The Cursed Spatula

The Cursed Spatula (呪いのヘラ) is the 322nd chapter of the manga and the first and only chapter of the Cursed Spatula Arc.

Ukyo gets a strange phone call that simply says "cursed spatula" before hanging up. She tells Ranma and Akane that it sounded like her friend Occhan, a fellow chef. When they arrive at his restaurant, he tells they find him laying on the floor with a spatula by his hand. Due to his strange appearance (his head is spatula shaped) they assume the spatula transformed him, but he explains that he has always looked this way.

Investigation
Ukyo is busy cooking some for Ranma and Akane when she suddenly gets a phone call. Ukyo answers, but the person at the other end only mutters "Cursed... Spatula..." before having up. This sends Ukyo into a worried panic, so she, Ranma and Akane go to Occhan, a fellow Okonomiyaki chef who recently acquired The Cursed Spatula. As they run there, Ukyo explains that the spatula is part of a famous story amongst Okonomiyaki chefs. She continues by saying that many have tried to use the spatula, but all have failed and whoever touches the spatula has met with incredibly bad luck. So since Occhan recently got the spatula, she bets that something awful is happening.

The trio soon arrive at Okonomiyaki Heracles, where they're met with Occhan, who's lying on the floor holding a spatula as it burns a nearby cushion. Ukyo rushes to Occhan's side, as Ranma asks if he's the Cursed Spatula (due to Occhan's head being the exact same shape as a spatula), causing Ukyo to reiterate that Occhan isn't the Cursed Spatula. Akane is slightly set aback by Occhan's appearance and asks him if it was the Cursed Spatula which made him look that way he does. Occhan calls Akane an idiot and adds that he's always looked like this.

Occhan turns his attention to Ukyo and tells her that it was the Cursed Spatula which reduced him to his current, weakened state. Ranma then looks where Occhan is pointing and picks up the spatula which was burning the cushion.

The Spatula Strikes Again
Just as Ranma grabs the spatula, Occhan tells them that they must never touch that spatula. Ranma then removes his grip from the spatula, but is stays on his hand. He then tries shaking it off but is still won't budge, much to his, Akane's and Ukyo's shock and horror.

Occhan then darkly notes that the spatula will remain stuck to the hand of whoever touches it and does not use it correctly. Ranma then begins hitting Occhan for not mentioning this before he picked the spatula up. Akane then asks what Occhan means by "use it correctly", causing Ukyo to tell Akane that the spatula was meant to make Okonomiyaki. Ranma then proceeds to try and make some Okonomiyaki. All goes well until Ranma is about to touch the Okonomiyaki with the spatula, where the spatula produces a laser beam to reduce the Okonomiyaki to dust.

The spatula then begins hitting Ranma on the head, before flying through the window with Ranma in tow. The sight of an Okonomiyaki spatula not liking having to make Okonomiyaki comes to a surprise to both Ukyo and Akane.

Meanwhile, Kuno is walking the streets of Furinkan while reading his, which mentions that his day will be filled with drama and that the future holds possibilities of a fiery encounter. Just then the spatula connects with the back of Kuno's heads and begins burning it. Obvious angered, Kuno turns and begins attacking Ranma with his, while telling Ranma that he doesn't desire a fiery encounter with him. Ranma defends with the spatula, while telling Kuno he doesn't know what he's talking about.

Just then Ukyo and Akane catch up with Ranma. Ukyo quickly puts some Okonomiyaki batter on Kuno's head and Ranma jumps in an attempt to cook it with the spatula. However, the spatula launches another laser beam, only this time it hits Ranma and allows Kuno with an opening to hit him with his Bokken. With Ranma gone, Kuno turns his attention to Akane and asks her is they can share a fiery encounter. This angers Akane, who kicks Kuno into the air.

Solving the Curse
Elsewhere, Ryoga is doing his usual wanderings and wondering whether or not his should read the letter which Akari sent him. Ryoga is apprehensive to read it as whenever he thinks about Akane he just can't let her go and feels like he's two-timing her. Eventually Ryoga decides that there's no way he's not reading the letter and begins to plush as he reads. Behind him, however, Ranma and the spatula are about to land after being launched by Kuno.

Suddenly, the spatula unleashes another laser beam that hits Ryoga's letter and reduces it to dust. Ryoga is infuriated by this, so begins to rapidly attack Ranma with his umbrella. Akane then suddenly appears throws some more Okonomiyaki batter towards Ranma. The sight of Akane causes all hatred in Ryoga to vanish as he quickly says hello to her, Akane (slightly confused) says hello back to Ryoga.

The spatula then becomes angered and launches another laser beam, this time hitting the batter and severally burning Ryoga (who inadvertently acts as a human shield to protect Akane). As Ryoga collapses, Ukyo notices a smell and uses her giant spatula to catch the Okonomiyaki that's hurtling towards her and Akane.

Ranma asks the pair if they're alright, to which Ukyo says that they are, but not to mind about that as the spatula cooked the Okonomiyaki perfectly. Ranma is overjoyed that the spatula can finally be removed, but after removing his grip and shaking his hand the spatula remains firmly stuck to his hand.

Occhan then staggers up to the group and tells them they forgot the seaweed. So Ranma quickly puts some seaweed powder onto the Okonomiyaki, yet still the spatula remains stuck. Ranma then begins to despair about the spatula not coming off, while Ukyo wonders what the deal is as they followed the recipe perfectly. Just then Ranma remembers back to when they met Occhan and how the cushion near him was burning. Ranma decides to take a handkerchief and spray it with a good amount of starch.

He then irons the handkerchief with the spatula and it immediately comes off. Occhan then mutters that he told them they have to use it properly, causing Ranma to angrily add "if it was an iron". Ranma then kicks Occhan into the air while asking him if he knew it was an iron in the first place why didn't he say so. Ukyo then wonders why an Okonomiyaki chef doing with a spatula-shaped iron. Akane, meanwhile, tells Ryoga she's sorry for getting him involved in his, to which Ryoga says that there's no need to apologise.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Ukyo Kuonji
 * Ranma Saotome (male)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Occhan (debut)
 * Tatewaki Kuno
 * Ryoga Hibiki (human)
 * Akari Unryu

Trivia

 * The cover of Kuno's horoscope indicates that he has the.
 * The Japanese version of this chapter contain multiple puns which are difficult to translate into other languages, including:
 * Okonomiyaki Heracles, is a pun on "hera" being Spatula in Japanese.
 * Occhan frequently calls people "beraboume" which means idiot (hera/bera rhyme)
 * Occhan also says "nori" (usually assumed to mean Seaweed), which can also mean "starch" in laundry.
 * Similarly, "kiji" can mean "uncooked batter" but also "cloth".