On Tue, 26 Nov 1996 21:17:52 -0900 (AKST) SunDogg said:
: just for those of us who don't have access to _any_anime on a regular
: basis, what are the special attacks of the Ranma.5 cast?
OK, it seems unlikely that you didn't get any answer in the
meantime, but I'll reply nonetheless. :) Please allow for
inaccuracies, since it's late and my memory is faulty to begin
with.
I'll begin with Ryouga, because one of Ranma's chi-attacks is
based on one of Ryouga's and I don't want to explain this back-to-
front. :) Ryouga has only one Chi-based technique that I know
of, namely the Shishi Houkoudan. This is a move that is fueled by
the emotions of the performer; Depression, to be specific.
The performer lets the emotion build up and channels this mental
energy into building Chi, which manifests itself in a upwards-
exploding pillar of light. The pillar then collapses in on itself
and transforms into a large ball of chi that blasts a huge crater
into the ground. The performer has to give all emotion over to
the blast in the moment the pillar erupts, otherwise the force of
the collapse will hit *him* - a side effect that Ranma uses when
fighting Ryouga. In a less strong use of this move Ryouga can
shoot spherical blasts of depression chi energy from his
outstretched palms.
Ryouga's other noteworthy technique, the Bakusai Tenketsu, is
*not* chi-based - It utilizes the internal tensions and fault
lines of rock. Basically you punch a hole into the rock with your
index finger and the rock shatters, sometimes explosively. No chi
is involved other than in the usual way that it is inherent in
*any* martial arts move.
Ranma has two Chi-based attacks: The Mouko Takabisha and the
Hiryuu Shouten Ha.
The Mouko Takabisha is a derivative of Ryouga's Shishi Houkoudan,
but based on a different emotion. After figuring out how to
perform the Shishi Houkoudan, Ranma manages to unleash some
blasts, but realizes that he will never achieve the power that
Ryouga's blasts have, since he is not as tuned in on the
depression that fuels this move. Following his father's advice he
develops a modified technique, which is basically the very same
move, only using confidence as emotional focus. He calls it Mouko
Takabisha.
The second Chi-based attack, the Hiryuu Shouten Ha, was taught to
him by Cologne to defeat Happousai, at a time when he was robbed
of all bodily strength by some kind of shiatsu technique applied
to him by the old pervert. It is *not* a blast like the Mouko
Takabisha, but *uses* chi to create a purely physical reaction.
The performer makes sure that his opponent is in enraged or
otherwise heated spirits, thus giving off "hot" chi. The performer
now circles the opponent with a spiralling motion, while keeping
calm to create "cold" chi. The interaction of the different
temperatures and motion will create spiralling streams in the air
and finally result in a sort of twister that centers on the circled
opponent and throws him up in the air. The trigger for this is a
"cool" punch, delivered into the "hot" center of the spiral,
making the twister materialize around the fist.
Several variations of this move are developed - mostly right on
the spot - and employed by Ranma during the manga. He uses a
revised form of the Hiryuu Shouten Ha, called Hiryuu Kourin Dan,
to beat Herb (basically he lets himself get caught in his own
Hiryuu Shouten Ha that Herb deflected, then channels the ambient
chi that was released in the fight into a *huge* blast that
descends upon Herb and knocks him senseless). The monumental
fight against Saffron in Volume 38 takes place for the most part
in the middle of a Hiryuu-Shouten-Ha-created tornado with both
participant throwing superpowered fire and ice attacks at each
other, and Ranma finally wins by shooting a condensed Hiryuu
Shouten Ha through a narrow "tunnel" of cold air amidst a field of
hot air. He also uses the technique to smash the giant dragon-
shaped waterspout, making it point upwards. He calls that move
Hiryuu Gyouten Ha. :)
Please note that Ranma's other famous technique, the Kachuu
Tenshin Amaguriken, is *not* chi based, but simply relies on
incredible speed through training. Also, the move is never
actually called thus in the manga. In fact "Kachuu Tenshin
Amaguriken" seems to be the name of the *training* method, used to
gain speed and Ranma utilizes this speed to perform the move that
has now been named after the training method. I hear that in the
Anime he actually shouts out this name whenever he uses the
technique. He doesn't really seem to use this speed-punching
move at all in the manga, outside the one fight with Ryouga.
Other noteworthy Chi-based attacks are performed by Herb, who uses
the Ryuusei Hishou that enables him to fly and the Hitou Ryuuzan Ha
which creates supernaturally sharp Chi "blades" that cut even
through rock. He knows the Hiryuu Shouten Ha and even how to
evade and deflect it. He claims to be knowledgeable in *any*
chi-based technique on earth, but still got caught by Ranma's
improvised Hiryuu Kourin Dan.
Miss Hinako employs a peculiar technique called Happou Goen Satsu
that enables her to "suck" chi from the victim into herself
through any suitable round object. She prefers five yen pieces,
after which the technique is named, but has used other coins and
round openings for the same purpose. She uses another technique,
the Happou Tsurisen Gaeshi, to shoot back the collected chi in a
blast. Both techniques turn up in various forms and applications,
each time renamed slightly to fit the different way of performance.
That are all the techniques I can remember and I am too tired to
look up any I might have forgotten. Go to the FAQ and read it
there - I'm sure you'll also find a lot more useful info about all
these techniques. In fact, you shoulda looked there *first*. :)
Sebastian