Ryoga & Akane: 2-Gether, 4-Ever

Ryoga & Akane: 2-Gether, 4-Ever (Netsuai? Ryōga to Akane 熱愛?良牙とあかね ) is the second episode in the third season of Ranma ½, known as "Hard Battle", and is the 42nd episode overall.

Relation to the Previous Episode
Takes place directly after the previous episode, Ranma Gains Yet Another Suitor, and plays off of the events that took place in that episode.

Plot Summary
Hauling a tanuki statue atop his back as a present for Akane, Ryoga Hibiki wanders aimlessly in search of her, vowing to himself that this time, he will tell her his true feelings for her. He doesn't realise that he has walked right into the grounds of Furinkan High School until he hears some of the students gossiping about Ranma's new fiancee.

Having only just arrived themselves, Akane is concerned about the way everyone is gossiping over the arrival of Ukyo Kunoji - and her revelation of her engagement to Ranma. Ranma, on the other hand, is nonchalant, assuring Akane it will all blow over soon. Hiroshi and Daisuke mob Ranma, making lecherous comments that prompt an angry bark from the heir to the Saotome School. Regaining his cool, he declares it's not his problem nor his idea if Ukyo has developed a crush on him... which is when Ryoga declares Ranma is the one who's going to be crushed and smashes him under the tanuki statue. This is only his opening volley and Ryoga is soon passionately punching and kicking at Ranma, who does not fight back but instead protests that this is not his fault and he didn't try to get engaged to Ukyo. Akane alternates between supporting Ranma and making statements that, while helpful on the surface, just make things worse (declaring Ranma is free to date whoever he wants just makes Ryoga declare that he must punish Ranma for Akane's own good).

Ukyo promptly comes to Ranma's defense, but discovers very quickly that Ryoga outclasses her. Still dressed in her male transfer student uniform, while Ryoga does initial hesitate at Akane's declaration of Ukyo's gender, he promptly declares that Ukyo is clearly another boy and resumes attacking, to Ukyo's indignation. Ryoga's tendency to get flustered around women is ultimately his downfall; Ranma disrupts a diving attack of Ryoga's by pulling open Ukyo's just-sliced shirt and baring Ukyo's shibari-bound breasts. Ryoga immediately loses momentum with a bleeding nose, something that Ranma takes advantage of to kick him through the air to smack head-first into a tree branch. This doesn't phase him - when Ranma throws Ryoga's tanuki statue at him, causing his head to smash into the tree hard enough to crater it, that's another story. Ranma's moment of smug triumph barely lasts a heartbeat before an embarrassed Ukyo dents her spatula over his head, flusteredly pointing out that he didn't need to flash her breasts to the whole school to beat him.

Akane's sympathy, meanwhile, is drawn to Ryoga, and she promptly carries him to the school nurse. There, Ryoga wakes to her gentle guilt on how he got hurt while trying to avenge her honor. Ryoga shyly asks if she's not too mad at him, to which Akane (apparently) places a hand on his while asking how she could be mad at him. Courage bolstered, Ryoga tries yet again to begin to confess his feelings - only for Ranma, in female form, to suddenly pop up between Ryoga and Akane (it's unclear whether he was the one holding Ryoga's hand to begin with or not) and playfully declare that s/he didn't know Ryoga cared. Freaked out and annoyed, Akane and Ryoga promptly beat Ranma up, douse her in hot water, and boot him out through the curtains, with Ryoga's tanuki statue going along for added weight. Grumbling to herself about what an obnoxious pest Ranma can be, Akane gently encourages Ryoga to not let Ranma's antics get to him, almost flirtatiously telling Ryoga that he's much more mature than his rival.

While Ranma and Ukyo are eavesdropping on this, Ukyo's reaction is not the disgruntlement of her fiance. Instead, she smiles; she has a plan...

That evening, Ryoga wanders the streets, even more aimlessly than usual. When he recollects Akane's statement, he idly buries a fist in a nearby telephone pole and painfully declares that if he was really mature, he'd actually tell Akane how he felt and not be such a wimp. And that is when Ukyo makes her presence known, having managed to successfully track him down. She winningly promises that she's on his side, not an enemy, and introduces herself; Ryoga can only respond to her declaration of being "Ranma's cute fiancee" by dryly noting that he can see why Ranma has kept her a secret. Still, intrigued despite himself, he follows her to her new business, Okonomiyaki Ucchan's, where she brings up the topic of him going on a date with Akane. Ryoga reveals he'd love to date Akane, but then shoots himself down, declaring she'd never agree. Ukyo asks if he's really so sure of that and offers to set him up on a date with her. At that, Ryoga gets overwrought, nervously twiddling his fingers and babbling about how serious such a move is until Ukyo snaps at him, asking if he wants to date Akane or not. When Ryoga pulls himself together and is clear that he does, Ukyo finishes up writing a love letter okonomiyaki, declaring she'll deliver it there personally if Ryoga gives her a map.

