Ranma Saotome is a young martial arts expert who falls victim to a strange curse after falling into an enchanted spring in China: whenever he is splashed with cold water, he transforms into a girl, while hot water restores his male form. Returning to Japan with his father, who suffers from a different curse, Ranma discovers that he has been engaged to Akane Tendo in order to unite their two families and martial arts schools. Between rivalries, suitors, absurd duels, and new curses, their daily lives become a constant series of chaotic situations where romance and combat are closely intertwined.