Shampoo and Mousse's relationship
"Just the Obvious Facts"
By: David Kim

Note from ewink: For the record, this is an EXACT cut and paste from the email, with a few spelling changes.

This essay was made for one reason. It is to show the relationship between Mousse and Shampoo truthfully and to show exactly HOW and WHY they get together with facts from the manga not the anime. I am not saying who should or who could but who obviously will get together. I am sick of people saying that Shampoo hates Mousse's guts because that's just not true. Mousse knows that Shampoo is rejecting him and is most likely just mad that Ranma treats Shampoo bad and KNOWS he might have a chance because of that. The reason I am only focusing on the manga is because Rumiko Takahashi made the manga, NOT the anime and Takahashi's input is the ONLY one that matters in the end.
Please email me with ANY questions or comments at David3479@aol.com

Ahh, where to start? I guess I should tell you first and foremost that this essay is all supported by fact by the manga and everything else is just logical Ranmaverse sense. But I'll start with saying this Shampoo does not hate Mousse. She has shown over and over again she cares for him. Now let me explain WHY Shampoo acts the way she does to Mousse. She is cold and she is mean because she HAS to be. The reason is simple and the reason is the Amazon law. She HAS to marry Ranma. Shampoo's relationship with Ranma is based on an Amazon law and that's flatly it. Shampoo does not want to marry Ranma for any other reason and the manga has not given us any reason Shampoo likes Ranma besides the fact Ranma beat her up. Shampoo is constantly rejected by Ranma and she has no real reason to want to marry him besides the Amazon laws. So after Ranma marries Akane as the manga says they will Shampoo will not have to keep caring about Ranma like Ukyo might. Now hopefully this gets rid of the question "Will Shampoo still be going after Ranma after he marries Akane." Mousse is an Amazon and he clearly states that Shampoo does not have to keep going after Ranma after he is married and she is not going to die like some fan-fiction says. Shampoo has to marry Ranma and she is going to go after him until he is married. The thing is Shampoo is not going to show Mousse any feelings directly unless Ranma and Akane marry which they eventually do as Rumiko Takahashi says at the end of the manga. Now there is still the question of why Shampoo would ever go to Mousse. There have been many times when Shampoo has shown Mousse care either subtly or outright. The first is in the 2nd of the 3 fights Mousse officially has with Ranma. Shampoo takes Mousse home and takes care of him as a duck and you can't take away that fact even though she did tease Mousse and tie him up to a table. The second time is when Shampoo beats him up in the reversal jewel story. Shampoo beat Mousse to the ground just as hard as she does Ranma when she had the jewel on. Shampoo obviously had no control of her feelings and Shampoo could show her feelings that were either on her sleeve or bottled up WAY down inside of her. Shampoo could not show Mousse these feelings because of the Amazon laws. Just a side note, Shampoo fans like to say that this story proves that Ranma could learn to love Akane which is just laughable. Ranma try's to get Shampoo to say he loves her because Ranma is an EGOMANIAC. Ranma is willing to do anything to make himself look like the best and if saying he loves Shampoo will make himself look cooler then he will. He would have done the same thing if it had been Akane or Ukyo. (Of course Ranma never says he loves Shampoo). The third and maybe most critical showing that Rumiko Takahashi shows these two get together is the time Shampoo shows she cares in the invincible glasses story. First of all Shampoo says to Akane that she does not care that Mousse is acting bad because of the invincible glasses. Shampoo says this but than we actually see Shampoo spying on Mousse and than she confronts Mousse on top of a house. Shampoo actually cries because Mousse says he will not stop using the invincible glasses to beat Ranma. Now we as fans clearly know that Shampoo does not have to marry Mousse because he used some cheap technique like the glasses to beat Ranma. So why would Shampoo care? The only logical reason is because Shampoo knows DEEP DOWN that if Mousse had ANY chance of going out with and eventually marrying her that Mousse could not be a coward, she just could not marry someone like that. Shampoo even goes on a date with Mousse and gets mad when the date does not go good and wanted it to be more romantic. The 4th instance is the Two Shampoos story. Shampoo says she could care less that Mousse is going out with the statues but she does look worried right before she goes to watch television and she does is obviously going to watch television to quell her feelings on Mousse. Shampoo does not want to show Mousse feelings and if she REALLY did not care about Mousse she would have just stood there calling Mousse stupid and hanging on to Ranma. Shampoo obviously did not want to see Mousse in this state or afraid if she did she would start to care about Mousse. Shampoo also showed that she really believed she thought Mousse would be fine. When Akane made an order for Shampoo to deliver to the shrine where Mousse is at she obviously understood that she was REALLY NEEDED. And when Shampoo was REALLY needed she was there for Mousse. Not only did she get a scarf but she gave Mousse Ranma's scarf. She could have just given the statue something warm but she decides to give him a scarf she was making for Ranma in front of Ranma. Another instance here is when Mousse actually draws with Ranma in his last battle with him. Ryouga and Mousse are Ranma's only true rivals that are with him during the