Ranma 1/2 story from Shonen Sunday 2-3, 1990 Original story is Copyright (C) 1990 Takahashi Rumiko/Shogakukan Translation is Copyright (C) 1990 Ragnarok (mikem@comspec.UUCP) Akane power up! ...no maki --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kasumi is busy putting a meal together... Kasumi: It's the last day of the year and I'm so busy; I wonder where Akane has gone. Ranma, go and look for her. Ranma (female) runs out in pink Chinese proletariat clothing (complete with pink cap with a red star), looking for Akane. He comes across a crowd of people. Crowd: What a girl! She's strong!! Ranma shimmies up a pole holding an arch up, trying to get a better look. Ranma: What's with this crowd of people? Down below, the center of attention, Akane is about to wrestle an arm- wrestling machine (which looks like a sumo wrestler). Announcer: Begin!! Akane grits her teeth and starts to exert force. She puts the machine's arm down rather decisively. Crowd: Oh, she won against the head-wrestler!! She's great! Ranma, still on his perch atop the pole, begins to munch on some buns. Ranma: (said of Akane) Loitering again... A man rolls out an even larger, more impressive-looking arm-wrestling machine. Man: Yes, the champion wrestler machine is next. Akane: (enthusiastic, whirling her arm around) Fine, come on!! Akane gets into position with the machine. Announcer: Begin!! Akane: (puzzled) Hm!? How stiff!! The machine speaks!... Machine: (arrogantly) To win against me, you're a hundred years early. The machine begins to chuckle. Akane: (gasps) That voice... The machine soundly defeats Akane. Ranma is quite surprised. The machine's form begins to crack, then fall apart. Bursting out of the "machine" is... Shampoo: (triumphantly) Last match of the year, and it's my victory!! Akane: Shampoo!! Crowd: (surprised) Oh, an even more impossibly strong girl has appeared!! Shampoo: (to Akane) Hmpf, same as always, weak aren't you? Akane: (angry) One more match! Shampoo: (realizing something) I'd like to but I can't. Shampoo rides her bicycle down Akane's head and back. Shampoo: I was in the middle of a delivery. I don't have time to waste on boring stuff. Whenever you want to have a match with Ranma as the prize, I'll accept! See you later! Shampoo rings her bicycle bell twice and is gone, leaving a frustrated Akane to vent her anger out in the doujou. Akane: How miserable! Ranma (male) is skipping rope. He jumps up and avoids a roundhouse kick from Akane. Akane: Be a serious partner! Don't turn this into a lesson! Ranma: What are you miserable about now? Ranma lands on Akane. Ranma: You're always being beaten by Shampoo. Akane: Isn't that why I'm miserable?! Meanwhile, someone pulls noodles out of a boiling pot... Happosai: (eyes closed) How long I've waited for this day... It's finally done by my hand. Happosai deposits the noodles in a bowl and with a tear in his eye, holds it up. Happosai: If eaten in its entirety, this gives gourikimuso [superhuman strength without compare]! The battling family's source of Yearning, the legendary gouriki soba [superstrength noodles]! The old man goes out to the table and prepares to eat his noodles. But, he's distracted by the television... TV announcer: Well, everyone, thanks for waiting, here's the year-end idol swimwear get-together! Many cute girls in swimwear appear onscreen, transfixing Happosai. He doesn't notice when Kasumi comes in with several bowls of noodles. Akane runs in and is happy to see food on the table. Akane: Waa, exercise makes me hungry. Kasumi: (handing bowls out) Get everyone together. The toshikoshi soba [year-end noodles] will stretch. Everyone comes in, accepts a bowl and begins to eat. On TV... Announcer: And now, a commercial... Happosai turns around to find his bowl of gouriki soba gone. He's quite devastated. Happosai: (thinking to himself) M... My gouriki soba... Soun notices Happosai crying. Soun: O-shisou-sama [honoured teacher], is there something wrong? Happosai: I'm crying, aren't I, fool!! Meanwhile, Akane has finished her bowl of noodles. Akane: (smiling) Thanks for the meal. Akane puts her bowl down. The table cracks in half. Everyone tries to keep their bowl of noodles as the floor under the table gives way as well. Happosai realizes who had his