Looking for a Weak Spot

Looking for a Weak Spot (弱点さがし) is the 37th chapter of the Ranma 1/2 manga and the first chapter of the Neko-Ken Arc.

Synopsis
While Akane is practicing on the balance beam in gym class a weird looking boy snaps photos from outside. Hiroshi and Daisuke ask for copies and explain that the boy's name is Hikaru Gosunkugi. Gosunkugi is delighted to snatch a strand of Ranma's hair and quickly stuffs it into his voodoo doll and nails it to a tree.

Plot Overview
Akane is having a gymnastics lesson with several other female students in the gymnasium, while a strange boy takes pictures of her. The boy begins to think about he was content with worshiping her from afar until that fool Saotome showed up. Suddenly a paper bag explodes above the boy's head, that turns out to have been blow up by Ranma, which snaps the boy out of anger with Ranma.

The boy looks up and says hello to Ranma, asking him how he's doing. A group of male students run up to the boy and call him Gosunkugi and ask him to make copies of the pictures he's taken of Akane and give the copies to them.

Ranma, precariously balancing on the ledge of a window, comments on what they think is so hot about a macho chick like Akane. Just as Ranma finished his sentence, Akane appears from the other side of the window and hits Ranma; which sends him falling towards the floor. As Ranma falls, Gosunkugi grabs a strand of his hair and runs off, causing Ranma to shout at him what was that for.

Gosunkugi takes Ranma's hair and attaches it to Wara Ningyo (a small doll made of straw) that has the same ponytail as Ranma, he then places a nail through the middle of the doll and is about to hammer it in, but misses and hammers his thumb instead (which is made more embarrassing as a small group of female students are nearby and just saw what happened).

Ranma is talking to his friends and says he never noticed Gosunkugi in their class before, to which Daisuke notes that nobody ever notices "Voodoo Spike Gosunkugi". Kuno then appears and begins to attack Ranma, but is soon defeated. Ranma comments on it being a while since they saw each other and asks Kuno what he can do for him. Kuno passes Ranma a challenge letter, noting that it's a bit after the fact.

Gosunkugi notices the exchange between Ranma and Kuno. Once the other students have left, Gosunkugi tells Kuno that no matter how strong the man they have a weak spot and if you find it they're finished. Kuno asks Gosunkugi what he is, to which Gosunkugi explains he's in freshman group F, but he wouldn't know him as nobody does.

Gosunkugi then continues by saying that he knows what Ranma's weak spot is, which surprised Kuno. At first Kuno seems to be above knowing what Ranma's weak spot is, but soon changes his mind as there is nothing cowardly at striking at the weak spot only. Unfortunately for Kuno, Gosunkugi he doesn't know what it is yet, so Kuno kicks him into the sky telling him to go and find out.

With his instructions from Kuno, Gosunkugi goes out to try find Ranma's weak spot. He first tries Nabiki who tells Gosunkugi to buy her a CD Player and she'll tell him. Gosunkugi then tries Kasumi, but all he learns is that Ranma can stomach anything and there's nothing he won't eat. Lastly, Gosunkugi tries the "Tendo Family Pets" which consists of Ryoga and Genma in their respective cursed forms and a slightly annoyed Soun who says he's not a pet.

After trying to gather information on Ranma's weak spot, Gosunkugi goes to the Kendo Club to tell his findings to Kuno. Gosunkugi explains to Kuno that he's been following Ranma secretly for the past week and taking pictures, however, when Kuno looks at the pictures Ranma's posing in every one of them. This obviously angers Kuno, who hits Gosunkugi as a result.

Suddenly, Ranma appears and asks Gosunkugi why he asked him to come to the Kendo Club. It is then revealed that Ranma is stood on Kuno's head, who is obviously annoyed by this, and asks Ranma to look where he's standing. Ranma then shows Kuno a letter from Gosunkugi asking him to meet him on Upperclassman Kuno's head in the Kendo Club.

Just then Gosunkugi throws a box over Ranma and Kuno, which contains a menagerie of snakes, frogs and similar animals. Gosunkugi explains that he couldn't find Ranma's weak spot, so thought he'd try some usual horrible phobic creatures. Unfortunately, the animals haven't affected Ranma at all, while Kuno is one the floor paralysed with fear.

Ranma hears this and tells Gosunkugi not to bother as there is nothing in the world which can faze him. Kuno then arises (still covered in the animals which Gosunkugi threw on him earlier) and asks Ranma how he can not be afraid of these things when he himself is afraid of them, to which Ranma just asks Kuno if he's sure he's afraid of them. Hearing this, Kuno tells him that he shouldn't be afraid of making a wager, of if Kuno discovers his weak spot then he (Kuno) can go on a date with the pigtailed girl. Ranma agrees to the wager.

Having left the Kendo Club, Ranma begins to think to himself that its not that big a deal since he's managed to keep his weak spot a secret so far, so there's no reason why he can't continue to do so. Ranma then goes round the corner of a building, when a loud scream sounds out, which Kuno notes sounds like Ranma.

Gosunkugi and Kuno run to see what caused Ranma to scream. Meanwhile, Akane and a group of students have already gotten to Ranma and see him paralysed in fear lying on the floor on his back. Akane wonders what could it have been that did this to him. Back with Gosunkugi and Kuno, it turns out that Gosunkugi dug a hole outside the Kendo Club building to see if Ranma was scared of falling, but both Gosunkugi and Kuno have fallen down it instead.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Akane Tendo
 * Hikaru Gosunkugi (debut)
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Hiroshi and Daisuke
 * Tatewaki Kuno
 * Nabiki Tendo
 * Kasumi Tendo
 * Ryoga Hibiki (P-chan)
 * Genma Saotome (panda)
 * Soun Tendo

Quotes
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Trivia
To be added