entire story. Ryouga in his last fight with Ranma losses but Mousse draws after he gets stronger by carrying the statue. What does this tell you? Mousse can happily go back to China with Shampoo in the future and say he drew with Ranma Saotome. Rumiko Takahashi made it a point for Mousse to draw in Ranma's last battle with him unlike in Ryouga's case where Ryouga lost because to get Shampoo Mousse would most likely had needed to draw with Ranma while it doesn't matter with Ryouga. The Three Years of smiling death just emphasized what fans have known. Shampoo's conscience is bothering her after breaking Mousse's glasses while washing them. Shampoo decides to be nice to Mousse and all Shampoo really needed to do was apologize. Shampoo maybe needed or wanted an outlet to be nice to Mousse. That's about it for Shampoo showing she cares. Ill go onto different points now. Shampoo in the Phoenix saga says she HATES Mousse and that he makes her sick. But what some people don't seem to realize is that Shampoo at that point was acting irrational. Shampoo was for some insane reason says she and Ranma are going to die together and Shampoo who is usually not completely idiotic shows Ranma her eggs underneath her shirt. Besides this Rumiko Takahashi decides to let Mousse do something very noble and not make Shampoo her slave and instead give her, her own freedom. Shampoo doesn't seem to care that Mousse did this but she knows what Mousse has done and is probably afraid to give signs she likes Mousse so she jumps at Ranma. Another note in the Phoenix saga is it shows the diminished relationship between Shampoo and Ranma. Ranma says he loves Akane in front of Shampoos face and all Shampoo says is that Akane's a tough girl, while Ryouga decides to jump and hug Akane. Now when Ranma and Akane are about to get married there are three VERY important cameo scenes. The first shows Ryouga basically forgetting about Akane and going after Akari, than Ukyo saying she's going to solely work on okonomiyaki, and Mousse pouring out his feelings and Shampoo obviously saying she understands and she knew deep down what he's talking about which is basically her giving up Ranma and going out with Mousse. Shampoo than tells Mousse to make pork buns with him with a smile. Shampoo uses the pork buns to attack Akane but you have to wonder why Rumiko Takahashi made Shampoo and Mousse do something couples do together at the end. Shampoo is NOT going to go with these "deep down" feelings unless Ranma and Akane are COMPLETELY married which Rumiko Takahashi says they eventually will be. Oh and two more notes before I leave you. Cologne says in one way or another that Shampoo likes Mousse two times in the manga and we all know how much Cologne wants Ranma to marry Shampoo. So why would Cologne encourage Mousse? Because lets face it Cologne sees there is almost no chance between Shampoo and Ranma by the time she says Shampoo likes Mousse. There is only one story centered around Shampoo after the contrary jewel (the Pink and Link story) while Mousse gets three separate stories all concentrating on him loving Shampoo. Rumiko Takahashi is choosing to encourage Mousse's relationship with Shampoo and lets face it if Rumiko Takahashi encourages any relationship than its they are going to get together. There are only three relationships she shows there is a chance Ranma+Akane Ryoga+Akari and Shampoo+Mousse. All three except Akane and Ranma have gone on dates where both do not have some alternative motive. And these are the ONLY 4 who go on dates as a DATE not something like wanting to get a powder to make you into a man. The last thing I want to comment on is how Mousse stays at the Cat Café. Why would Cologne and Shampoo harbor someone that is an obstacle for Shampoo to get to Ranma. And Mousse is not a slave or anything. Mousse gets paid, Mousse is not locked up as a duck, Mousse gets fed, Shampoo does Mousse's laundry, and Mousse gets time off. The other fact is as seen between Ranma and Akane that living together does make love grow even if there is none to start out with. Mousse is Shampoo all the time and Mousse is obviously talking to her occasionally and there relationship IS growing throughout the time Mousse stays with them. There is flatly one reason Mousse is staying at the Cat Café and I think it's mostly because of Cologne. After the Reversal jewel story Cologne try's ABSOLUTELY nothing to put Shampoo and Ranma together. Cologne at first try's EVERYTHING to put Ranma and Shampoo together and by the end of the series try's nothing. If Cologne sees a relationship between Mousse and Shampoo they are obviously going to have a relationship because Cologne cares A LOT about the Amazon tribe laws but sees that Ranma+Shampoo is probably not going to happen and by the end of the series just gives more hints that Shampoo must like Mousse. But let's face something people nearing the end of the series Rumiko Takahashi pushed Mousse's and Shampoo's relationship NOT Shampoo's and Ranma's. And if Rumiko Takahashi did not want Shampoo and Mousse to get together than she would NEVER have given us three more Mousse stories and only 1 Shampoo story near the end of the series. Rumiko Takahashi has obviously only given us three REAL couples like it or not Ranma+Akane Ryoga+Akari and Shampoo+Mousse She gives Ryoga+Akari and Shampoo+Mousse both a serious cameo and again the only reason Shampoo decides to destroy Ranma's wedding is out of last minute "I'm still an Amazon" desperation. But Ranma and Akane ARE getting married and Shampoo will get to her "deep down" senses and go with Mousse is basically what Rumiko Takahashi is basically saying.

Thank you for reading again questions and comments are GREATLY appreciated. I would be willing to write another essay on something else if you enjoyed this one.
David3479@aol.com