo would have the baby and hand it straight over to Ranma- who most
definitely would NOT be in any position of leadership for any period of time.

Maybe, maybe not. However, I have the impression that the Amazon villiage
has at least experienced Men's Lib, and more likely to be only barely
matriarchal. In a strict patriarchal society, women aren't allowed to
fight. By extension, if Amazon society is that strict, Mousse would never
have been taught the martial arts. Another is that outsider law; a strict
matriarchal society would also have the defeated Amazon kill the MEN as
well as the women, because it would be an insult to everything the tribe
stands for.

Indeed, seeing how Shampoo prostrates herself to Ranma instead of just
grabbing (or killing) him and go. You see her _kneeling_ before him
offering a tray with a bowl of steaming ramen on it. (Her reappearance,
immediately prior to the Cat Tongue arc.) Strictly matriarchal? HAH!

More likely, the women of the Amazons still do the majority of the work,
BUT they keep the power to themselves and out of the hands of greedy men
who don't deserve it (seeing that they don't lift a finger ;). The women
wait on their husbands hand and foot, but will gladly chastize an uppity
male.

(note, this is all in Chinese)

Man: Soap! Get me a beer!

Soap: (glares at him) Ask properly... man!

Man: (look of fear) Um... would you please get me a beer, dear?

Soap: (smiling) That's better. I'll get your beer since you asked nicely.

Of course, this is speculation.


                           ---------------------
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