The scene opens inside a home of a standard Japan house. There before the rectangular dining table sits a man in his late thirty. He has long dark black hair and a mustache. Holding a post card with a panda chewing on the bamboo, he reads the message while tears running down his cheeks freely.
Still crying, he puts down the postcard and calls out loud. "Oh happy days. Ranma is coming here. Our dream will soon come true." He quickly gets up and runs to the kitchen. Once there, he calls out, "Kasumi, can you get your sisters."
Smiling innocently, she replies, "Of course, father." Leaving the kitchen, she heads upstairs and opens the doors to one of the room. "Nabiki, father wants us down stairs. Can you get Akane for me?"
Nabiki raises on eyebrow before answering. "Sure, Sis."
Kasumi leaves and returns to the kitchen. Nabiki moves down stairs and approaches the door of the dojo. Once there, she watches a girl with hair reaching below her shoulder blade runs around the corner from her morning jogs and begins her work out in katas.
"There you go again. It’s a wonder those boys want to date you."
Angrily, she shot back at her sister. "Shut up. I hate boys."
"Guess this won’t interest you then."
Anger dissipated, she turns to her sisters with a confused look but only to find her gone already. With a shrug, she enters the house and sits next to her sisters.
Once everyone is seated, Soun turns to his three daughters and announces his great news.
"I’ve received a postcard from a old dear friend of mind who will be here soon with his son. He will be your fiance."
"FIANCE?!?" All three shouted.
{ The scene continues the same as the anime. The scene is now with Nabiki complaining about Ranma being a girl. }
Grabbing the girl breast while shouting at her father, "It’s all your fault dad. You should have made sure."
Still confused at the turn of events, he shakes his head franticly. "But, Genma assured me he was blessed with a son."
"Does this look like a boy to you?" Nabiki questions while poking at the girl breast.
Insert questions instead of answers
Ranma seems to be completely oblivious to the action as he continues to look down on the table. His eyes unfocused and his mind wondering, he continues to ignore all the comments and accusations around him.
Akane watches in frustration as his sisters torment the girl and decides that this was enough. "That’s enough, Nabiki. She’s still our guest." Turning to girl, she says politely. "Hi, I’m Akane. Do you want to be friends?"
Ranma did no hear Akane and continued to stare at the floor. Lost in her thoughts, she did not notice a tear flow down her right cheek. However, Akane sees this and her face saddens.
< She must be devastated. > Akane tries again to catch the new girl attention.
A bald man in white gi enters the room and quickly pounds the girl on the head while shouting, "You’re weak, boy. What kind of man are you?"
The girl quickly recovers and stands up while glaring back at the bald man. With a straight face and neutral voice, he shot back, "Don’t you dare asks me that, old man." Pointing at herself, she continues. "You did this to me! You took away my life! Don’t you dare judge me!"
Before the man could answer back, Soun grabs him. "Ahh… Old friend. It’s good to see you again, Genma."
"Soun. It is good to see you again."
"Well, old friend, where is your son?" Soun asks cheerfully.
Turning back to the girl, he shakes his head in disgust. "The road of a martial artist is fill with obstacles. This is my son," the bald man said while pointing at the red head.
"WHAT!?!" Again, the three girls chorus in unison.
"Oh, how can I explain this?" He takes out a kettle from behind his back and tosses the contents on the girl. The transformation is quick. Once where the girl had stood, now a boy with black hair in pigtail took her place.
"Oh my"
"What?"
"How can this be Genma?"
{Sitting down by the table, Genma recounts his story of their trips in China.}
"Well then, your problem isn’t so bad." Turning to look at his daughters, he said gladly, "These are my daughters. Kasumi, 19, Nabiki 17, and Akane 16. Choose one and she will be your fiance."
Ranma looks at the man talking and then his three daughters. They were all giving him strange looks. There were also hints of fear as well as disgust. Looking back at the man, he said in a neutral voice, "Excuse me sir, but I don’t want to marry anyone."
Genma quickly hits his son on the head. "This is a matter of family honor. You don’t have a choice."
Shaking off the sudden hit, he turns to face his father. "Family honor, huh? What do you know of honor, old man?"
"Don’t you talk to me that way boy. You don’t have a choice. You will choose one for your fiancé or… or…commit seppeku."
