Ranma ep 1.10: "P-P-P-Chan! He's Good for Nothin'!"

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Characters in this ep:
Ranma
Akane
Ryouga
Nabiki
Kasumi
Soun
Genma
Hiroshi (I think)
Various high school students
A rich couple
Three bodyguards

So, when I first watched this series, was I just *really* naive in missing all the Ranma/Ryouga stuff, or am I just a huge perv in noticing it all now? I mean - COME ON.

The silence is thick and awkward as Ranma, fully female (and fully nude) stares with a stunned disbelief at Ryouga, who is sitting where moments before a small black pig had been dunked in hot water. (Yeah - how's that for descriptive? Creative writing class, here I come!) So Ranma realizes that Ryouga did indeed get himself a Jusenkyo curse. Ryouga promises to kill Ranma, but puts it off until after he has related his Tale Of Woe.

Tale of Woe follows: Ryouga pursued Ranma doggedly so that they might fight. Ryouga pursued Ranma all the way to China, lost him for a while, and made it to Jusenkyo but didn't see Ranma anywhere. Out of nowhere comes a giant panda, who knocks Ryouga towards a pool; Ryouga manages to right himself, only to find that he's in the path of a crazed red-headed girl who is chasing the panda, and the crazed girl knocks the bejeebers out of Ryouga and sends him plummeting into hell - also known as Eitonichuan, the Pool of Drowned Black Piglet.

After becoming a pig, Ryouga is nearly killed and eaten by the panda and the Jusenkyo Guide. Fortunately for Ryouga, the cooking involves boiling in hot water instead of just slitting a throat or the like, so he's restored to humanity. After seeing Genma in panda form, Ryouga puts two and two together and attacks Ranma, whose only method of defense is to turn Ryouga back into a pig. But the fight is not over yet!

Akane is startled to hear a commotion, and discovers Ranma torturing the piglet, who he claims has attacked him. Since Ranma appears to have lost his marbles, Akane sides with her new pet (although in all honesty, if I saw a small animal repeatedly attempt to maul someone - even just one person, over and over - I would not cuddle it the way Akane cuddles P-Chan), and she picks him up, snuggles him, and kisses him on the snout. Ryouga visibly falls in love with her, while Ranma appears to be about to cry, and runs off.

Later that evening, Ranma sneaks into Akane's room where she's taken pig-Ryouga to bed with her, intending to either get Ryouga to leave or else expose him for what he is. Ryouga manages to put up a fight, and Ranma gets caught. The next morning there is much argument at the breakfast table over whether or not it's appropriate for Ranma and Akane to fool around before they're married.

After the commercial break, we get an entire act of filler. Akane has taken "P-Chan" to school (as she explains, "P for pig, -chan for little") where he is being fawned over by every girl present. Ranma, still annoyed from being set up the night before, corners P-Chan when he's alone and tries to get Ryouga to fight and leave him alone. However, every time he tries anything Ryouga manages to change back into a pig and Akane catches Ranma threatening him, and kicks his butt.

That afternoon, P-Chan gets lost and is found by an elderly, rich couple. Since they could never have a child of their own, they adopt P-Chan and call him Tonkichi. They try very hard to be generous, but since they're ugly and kind of stupid, P-Chan can only think of Akane.

Meanwhile, Akane has been spending all afternoon and evening looking for P-Chan. Ranma catches up with her as she's giving up, but they pass the rich couple's mansion just as P-Chan is attempting an escape. Ranma fights off the couple's bodyguards, who intend to keep "Tonkichi" right where he is, so that P-Chan can go back to Akane. The couple sadly accept that the piglet was never theirs to begin with, and resolve to look for another "heir".

That night, Ranma wonders why he bothered to save Ryouga, and again attempts to sneak into Akane's bedroom so that he can get rid of his rival. This time, Akane is awake and waiting for him; much carnage ensues. The scene at the breakfast table the next morning is worse than the previous one.