noodles, and faces Akane. Happosai: So... The one that ate my gouriki soba was Akane... Akane: (confused) Eh? A few explanations later... Soun: Gouriki soba that gives superhuman strength!? How selfish... Akane: Isn't it? Ranma: The foundations aren't corroded then? Kasumi: It's an old house. Happosai: (sadly) Now that the noodles are eaten, there's nothing I can do about that... Happosai launches himself at Akane, tears streaming from his eyes. Happosai: If you let me cry in your bosom, I'll forgive you! Akane: (disgusted) Again? Trying to take advantage while I'm confused... Akane lightly pats Happosai on the head, intending only to fend him off. Happosai whirls around at a terrific speed and crashes into the TV set. There's a moment of stunned silence as Akane looks down at her hand. Akane: (ecstatic) Could it be true that I've become strong... Ranma: Idiot. How about me instead of the old man? Alright? Come on, let's arm-wrestle. Akane and Ranma assume arm-wrestling positions on the floor beside the now-sunken centre table. Everyone else continues to eat their noodles. Akane: Fine. (Both, in unison): Begin!! Ranma, utterly beaten, ends up in a hole he made going through the floor. But, he won't give up. Both assume their arm-wrestling positions again. Ranma: (angry) One more match! Akane: (smug) Fine, come on. Outside the Tendo home can be heard: Crunch! "Once more!" Crunch! "Once more!" Crunch! "Once more!" "Again!!?" Inside a almost-wholly demolished room in the Tendo household, as bells ring... Soun: (crying) You've become so strong, Akane... Kasumi: (gathering bowls up) Oh, it's the New Year's Eve bells... Akane: (with tears of joy, thinking to herself) Thanks, God! Ranma is crying in a corner from pain and humiliation. Genma (as a panda) hits him on the head as Nabiki castigates him. Nabiki: (disgusted) Instead of crying, it would have been better if you'd stopped before you really got hurt. The next day, Ranma (male) and Akane (in an elaborate kimono) go to make their hatsumode [first visit to a shrine in the new year]. Akane: (confident) Heh heh heh, I'll pray that I'll continue to have all this strength. Ranma: (annoyed, thinking to himself) She should pray for style. (To Akane) Hey, when we return, let's have a match in the doujou. Akane: Again? You're so predictable. Persistent, aren't you? Akane playfully gives Ranma a light slap to the shoulder and is surprised to see him suddenly go flying. A sign further ahead says: "New Year Fight Battledore-Shuttlecock Meet" Crowd: There's going to be a match!! Shampoo, dressed in a kimono, is standing on a raised platform preening while the announcer proclaims: Announcer: This will be fifth of Shampoo's continuing victories! Suddenly, something comes hurtling from the skies towards Shampoo. Shampoo grabs hold of a badly dazed Ranma by the foot before he can crash through the platform. Shampoo: (pleased) How are you, Ranma? (hugging Ranma) I'm so happy! You flew to be with me! Ranma: You've got it wrong, you've got it wrong. Meanwhile, Akane is trying to make her way in alone. Akane: That fool Ranma, leaving me to make my way all by myself. Suddenly, Akane catches sight of Ranma being hugged by Shampoo on the platform. She angrily launches herself at them. Akane: What are you doing?! Ranma's eyes bug out at the sight of Akane bearing down as Shampoo confidently prepares to start the fight early. Shampoo: Come on! Ranma hits the deck, pulling Shampoo down with him. Ranma: (to Shampoo) Get down!! Akane overshoots her target and lands outside the ring, totally demolishing the area she lands on. Shampoo: (glaring at Akane) You look like you might have some ability. Akane: (smug) Hmpf, what you thought of me yesterday is a big mistake. Shall we fight!? Whenever you're ready, of course. Shampoo contemptously tosses something at Akane. Shampoo: Enter the ring. Akane: (catching the object) A battledore?... [like a table tennis paddle] Shampoo: This match's prize is Ranma. Do you accept? Akane: (smug) Hmpf, I'll even throw in a panda as a little extra. Ranma angrily watches from the sidelines... Ranma: (to himself) That jerk Akane, betting me even though we're already engaged. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next: Gouriki hanetsuki ...no maki