Random Arts and Other Stuff

Just my place for sharing my art, writing, and occasionally other stuff. I mainly do fanwork, particularly for anime, manga, and webcomics. Please feel free to ask a question, leave a comment, or just say "Hi." You can find me on: Deviant Art https://www.deviantart.com/kessy-athena AO3 https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kessy_Athena/works

[depsidase]

[kessyathena]

It's actually completely consistent if you read the subtext. Observe:

MAGA 2021: "You nerds can't tell us what to do! Don't you know who we are?"

MAGA 2026: "You nerds had better do what we say! Don't you know who we are?"

[kessyathena]

Theanga came first, so wouldn't it be a case of the first anime lightening up their version of Ukyo. Takahashi's version is what she always was.

Actually the original anime was made at the same time the manga was being written. But that's somewhat besides the point. The manga, the original anime, and the remake are each their own thing, their own version of the same story, and each has to stand on their own merits. It really doesn't make any difference which came first.

Both the manga and anime versions of Ukyo started at the same place. Her introduction and the first few stories involving her are basically the same in the anime and the manga. Then the anime did a number of episodes centered around the school where Ukyo teamed up to varying degrees with Ranma and Akane to deal with the craziness of the week. These are a mix of anime original stories and manga stories that Ukyo wasn't originally in. At the same time, Takahashi was writing stories that had a similar, generally positive portrayal of Ukyo, including the Weakness Moxibustion arc and the Gambling King arc. Then, near the end of the anime's run, she started writing stories that had Ukyo doing nasty crazy things that neither the anime version of Ukyo or even (I think) the earlier manga version of her would do. The anime actually cut Ukyo out of a couple of those stories completely.

So, we wound up with two distinctly different versions of Ukyo. Anime Ukyo is more likable and (in my opinion) more interesting. Manga Ukyo is much more antagonistic. I really like anime Ukyo and strongly dislike manga Ukyo. But that's my opinion, it's just as valid to feel otherwise.

[kessyathena]

i saw in i think either a comment or a reblog of yours that you said that you were skipping the second season because you feel ukyo is treated violently in the manga (unless i misunderstood what you wrote)..: why do you think so? as far as i remember ukyo kinda goes through the motions like everyone else and i dont recall her being singled out in particular.

just curious btw, im not looking to argue or anything

You're right on how I feel about manga Ukyo; I really dislike the direction Takahashi took her character. And I'm happy to chat even if we wind up disagreeing about stuff. This is all just my take on Ukyo, there are plenty of other takes that are just as valid.

I come at it having watched the (original) anime long before I read the manga, so I was used to the anime's portrayal of her. And she was one of my favorite characters. My take on anime Ukyo is that yes, she likes Ranma. Yes, she wants to win his affection. Yes, she'll take advantage of any opportunity to win his heart that comes along. But she's Ranma's friend first before she's a romantic rival. For example, in "Ukyo's Skirt" once she realizes that the competition she was in was simply causing problems for Ranma she stopped.

Then, when I read the manga and got to the Nabiki as Ranma's fiancee story at first I was thrilled to see that Ukyo was in this version of the story. And then I saw how she was behaving. Anime Ukyo would never go after Nabiki like that. And things went downhill from there. The repeated team ups with Shampoo and Kodachi, helping to destroy the Saotome house, bringing exploding okonomiyaki to the wedding, and probably a few other things that have slipped my mind. I felt that Takahashi was taking Ukyo down to Shampoo and Kodachi's level. Just another crazy chasing after Ranma. And aside from me really liking anime Ukyo, it's not like Ranma (the series or the character) needs any more of those.

And in case anyone is wondering, even though I like Ukyo I don't think she should wind up with Ranma. Akane is clearly Ranma's match, both in terms of story and character.

[keliana856]

During your Wynonna Earp interview, you said the original plan for Return To Me was to be more between-the-scenes. Did you have any plans for the Am I Pretty arc (Aka, the rock of forget your gender plot)?

Ah, sorry, just noticed this!

And thank you so much for being interested in both my fanfic and the WE interview!! Double threat!!!

I'm honestly really torn about the AIP episode. It's incredibly divisive within the fandom about whether or not its even canon, let alone worth diving into from a fic writing perspective. I've seen some writers that I deeply respect try their hand at rehabilitating that story or at the very least spinning out some interesting ideas that result from the deep glaring flaws inherent to that arc.

For me personally, I'm incredibly leery about treating that arc as anything other than a curious relic of the 90s. If my original timeline (OGTL) Ranko / Akane did go through that arc, then I definitely wouldn't have had Akane be the most antagonistic force to AIP!Ranko. My read on Akane is that whenever she's not angry, she's actually the most deeply empathetic person in damn near the entire series. In fact her anger stems from her deep empathy and sense of justice, and when she thinks that a person has violated those then she responds accordingly. So it doesn't make sense to me that she would be the one who most readily strikes down AIP!Ranko for earnestly expressing her desires to live apart from Ranma, even if it meant that Akane would have to give up her fiance. She might be conflicted about it, anguished even, might even share that anguish with AIP!Ranko herself in a moment of heart-breaking weakness that might spur AIP!Ranko to willingly sacrifice herself to placate this woman who clearly means so much to both of her selves.

But that's a fix-it-fic unto itself and not really representative of the text of the episode.

As for how OGTL!Ranko would try and guide RtM!Ranma through those events, her practical advice would boil down to one word: "Duck." But in trying to relay to Ranma the emotional truth of how much the AIP arc further chipped away at her dogged belief in being a Man Amongst Men and helping her Akane better understand her as a woman... IDK? I think that there are other, cleaner ways of communicating that journey, and what's more I think that some things are best left as an exercise for the student. How do YOU think that Ranko would handle that?

[kessyathena]

I really don't think it's a fair reading of "Ranma's Declaration of Womanhood," to characterize Akane as being antagonistic to Ranma being feminine. Yes, Ranma is acting like a girl and Akane is mad. But stop and think about it beyond just that headline and consider exactly when and why Akane is mad. And while it's subject to interpretation I don't think any of it is about Akane wanting Ranma to be a guy per se.

There are three distinct times in this episode that Akane is upset with Ranma for three distinct reasons. The first time is immediately after the rock and Ranma's new personality emerges. Notably Akane is infuriated by Ranma freaking out over touching their own underwear. So why's she mad? On the face of it she thinks Ranma's behavior is ridiculous. And let's be honest, it is silly - in the real world that's just not how concussion induced personality changes work. But also consider that Akane has a habit of jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst when it comes to Ranma. (And she has the same habit in the manga, so shush, you know who you are.) Ranma also has a history of doing things to mess with Akane when they're fighting. I think that what's going on is that Akane initially doesn't believe that the new personality is real and thinks it's just an act that Ranma is putting on to get back at her for going after them with a frying pan.

But after the discussion the two of them have in the dojo Akane is convinced that whatever is going on with Ranma is for real and not an act and she's completely fine with it. Just after that she invited Ranma to go shopping with her, something Akane would not have done if she were still mad. Which leads us to the second time Akane gets upset with Ranma, when Ranma is girling out over cute lingerie in the store. The thing about this incident that you have to remember is that this is happening circa 1990, and at that time someone presenting male acting like that in public was EXTREMELY socially unacceptable. If Akane hadn't stopped them, the two of them could have gotten in serious trouble. At a minimum they would have gotten thrown out of the store. It's entirely possible that someone could have called the police on them. That is why Akane was upset. And once the immediate situation is resolved Akane is again completely fine. Immediately after that Akane goes on to buy Ranma an expensive dress, and judging by her reaction one that puts a serious crimp in her budget. As they say, put your money where your mouth is. Akane wouldn't have done that if she weren't fine with the new feminine Ranma.

So that brings us to the third time Akane gets upset: the nighttime conversation in Akane's bedroom. This one is both the simplest and the most open to interpretation. So I'll just give you my take on it. Once again, remember this is c. 1990. As was typical at the time, I think Akane had it in her head that if Ranma fully transitions to being a girl that means the two of them can't be together. So when Ranma says, "Your male Ranma no longer exists," what Akane is hearing is, "I don't want to be with you." And that is what sets her off. (Well, that and the fact that Ranma had been just about to strip for Happosai, but who among us wouldn't be upset about that in Akane's place?)

So yes, Akane's temper is showing in this episode and she could have handled the situation better. If this episode were being written today she probably would have, but that's because society has changed in the last 40 years. And remember, Akane is 16, and it's part of her character that she's not the most emotionally mature or self aware teenager in the world. She's not being grossly transphobic and she is being supportive the best she knows how.

[kessyathena]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

A new chapter of my Ranma 1/2 fanfic is up! In which Reika finally actually turns someone into a frog. You'll never guess who. No, go on, take a guess before reading the excerpt. I'll even give you a clue: it's someone who richly deserves it.

The next morning Reika was brushing her teeth when her buttocks were suddenly seized from behind. She didn't react, didn't even bother glancing back to see who was responsible. "How sweet!" Happosai exclaimed happily, "Reika, you share all of Ranma's best qua- ribbit!" He flailed, suddenly no longer having hands to hold onto to her. Unable to stop himself he slid off Reika's behind and fell to the floor with a plop. "Ribbit! Ribbit! Ribbit!" Reika casually finished brushing and spat out her toothpaste before turning to regard the frog that had been Happosai with a glare of utter contempt. "I suggest you use the time until the spell wears off to reflect on your actions, you perverted old piece of garbage. Oh, and you should keep one thing in mind." She leaned over to loom over Happosai dramatically and said in a menacing growl, "I can do much worse things to you than just turn you into a frog for a little while."

[urotoramannekusus]

しらんちゃん🕊️ (@n3349945) on X

留美子先生をつぶやくアカウント/良らん多めですが雑多/🗝️ @ntsm1227 / 🦋https://t.co/EjwrxOBc8u

[vampyyprincess]

explain this frame to me in a way where they’re both heterosexual

[kessyathena]

Oh, there's more. So much more.

[kessyathena]

The Piglet, the Witch, and the Okonomiyaki Grill: Chp 7

The next chapter of my Ranma fanfic is up on AO3. Gosunkugi does something stupid. Reika is Not Pleased. The solution she comes up with makes everyone else go O_o.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[hatefilledpoptarts]

If not Akane then who?

Shampoo

Ukyo

Kodachi

Ryoga

Voting ended onAug 5, 2025

[sophieaimelesmandarines]

Ranma fandom, please help a girl out

Asking here because asking on the server didn’t prove successful, but does anyone have pictures of Nabiki’s photographs of Ranma? The ones she’s selling to the boys at school.

I’d love to use some of those for my cosplay this weekend 😅

[kessyathena]

Is this what you're looking for?

Because autocorrect is just plain evil, obviously. And because Rama is a major Hindu deity.

[sophieaimelesmandarines]

Yes! This and anything from the manga!

I didn’t know Rama was a Hindu deity. I always thought it must be because of the brand Rama that sells butter and cooking oils/fats hahah

[kessyathena]

Ask and ye shall receive. ^_^

If you don't mind me asking, how is this related to cosplay? I'm guessing you're not going to cosplay Ranma the way he's dressed in these photos?

[sophieaimelesmandarines]

Ranma fandom, please help a girl out

Asking here because asking on the server didn’t prove successful, but does anyone have pictures of Nabiki’s photographs of Ranma? The ones she’s selling to the boys at school.

I’d love to use some of those for my cosplay this weekend 😅

[kessyathena]

Is this what you're looking for?

Because autocorrect is just plain evil, obviously. And because Rama is a major Hindu deity.

[pixeljade]

Ranma Saotome (if we're being honest) is

Cis Guy Who Went Thru Some Things

A Trans Woman

Genderfluid

Bigender

Some other Non-Binary

Voting ended onJul 31, 2025

[kessyathena]

New chapter of The Piglet, the Witch, and the Okonomiyaki Grill

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

So Reika the witch has enrolled at Furinkan High. Surely her first day at her new school will be completely normal and ordinary. And after school there can be shopping!

-----------

Akane was standing a little way down the aisle, looking thoughtfully at something on the shelf. "Hey Reika? Actually, both of you. The red hair, it's natural, right?" "Sure is," Reika replied proudly, "It's a freak Saotome gene mutation, apparently." Ranma chuckled, "You think I'd dye my hair that color?" "Actually..." Ranma and Reika had gotten close enough to realize that Akane was looking at a selection of hair dyes as she answered, "Have either of you thought of that? Dying it, I mean?" Akane asked with an impish grin. Reika rolled her eyes, "What? You have a sudden desire to know what I'd look like as a brunette?" "How about a bleach blond?" Ranma countered with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Sticking her tongue out at him, Reika shot back, "What you're suggesting for me, you're suggesting for yourself, big bro." Akane turned to them with an ear to ear grin, holding a bottle of dye, "Actually, I was thinking hot pink. You two would look great like that!" There was a pair of clunks as both Saotomes' jaws hit the floor. "You're joking!!" Reika exclaimed with a look of utter horror on her face. "No way! No way! No way!" Ranma exclaimed vehemently, waving his hands for emphasis. Akane laughed merrily at their reaction, "Of course I'm joking. What idiot would give Ranma pink hair? That's like something you'd see in a bad anime remake."

[kessyathena]

The Piglet, the Witch, and the Okonomiyaki Grill

I just posted a short Ranma 1/2 fanfic on AO3. In it, Akane arrives at school one morning to find the place abuzz. The Pigtailed Girl had put in an appearance and actually kissed Kuno. Ranma swears up and down that he's innocent. What could be going on?

As it stands, this is a finished one shot story. But if people like it I may decide to continue it.

The Piglet, the Witch, and the Okonomiyaki Grill

[sailorblossoms-rankane]

I find myself cringing (like foaming in the mouth and full-body twitching) when female Ranma asked screamed for Ryoga to help him. LIKE URGH—Ranma will absolutely do a somersault and a backflip going to the volcano's pit instead of asking Ryoga's help! Man, the old version is so goddamn weird.

the old anime is indeed weird as fuck.

I haven't seen what you mention, but in general: anime Ranma is generally just a fraud. He constantly has to be saved or helped in situations he would neveeerrr need any help. They often make him look like a common clown. There's a filler where he has a fight with a child and he LOSES (and this is somehow no big deal for him. Manga Ranma would never let this shit stand) whenever I watch anime original content (don't get me started on the movies)... i have yet to see anything that truly underscores that bro is built different. They even change manga content to make him look more useless like

it's even worse with girl Ranma because girl, which means male fantasies. Part of this is this thing where they give girl Ranma weirdly sexualized lines or behavior to sell her as "available" for a male audience, sometimes they use Ryoga to deliver them ("she says it to him" but it's actually for you) (there's this WEIRD scene in the soap arc where the anime has Ranma washing Ryoga's back while calling him a hunk the ladies die for, which is part of the fantasy for the audience... in the manga, Ranma simply knocks him out with a blow and runs. He would kill himself before saying or doing some of the shit they have him doing in that show) I don't eve going to take screenshots of the tweets where I show examples, I might start foaming myself. So let's focus on the next fantasy: the damsel.

Girls' gotta be fragile, so they do this in the pantyhose episodes: instead of Ranma protective Akane with his body and looking fierce, they do a "scared girl" closeup

they also omit Ranma making it clear he's angry cuz Akane almost got hurt btw, so you might think part of his anger was bro (feminine) just being afraid of the big bad boulder

speaking of damsels

however, because this is indeed a very strange show, in the shinnosuke ova they do the opposite (an ova where they remove practically all of Ranma's vulnerability and the depth of his feelings for Akane... they have bro SNORING when they reveal Akane is MISSING and no, I'm not making it up or exaggerating, but anyway...)

in moments where girl Ranma is meant to look vulnerable, they show her like an action hero

(why the fuck is Ranma saying this to Akane after saving her is beyond me. makes it seem like Ranma can't help but put her down, even when it's dead serious, which he also does in the movies)

bro is meant to be heartbroken </3 (they also ommit all the instances of boy Ranma looking like he lost his will to live, god forbid that motherfucker shows how bad he has it for her)

[kessyathena]

When you say that anime Ranma needs to be helped in situations where he should never need help, you are trying to apply logic to something that simply doesn't have any. How much challenge or danger a particular opponent or situation poses to Ranma is 100% determined by the plot (or the rule of funny) and has absolutely no internal logic to it of any kind. Look at all the times Ranma has fought Ryoga. Ryoga can be a strong opponent that Ranma struggles to overcome or a complete pushover or anywhere in between, determined entirely by the needs of the story at that particular moment.

Ranma learning not to let his hyper-competitive egotistical side rule him (and asking for help when he needs it is a part of that) is a big part of Ranma's character development over the course of the story, and it's in both the manga and the anime. Look at the Phoenix Pill arc. When he first meets her Ranma is completely outclassed by Cologne and he knows it, even if he won't admit it. He has to swallow his pride and accept her help to overcome the challenge she's set for him. Or look at Step Outside. Ranma starts getting competitive with a little kid, realizes the ridiculousness of it, comments on that out loud, and changes what he's doing. That's Ranma growing up, not having his character subverted.

Ranma is not meant to be some sort of invincible paragon of martial arts. When he develops a habit of claiming to have never lost at anything martial arts later on, it's funny because we've seen him loose so often.

It's not that girl Ranma is particularly sexualized in the anime, it's that Ranma over time becomes more comfortable with his girl half in general and in using his femininity to get what he wants. And that's also in both the anime and the manga. Take the Shishi Hokodan Arc. Ranma disguises himself as a random girl to try to learn the secrets of Ryoga's technique and introduces himself as, "Oh just someone who's been in love with you for a long time." That's going a lot further than the random compliments Ranma uses to butter up Ryoga in the waterproof soap episode. In point of fact female Ranma flirting with Ryoga in order to manipulate him is a constant throughout the story in both manga and anime. Or to look at a more admirable aspect of Ranma becoming more comfortable with his girl half, look at the Picolet arc. Ranma volunteers without any prompting from anyone to go to the Chardin chateaux in order to protect not just Akane but all the Tendos even knowing full well he'd have to live as a girl (and put up with Picolet's advances) for an extended period of time. Now *that* is something Ranma would have done a backflip into a volcano to avoid at the beginning of the story.

[kessyathena]

What is your favorite Little Witch Academia episode and why?

My favorite episode of Little Witch Academia? That's actually a pretty tough question because one of the striking things about the series is that it maintains a pretty remarkable consistency in story telling quality across its run. It's hard to pick out any one episode as especially good. So I guess I'll talk about a few episodes that I particularly like for different reasons.

Firstly, if you tie me down and force me to pick one I'll have to go with the boring choice that everyone seems to mention, Cavendish #19 and Intelligence and Sensibility #20. I identify very strongly with Diana. She's pretty much exactly how I was in school. Well, except I wasn't pretty or popular, but meh. This is unquestionably her episode and the evolution of her relationship with Akko is really sweet and cute.

My favorite Amanda episode is Luna Nova and the White Dragon #5. Although this isn't the first time we meet her, I think it is where her character gets well developed for the first time. And it's this episode that first explores her relationship with Akko and where they first become friends. Also, Fafnir's a riot. I know it will probably surprise people that I didn't pick Amanda O'Neill and the Holy Grail #17 for an Amanda episode. The thing with that one is that although Amanda and Akko go on a fun adventure together, they don't actually interact with each other that much. For much of the episode they're each kind of doing their own thing.

I also have to talk about Don't Stop Me Now #3. First, Sucy's methods of trying to teach Akko to fly are just hilarious and for me one of the more memorable comedic scenes. Also, this episode is the first time Akko and Diana interact other than as simply the Honor Student lecturing the School Dunce. I think this is where Diana starts to see Akko as the complete person she is rather than just the role she's playing in the school.

And my last favorite I'm going to mention is Blue Moon #11. I think it has one of the most moving moments in the series when Akko confronts the spirit and refuses to give up her memories. That scene always makes me cry every time I watch it.

[namimikan]

oh!!!! i was right!!! ukyo is a girl!!!!

[kessyathena]

Yup, Ukyo is a girl. Well, she's kind of gender fluid, but definitely AFAB. I've been looking forward to your reaction to her because her gender has always bugged me a little. At Ukyo's first appearance in the anime she looks like this:

The first time I watched this, many years ago, between the hair, the hairbow, the tights and her voice it never even occurred to me that she might be anything other than a girl. So when the characters started talking about her as a guy it completely baffled me. Ever since it's bothered me a little and made me wonder if my perceptions were different than most people's.

When I started reading the manga for the first time recently I was surprised when I got to Ukyo's introduction. She actually looked like a guy! So I've been trying to decide if I'd have taken Ukyo for a boy if I'd read the manga first.

I've never had okonomiyaki, but my understanding is that it's more akin to a savory pancake with various ingredients added in.

[namimikan]

Ahhh, okay. Hm. Well, my first impression was that Ukyo was male!

I thought she looked androgynous enough in present day to be like, yeah that’s a guy with long hair. A little bit like Fakir from Princess Tutu. (It didn’t occur to me then, but like part of me thinks belatedly I could have put the ribbon to being an indicator that Ukyo was gay tbh, but that’s like an extremely flighty thought that I didn’t really put too much stock into tbh.) It was actually the flashback that sort of twigged the ‘wait… is Ukyo female…? do i… know about this character…?’ because something about bb!Ukyo with a ribbon was just. It didn’t quite make sense if it was a boy but would as a girl??? For some reason??? Present day Ukyo, in the manga, isn’t wearing a bow in ch 85, just ties her hair back, so definitely less of a giveaway. (She does wear a hairbow in ch 86 tho, but I also think she’s drawn slightly more feminine in 86 than 85, tbh?)

(Even then I wasn’t sure if I had confused that with a Kingdom Hearts slash fanfic which I never read but remember the summary, where roughly the same thing happens but reversed!)

Like I think I loosely knew the name and childhood friends part, I may have discussed a little bit of Ranma with my brother (he’s only watched the first anime, I tend to be more of a manga reader, and I, kinda sour on Inuyasha, thought it was best to avoid Takahashi Rumiko’s work before curiousity kinda getting the better of me.) but we’re both careful not to spoil each other/he watched it many years ago and forgot details (and usually it was about comparing it with Inuyasha tbh) and so like, I still was on the fence about Ukyo being female, (Takahashi Rumiko has drawn her fair share of pretty men, and cross dressing characters, to be fair) and I think I may have conflated her with Shampoo or Ryouga tbh? Like I assumed Shampoo/Ryouga might be a thing, but I think it was Ryouga/Ukyo being helpful love rivals, since they’re the popular ship. (I was blissfully unaware of the existence of Happosai, for example.)

Hmm. It’s harder for me to judge the anime, since I haven’t seen it but. Women do voice male characters, so that might not be an instant giveaway to some? (Does depend on how Ukyo sounds tho!) it does seem that Ukyo’s outfit is different in the anime episode to chapter 85…? That’s 86’s clothes tho. (I might be nitpicking but I also don’t know the anime changes tbh) But I agree that she does look more feminine in the anime, like her features are rounder…? softer? something like that? And it might just be a cultural thing? (I could maybe make a comparison to the kdrama Coffee Prince, where the lead female definitely looks obviously like a woman to me, but the hairstyle she wears actually is a popular men’s look back in the 2000s, so she often gets mistaken for a boy.) IDK tho! Might get round to the anime eventually and compare her introduction, see how I feel.

I’m curious that you say she’s gender fluid tbh! She seems pretty feminine to me after her introductory chapter, in all honesty. But it’s early days! I could be persuaded to see her as gender fluid later on! (I kinda see her first two appearances as uniform tbh, for some reason.)

Ah, okay. Savory pancakes. I’m reading the manga on Viz app, and in ch 85 (I double checked) I wonder why they translated it as “my hobby is making okonomiyaki… Japanese pizza”. Either way, it sounds tasty!

Mm, so to sum up, ch 85, I thought Ukyo was androgynous in present day to be male, tho bb!Ukyo gave me some uncertainty but not enough to be convinced that she was definitely female, and then I think ch 86, I think it is slightly more obvious before the reveal happened.

[kessyathena]

When I say that Ukyo is gender fluid, that's my take from a modern perspective. It's also more influenced by the anime than the manga. Obviously the manga is from the '80's and I don't know that the term "gender fluid" had even been coined yet. Ukyo's certainly not described that way anywhere in canon.

So the first thing is that Ukyo does explicitly say that she had been living as a guy before coming to Furinkan. "From that moment on I gave up being a girl." She's also shown using "ore" in some flashbacks. (Although she uses "uchi," an uncommon feminine pronoun, in the present even before her sex is revealed.)

Then there's her presentation. She most often wears her okinomiyaki chef outfit, which is only a little different in the anime from the manga.

She does come across as pretty feminine in this to me. But in universe characters seem to treat her as being pretty androgynous. No one seemed surprised to see her like this when everyone thought she was a guy.

I'm *very* unsure about this point, so if anyone has better information please chime in. I think that this costume is based on a real chef's outfit that has a masculine connotation in Japanese culture. In any case we see her father wearing something very similar in flashbacks.

Aaaaaaand then there was the time that Akane felt the need to demonstrate that Ukyo is actually a girl to another character while she was wearing this. What this says about Akane is another topic entirely.

We also see a lot of Ukyo wearing a boy's school uniform.

(This isn't actually a Furinkan uniform, but one from her old school.) This is what she usually wears to school all through the story. We see more of her in it in the anime than the manga.

Although we also see her on a few occasions wearing a girl's uniform. This causes quite a stir at school the first time she does it.

And then there's Akane's thoughts on the subject.

So I think that Ukyo is best described as gender fluid because even though to me she seems to land overall on the feminine side of things her presentation does vary quite a bit and is subject to interpretation.