Showdown! Can Ranma Make a Comeback?

Showdown! Can Ranma Make a Comeback? (Kessen! Ranma Fukkatsu Naru ka? 決戦!乱馬復活なるか?) is the fifth episode in the fourth season of Ranma ½, known as "Outta Control", and is the 69th episode overall.

Relation to the Previous Episode
This episode marks the conclusion of the three-part Hiryu Shoten Ha or Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion arc. It opens with the ending scene of the previous episode.

Plot Summary
Ukyo Kuonji carries Ryoga Hibiki into a tent to rest after his painful experience against Ranma Saotome, even as Genma Saotome turns back into a human and goes to meet Akane Tendo and Cologne to assist them in carrying Ranma back to camp. While they return, Ryoga starts thrashing around his sleep and screaming as he remembers the great mass of cold energy that caught him and carried him away. Ukyo watches this sympathetically, and then decides there is only one thing to do: take up a pink, two-headed mallet and whack Ryoga firmly in the face with it to knock him deeper into unconsciousness.

That done, she heads out of the tent to join the others in tending to the still unconscious Ranma. Genma comments on the impressiveness of Cologne's Hiryu Shoten Ha attack, and Cologne nods before darkly declaring that the forces of nature are nothing to trifle with. Genma asks what nature has to do with it, and Cologne explains that he's not thinking of the move in the right way; it's not magic, it's the natural result of a martial artist with such tight control over his emotions that he can produce a cold aura facing off against a more conventional hot aura produced by an emotional combatant. As Akane realises, by moving in a spiraling motion, the two establish a current of energies; if mixed together at the proper junction point, the heated and chilled air erupts upwards in a miniature wind vortex laden with the collective battle aura of the combatants. This coiling energy blast is the titular "dragon" of the move. Cologne admits that she was leading up to it, but forgot to explain that the keystone is the punch at the center of the spiral due to all of the confusion over finding somebody to provide the neccessary battle aura for Ranma to use. Fortunately, Ranma managed to figure out the final step on his own.

Ranma choses that moment to wake up, explaining that it was sheer desperate inspiration, inspired by fear for his life at the indignant Ryoga's hands. However, if it wasn't for Ryoga and his battle aura, he might never have been able to pull the move off at all, so he owes Ryoga. Ryoga chooses that moment to walk out, reveal he now understands that Ranma can't use the Hiryu Shoten Ha against him if he doesn't release sufficient battle aura, and then accuses him again of having forced himself on Akane. While the others take no interest at all in intervening, Genma and Akane even having the audacity to tell Ranma to hurry up and join them in returning to Nerima to take on Happosai, Ryoga proceeds to beat Ranma up and down across the campsite.

Back in Nerima, Happosai is engaged in yet another of his panty raids, but for some reason, it's just not so much fun any more. Escaping from the angry women across the rooftops, he realises that it's because, without Ranma's efforts to stop him, there's no real challenge any more, and he laments Ranma's disappearance. Ranma indignantly leaps into a diving kick at Happosai's head while shouting; unfortunately for him, Happosai doesn't feel it and asks if he's hearing voices. Ranma promptly grabs a miniature megaphone and shouts in Happosai's ears, jolting him to pay attention. Happosai happily declares Ranma is still alive, and in response to Ranma's taunt, tries to splash him with cold water. Ranma dodges this, then grabs the bag of underwear off of Happosai's neck and throws it to the street below.

Livid, Happosai's aura bursts into life and he hurls himself furiously at Ranma - on a roof nearby, Genma, Cologne, Akane and Ukyo comment that it sure didn't take long for Ranma to set things up for the Hiryu Shoten Ha. However, at the last moment, Happosai suddenly runs off to a house across the street, to peep in on a woman getting undressed. Losing his cool, Ranma tries to pry him away, but fails - and honestly might have failed even if he did have his strength. The outraged woman punches them both away, whereupon Happosai angrily warns Ranma to stop interfering with him. When Ranma taunts him, though, Happosai starts crying, declares his conscience would never forgive him for hurting Ranma when he's so weak, and runs away. Dumbfounded, Ranma gives chase, even as Genma skeptically proclaims that Happosai doesn't have a conscience, while Cologne darkly comments that Happosai must know more than he's letting on.

Ranma catches up to Happosai on the street and tries to hit him, having lost his own cool, but the old pervert slips away and declares that Ranma has confirmed his suspicions, getting teary-eyed and asking how Ranma could even think of using the Hiryu Shoten Ha on a "poor little old man" like himself. Cologne is dumbfounded that Happosai knows of the move, even though she had suspected it due to his actions, then recalls with shocked embarrassment that when they were eighteen and Happosai was harrassing her village, she used to use it on him. He's figured out how it works due to being hit with it multiple times; as he proceeds to taunt Ranma, without his battle aura, Ranma can't use the move on him.