"Or what?" asks Ranma with his brow raised.
Not to be deterred, he said sternly, "Commit seppeku."
Ranma raises his eyebrow again and gives his old man a grin. He stands up and walks over to his pack and pulls out a box. He soon returns and places the box on the table.
"What do you’re think your doing, boy?" Genma asks as a big sweat drop forms. He didn’t like the look his son had and knew how strong-will he was too.
Turning to his father, he said flatly. "Making my decision. You just gave them to me."
"Good, now which one do you want as your fiance?" Genma says in triumph.
Looking a bit confused, he scans the box and back at Ranma. "W-What are you talking about?"
"You gave me two choices. One, I can marry one of your friend’s three daughters or commit Seppuku." Looking at the girls, he bows his head and said. "I’m sorry about this. I have nothing against you." Turning to face his father again, he opens the box.
The box seems to glow with life under the light of the room as if all the energy in the world was gathered there. A closer inspection reviews a tento. The handle looks like it was made by a master from long ago. There was a dragon’s head at the tilt and the tail intricately wraps the handle with great care. At the tilt, a thin red ribbon about six inches long and one inch wide extends from the dragon’s mouth. The blade itself is about a foot long and has been well kept or never used.
Lifting the tento from the box. Ranma said flatly to the stunned audience. "I’ve made my decision. I’m choosing Seppuku."
Watching in horror as the girl….er… boy that she just met a moment ago takes the blade out of box, she had never in her life expected anyone to take such measure. She was angry about the fiancé and the curse, but now other emotions enter her thought process, fear, worry, and a hint of pride. She could see the determination in his eyes and knew without a doubt that his action will be carried out. Quickly making up her mind, she shouts out. "NO! Please don’t do it."
Ranma looks up at the girl who had shouted. He could see the worry look in her eyes, but ignores it. "I was given a two choices and I’ve made mine. I don’t believe in force engagement. Don’t worry, you’ll be free from this soon enough." Returning his attention to the blade, he takes the handle with both hands. Again, he is interrupted from same voice shouting at him.
"No. I might not like the force engagement, but committing Seppuku is not the answer."
"Oh, and what would you suggest? I could accept the engagement and the couple will live unhappily for the rest of their life or I could end it all here with only my life and everyone else will be happy."
"It doesn’t have to be. We can work it out."
"We? What are you talking about?"
"I..um…well…..."
Everyone is staring at Akane in anticipation as well as curiosity. Ranma just stares at her without any display of emotions.
Akane is franticly thinking about what she got herself into. < What can I do? I don’t want to be engage. I hate boys. But if I don’t do something soon, he’s going to die. Why do I care? > Looking at Ranma again, she could see the sadness and pain in them. < Those eyes are like windows to his soul. This is a matter of honor. I have to do this. > Taking a deep breath, she begins again. "I’ll be…I’ll be your fiancé."
Everyone is shock to say the least, except for Genma. Akane hated boys. She even shouts it out herself and here she is accepting the engagement.
Ranma looks at Akane with curious eyes. He wasn’t sure if he heard her correctly. She wanted to be engage to him when he offer a way out of it. "What?"
"I said I’ll be your fiancé," she repeated softly and trails off in almost a whisper.
Ranma shakes his head to clear his thoughts and looks at her again. "Akane, you don’t have to do this. I’m offering you a way out of this. Take it."
"No. Not if it means for you to commit Seppuku."
"It’s my decision, not yours."
"And I made mine. Ranma, please," Akane begs.
"Why? Why are you doing this?"
"I…I don’t know. I just know I have to do this."
"Ha! See, you just said it. You ‘have’ to do this. You’re forcing yourself into a decision."
"No, I’m not. I want to do this, ok? Please Ranma."
"I…I don’t know."
Desperately searching for a way to convince him, her face light up like a bulb. "How about this? I’ll be your fiancé for a year and if you still want to commit seppeku after that, then…then I won’t stop you."
He takes her words into account. < One year. I’m not sure about this. I know she doesn’t want this engagement, but there’s no way she’s changing her mind. What can I do? > "Ok. You have one year and that’s all." Ranma releases the blade and carefully returns it to its original position.
Akane released her breath in relief. She wasn’t aware she held her breath in the first place.
"There is one condition I want to add."
Everyone turns to him.
