This episode revolves around upperclassman Tatewaki Kuno, or as he likes to refer to himself, "The Blue Thunder of Furinkan High,” a highly delusional and egotistical character who is prone to spouting off Shakespeare at any given moment. Like many of the other young men at Furinkan High, Kuno is smitten with Akane, and declares that whoever wishes to take the worthy competitor out on a date would have to first defeat her in battle, consequently leading to Akane’s constant struggle to get to class on time as she battle’s with half of the men at Furinkan High every morning before school. However, upon the knowledge of Ranma’s engagement to his beloved, Kuno comes barging down the hallway after Ranma, who like Kuno and Akane, was kicked out of class and standing out in the hallway with a bucket of cold water as punishment. Narrowly managing to maneuver around the spilling buckets of water, Ranma leads the way outside for the fight. Taking a shortcut through an open window on the third floor, Ranma is shocked to find he is falling straight into a pool, and as far as he knows, straight to his mortification as everyone discovers his secret. Trying to remain under the water and out of sight, he is accosted by Kuno, who unknowingly reaches for Ranma and grabs his very female chest. A violated and now enraged Ranma responds by knocking out Kuno and flies out of the pool, heading straight for the cover of trees. Interestingly enough, although Ranma has only been a woman for a short period of time, he is still shamed by Kuno grabbing his chest, knowing the sexual connotations of such an act, even as an accident. Luckily, Akane comes to Ranma’s rescue throwing Ranma a kettle of hot water, as she tries to distract Kuno by challenging to him to a duel. In a funny twist of events, a kick from Akane sends Kuno straight into the tree, where Ranma sits in girl form pantsless. Although Ranma is under the impression Kuno has discovered his secret, he soon finds the very dense Kuno is completely in the dark, assuming Ranma has ran away leaving a women in his place. Upon seeing the strange pigtailed girl from the pool, Kuno audaciously exclaims, “Have you seen a strange man with a pigtail, cowards die so many more times before their deaths, no doubt he feared my prowess, THAT MAN IS NO MAN! HE IS NOT A MAN!" Ironically, Kuno has no idea of the literal nature of his assertion as he questions the transformed Ranma on his own whereabouts. Unbeknownst to Kuno the extent of his rightness, Ranma’s physical transformations indeed render him periodically “not a man”, however, his declaration insinuates that there is more to a man then physicality, but that a man is only a man if he carries the correct virtues, as he states that Ranma’s cowardice is what removes his manhood. At this insult, Ranma completely forgets that he is in his transformed state, and jumps to fight and quickly conquer Kuno, being one of the many instances where Ranma shows he too believes in what it means to be “manly” which is characterized by violence and honor. Afterwards Kuno obsesses over the pigtailed girl who so easily defeated him, when Nubiki sensing an opportunity, lays across his desk and asserts she knows how to get a hold of the strange girl in Chinese dress. Sending Nubiki home with a letter addressed, “to the tree born kettle girl” Kuno proposes a meeting between Kuno and Ranma’s girl half before school. Ranma, in true hot head fashion shows up ready to fight, when Kuno in a surprising and gender bending moment throws Ranma a bouquet of flowers stating “I love you pigtailed girl”.
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