Ranma simply declares that he'll just have to make Happosai so angry that he can't even think of controlling himself. He starts by doodling all over Happosai's face - the old pervert simply laughs it off (and throws in an insult at Ranma's handwriting while he does it). Next, Ranma tosses some firecracker beads into Happosai's mouth and slaps him several times on each cheek so that they explode; Happosai simply manages to gasp out that they're nice and spicy. Finally, Ranma decides to bring out the big guns, racing off to the Tendo Dojo. Everyone follows and finds him piling Happosai's stolen underwear on the garden, which causes the letcher to demand Ranma explain. Grinning wickedly, Ranma simply sets them on fire, to Happosai's horror. Happosai begins to blaze with a red aura... then, to Ranma's horror and sorrow, he forces himself to calm down, admits he is a little sad, then simply declares he'll just have to steal some new ones. Ranma falls to his knees in despair as Happosai scuttles forwards and offers some cruelly mocking sympathy before the outraged Akane comes charging in and kicks him clearly over the roof.

Ranma silently rises to his feet and slouches away to his room, even as the concerned Akane can't find any words to help him. While Ukyo, Genma and Cologne sit down to tea with Soun Tendo and Kasumi Tendo to discuss the matter, Ranma sits in his dark room, looking on the verge of tears. Well aware that the Hiryu Shoten Ha is useless if he can't get Happosai to emit any heat, and if Happosai can render it useless, then why did he bother to go through the training for it? Then the word "training" starts a light in his head; he realises there is still a way that he can use the Hiryu Shoten Ha to his advantage!

As Akane comes to Ranma's room, a shinai over her shoulder, she declares that while she's not looking forward to it, somebody needs to cheer him up. When she reaches the door, though, she stops in confusion; she can hear a strange clicking sound coming from inside. Then the door slides open as Ranma, whisps of steam trickling from his body, comes bursting out, triumphantly proclaiming that he's come up with a plan that will make Happosai give 100% -- no, 120% of the energy that Ranma needs to defeat him. Akane wonders if he really means it, then looks past him into the room to see any clues. All she sees are an empty kettle and pail, the wet spot where they were clearly applied to Ranma, a camera and a roll of tape.

The next day, or perhaps later that same day, a crowd of teenagers gathers at Furinkan High School; Ranma and Happosai are going to have their duel here. Ukyo sets up a grill to sell okonomiyaki from, while Cologne, Genma and Akane take seats nearby, Akane wondering how Ranma plans to trick Happosai into unveiling his aura. Even Ryoga arrives to watch. Ranma makes it clear that if Happosai loses, he's to hand over the moxa-chart Ranma needs, and Happosai agrees, certain he take whatever Ranma throws at him and not get angry.

Maybe he can. But Ranma has decided not to use anger, but something else; a faint blush on his features, he reveals a set of photographs taped together, all of which feature his female form naked save for sets of lingerie. As his allies on the hill quickly puzzle out, Ranma ordinarily is too hampered by pride to do more than wear dresses over male boxers. But, thanks to the emotion dampening training he's undergone, he can now bear to take photos of him/herself wearing female lingerie... and the Hiryu Shoten Ha doesn't need rage so much as it needs heat. While Happosai can control his anger, his perversion is another matter entirely. It takes Tatewaki Kuno appearing from nowhere and trying to steal the photos to jolt Happosai out of his shock; his aura of lust, a deep purple color, bursts into the form of a ghostly giant version of Happosai's own upper torso, thundering that the pictures belong to him. A free-for-all promptly erupts as Mousse and Principal Kuno appear from nowhere to attack Ranma, who ignores them to concentrate on dodging and getting through the spiral formation.

As a result of the confusion, only Akane notices the chart falling out of Happosai's shirt and she races to retrieve it, even as Ranma draws to the close of the spiral. He hesitates for a moment, unwilling to catch up the other three who just invaded his fight in it, then remembers that they ganged up on him when he was first weakened and, snarling, hurls the Hiryu Shoten Ha, the four powerful hot auras and his own icy aura creating a devastating vortex of winds. Unfortunately for both of them, Akane wasn't quick enough to get in and out and she too is sucked up into the whirlwind. Startled, Ranma immediately leaps after her, trying to "swim" through the winds to catch the floating Akane, who is quickly losing consciousness due to not being able to breathe in the vortex. Ranma reaches out his hand to grab hers... only to be knocked away as his opponents slam into him on their way down from the top of the spiral.

Outside the vortex, the crowd watches as a small "bolt" of spinning force comes erupting from the bottom of the vortex and slams into the field with enough power to dig a massive crater. Realising it is the unconcious forms of Ranma's enemies, the students decide there's only one thing to do: bury them. As they scramble to fill in the crater and cover up the assorted bullies and thugs, Ryoga comments on the vast increase in power between the Hiryu Shoten Ha that caught him and the one Ranma just used, which Cologne explains is due to the difference in amounts of battle aura available. Ukyo asks in concern how they're going to save Ranma if he's caught up in it, only to learn to her horror that Cologne doesn't have a clue.

Inside the vortex, Akane knows she can't hang on for much longer and withdraws the chart from her clothing, holding it out to Ranma and begging him to take it. Ranma realises that must be why she put herself in danger and shouts that she's an idiot, demanding to know how she could dare to risk her life like that. As she faints, Ranma grabs hold of her, but as her grip slackens, the chart is torn and shredded in the wind due to being removed from its protective cover inside her coat. Ranma tries to grab hold of it with his teeth, but can only watch in dismay as it falls to pieces and is carried away by the winds.

