Over breakfast, Kasumi says "Ranma, good news. I ran into your mother yesterday. She's very anxious to see you, and will be coming over this afternoon."
Genma turns to Ranma and says "Quick, pack your things. we're going on a training trip."
"No way. I'm staying to see mom!"
Soun asks Genma "You're not afraid of your wife, are you?"
"You don't understand. Before I was allowed to take Ranma on our training trip, I had to promise to make Ranma a man among men. We both signed a contract that we'd commit seppuku if Ranma wasn't a man among men. With his curse, we're doomed if she finds us."
Several months pass. Ranma pretends to be Ranko Tendo whenever his mother visits. Finally it gets to be too much for him. He's decided to tell his mother the truth. and asks Akane and Nabiki to explain his curse to her so that she doesn't freak out when she sees the transformation. If his mother decides he needs to die, Ranma will. But they want to first explain the curse, before shocking her by seeing it.
Akane agrees to talk with Nodoka, and have hot and cold water ready for demonstrating. Nabiki agrees to get Ranma's father out of the house, so that he can't mess anything up. During her next visit, Akane invites Nodoka up to her room for a private talk.
"I was talking with Ranma, and he wants to see you, but he's suffering from an embarrassing condition. He was afraid of how you'd react to it, so he asked me to tell you about it, and then he'd meet you and make whatever amends you feel are necessary. His father convinced him that you'd feel family honor is at stake, and ask him to commit seppuku. I don't agree, but if you ask for it, I think he's ready to do it."
"What kind of embarrasing condition could be grounds for seppuku?"
"Ranma ran into some magic in China. He's become a limited shape-shifter. Like a werewolf, but with different triggers and no change to his mind or personality."
"You can't really expect me to believe that."
"I'm afraid it's true. I wouldn't have believed it before he came here. He's one of 4 people cursed this way living in town. Your husband is one of the other ones. They change when splashed with water. Cold activates the curse, warm puts it into remission. It hardly bothers anyone around here anymore. The teachers don't care what form he's in as long as he's quiet in class."
"Assuming I can come to believe this, why would he feel seppuku is appropriate?"
"Well, I told him that it's just a surface change. But his form is the exact opposite of the promise you made Ranma and Genma agree to before they left."
"`Opposite of the promise'? what do you mean?"
"He's the only victim that doesn't take an animal form. He becomes female, and we worry that you wouldn't consider him a `man among men.'"
"I agree with you that such a curse doesn't matter. But whats this about being a man among men?"
"Your husband told us that when Ranma was 6, Genma and Ranma signed a contract with you that Ranma would become a `man among men' or they'd commit suicide."
"Why would he tell you that? I don't remember anything like that. When can I see my son?"
"I'll call him for you. He's in the house as a female. this water is to show you the transformation." Akane goes to the door and opens it. "Ranma come here."
Ranma walks in as a female. Nodoka's jaw drops. "You're trying to tell me that Ranko has been my son all along?" Akane pours the hot water over him changing him male.
"hello mom."
Nodoka faints.
While they wait for her to recover, Akane tells Ranma that Nodoka doesn't feel that the curse is important. And also that Nodoka has no recollection of the seppuku pact.
When she comes to, they show her the change several times. They hug for a while, both of them near tears of joy, when suddenly Nodoka draws back. "But you can't be my son. My son had a small birthmark beside his left eye. Look, I have a picture.
The three of them pass around the picture. without any idea what is going on. With this wonderful timing, Genma as a panda walks in. Ranma sweeps his legs out, and holds him to the floor. "Pop, you better explain this."
Akane pours the water over his head, and Nodoka draws her katana.
Shortly thereafter, a trussed Genma is sitting in the living-room surrounded by both families.
"Well, you see, it all goes back to the Nekoken training. Everyone fills Nodoka in on the ghastly methods Genma used to teach Ranma the cat fist. Nodoka is of course furious. "And how does this explain the lack of a mole?"
