The Neko-Ken Arc is the eighth story arc covered in the Ranma ½ manga, spanning five chapters. It was included across volume 4 of the Viz Media publication and in volume 5 of the Weekly Shōnen Sunday publication.
Plot Summary[]
Determined to find his rival's weakness, Kuno hires the quiet Hikaru Gosunkugi to tail Ranma in the hope of finally discovering what his weakness is. Despite initially failing[1] Gosunkugi eventually learns of Ranma's ailurophobia which he got after his father attempted to teach him Nekoken.[2] With this knowledge in hand, Gosunkugi devices a plan to lead Ranma to the basement of Furinkan High where he has placed a large number of domestic cats and even a Tiger.[3]
Unfortunately when Ranma falls for Gosunkugi's plan the true terror of the Nekoken is revealed, which results in Ranma's mentality to be reduced to that of a wild cat.[3][4] With Ranma now seemingly unstoppable, Akane and Genma do their best to try and get him back to his normal self. Fortunately Ranma jumps onto Akane's lap, where he starts to calm down, but not before nudging his head against Akane almost as if they were kissing.[4]
The news of Ranma and Akane "kissing" quickly reaches the ears of Ranma's infuriated rivals. Once he arrives at Dr. Tofu's Clinic, Ranma argues with Akane over what happened the day before, made worse by Ranma declaring he would've kissed anyone when using the Nekoken. Upon returning home Ranma decides to take a bath when a suddenly a cat walks in. Terrified, Ranma falls into the bath followed by the cat which remerges as Shampoo.[5]
Chapters Covered[]
| Image | Chapter Number | Arc Number | English Chapter Name | Japanese Chapter Name | Anime Counterpart(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
弱点さがし (Jakuten sagashi) |
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|
弱点みつけた (Jakuten mitsuketa) |
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|
猫地獄への招待 (Neko jigoku e no shotai) |
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|
猫拳パニック (Neko-ken panikku) |
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|
誰でもよかったの (Dare demo yokatta no) |
Major Events[]
- Kuno hires Gosunkugi to find Ranma's weak point.
- Ranma is revealed to suffer from Ailurophobia.
- While using his Nekoken, Ranma kisses Akane in front of the whole student body.
- Shampoo returns from Japan, now with her own Jusenkyo curse.
Changes in anime[]
- Gosunkugi won't be introduced until much later in the anime. Instead, his role is filled out by the original character Sasuke Sarugakure. His role in the story is the same, but gags and interactions with others are a bit different.
- The Mysterious Cat from Shampoo shows up at the beginning, not the end of the arc.
Characters Introduced[]
- Hikaru Gosunkugi
- Hanachiyo
- Shampoo (cat)
References[]