Outside of the vortex, Cologne sees the falling confetti, realises what it is, and whips the students into helping her gather it up, determined to restore Ranma to his full power.

As the winds die down, Ranma plummets back towards the earth, Akane in his arms and despair in his arms... until he realises that this isn't over yet; he can't give up until Akane is safe! Down below, Happosai burrows up from the impromptu grave and furiously hurls a bomb at Ranma, who twists so that he absorbs the explosion. Still, it does blast them further up into the air and gives him a few moments to think on how to save Akane. Then the form of Happosai in a flying squirrel outfit comes gliding up, demanding Ranma hand over the pictures. Ranma immediately flings them into the air for Happosai to catch, then leaps onto his back, intending to use him to carry Akane safely to the ground. Although Happosai is so distracted that he instead crashes headlong into a fence; Ranma manages to interpose his face and arms so that he absorbs the blow, and similarly he absorbs the impact when they promptly fall to the ground.

Even as the students gather around, marvelling how Akane hasn't gotten a single scratch, the girl in question awakens and desperately questions the groggy Ranma over where the chart is. As Ranma tries to figure out how to explain what happened, he overhears the students telling Cologne that they've grabbed every piece they could find.

...But hope gives way to despair when it turns out there's one piece missing, the only piece they really need in order to cure Ranma's weakness. Ranma collapses on his hands and knees to the ground, listen as they discuss that he will now be weak for the rest of his life, then rises and stumbles off towards the fence. With a weary smile, he turns to them and softly thanks them all for trying to help, before leaping over the fence and vanishing. Akane goes off in hot pursuit, while the distraut Ukyo, justifiably blaming this whole mess on Happosai, grabs her battle spatula and starts smashing him with it over and over, until Ryoga stops her. There on Happosai's head lies the last fragment of the chart...

Away from the sports field, Ranma thinks to himself that he's going to miss them all, especially Akane, when his backpack comes flying through the air and crashes into him, knocking him to the ground. As he shouts in anger, Akane walks into sight and conversationally tells him that he makes her sick... but she still wants to come with him. Ranma is clearly touched, though he tries to cover it by pulling on his backpack and declaring that a girl has no place on a training trip. Akane looks at Ranma lying on his back, flailing his legs desperately, and disdainfully states she isn't coming to train; she's coming to carry his luggage.

Once freed of his luggage, Ranma scurries over to a nearby tree and squats down so that he is facing it, head sunken into his chest and audibly sniffling. Tenatively, Akane approaches and asks who says he needs to go on a training trip and what the big deal is if he's not strong. Ranma promptly begs to know what he has left if he doesn't have his strength. Akane insists that he has lots of things, but when Ranma presses her to name them, all she can do after a lot of mumbling and stuttering is repeat her insistence, much to Ranma's fury.

While they are distracted, though, Cologne sneaks up and applies the moxibustion to Ranma's back. Broken, Ranma screams a furious query about whether life's done torturing him yet and lashes out in a mindless blow... which meets a solid concrete lawn roller that has just been thrown at him and shatters it to pieces. Cologne dryly notes that the moxibustion worked, even as Ranma lights up with delighted joy, quickly proving it wasn't a fluke by dispatching all three of Kuno, the principal and Mousse when they attack him. Akane, caught up in joy, declares she couldn't be happier for him, instinctively running forward to give him a hug... only for Ranma to leap away and start tearing Furinkan High School apart to express his joy.

Later that evening, the Tendo Dojo is an absolute wreck as Ranma tears shingles off of the roof, smashes walls, topples trees and beats his father black and blue. Even while Ranma continues crowing over his strength, Happosai asks if the others want him to give Ranma another dose of the strength-sapping moxibustion, just to make him cut it out.

Trivia

 * In the dub, Akane refers to the Hiryu Shoten Ha as the "Heavenly Dragon Ascension Wave", despite the fact it is otherwise referred to as the Heavenly Blast of the Dragon.
 * The sub, similarly, refers to Happosai's Happo-Fire Burst as the "Happo Big Bang".
 * In Cologne & Happosai's flashback, the young Cologne doesn't need to move in order to launch her Hiryu Shoten Ha.
 * In the dub, Ranma declares he'll bring out 120% of Happosai's anger, while in the sub, it's 120% of Happosai's fire. The latter makes more sense, given his ultimate plan.
 * In the subtitle, Mousse's name is misspelt as "Moose".
 * Happosai's looming aura-head is identical to his "paralyzing aura" trick he displayed during his first appearance.
 * According to this episode, Ranma seems to sincerely believe that he has no worth as a person if he isn't a strong martial artist.
 * In the sub, Ukyo refers to Happosai as a "lecher squirrel" before beating on him, while the dub goes for the much more emphatic "disgusting little turd".
 * Happosai's flying squirrel outfit returns from Rub-a-Dub-Dub! There's a Pervert in the Tub.