"Under no circumstances will anyone force me to get married. Is that understood?"
Seeing everyone nodded, he continues. "Good. Is there a room I can use to rest? I’m a bit tire."
Soun happily shouted his response. "Of course, Son." Which brought a glare from Ranma at the word ‘son’, but held his tongue. "Akane, why don’t you show him the guest room?"
"Sure, Dad." Standing up, she waits for Ranma to follow her upstairs.
Standing before the door of the guestroom, Ranma turns to face Akane. "Akane?"
"Yes?"
"I hope you know what you’re doing?"
Akane smiles at him as he enters the room and closes the door behind him. "I hope so, too," She whispers.
In the guestroom, he quickly tosses his pack in the corner and lay on the futon to rest. Looking at the ceiling and thinking about the events, he had to admit that Akane was kinda cute when she smiles. However, he quickly pushes that thought aside and remembers other events of his past. Suddenly, tears start rolling down his cheeks before falling to sleep.
Down stairs in the dojo, the three sisters sit in a circle talking while their fathers drank sake.
"Well Akane, do you mind explaining what you were doing?" Questioned the curious middle sister.
"What do you mean?" She asked in confusion.
"You're accepting the engagement when you hate boy."
Anger rising, she shot back. "What was I supposed to do? Let him die?"
Nabiki merely shrug and said. "Why not? You wouldn’t have to worry about the engagement then."
Fuming at the comments, she jumps to her feet and leans over Nabiki. "How can you say that? He was going to commit Seppuku. You were willing to let him die just because you don’t like to idea of being engaged."
"Yes."
"Arghhh…. I can’t believe that."
"Akane, please calm down," Kasumi pleaded in a calm voice. "Thank you, Akane. What you did was very honorable and brave. We’re just concern that you might have jump into it too quickly."
"For all we know, he could be bluffing."
"He wasn’t Nabiki. I saw it in his eyes and he was willing to do it."
"Why did you do it? You hated boys, remember."
"I….I don’t know. When I saw the way he was looking at me, I thought for sure he was going to die and I was his last hope. I don’t know why, but I knew I had, no, needed to do it. He just seems so different and sad."
Nabiki paste her predatory smiles and nudge Akane. "You like him don’t you?"
"It’s not like that!"
"Well, I’m sure everything will work out in the end."
"I hope so."
Early the next morning, there were loud noises vibrating through the halls. Akane awoke and quickly ran outside to the source of the sound. Upon reaching dojo, she saw Ranma and his father arguing.
"I told you, I’m not interested. So leave me alone," Ranma shouted angrily.
His father shouts back with annoyance. "You will continue to train. It’s the life of a martial artist. If you stop, you’ll loose your edge and become weak. How do you expect to protect people if you’re so weak."
His eyes flash in anger, but slowly, he regains control. "This is the last time. Leave me alone." Ranma said in control voice filled with malice.
"Foolish boy. You’re acting like a girl." Genma jumps to attack Ranma at lightning speed.
To Akane surprise, Ranma didn’t even move. He stood there with his fist clenched and then lets out a low growl. Just when Genma was about to come near enough to touch Ranma, he released out a cry and Genma flew to the other side unconscious. Shocked by the event, she stood staring at Genma and then back to Ranma.
Ranma ignores his surrounding and leaps back to his room through the open window.
"Um…Akane, what just happaned?"
Akane is brought out of her reverie by the sound of her sister’s voice. "Huh? What?"
"What just happened?"
Shaking her heads, she replied. "I…I don’t know. I couldn’t even see what Ranma did."
Kasumi enters the dojo and asks Akane to get Ranma ready for school and breakfast will be ready soon. Nodding, Akane walks upstairs and stand outside the door.
As Akane left, Nabiki narrows her eyes at the window of the guestroom. <Who are you Ranma? Or maybe I should asks, ‘What are you?’>
Knocking on the door, she asks "Ranma, are you ready?"
Sliding the door open, he steps back for Akane to enter. "Ready? Ready for what?"
"School, baka."
"School?"
"Yeah, you know. Where people go to study with books and stuff."
"Oh…yeah… I’ll be down in a sec."
She wanted to ask about this morning match, but decided to hold off on that. "Ranma, are you ok?"
"Yeah, I’m fine Akane. Sorry about what happened this morning. I…I was a little upset."
< A little upset? I hate to see you when you’re mad. > "Um…It’s ok. Breakfast is ready."
"Thanks, I’ll be down in a bit."
"Ok." Akane gets up to leave, but a beam of sunlight striking his face shows a canal where tears once flowed. < What happened to you, Ranma? > Turning away, she leaves the room.
Moments later, Ranma joins the group for breakfast. As soon as he finished, Akane quickly grabs his hand and drags him outside shouting they’ll be late if they don’t hurry. About half way there, she lets go of his hand and slow to a steady pace. Once free, Ranma hops on the fence and continues walking.
Looking up at him, she asks, "What are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"Walking on the fence, baka."
"Balance practice that’s all." Ranma said flatly while staring straight ahead.
Usually, she would shot back at him for showing off and hit him for being a jerk, but for some reason, she couldn’t get angry at him. < He looks so lost. What ever is bothering him, he’s completely zone out. It’s almost like he’s living his past rather the present. > While watching Ranma, Akane completely forgot about her own problems as they near the school. Before she realizes it, Ranma jumps down from the fence and walks beside her while staring ahead with unfocused eyes.
One student yelled out "Akane, I will date you."
Snapping back to her problem, she quickly charges the morning mob of students. Though she was worried about Ranma moments ago, her only emotion at this time is sheer anger.
Ranma pauses when he saw Akane fumed at the mob and charged right into it. Moments later, she stands middle of the fallen students breathing heavily. Walking up to her as she calms down, he gave her a smile. "That’s an interesting way to work out, Akane."
Seeing Ranma smiles at her, she anger begins to shimmer under control. "Heh… Yeah, but I really hate having to do this every morning."
Looking amused, Ranma stands beside her while scanning the number of unconscious bodies. "Every morning, heh? At least you get a good work out and as far as I can tell, it’s a great stress reliever."
Akane just shakes head. "Yeah…I guess."
Giving her a grin, he comments. "Oh, come on. You gotta admit that you enjoy beating them."
Akane giggles and is about to reply but is interrupted by a flash of Ranma’s hand in front of her face. She blinks twice and notices the rose Ranma is holding before her face.
Ranma takes the rose and presents it to Akane. "Here’s a little gift for clearing this morning traffic, My Lady." Ranma twirls the rose once with his right hand and slowly inserts the rose in her hair above the left ear. Ranma gave Akane a small bow before heading to class. Once he walked past Akane, his face returns to his neutral expression and stares emptily ahead of him.
Akane is at lost for words. At one moment, Ranma is completely out of this world and the next; he’s like a prince. She knew she was blushing deeply when Ranma presented her the rose, which she also knew came from Kuno. Though, if Kuno had given it to her, she would have been gravely disgusted and kick him into orbit. Turning around, she strode past Kuno who stares dumbly at the retreating Ranma moments ago. She could hear the commotion of female students on the floor above. She could also hear the many jealous remarks from them. Unfortunately, those remarks only furthered her embarrassment. As she approached her class, Ranma was coming out with a pair of buckets filled with water. Still a bit dazed by the sudden change in Ranma, she enters her class. She soon exits with pair of buckets.
Standing next to Ranma in the hall, her emotions were running through a blender. She didn’t know what to do. It was so strange for her. Only yesterday, she would have punted any boys that came remotely near her. Now, she’s not so certain anymore. Here she is standing next to Ranma and she doesn’t know what to say. < What am I doing? Why am I feeling this way? It’s just a stupid rose. I could just crush it and forget what happened. He’s just another boy. > Glancing up at Ranma, she could tell he had return to some day of his past. Letting out a sigh, she pleaded inwardly "Please let him be just that. Just like all the other boy."
Ranma is completely oblivious to the surrounding. He felt a presence next to him and from a quick scan of the person chi, he knew it’s Akane. Therefore, he left it at that and returns to his previous thought. < What was I thinking when I caught that rose? I’m not supposed to get close to anyone. It’s not supposed to happen. Maybe I shouldn’t have agreed to that agreement with Akane. Oh well, I can’t break it either. Might as well make the best of it. One year. Wonder if I’ll develop any feelings for her? > Unable to answer his own question, he buried the thought.
