Hidenori Kuonji

## Biography

Ten years prior to the events of the series Genma and Kasumi are in a town as they travel on their training journey. While there they discover Ukyo and her father who make and sell Okonomiyaki. Genma tried to convince Kasumi to steal some okonomiyaki from Hidenori’s  yatai, which she naturally refused to do. However seeing the rather pathetic sight of her staring at the food from across the street and looking hungry, Hidenori gave her a free sample. Kasumi in turn agreed to work his yatai. As thank you.

Kasumi quickly becomes friends with Ukyo, but the relationship is one-sided as Ukyo resents Kasumi for the fact that Hidenori kept sing her praises. Eventually Hidenori decides that during a contest held by one of the local restaurant owners where everyone in the area who was a skilled cook and martial artist participated. Kasumi should take Ukyo’s place during the children’s match. Participating in that tournament had been a point of pride of Ukyo and being replaced had infuriated her, and the fact that her father chose Kasumi over her for it crushed her.

Even when Kasumi and Genma departed the next day to continue her training, Ukyo could not get out from under the older girl's shadow. Hidenori would sing Kasumi's praise at nearly every opportunity. If that was not bad enough, Kasumi was often held up as an example Ukyo should strive to emulate. Kasumi had not been perfect, but in Ukyo's father's eyes she was, and it was that image Ukyo had to compete with. So, of course, in the end she failed to live up to the paragon.

Hidenori told himself that the rivalry was a great tool to motivate Ukyo, not realizing just how far he had driven her until she ran off one day saying she was going to find Kasumi. Hidenori assumed she meant to challenge her to prove herself. Ukyo returned several months later in search of the map to the Kuonji Family Shrine. Surprised by her sudden appearance he called out to her only for her to ignore him as she headed directly for the door to the household attached to the restaurant. She continued to ignore his questions of what she had been up to as she continued to search, before finally asking her grandfathers map to. Frustrated he asked why she refused to talk to him, she answered that all he wanted to talk about was Kasumi and was past tired of that.

She asked him one more time where the map was and after answering her question he realized that she wanted the Kounji Families forbidden techniques. Blocking her path he tried to convince her of how dangerous they were, but she just saw it as another attempt at putting her down, even claiming that he was just afraid that she would finally be able to defeat his precious Kasumi. Hidenori tried to protest, but Ukyo wasn’t hearing any of it and just told him to get out of her way. He held his ground for an instant, but finally moved aside. Ukyo gave him one last glare then left.

Realizing the danger she was in Hidenori left as well to warn Kasumi. Making his way the way the Tendo Dojo he was greeted by Nodoka who informed him that she wasn’t there. He asked to spend the night and Nodoka agreed because she wanted to give him a talking to about the way he treated his daughter. He ended up joining the family on their training trip. After exchanging insults with Genma the later noticed that he was still obsessing over Kasumi. Something he couldn’t deny.

Genma sympathized somewhat stating that Kasumi had a way of getting under your skin. As he had traveled there with Nodoka, Herb and Kuno who argued the entire time, Hidenori agreed, and they weren’t even her only suitors. Upon the arrival of Kasumi and Shampoo he gathered everyone together quickly and after annoying them with his attempts at being dramatic he explained the Kounji family history and their forbidden techniques. Needless to say they were both amazed and horrified when he explained what those techniques could do. After Hidenori ended his tale Kasumi thanked him and began her training only for him to interrupt her again scared that she didn’t understand the danger she was in.

Kasumi explained she had little sway in Ukyo’s mind, and attempting to negotiate would simply infuriate her more. So all she could do is continue her training. Nodoka wasn’t swayed however and planned on confronting Ukyo herself, however Hidenori didn’t know where she was as she had taken the map to the shrine where the techniques were held. Everyone hung their heads at hearing this save Kasumi who felt that this fight was a long time coming, there was also the matter of her being an Amazon which meant that her losing would complicate matters even more. After Kasumi left to continue her training the others followed suit leaving Nodoka and Hidenori alone to continue the conversation they had the night before. She asked him how he met Genma and Kasumi.

Seeing how nervous Nodoka was at watching Ranma spar with his father Hidenori assured that while Genma may not be good for much, but he's an excellent trainer. However Nodoka didn’t avert her eyes. She confided in Hidenori that she felt guilty about what happened to Kasumi. Hidenori realized that she blamed herself, instead of confirming it she asked him what he planned on doing about Ukyo. However he didn’t know.

Ukyo wasn’t surprised to find her father with Kasumi. He tried to once again warn her about how dangerous the techniques she had learned were, only to be cut as she had long since grown tired of him telling her she couldn’t handle things. Hidenori tried a different approach and called his daughter out for trying to kill Kasumi, but Ukyo had no intention of killing Kasumi just kick her around a little. She then gave her father her battle spatula stating that she didn’t need it anymore.

The others would gather to observe the duel, while Hidenori continued to eye the large spatula in his hands in confusion. Cologne reiterated what Ukyo said, that she felt that she no longer needed it. With his attention back on the battle he asked Ranma, Kuno and Herb for their help in intervening if things went to far, Ranma agreed, but didn’t think things would come to that.

Ukyo ended up dominating the fight until Kasumi stumbled upon a cat and fell into the Neko-ken. As the others rushed to catch up with the combatants Hidenori and Ranma pulled Genma aside to asked him how much this changed things. However he honestly had no answer other then Kasumi-neko would stop at nothing to defeat Ukyo now. His worse fear confirmed he vowed to put a stop to things before someone got killed.

The group received another shock when Kasumi-neko began powering up a Ha Do Ken. The spectators heeded Herb’s warning and ran all except Hidenori who watched as his daughter remain unmoving, apparently paralyzed by the danger.

His telling her to run seemed to break her out of her shock, while she agreed to herself that he had a point she refused to show weakness. When Kasumi-neko unleashed her attack Ukyo attempted to extinguish it resulting in an explosion that left her lying on the ground, bruised and burned but still breathing. As Kasumi-neko approached the barely conscious Ukyo Hidenori, Ranma, Tatewaki, Herb and Genma jumped in to stop her. Ukyo could only weakly prop her head up allowing her to see Kasumi to attack the closest intruder which happened to be Ranma.

In order to rescue him Ukyo performed Burning Soul one last time and at the end of the exchange Ukyo was left victorious. Hidenori bandaged her up as Ranma did the best he could to sow up her clothing. He called her out for rushing into things without thinking of the consequences. Ukyo discovered what he was talking about when Kasumi declared her, her new wife. After Hidenori insisted that he and Ukyo stay until things were worked out, Nodoka had offered a room at the Tendos'. He spent the day talking with Soun and Genma. The speech ranged from calm discourse to heated yelling matches.

After the fathers ultimately decided that Ranma would marry all three, Ukyo, Shampoo, and Kasumi Hidenori went back to his restaurant.

## Personality

Ukyo’s father is generally depicted as a coward, who places the burden of restoring his clan’s honor on his daughter’s shoulders as well as giving her harsh penalties if she fails to do so. This version isn’t that different Hidenori pushes Ukyo all the time to do better and is never satisfied despite the fact that she is ten times the fighter he ever was. Weather knowingly or unknowingly he has made Kasumi this unobtainable goal that Ukyo can never achieve and while he does show that he loves his daughter, and has been trying to work his obsession with Kasumi out of his system. He hasn’t achieved much success. To the point where he almost convinced himself it was all in Ukyo's imagination, and that she was overreacting.