Just before dawn the next day, the exhausted Ukyo finally reaches the Tendo Dojo, cursing Ryoga for a jackass that sent her across half of Tokyo to find the place. Leaving the box with the love letter on top of the tanuki statue now standing outside of the Tendo Dojo, she staggers home in hopes of getting some sleep.

Ukyo's plan isn't going to go as she desired; Ryoga managed to make his way to the Tendos ahead of her, in P-chan guise, and spent the night in Akane's bed. As a result, first thing in the morning, Ranma starts chasing the boy-turned-pig around the house; Akane is just receiving the love letter when they come flying through, knocking the box out of her hands and stepping on the portion of it with Ryoga's name inscribed on it. As a result, Akane takes note of the letter "to Akane, from Ukyo" on the box and leaps to the assumption that it's a challenge.

Ranma loses track of Ryoga, but runs into Ukyo, who is all too eager to tell him some special news; she has set Ryoga up on a date with Akane. At this, Ranma scoffs that it will work, Ukyo wondering nervously why he seems so sure, as Ranma goes on to mimic Akane's likely reaction, which he claims will be wondering what sort of dress she can wear and hoping her work out doesn't make her too sweaty. At this, Ukyo wonders if maybe she really is the the cute fiancee after all. Going their seperate ways, Ranma returns leisurely to the Tendo Dojo to discover that, save for some broken bricks, there's no sign of Akane. Kasumi tells Ranma that Akane left a little while ago, looked excited, and left a message for Ranma to stay out of her business. Unaware of Akane's misconceptions, and with visions of Akane and Ryoga taunting him to go away and then turning passionately towards each other, Ranma promptly heads to the bathroom, drenches himself in cold water, and starts going through his disguise kit.

Akane shows up at Ukyo's shop, dressed in her gi and headband and ready to meet Ukyo's challenge. She is, naturally, almost as bemused by Ukyo's reaction to her apparel as Ukyo is bemused that Akane really is as tomboyish as Ranma made her out to be. Ryoga arrives shortly after, shyly presenting Akane a withered bouquet, and the two are gently ushered to some seats as Ukyo proudly gives them a free deluxe-sized heart-shaped okonomiyaki, which she declares is in honor of their first date. Akane immediately realises that Ukyo's plan is to try and hook her up with Ryoga, thus leaving Ranma and Ukyo free to become a couple. She also immediately leaps to the conclusion that Ryoga is being used and tricked by Ukyo, as she thinks he's far too "good hearted" to have something to do with an underhanded scheem like this. Still, she holds her tongue, waiting for the right moment, instead choosing to partake of some of Ukyo's okonomiyaki. She admits to Ryoga that it actually tastes good; Ryoga is so out of it with joy at being on a date with Akane that he just ends up eating the clay cup he was holding beforehand.

Several minutes pass by in silence as Ryoga thinks to himself, wondering whether or not this is the right moment to tell Akane that he loves her. Mustering his courage, he starts to speak - but picks the very moment that Akane is doing so, ending up backing down again. Desperately he wonders where Ukyo is, but when she appears from the backroom, it is no comfort that she brings; she announces that she has a quick errand to run and attempts to make a quick exit, stage left. Ryoga immediately chases her, catching her at the door; to Ukyo's growing exasperation, he makes it clear that he has absolutely no confidence and is so overwhelmed by nervousness that he can't think of anything to do but babble and beg for Ukyo to stay and help him. Ukyo's frustrated demand to know if Ryoga was born stupid or just grew that way is all the excuse Akane needs to interject and declare that they shouldn't force Ryoga to put up with trying to be pretend to be on a date with her.

Ukyo and Ryoga both immediately shout back that Ryoga wants this, Ryoga finally managing to muster the drive to begin to confess that he has been in love with Akane since the very first moment he laid eyes on her... pity he doesn't have the chance to say more than how long ago it happened before a fierce impact to the back of the head drives him to the other end of the shop, cutting him off before he can tell her the emotion she inspires in him. Furiously, Ryoga turns to see who attacked him, only to wilt when it is revealed to be a furious, bespectacled girl in a pink dress and blue hat, with long brown hair. This stranger demands to know how Ryoga can be on a date with some strange woman, latching onto him in a possessive embrace. This, of course, causes Ryoga to defensively demand she let him go, declaring he's never seen her in his life before. When Ukyo finally demands to know who she is, she declares that she is Ryoga's fiancee, to the shock of all present. Ryoga slumps to his knees in defeat, murmuring to himself how he could not have known - to this, the stranger casually replies that she's not surprised he didn't remember, as they were but babes when their well-meaning yet meddlesome fathers engage them.

