Ukyo Kuonji

Ukyo Kuonji is a character from the anime and manga Ranma 1/2. She is well known in the series for her use of spatulas in both cooking and combat, and for her unrequited love for Ranma Saotome.

She has been played by Chris Lang in all her Traitor Game appearances.

Fictional Character History
In the anime/manga series Ranma 1/2, Ukyo Kuonji is probably Ranma Saotome's oldest known friend. She first met Ranma as a young girl, when Ranma was a little over five years old at the time. She was sort of a tomboy at the time, and she and Ranma often play-fought with each other. All this was during Ranma's decade-long training trip with his father, Genma Saotome.

Ukyo lived with her father, an okonomiyaki vendor. All was well between the Saotomes and the Kuonjis for a while. Then came the day Ukyo's father suggested that Ukyo be engaged to Ranma, and offered to throw in his okonomiyaki cart as a dowry. It was only after Genma accepted that he remembered that he had previously engaged Ranma to one of his friend Soun Tendo's daughters. Genma did not want to break his promise to Soun, but he didn't want to lose the okonomiyaki cart either. So, while Ranma was eating some okonomiyaki, Genma asked him which he liked more, Ukyo or okonomiyaki. Ukyo was kind of a tomboy at the time, so Ranma didn't even see Ukyo as a girl (in fact, he sort of forgot she was a girl until she reminded him years later) -- and he was pigging out on okonomiyaki at the time. So he almost instantly said okonomiyaki. Then, Genma stole the cart, leaving a very, very upset Ukyo behind.

Ukyo spent the next ten years of her life dressing as a boy, and training in Martial Arts Okonomiyaki Cooking, so that one day she would get her revenge on the Saotomes. She finally caught up with them 10 years later in Nerima. She beat the crap out of Genma, and, still posing as a boy, transferred to Ranma's school Furinkan High. Soon Ranma and Ukyo had a confrontation, where Ukyo's true identity as a girl was revealed. Ukyo, however, soon forgave Ranma (after he told her she was cute, and she received the label 'cute fiancee) and soon reestablished the engagement.

Soon afterward, Ukyo opened up Ucchan's Okonomiyaki (the name Ucchan's comes from Ranma's childhood nickname for Ukyo, Ucchan) and became a regular resident of Nerima. As a result of her reestablishing the engagement with Ranma, she quickly found herself in rivalries with Akane Tendo (the daughter of Soun Tendo engaged to Ranma) and Shampoo (who claims to have given Ranma the Kiss of Marriage and therefore has a claim on him). A third rival for Ranma would be Kodachi Kuno, the somewhat crazy Martial Arts Gymnast (and sister of frequent Ranma annoyance Tatewaki Kuno).

Personality
Ukyo is friendly, determined, and generally reliable (outside from the whole fiancee mess which can sometimes cloud her judgement). Outside of the fiancee rivalry, she and Akane actually get along pretty well. However, she has, from time to time, attempted to break up Ranma and Akane. She has devised a number of schemes to break up Ranma and Akane, sometimes with the assistance of Ryoga Hibiki (who has fallen for Akane), but Ranma and Akane don't even notice as said schemes tend to fall apart before they ever get anywhere.

Ukyo has stated that she feels a strong romantic attachment for Ranma, and has even been willing to give up her shop for him if necessary. Ranma, meanwhile, considers Ukyo a good friend and does not want to hurt her feelings, but he is not romantically attracted to her.

Ukyo is extremely principled, and very proud of her work. She takes running her own okonomiyaki specialty restaurant seriously, but is not above taking a vacation every now and then. She often visits other restaurants, and is friends with others in the okonomiyaki business.

Martial Arts Okonomiyaki Cooking
Ukyo's fighting style is based on okonomiyaki cooking (which may sound strange, but take my word for it -- Ranma 1/2 has other bizarre martial arts that make this seem downright normal). She uses food-based techniques to confuse, stun, and disable opponents in a manner similiar to classic 'ninja' tactics. She is well-known for carrying a giant spatula on her back, which she uses as a two-handed weapon to knock opponents senseless. She also wears a bandoleer full of smaller spatulas which she throws at her opponents like shuriken.

In addition, she also employs the flour bomb (a bag of flour used as a smokescreen when she tosses it), the tempura flash (tempura flakes mixed with gunpowder to blind and/or stun opponents), and the Yakisoba noodle rope (used to tangle or restrain opponents). Other tactics include adhesive batter (a special batter made with rubber cement to slow her opponents. On rare occasions, Ukyo has created special explosive okonomiyaki, which are at least powerful enough to knock the wind out of an opponent.

And then there is the 'Batter Dragon' move she learned after training at the Temple of the Satisfied Stomach, and used to defeat her rival Crepe Joe. As far as this writer knows, this move was only used in the anime, and then only in the same episode it was introduced.