"Well, I told you I wasn't successful at first. This was the first Ranma to survive."
Genma turns to Ranma and says "Quick, pack your things. we're going on a training trip."
"No way. I'm staying to see mom!"
Soun asks Genma "You're not afraid of your wife, are you?"
"You don't understand. Before I was allowed to take Ranma on our training trip, I had to promise to make Ranma a man among men. We both signed a contract that we'd commit seppuku if Ranma wasn't a man among men. With his curse, we're doomed if she finds us."
Several months pass. Ranma pretends to be Ranko Tendo whenever his mother visits. Finally it gets to be too much for him. He's decided to tell his mother the truth. and asks Akane and Nabiki to explain his curse to her so that she doesn't freak out when she sees the transformation. If his mother decides he needs to die, Ranma will. But they want to first explain the curse, before shocking her by seeing it.
Akane agrees to talk with Nodoka, and have hot and cold water ready for demonstrating. Nabiki agrees to get Ranma's father out of the house, so that he can't mess anything up. During her next visit, Akane invites Nodoka up to her room for a private talk.
"I was talking with Ranma, and he wants to see you, but he's suffering from an embarrassing condition. He was afraid of how you'd react to it, so he asked me to tell you about it, and then he'd meet you and make whatever amends you feel are necessary. His father convinced him that you'd feel family honor is at stake, and ask him to commit seppuku. I don't agree, but if you ask for it, I think he's ready to do it."
"What kind of embarrasing condition could be grounds for seppuku?"
"Ranma ran into some magic in China. He's become a limited shape-shifter. Like a werewolf, but with different triggers and no change to his mind or personality."
"You can't really expect me to believe that."
"I'm afraid it's true. I wouldn't have believed it before he came here. He's one of 4 people cursed this way living in town. Your husband is one of the other ones. They change when splashed with water. Cold activates the curse, warm puts it into remission. It hardly bothers anyone around here anymore. The teachers don't care what form he's in as long as he's quiet in class."
"Assuming I can come to believe this, why would he feel seppuku is appropriate?"
"Well, I told him that it's just a surface change. But his form is the exact opposite of the promise you made Ranma and Genma agree to before they left."
"`Opposite of the promise'? what do you mean?"
"He's the only victim that doesn't take an animal form. He becomes female, and we worry that you wouldn't consider him a `man among men.'"
"I agree with you that such a curse doesn't matter. But whats this about being a man among men?"
"Your husband told us that when Ranma was 6, Genma and Ranma signed a contract with you that Ranma would become a `man among men' or they'd commit suicide."
"Why would he tell you that? I don't remember anything like that. When can I see my son?"
"I'll call him for you. He's in the house as a female. this water is to show you the transformation." Akane goes to the door and opens it. "Ranma come here."
Ranma walks in as a female. Nodoka's jaw drops. "You're trying to tell me that Ranko has been my son all along?" Akane pours the hot water over him changing him male.
"hello mom."
Nodoka faints.
While they wait for her to recover, Akane tells Ranma that Nodoka doesn't feel that the curse is important. And also that Nodoka has no recollection of the seppuku pact.
When she comes to, they show her the change several times. They hug for a while, both of them near tears of joy, when suddenly Nodoka draws back. "But you can't be my son. My son had a small birthmark beside his left eye. Look, I have a picture.
The three of them pass around the picture. without any idea what is going on. With this wonderful timing, Genma as a panda walks in. Ranma sweeps his legs out, and holds him to the floor. "Pop, you better explain this."
Akane pours the water over his head, and Nodoka draws her katana.
Shortly thereafter, a trussed Genma is sitting in the living-room surrounded by both families.
"Well, you see, it all goes back to the Nekoken training. Everyone fills Nodoka in on the ghastly methods Genma used to teach Ranma the cat fist. Nodoka is of course furious. "And how does this explain the lack of a mole?"
"Well, I told you I wasn't successful at first. This was the first Ranma to survive."