True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!

True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life! (乙女白書·髪は女のいのちなの) is the 9th episode in the first season, Digital Dojo, of Ranma ½.

Ranma isn't feeling very happy with Ryoga after his berserk fury during their duel almost kills Akane, and still ends up shearing her hair off. He soon has other reasons to dislike the Eternally Lost Boy when he attacks him in the middle of the night, only to then vanish, leaving behind nothing but his empty clothes… Could Ryoga also be a victim of the cursed springs of Jusenkyo?

Relation to the Previous Episode
This episode follows on directly from the previous episode, beginning with a recap of the scene of Akane having her hair sheared off by Ryoga's flying belt, and continues the "Ryoga's Introduction" arc.

Continuing from the Previous Episode
With her hair having been spliced, Akane stands in complete silence as Ranma juvenilely waves her hand in front of Akane's face. Ranma eventually deduces that Akane is in shock, prompting one of Akane's friends to point out that it isn't surprising given that she's just had her hair cut off. Continuing, Sayuri tells Ranma that she should understand this, given how she's a girl as well. This brings the subject up of just who this "mysterious" girl is, and just where Ranma disappeared to.

Not wanting her secret to be disclosed to so many people, Ranma swiftly changes the subject and, along with Ryoga, begs Akane to hit them for what they've done. Initially Akane seems unwilling to cooperate, but soon obliges and hits the pair before walking off.

A Bad Cut
As she walks home (with Ranma a safe distance behind) Akane's ankle begins hurting. Deciding that it must from the fall earlier, Akane reminds herself that she'll have Dr. Tofu look at later.

Upon returning to her room, Akane begins thinking back to her childhood and how, even then, Dr. Tofu was obviously smitten with Kasumi and not her. After recalling how Kasumi told her to be more lady-like as otherwise Dr. Tofu wouldn't like her, Ranma knocks on Akane's window. Ranma's appearance immediately leads Akane to inform her that she's not upset before throwing several books in Ranma's direction until finally using a set of weights to get Ranma down from outside her room.

Heading downstairs, Akane finds Kasumi in the kitchen. As she turns round, Kasumi is shocked at the sight of Akane's short hair and throws the food she was preparing in the air, leaving Ranma to rapidly stop it from falling on the floor. After lying about wanting a change of style, Akane asks her older sister if she'll help her even it out.

Elsewhere, the ever-determinded Ryoga tries to find the Tendo Dojo so that he can finish his fight, but ends up being dragged into helping an old woman trying to find the Tanaka residence.

Visiting Dr. Tofu
Feeling sorry what happened to her, Ranma checks in with Kasumi to tells him that she's gone out to Dr. Tofu's Clinic. Ranma quickly heads out and comes across a girl who he thinks he's just mistaken for Akane, until realizing that is was her after all. Once Akane tells Ranma that he shouldn't feel sorry for her, she proceeds to continue limping towards the clinic with Ranma following a few steps behind.

Some time passes and the pair arrive. After checking her ankle and diagnosing that it's just a sprain that should heal up soon, Akane asks Dr. Tofu what he thinks of her new hairstyle. Dr. Tofu tells Akane that it's cute before adding that short hair suits her better. As he returns to bandaging her ankle, Dr. Tofu notices that Akane has started crying. Feeling that something more might be wrong, Dr. Tofu sits next to Akane and asks her, only for Akane to find herself unable to stop crying as a curious Ranma looks on from the doorway.

On their return journey home Akane comments on how much better she feels having all the crying she did. When she turns to look at Ranma, however, she notices that he's jumped up onto the nearby fence. Once Ranma congratulates Akane on having Dr. Tofu finally call her cute, Akane replies that it isn't about her anymore as Dr. Tofu loves Kasumi and not her before continuing to walk on. This prompts Ranma to chase after Akane before saying that her new hairstyle suits her.

After a brief spat between the two, Akane begins walking off once more as Ranma reiterates how he prefers her with short hair. This leads Akane to double back and thank Ranma for what the compliment before using the moment to tap the off-guard Ranma so that he falls into the storm drain and changes into his female form.

Meanwhile, Ryoga and the old woman from earlier find themselves at.

Ryoga's Secret
One week later, and Ryoga finally finds himself outside the Tendo Dojo during a rainstorm in the middle of the night. After recalling all the hardships he's been through the past week, Ryoga sneaks into Ranma's room and attempts to wake him. Unfortunately Ryoga on succeeds in waking Genma who throws the pair out for all the racket their making.

With Ranma awake at last Ryoga decides to tell her one thing before he gets his revenge. Ryoga then proceeds to inform Ranma that after their failed duel, he followed her all the way to China. Upon hearing this, Ranma instantly concludes that Ryoga must've ended up at Jusenkyo, but before she can say anything else Ryoga begins his attack.

As the pair continue their evenly matched brawl, the Tendo sisters all convene in Akane's room, each having been woken up by the noise outside. Convinced there's a burglar, the trio walk downstairs where they see Ryoga's shadowy outline. Not realizing who it actually is, Akane throws a dumbbell at Ryoga; landing a perfect hit. With his umbrella having been knocked out of his hand, Ryoga flees into the night as the rain continues to fall on him. Ranma quickly pursues Ryoga, but only finds his clothes before a vicious looking dog appears.

Back at the Dojo and with all the excitement finished, Akane heads back to her room where she soon senses that something else is already inside. A few moments later Akane finds herself being attacked by a small black creature bouncing around the room. After eventually swatting the creature, Akane sees that it's a black piglet soaked from the rain.

Akane then takes the piglet back downstairs where Ranma is drying off with the dog from earlier (now looking decided less threatening that before). After the pair ask the other what their doing with an animal, Ranma notices the piglet blushing and checks it's gender. Upon seeing that the piglet's indeed male, Ranma is soon scratched repeatedly by the aggressive piglet.

Some time later, as she puts some lotion on the bump of the piglet's head, Akane comments that she's seen the dog before. As she says this, Ranma vows not to reveal Ryoga's secret to Akane. Just then Akane recognizes the dog as Bess which belongs to one of their neighbours. Ranma, however, can't believe this and tests it by pouring some recently boiled water over "Bess" (making sure Akane's looking away beforehand) and, sure enough, she remains a dog. With the theory proven false, Ranma decides to head upstairs to have a hot bath. This leads Akane to ask Ranma if she'll take the piglet with her as it's also soaked from the rain. Ranma begrudgingly agrees and heads upstairs.

Once in the bathroom, Ranma begins wondering what could've happened to Ryoga as she plunges the piglet into the water. After a few moments of struggling the piglet gives up and emerges… as Ryoga!

Cast in Order of Appearance
Brigitta Dau is credited but does not appear.

Quotes

 * (Ryoga) "Eager to please, isn't she?"
 * (Ranma) "Sure is."

Trivia

 * This episode introduces a secondary "normal outfit" for Ranma; a pastel-orange pull-on shirt with short, slit sleeves and a small red bowtie at the neck.