IMPORTANT NOTE: I welcome response and criticism on the FAQ; but if you 
have something to say, e-mail it to me at either kumonryuu@hotmail.com 
or ayiekie@hotmail.com; do NOT spam up the list.  Thank you. ^_^

Important note the second: Yes, I'm back.  <evil chuckle>

The Pantyhose Tarou FAQ

                           Version 2.1

                   By Blade (kumonryuu@hotmail.com)


1) What's the point of this?

This FAQ was created in order to give readers information on
Pantyhose (Pansuto) Tarou, one of the most interesting Ranma
characters, who is sadly almost unknown over here.  This FAQ assumes 
that people have knowledge up to the current stage of Viz releases.

2) What's "Ranma"?

Umm...you need more help than I can give here, I'm afraid.  I
recommend checking out one of the numerous Ranma 1/2 homepages, and 
picking up the Viz translations of the anime and/or manga.

3) Alright, shoot.  Who is Pantyhose Tarou?

Okay.  Tarou, as a baby, was baptised by Happousai in the spring of
drowned yeti riding bull carrying crane and eel 
(Niuhoomanmaoorenniichuan...try saying -that- five times fast!). 

Many years later, he steals the Jyusenkyou client register from the
Guide, and proceeds to track down everyone who's been to 
Jyusenkyou, finally ending up in Nerima.

Upon his arrival , he attempts to find the person who named him
by attacking anyone with a Jyusenkyou curse-beating up Ryouga,
Mousse and Genma in short order.  Ranma is now forewarned of a
powerful new threat, so when Tarou attacks him with cold water,
Ranma is able to get out of the way.  They fight for a short time
inconclusively until it starts to rain, and then Tarou changes into
his cursed form-a huge winged minotaur-and quickly defeats
Onna-Ranma.  As he is about to finish his opponent off, however,
Happousai finally appears and stops him.  Tarou instantly attacks
the old lech, but he uses one of his Happoudaikarin fuse bombs. 
Tarou, apparently deciding this isn't going to be as easy as he
thought, breaks off the fight and kidnaps Akane, flying away before
Happousai or Ranma can stop him. 

Ryouga and Soun are quite upset at Ranma over losing Akane, but
then Happousai shows up again.  He has the client register, which
Tarou has lost in the confusion, and the three then look through it
for clues on Tarou's target.  They find all the names in the book
crossed out but one, but that one is written so badly noone can
read it.  As they puzzle over it, Happousai grabs the book and reads
the name himself: Happousai.  He then remembers his long ago
trip there and how he baptised Tarou, much to everyone's
annoyance.  Meanwhile, Akane wakes up in a strange shrine where
Tarou had brought her.  She angrily demands an explanation and
attacks him, but is easily defeated.

Later, he goes to the Tendo Dojo and demands Happousai, but when 
the old man appears, he knocks Tarou-monster out and escapes.  Ranma, 
Ryouga and Co. change Tarou back to a human and tie him up before he 
awakens, and then attempt to find out where he's holding Akane.  
However, Tarou manages to trick them into splashing him and escapes, 
with Onna-Ranma and P-chan holding onto his back.  He flies most of the 
way back to his hideout before tricking and dislodging the two, tossing 
them down a canyon into a river.  Then he flies on and catches Akane, 
who had attempted to escape, but found it impossible because there are 
rivers everywhere and she can't swim.  As he prepares to take her back, 
they are distracted when Ranma's unconscious body floats by, P-chan on 
her back, about to go over a waterfall.   P-chan wakes Ranma up as Tarou 
flies over to make sure they're finished.  They fight, and Ranma manages 
to smash Tarou in the shoulder with the log she was floating on, sending 
all three combatants over the waterfall.  Only Tarou comes up, and Akane 
wonders what happened to Ranma.  

We get the answer (though she doesn't) as we see P-chan drag
Onna-Ranma to shore, saving her life.  They then run into Shampoo
and Mousse, who declare they are here to help.  

Back at Tarou's hideout (the old shrine, which is perched on a
cliffside), Tarou is bandaging his arm, obviously angry.  Akane
offers to help, and Tarou, after his initial suspicions, finally
agrees.  She asks him if he is really so upset about the curse, and
he replies that the curse doesn't bother him very much-he likes
having a strong body.  It is something far worse that Happousai
did...Akane wonders what could possibly be worse than a curse. 
Tarou doesn't say, but angrily declares that before he gets to the
old lech, he's going to "pound that unforgivable cross-dresser to a
pulp!"  Akane asks why he is so upset at Ranma, but Tarou refuses to 
answer.  

Back with the others , Ranma is just waking up.  He notices
that Shampoo, Mousse and Ryouga are there, Ryouga and himself having 
been changed back.  Ryouga is suspicious of why Shampoo or Mousse would 
want to help Akane, but they feed him a story about how much they've all 
been through together, and the loyalty they have.  Ryouga, 
unsurprisingly, falls for it hook, line, and sinker.  In
actuality, Shampoo thinks this is a perfect opportunity to kill
Akane, while Mousse is plotting to kill Ranma.  Back on the cliff,
Tarou lights a huge bonfire to show Ranma and Co. the way.  Akane
tells him not to underestimate Ranma, but Tarou confidently replies
that he is ready for him.  

