Ranma ½ Season 3

Episode 6

So it seems like my recall of details from the original manga isn't immaculate (to be fair, it has been at least a couple of decades since I read certain chapters), as last time I wrote the fateful words “I'm sure all of this madness will be utterly forgotten next week.” I couldn't have been more wrong, as we return to the deranged Kuno household for more unhinged lunacy, helped along by a handy (and amusing) pre-credits recap!

I can't help but wonder if the dense Kuno siblings live in their enormous mansion without any supervision from other family members. In a way, that makes a lot of sense, as the kind of utter stupidity they both display can surely only come from profound ignorance and lack of correction from any responsible parent figure. Then there's the fact that the mansion's full of electrified traps, a creepy doll room, and an even creepier art gallery/toilet where Tatewaki Kuno presumably goes to… ahem… manage his sexual frustration, aided by copious images of his beloved Akane and Pigtail Girl. I wonder what Ranma makes of his female alter-ego's image forming a significant portion of his upperclassman's spank bank?

Except those photos aren't foremost in Ranma's mind right now; it's instead Kodachi's illicit image of them “almost kissing” he's after, or at least the negatives. Kodachi's a highly motivated femme fatale who's not above blackmailing the one she loves to get exactly what she wants. She's also not above poisoning, forcible restraint, and blunt head trauma to maneuver him into the desired position: incapacitated and vulnerable. Say what you will about her brother, he's just as obsessive as his sister, but his methods are rarely quite so underhanded or morally reprehensible.

In fact, Tatewaki Kuno's a simple soul at heart. All it takes to distract him is the promise of female Ranma bathing with him naked. For all of his moral protestations, it's clear none of his decisions are made by his head. At least, not the one above his shoulders. Ranma's flagrant abuse of feminine wiles (maybe not even that, perhaps just feminine nudity) would probably be deeply embarrassing to any other red-blooded male anime character, but Ranma's made of stronger stuff. Or, at least, squishier, fleshier stuff.

I'm glad we got another episode of Ranma and Akane bouncing off the Kuno siblings as the central not-quite-couple continue to let their pride get in the way of their true feelings. These four are a hilarious match-up. I'm not entirely sure we can blame Ranma's stomachache at the end merely on Akane's cursed cookies either. He did also eat a heap of photographs, and Kodachi's poisoned dinner, so maybe there's hope for our girl's cooking skills yet…?

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Ranma ½ Season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix.