Bad Manors

Kaiki! O johin yakata (怪奇！ お上品館) is the 166th chapter of the manga and the second chapter of the Martial Arts Dining Arc.

Synopsis
Ranma travels to the Chateau Chardin and begins his training under Madame St. Paul. The first thing she does is put Ranma in an iron corset. She tells Ranma that she will remain in the corset until she shows some "elegance". That night Picolet throws a dinner party to celebrate his new bride-to-be.

Plot Overview
With Picolet having laid out the invitation, Soun, Ranma and Akane head to Chateau Chardin. As they wait for someone to open the door, Soun tearfully apologizes to Ranma for making her take his daughter's place. Ranma, however, tells him not to worry as she's sure she'll only need three days training before she can beat Picolet at his own game.

At that moment Picolet appears to greet his guests, prompting Ranma to immediately begin acting "cutesy" as she talks how excited she is for her training; as Akane looks on unimpressed with Ranma's act. This leads Picolet to "kiss" his future bride (engulfing Ranma's entire head with his elongating lips), resulting in Ranma sending Picolet flying.

Some time later, Picolet treats his guests to some snacks as he comments how modest the Japanese must be to react to a kiss so strongly. But just as Ranma is about to tuck in to some small cakes, a shadowy figure appears who throws several forks at Ranma, which she easily dodges. As the figure comments on how Ranma allows others to see her eat, Picolet introduces them as Madame St. Paul and explains that she'll oversee Ranma's bridal training. Madame St. Paul then places the cake on top of Ranma's head and asks her to try eating again. Ranma does as instructed, but is quickly pummelled by Madame St. Paul's frying pan when she tries grabbing the cake with her hand.

Looking on, Soun and Akane recall that Ranma spent his childhood training with his father, so it's not surprising that he doesn't have any table manners.

In order to help his future bride Picolet offers a demonstration, wherein he places another cake on his head as the others watch is seemingly disappear instantly. Picolet then continues by repeating what he did, only slower so Ranma can follow, revealing that he used his incredibly long tongue to grab the food without using his hands at all. This display shocks and disgusts Akane and Soun, as Ranma tries desperately to try getting her tongue to reach past her nose.

As Akane and Soun prepare to leave, Ranma informs Akane that she'll be staying as it's the only way she's ever going to be able to defeat Picolet. Hearing this Akane quickly puts her own feelings aside and hands over what she describes as a good luck charm for Ranma when she's in trouble. Ranma accepts the gift and, whilst Akane takes her leave, comments that there are times when she can almost like Akane.

Later that day the maids of the Chateau hear a terrible screaming echoing through the halls. Curious what the noise is, another maid explains that Picolet bought a new fiancé back to the manor so now must be going through Madame St. Pauls' bridal training.

Elsewhere, Ranma finds herself having been strapped into, what Madame St. Paul describes as, an Iron Corset and adds that, until she displays ladylike elegance worthy of entry into the family, it shall remain in place.

That evening Ranma is treated by Picolet to meal with other members of nobility, with her as the guest-of-honor. With tables of food laid out, Ranma attempts to help herself to some of the food, but quickly has it snatched by some of the guests. Upon this happening a second time, Ranma deduces that this must a part of the training and so resorts to using the speed of her hands to grab the food before the guests have chance to, but is quickly chastised by Madame St. Paul's frying pan for being seen eating.

Meanwhile, at the Tendo Dojo, the Tendos busily take about how Ranma must be gorging on french cuisine right now (as Soun quickly wishes that his "training" was just a matter of eating).

Back at Chateau Chardin and a starving Ranma retires to her bedroom for the night, having not had even a crumb of cake. Ranma then remembers Akane's gift and opens it to find two pills, which she takes as better than nothing. At the same time, Akane looks out from the Dojo balcony and guesses that Ranma's probably taken the "super digestion pills" she gave him. Meanwhile, Ranma cries at being even hungrier than before as Madame St. Paul comments on how inelegant Rama is whilst Picolet notes that he will look over Ranma, personally.

Cast in Order of Appearance

 * Soun Tendo
 * Ranma Saotome (female)
 * Akane Tendo
 * Picolet Chardin II
 * Madame St. Paul (debut)
 * Genma Saotome (human, flashback)
 * Ranma Saotome (male, flashback)
 * Genma Saotome (panda)
 * Nabiki Tendo
 * Kasumi Tendo

Quotes

 * (Akane) "Here! For good luck. Open it when you're in trouble."
 * (Ranma) ""Good"…?"
 * (Ranma) "Sometimes I can almost like her."
 * (Soun) "Don't worry about him, Akane. I have faith that Ranma will soon be as proficient in the techniques of Martial Arts Dining as Picolet himself!"
 * (Akane) "Don't you get it?! That's exactly what I'm afraid of!"
 * (Ranma) "So hungry… Nothing not even one crummy crumb o' crumb cake."

Trivia

 * The title page for this chapter is based on an illustration of, by.