She is cut off by Akane pulling fiercely on her hair - or, rather, her pigtail. Close scrutiny revealed the stranger's true identity to Akane, that of Ranma Saotome in a wig, dress and glasses, and she furiously hisses her displeasure at this trick to Ranma. Ranma remains staunchly in character, which just gives Akane further reason to wonder if maybe he's gone completely insane, while Ukyo focuses on smacking some sense into Ryoga (literally) and demanding to know if he's seriously going to let some weirdo come out of nowhere, claim to be his fiancee, and thusly ruin his chance of finally confessing his love to Akane? Ryoga realises she's right and resumes trying - only to be cut off when Ranma hurls the contents of a bucket of water at him, threatening him with the "in-character" excuse that she won't let him "abandon her", repeating this until Ryoga has fled the shop. Akane is not impressed, but it is the personally slighted Ukyo, unaware of Ranma's curse yet, who attacks Ranma, furious at the interference of this "stranger". Ranma promptly grabs Ryoga and drags him away, even as Ukyo and Akane pursue, for their own reasons.

Some time later, Ranma and Ryoga are hidden in the bushes of a nearby park, Akane and Ukyo seperating to look for them. Ryoga asks in an irritated fashion asks why he has to hide, getting more annoyed when Ranma tries to shush him... but when she taunts him by asking if there's already somebody he's in love with, and calling him "P-chan", that makes him shut up. Disbelieving, timidly, he asks how she knew, whereupon she declares she knows everything about him. This prompts him to ask in a dreamy fashion if that means she knows and yet still wants him. This is definately more than Ranma bargained for; realising what that dreamy look and the way he's clasped her hands mean, she slaps him and tries to stammer excuses, but Ryoga won't hear anything of it, declaring that they were meant to be and pushing her to the ground in his eagerness. Screaming that she's not that kind of girl, Ranma quickly beats Ryoga into unconsciousness, though not without getting scuffed up herself.

The sound draws Akane to them, and she roughly hurls Ranma aside in her concern to tend to Ryoga. When Ranma childishly pulls Ryoga's face into a silly grin, Akane slams her geta onto Ranma's head and demands to know why she has to keep torturing him. Ranma merely taunts her about spoiling her little "date", whereupon Akane, smiling, realises that Ranma must be jealous - this clearly strikes too many nerves for Ranma's brain to control her mouth, as she promptly denounces a (justifiably indignant) Akane as an alleycat, ranting about how one lousy love letter dribbled in sauce leaves her "raring to go". Utterly furious, Akane drenches Ranma in hot water, proclaims that he be naked if he was any more "raring to go", and then boots him skywards. Grumbling to herself about how she thought it was a challenge, not a date invitation, she declares that if that's the way Ranma's going to think about her, then that's what she's going to do; she carries Ryoga back to her home, Ukyo sneaking along discretely, then leaves him to wait outside while she changes into something suited for a date.

Ranma, meanwhile, finds his luck going much worse; even as he complains that Akane didn't need to splash him as well as kick him, as his reputation is going to go to hell in a handbasket if people see him running around in a dress, he climbs out of the wastebin he landed in to find himself in front of a band of women. Disgusted and mortified, they grab him, tear his dress off, and proceed to give him a thorough kicking.

Back at the Tendo Dojo, Ryoga is dumbstruck when Akane finally emerges in a pretty little dress, wondering if maybe she really does like him back - he promptly turns to a nearby telephone pole and starts beating his head furiously against it, calling himself stupid with each blow. Even as Akane asks in concern what the matter is, Ryoga states that it didn't hurt, so this must be a dream. Then the pole snaps off where he was headbutting it and falls on him, smashing against the back of his head. That, he notes, hurt a little, so this really must be real. Akane, seeing how the bypassers are looking at them oddly, promptly tells him they need to get out of here and goes running off, Ryoga following in her wake.

Ukyo watches all of this with a smile; apparently, that weirdo wasn't a total deal-killer after all. She starts in horor when, looking toward the sound of Ranma's voice, she sees her fiance stripped down to his boxers, battered and scuffed up, and asks him what happened. He refuses to answer, whereupon she suggests that they make Akane and Ryoga jealous for a change. Ranma gruffly agrees to this, which makes Ukyo squee in delight; even if it is just to make Akane mad, she's got Ranma going on a date with her.

Ryoga and Akane decide to take a romantic boatride... and discover, to their disappointment, that Ukyo and Ranma follow them, Ranma deliberately taunting Ryoga. Finally, he and Ukyo provoke Akane so much that she plucks a nearby "No Fishing" sign from the water and throws it at Ranma; he dodges this effortlessly... but Ryoga swats him into the water with an oar in an equally effortless action. Scornfully, he declares that a two-timer like Ranma has no right to call himself Akane's fiance... which is when "Ryoga's fiancee" drags herself out of the water, furiously demanding to know who Ryoga is calling a two-timer. Slapping Ryoga across the face, she reminds him of how he acted towards her back in the park, then maliciously whispers to him that she's the only girl he'll ever find who won't be bugged by his curse. While Ryoga writhes in indecision, Ukyo can't take no more, grabbing her battle spatula and lashing out at the girl who - unbeknownst to her - is really her own fiance.

