I Am a Man! Ranma's Going Back to China!?

Ore wa Otoko da! Ranma Chūgoku e Kaeru? (オレは男だ! らんま中国へ帰る?) is the last episode of Ranma ½ released before the TV series was retooled and retitled Ranma ½ Nettohen.

Ranma has had enough of the havoc he has to go through in Nerima because of his curse, but Genma won't let him go back to China without a fight.

Relation to the Previous Episode
This episode is evidently set very soon after the previous episode, and makes references to all of the major storylines thus far.

Plot Overview
A sparring session in the Tendo Dojo quickly turns personal as Genma and Ranma begin arguing fiercely with each other. Ranma has brought up the topic of leaving the dojo to go back to China, which Genma strictly prohibits. Ranma angrily points out that this is ultimately all Genma's fault, as Genma was the one stupid enough to take them to China and then to Jusenkyo.

Ranma mocks Genma's choice of training ground, pointing out that he learned absolutely nothing useful there and what he came back with is humiliating. Genma retorts that Ranma should be grateful he still has his life and that Ranma's curse is his own fault for being so sloppy, which makes Ranma declare that his life may be one thing but his manhood is another.

At this, Genma insults Ranma's "whining" and asks how he expects to be able to inherit the Tendo Dojo if he doesn't keep training. This prompts Ranma to ask who said he ever wanted the dojo, pointing out that it was Genma's stupid idea and Akane certainly doesn't seem interested. Admitting that he may have gone a bit too far with that crack about her figure, he points out that Akane still didn't have any reason to hit him as hard as she did.

Genma admits that Akane is a little energetic, then asks if Ranma is seriously saying that he finds that unattractive. Ranma declares Akane to be more a short-tempered tomboy with the charm of a warthog than energetic, but Genma notes that Ranma might be protesting a trifle too much, then teases Ranma about blushing when Ranma seems a little unnerved by this observation. Genma then declares Ranma should be more truthful with himself and that his insincerity must stem from a basic lack of self-discipline.

In response to this observation, Ranma declares that they must have more in common than he thought, which angers Genma. Ranma brushes past his bluster and points out he's the victim, and thanks to Genma's great ideas of both going to Jusenkyo and engaging him to Akane he now has to deal with Tatewaki Kuno, who harrasses his male form for duels and his female form for dates, declaring that he has never been so humiliated in his life.

As an aside, Ranma mentions that Kodachi Kuno is just as bad as her brother is, and that Genma has no place calling Ranma undisciplined when Ranma once turned into a girl and wore a pink leotard to a fight. Sinking to one knee in despair, he points out that he never became a martial artist to become the master of a girls-only style like Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics... his despair turning to rage when he realizes that Genma has had the audacity to fall asleep during his talk.

He smashes Genma's face into the floor, declaring that Genma can't doze off when Ranma is only half done, then puts him in a painful hold and asks if Genma is still going to dare to say that Ranma needs more discipline.

Unconcerned with the pain Genma is suffering, Ranma idly mentions that it seems like everyone he knows gets mad at him, even for things that aren't his fault, going on to ask why he continually has to pay for crimes that Genma has committed when Genma tries to brush the matter off. When Genma proclaims innocence, Ranma pointedly reminds Genma of the incident with Ryoga in China, pointing out how he gained a vicious rival all because Genma wanted pork for dinner.

Genma tries to protest innocence, though Ranma will hear nothing of it, finally leading Genma to point out that Ranma has inherited some of Genma's flaws himself, reminding him of the mess with Shampoo caused by their visit to Nyuchiehzu. This makes Ranma release Genma, who uses it as an opportunity to declare that Ranma has brought his own shares of trouble to the Tendo Dojo, specifically referring to the incident when Shampoo decided his male form was her husband and the destruction she inflicted chasing after his female form, conveniently forgetting that absolutely nobody lifted a finger to help Ranma during that whole conflict.

This prompts Ranma to ask just what Genma's point is, and Genma finally loads his ultimate argument: if Ranma returns to China in pursuit of his cure, where does that leave Akane? Ranma tries to figure out an answer, but is disrupted by Soun sneaking into the Dojo and menacingly asking if Ranma is really going to just abandon his daughter like that. As Ranma tries to explain that isn't what he's saying at all, Genma immediately accuses Ranma of having had his evil way with the enthusiastically affectionate and acts horrorstruck that Ranma could allow himself to be seduced like that.

Soun rounds on Genma in a rage for allowing his son to be "such a pervert", and Ranma desperately tries to protest his innocence, angrily asking why nobody will ever listen to him. To make matters worse, the dojo is promptly invaded by the Tendo girls, the Kuno siblings, and Ryoga, none of whom are willing to be reasonable. Akane's sisters both accuse Ranma of planning to elope with Shampoo. Ryoga declares Ranma won't be going for a cure without him. And Tatewaki accuses Ranma of planning to flee the country and leave the score between them unsettled, while Kodachi latches onto Ranma and begs him not to leave her.

Akane, at last, blows her top and attacks Ranma with a shinai, sarcastically wishing him a happy life with Shampoo and starting a vicious brawl. As the fighters begin tearing the dojo apart, Ranma desperately asks what's so wrong with just wanting to be normal again and screams an affirmation of his masculinity when he somehow gets wet and Kuno latches onto his "pigtailed girl".

Trivia

 * This is the first episode in the series in which Ranma can be seen wearing a gi after the events of Jusenkyo.
 * When Ranma hits Genma for falling asleep when he's talking the following objects flash on the screen: the outline of a dog's face; three dolphins holding top hats; a star with Caret eyes; an eggplant; and Azusa Shiratori in Chibi form.
 * Despite having been long since replaced by Venus Terzo, Brigitta Dau's voice for female Ranma was retained in the first three flashbacks instead of Terzo redubbing over her.
 * After first mentioning Kodachi, Genma retorts by bringing up "Article 5, Item 3" of the Saotome Code of Anything-Goes Martial Arts. Only the subtitles explain what that actually says, to whit; "One must follow the paths of a warrior and a scholar". In both the dubbed and subbed versions, Ranma expresses surprise over hearing this code apparently exists, which suggests Genma may have just made it up on the spot.
 * STAFF
 * Script: Taku Nomoto
 * Director/Storyboard: Kazuhiro Furuhashi
 * Animation Director: Atsuko Nakajima