Jusenkyo

Jusenkyō (呪泉郷) is the fictional "cursed" springs from the Ranma ½ manga and anime. Jusenkyō is located in a secret area in the Bayankala mountain range (Bayan Har Shan), south of Mount Kensei, in Qīnghǎi Province, China and is maintained by the Jusenkyō Guide. While it is always referred to by its Japanese name, the name of the "cursed springs village" in Mandarin would be Zhòuquánxiāng.

Many bad things have happened in Jusenkyō, mainly that people and animals have drowned in the various pools hundreds or thousands of years ago. Legend has it that when something drowns in one of these pools, the pool becomes cursed, and anyone falling into that pool will become whatever drowned there, although they retain their mind, personality and abilities. The cure (albeit temporary) is to be splashed with hot water. Then the victim would remain in his or her natural form until again encountering cold water. In the world of Ranma ½, Jusenkyō has become a "proving ground" for martial artists.

In Ranma ½, people have accidentally fallen into the springs of the drowned girl, panda, duck, piglet, and cat, and at least one character chose to voluntarily bathe in one of the springs. However, most characters featured who have the curse find it to be obstructive and would rather be rid of it.

Due to the series' enormous popularity in anime fandom, the springs were often used as a quick plot device by role players wanting to create characters who were essentially functional transsexuals without the emotional or social baggage. Purist fans of the series point out the original Japanese wording does not technically imply the original victims of the spring needed to actually drown; he or she can be involved in a near drowning. One of the main characters in the series, (Akane Tendō), in fact caused a pool to become cursed without actually dying. Speculation abounds (particularly in comedic fanfiction) about other possible springs, often with such absurd choices as the Spring of Drowned Magical Girl, the Spring of Drowned Cabbit and the Spring of Drowned SUV.

List of Cursed Springs

• Spring of Drowned Panda - Cursed Genma Saotome
• Spring of Drowned Girl - Cursed Ranma Saotome, Herb and a monkey (manga only)
• Spring of Drowned Duck - Cursed Mousse
• Spring of Drowned Piglet - Cursed Ryoga Hibiki
• Spring of Drowned Cat - Cursed Shampoo
• Spring of Drowned Yeti-riding-Bull-carrying-Crane-and-Eel - Cursed Pantyhose Taro
• Spring of Drowned Octopus - Cursed Pantyhose Taro (manga only)
• Spring of Drowned Buddhist Priest - Cursed Kineii (anime only)
• Spring of Drowned Twins - No one cursed (created two crows and two bumps on Happosai's head)
• Spring of Drowned Statue of Warrior Goddess (Asura) - Cursed Rouge (manga only)
• Spring of Drowned Frog - Cursed Frog Hermit (anime only), a couple crows (manga only)
• Spring of Drowned Child - Cursed Lukkosai (manga only)
• Spring of Drowned Akane - Cursed Kiima (manga only). Akane didn't drown completely and was left alive.

Known Residents

• The Former Settlers: They where seen in a flashback created by Plum; they lived in Jusenkyo before it became cursed and lived off the magical water.
• Jusenkyo Guide
  • Plum: The Guide's daughter.
• Kineii: A member of the secret Jusenkyo Police.
• Pantyhose Taro: Lives in a local village near Jusenkyo.
• Fua Fua & So Fu Lan: They live in a local village near Jusenkyo. Each was once saved from disaster by Pantyhose Taro.
• Saffron & the Phoenix People: They live on top of the Jusendo mountain in Jusenkyo.

External links

• The Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo, a listing of the different cursed springs that appear in the manga and anime.