The swipe is dodged, but she hooks off Ranma's wig, meaning that while Ranma makes her last dramatic claim, Ryoga's query about whether she really means it is instinct before he sees Ranma's uncovered hair - and immediately realises what this means. Akane declares that Ranma had better get while the getting's good, prompting Ukyo to shriek if she just called this girl "Ranma" even as Akane clambers onto Ukyo's own boat. Spitting mad, barking about how this isn't the first time he's done this, Ryoga attacks Ranma in a frenzy... until Ranma nimbly evades Ryoga's jump-kick by simply leaping over the top of his head. Ryoga, just as nimbly, grabs Ranma out of the air, hurls her into the water, then uses her head as a kick-off to reach the shore. Once there, melodramatically he notes to himself that in his heart, he betrayed Akane, no matter his reasons. Akane rows to the shore, dumps the semi-conscious Ranma there and upbraids her before apologetically turning to Ryoga, noting she has no idea why Ranma keeps teasing her. Ryoga simply sadly tells her goodbye and then runs off, tears in his eyes as he thinks to himself that he no longer has the right to love her.

All three girls give pursuit, Akane snapping at Ranma that this is her fault, even as the guilty transformed boy declares she didn't expect Ryoga to take it this bad. Leaping a hedge brings Ryoga smack into an active sprinkler; by the time the girls have caught him, he has reverted to P-chan; Akane immediately forgets about her pursuit of Ryoga to instead call P-chan to her. Though initially Ryoga tries to run off, he then stops and turns around, leaping into Akane's arms, when she calls him a second time. This does not please Ranma, but her unthinking declaration of Ryoga being "closer than (Akane) thinks, as usual" draws Ukyo's attention. Sarcastically, she asks if Ranma is really Ranma, then declares she can't be, as Ranma is twice the man he ought to be, right before grabbing Ranma by the collar and demanding she reveal where Ranma is.

Ranma's response; a flat "you asked for it".

At the Tendo Dojo that night, Ukyo expresses sympathy for all that Ranma has been through since going to China... not that this stops her from repeatedly dousing Ranma with hot and cold water, noting that this is such fun that she could keep doing it for hours. In fact, Ranma is far more occupied with this than with Akane's firm scolding that he is to apologise to Ryoga, who is a sensitive soul (and, not though she is aware of it, sitting in her arms and nodding with every statement she says). When Ranma finally explodes at Ukyo for constantly activating and deactivating his curse, only to be met with a casual "party pooper" attitude, he frustratedly asks what he's done to deserve this. Seeing P-chan causes Ranma to bop him on the skull, angrily pointing out that he's in no position to laugh. P-chan promptly sinks his teeth into Ranma's hand.

Trivia

 * This episode introduces Ukyo Kuonji to Ranma's curse. Perhaps because of her own experience with having to crossdress and masquerade as a boy, she shows no signs of judging him negatively for having it.
 * This episode introduces Ukyo's home and place of business, Okonomiyaki Ucchan's.
 * This anime version lacks a scene from the manga where Ukyo is introduced to Soun and he promptly starts attacking Ranma because of the deal Genma made.
 * In the manga, Ranma is quite content to leave Akane off to date with Ryoga once she beats him up for pretending to be Ryoga's fiancee the first time. It is Soun Tendo who forces him to go along.
 * Though they were first revealed in the previous episode, Ukyo is shown in this episode to still make use of shibari (cloth strips, traditionally wound around the waist of male warriors) to bind her breasts in place of using a bra.
 * Ukyo evidently truly believes Ranma and Akane are both unhappy with their engagement and sincerely disinterested with each other, as shown by how she actively seeks Ranma out to tell him of how she has arranged a date between Ryoga and Akane.
 * This episode is a good example of how hypocritical Akane can be; while she recurrently becomes furious at the very possibility Ranma may be on a date with somebody else, she has absolutely no qualms about deliberately going out on a date to make Ranma jealous or otherwise get back at him. Furthermore, she has no qualms about the fact that she is taking advantage of Ryoga, who she considers to be a good friend who has no interest in her, even though she was angered by Ukyo doing the exact same thing.
 * When Ranma claims to be Ryoga's fiancee, her comments are clearly a reference to Ranma's own engagement to Akane or even Ukyo.
 * This makes twice that Ranma has disguised his girl side as another woman entirely by using glasses.