Actually I have the sneaking suspicion that Takahashi does think that
having a mother is necessary to be well-adjusted.  Ranma effectively 
didn't have a mother.  The Tendo girls don't have a mother.  Ukyo 
didn't have a mother.  Shampoo doesn't have a mother.  The Kunos don't 
seem to have a mother.

Actually, we don't know Shampoo never had a mother.  All we see is her
father, but that's not saying she never had one.

And here the most obvious counter argument for that statement:

Gosunkugi.  Hell, we don't know about Mikado, or Azusa, or even Tarou.

and the counter to that being (scarily enough), he's one of the most
*normal* of the cast members.. and i beleive for the record.. every one of
them had a mother.. the question is whether they do now :)

        
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