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.

Plot Overview
Akane is in shock after her hair being chopped off. Realizing the trauma she has from her friends, Ranma and Ryoga offer that she "punish" them. It appears that she shrugs it off, but the camera shows girl Ranma and Ryoga with swollen cheeks. Akane heads home and realizes that her ankle is still damaged from the fall. She punches the telephone pole which Ranma sees later. At home she sits at her desk, remembering that she grew her hair because Kasumi told her Dr. Tofu would not like her anymore unless she acted more like a girl, when Ranma pops up at her window. She hurls objects at her, 4 books and her weights. She goes downstairs and shows Kasumi the damage. Kasumi overreacts and Akane asks that she even out her hair for her. Ranma sits on the roof holding Akane's ponytail feeling guilty about her hair. He asks Kasumi where Akane went, and goes after her. On the way, he sees a girl with short hair and calls her "Akane". He believes he is mistaken when she turns around, but Akane replies with a "What are you looking at?" He aplologizes to her and offers to carry her, but she laughs at him because it was unusual. At the office, she asks Dr. Tofu his opinion, and he compliments her saying that short hair suits her. She tears up because of it then embarrassed, cries on his shoulder saying, "They won't stop!" Ranma follows her home showing hints of rejection. He admits to liking her better with short hair and she toys with him, knocking him off the fence into the water.

During all of this, Ryoga was unsuccessfully trying to direct an old lady to the Tanaka Residence. He carries her all over Japan before stumbling upon the police booth, who tell her that the house was "right over there" which made her angry and beat Ryoga. He decides to blame Ranma and goes to his house to seek revenge. He misses the sleeping Ranma several times, which irritates Genma. Genma throws the two outside to fight in the rain. The Tendos believe there is a burglar until they look outside. Akane throws a weight at Ryoga who drops his umbrella and Ranma realizes that he also fell into the Jusenkyo pools. Ranma finds a dog near Ryoga's clothes and assumes that it is him. He takes the dog home and nothing happens to it. Akane meanwhile finds a black piglet with a necktie just like Ryoga's bandana and decides to make him her pet "P-chan". She shows P-chan to Ranma and asks her to give him a bath. Ranma discovers Ryoga's second form.

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

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.