Suddenly, a student running down the hall caught the attention of Ranma and Akane.
"Never, never. I, Kuno Tatewaki, shall never allow such travesty to continue. How dare a vile cure like yourself force an unwanted engagement on the fair Tendo Akane."
Ranma looks at Kuno and then back at Akane. "Um…Who’s he? What’s he babbling about?"
Akane looks down disgusted. "That’s Kuno, the idiot who started the mob attack."
"Really?" Looking at the fuming Kuno. "You’re right though, he’s an idiot alright." Turning back to Akane, he asks. "Do you want to beat him up or me?"
Smiling deviously, she approaches Kuno. "Hello, Kuno-sempai."
"Ah, my fair Tendo Akane. Do not worry my love. I shall free you from this vile sorcerer and shall allow you to date me."
"Kuno-sempai. That’s Saotome Ranma. He’s my fiance." < Why did I say that? > She turns back to Ranma who gave her a questionable look. She gave him a weak smile not knowing how to answer him.
"Do not worry. For I, the blue thunder of Furinken High School shall free you from the clutches of the sorcerer. It is sad that such a low life shall stoop to magic to entrap thee. Fear not, fair Tendo Akane, I shall free you with tmy true love." Kuno draws his bokken
and directed it at Ranma.
Ranma completely ignores Kuno ranting and eyes his attention on Akane. He was still curious as to why she made their engagement public. However, his thoughts were cut short when Kuno took a swing at him with a vertical stroke. Taking a step sideway to avoid the impact, he faces Kuno with less than amused expression. "I don’t care who you are or what you want, but keep your nose out of other people’s business," Ranma snarled.
"I shall make it my business to free Tendo Akane from thee, vile cur like yourself. It is my destiny and true love, which guides me. Prepare to be vanquished," Kuno shouted as he charged forward.
"Yeah….whatever," said Ranma. Ranma simply held his position as Kuno swings violently at him. He only moves his body to avoid the bokken, but his position remains the same throughout.
"What sorcery is this? Stand still and face the judgement of your superior!"
"HA! Some superior. You can’t even touch me."
"Arggghhhh" Kuno steps back a few steps and jab his bokken back and forth at higher speed at Ranma.
Again, Ranma didn’t move from his position. After a few minutes, Ranma held up his hand to his mouth and yawn. Looking around, he notices that his entire classroom was watching the fight as well as the other classrooms. He could see the awe and phraises from their face. He didn't care much for the attention and decided that the warm up was enough. Turning to Kuno, he snorted. "It's been nice, fool."
Temperarily pausing in his attacks, he snarl back and spoke, "You may call me Kuno-sempai."
"You don't deserve it," Ranma shot back. Before Kuno could utter another syllable, Ranma disappears from his sight and seconds later Kuno fell to the floor face first. Ranma reappears standing on his head. Suddenly, a series of crack and boom echoes through the all.
"What was that?" asks one startled student.
"How should I know?" replies another.
"Sounded like sonic boom."
"Wow!"
"You mean that he was punching Kuno faster than the speed of sound?"
"Must be."
Again, everyone turns their attention to Ranma, who now was walking away from the class towards an open window on the third floor. "Oh Man!" was heard through the open window.
The entire crowd rushed to the window and saw only a smaller version of Ranma with red hair emerging from the pool below. "Hey, what happened to Ranma?"
"Don't know."
"Do you think he drowned?"
"Wonder who the red head is?"
"How come he looks smaller?"
"Must be a light trick."
Down below, Ranma had leaped over the high fence surrounding the school and jog away from the unwanted eyes. Not much later, the wet Ranma is found leaning high on top of a tree branch. Down below, Akane approaches with both hands holding a kettle.
"Stupid curse," Ranma mutters to himself.
"Ranma?" Akane calls out.
"Up here, Akane."
Looking up at the tree, Akane finds Ranma still in female form and in boxer. For some reason unknown to her, she finds the scene quite amusing and lets out a giggle.
Ranma hears the soft giggles below and looks down.
"What’s so funny?" he asks with some irritation.
"You," Akane replies with a smile.
"Hahaha… Glad someone finds this funny."
"Heheh…. You should have seen yourself when you jumped from the third floor. Didn’t you know there was a pool below?"
"How was I supposed to know? It’s my first day, remember." Ranma argues.