Our team has found a tribe of Amazon women in China's interior...
Beginning with a news broadcast of a mystery found deep in the wilds of China, this episode revolves around the introduction of the series first Chinese character, Shampoo. As the news brief plays in the background, Ranma (while in girl form) and Akane converse on parfaits, Ranma confessing he’s always wanted to eat one. However, in the midst of Ranma explaining to Akane that men can’t be seen eating the girly desert, the beautiful Amazon Shampoo barges through the wall, intent on killing Ranma and nearly destroying the ice cream parlor in the process. Narrowly escaping her wrath, Ranma begins explaining himself to a confused Akane, flashing back to China where he first met Shampoo. Walking back from Jusenkyo, Ranma and his father are starving when they come across a large banquet of food, which is to be given to the winner of an Amazon battle tournament. As reason is overcome by appetite, they feast on Shampoo’s grand prize. In an effort to win the prize fair and square, Ranma battles with Shampoo for the title, quickly defeating the best of the Amazon tribe. Upon winning Ranma is presented with the kiss of death, finding out that the Amazons will not be defeated by outsiders without vengeance. And so- it becomes Shampoos mission to chase Ranma to the ends of the earth until she finally defeats him. After dodging Shampoo at the ice cream parlor, Ranma returns home luckily in male form, to find Shampoo sitting at the table with Kasumi having a pot of tea. However, spotting Akane, Shampoo attacks, rembering her association with female Ranma. Coming to Akane’s rescue, Ranma kicks Shampoo’s weapon out from her hands, it accidently landing smack dab on Shampoo’s head, knocking her out. When Shampoo comes to, Ranma is convinced Shampoo will now be after his male half, when, in a comedic twist, Shampoo falls head over heals for him. In the same aggressive manner she showed to his female half, Shampoo instantly goes right in for a kiss, referring to Ranma as “wo da airen” or my beloved husband in Chinese. To this, an embarrassed and confused Ranma is completely taken aback, while an enraged and jealous Akane throws Shampoos weapon at Ranma knocking him out. Eventually, Shampoo hands the Tendo’s a copy of Amazon law, which states that if a man should defeat an Amazon, she must marry him. The rest of this episode is complete pandemonium, as Shampoo alternates between wanting to kill Ranma, and just wanting him. Ranma attempts to coax Shampoo out of this disposition, stating, "That Amazon stuff is okay when your in China, but this is Japan, forget about that kill the girls and marry the guys rule." Between a jealous Akane, who splashes Ranma with cold water whenever she sees him coincidentally in an incriminating position with shampoo, and the conniving Nubiki, who splashes Ranma with cold water only to sell him hot water, Ranma spends the rest of the episode running from girls. Just as in the first episode, the new stranger from China brings chaos to the Tendo household, bringing with her not only the odd traditions of the Amazons, but mysterious memory loosing potions, ghost cats, and several other magical products throughout the series. Unlike the Tendo girls, Shampoos character is sexually aggressive, scantily clad, and overtly ethnic, speaking in a mix of Chinese and broken Japanese. Despite the fact that Ranma himself is succumbing to tradition in his arranged marriage with Akane, this episode seems to point out that what is different is distinguished by what is foreign.
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