The four martial artists below see the bonfire, and head for it...a long 
battle follows, with Tarou using a variety of water traps to dispose of 
his opponents.  Finally he fights Ranma himself, which is inconclusive 
(though Tarou has the advantage) until Tarou gets splashed, and Ranma 
seems outmatched.  Ryouga and Mousse have returned by this time, and 
then Shampoo gets returned to normal as well.  The four martial artists 
attack Tarou-monster, who attempts to use Akane as a decoy, attacking 
her instead of them.  Happousai shows up and saves her, and Tarou 
ignores the four martial artists on his back and starts attacking the 
old lech instead.  Finally the four do enough damage to get Tarou's 
attention, and he flies through a waterfall, eliminating three of them.  

Onna-Ranma (still on Tarou's back) appears to be in
dire straits, until Akane helps her out; tying together Happousai's
pantyhose and tossing it to her. Onna-Ranma ties up Tarou's wings,
forcing him to land.  Tarou nearly crushes Onna-Ranma as they do so, and 
then manages to tie -her- up with the pantyhose and send her
flying.  But he hadn't noticed the pantyhose was still wrapped around
one of his horns, and Ranma uses this to slingshot herself back in a
"Pantyhose Shooting Star Kick" that sends them both flying into a
hot spring.  Tarou somehow manages to get up after that and tries to
attack Ranma again, but Ranma finally knocks him out.  

Later, Tarou is tied up back at the shrine, but he refuses to explain 
why he is so angry at Happousai, and actually manages to attack Ranma 
before Happousai can say what it is.  The two start arguing, and 
Happousai breaks it up, before finally remembering the reason for this 
whole mess: he had named the infant Tarou "Pantyhose".  The five 
teenagers don't really get it, and their suggestions of worse names than 
"Pantyhose" don't go over well with Tarou, who breaks his bonds and 
hurls himself into the river below, returning to attack the group.  
Happousai uses a bunch of Happoudaikarins to knock him out, and the 
others turn him back.  Tarou, awake again, demands Happousai change his 
name, but the old lech uses yet another fuse bomb on him and runs away.  

As the others are talking later, Happousai returns, declares
that he will never change Tarou's name, and runs away again.  Tarou
is upset by this, but Ranma confidently declares he has a
plan...later in the Dojo, Soun asks Ranma why he would help Tarou,
and Ranma replies that Tarou could get rid of Happousai for them if
it's done right.  Soun, of course, heartily approves.  

Then he sets up his plan: a hypnotic play to convince Happousai he must 
change Tarou's name.  Tarou is rather dubious about the idea, but goes 
along with it.  They then launch the plan: attempting to make Happousai 
believe Tarou has destroyed all the pantyhose in the world as revenge 
for the naming.  They give Happy a chance to rename Tarou, but he 
doesn't quite get it, and instead gets enraged at Tarou, using his 
"battle aura" technique to swell to Godzillaesque
proportions and vowing vengeance.  Tarou is -not- pleased with Ranma at 
this point, but Happousai suddenly discovers them and
they scatter in different directions.  

Tarou, realizing he has nothing to gain by running, turns back and 
confronts the gigantic Happousai, but the old man blasts him.  Then it 
starts to rain, and Tarou smiles...Ranma returns (he had been drinking 
tea at the Tendo's) to find Tarou-monster and Happousai-giant facing 
off.  Happousai quickly defeats Tarou, however, and Ranma steps in,
knocking out the old lech with a barbell hidden inside a ball of
pantyhose.  Shortly afterwards, Tarou and Ranma seem about to get
into another fight when Happousai wakes up, and agrees to change
Tarou's name.  Tarou is ecstatic...until the old lech starts suggesting 
alternate names, all of which have to do with underwear (and rhyme with 
"Tarou").  Tarou, extremely upset, runs away. 

Later, they find him again, and say that Happousai (with a little
"persuasion" from the martial artists) has agreed to change it to
what Tarou wants.  Overjoyed, Tarou declares he wants to be renamed 
"Cool Tarou"(Kakkoi Tarou), thanks them all, and flies off with 
Happousai.  Of course, midway across the Sea of Japan, Happousai changes 
his mind...

5) Did he ever come back?

Yes, Tarou reappeared twice in the manga.  

The first time, Happousai was going around Nerima, happily stealing 
panties, when suddenly a huge shadow looms over him...later, he staggers 
back to the dojo, beaten up and covered with ink.  Ranma, Soun, Genma 
and Akane wonder who could possibly be powerful enough to do this to 
Happousai, when suddenly Tarou bursts through the wall.  Ranma, who only 
gets a fleeting glance of Tarou's cursed form, nonetheless recognizes 
him and calls him by name as he changes back, prompting Tarou to attack 
him. ^_^ 

Tarou then asks where Happousai is, but the old lech has
escaped, leaving only a note saying that he will never change Tarou's 
name.  Tarou is upset by this, but then talks with Ranma and Akane, 
explaining that he returned to China for awhile after his name wasn't 
changed.  While there, he had saved a girl named Fafa from a raging 
bear.  It was love at first sight, but then Fafa asked who her
rescuer's name might be, and Tarou was forced to run off.  As if this
wasn't bad enough, the next day, there was a girl named Saffron being 
chased by a wild boar.  Tarou saved her as well, but she again wanted to 
know his name, and Tarou was forced to leave once more. And then, the 
next day...Ranma cuts him off at this point. ^_^ 

They ask what Tarou intends to do, as he cannot get Happousai to change 
his name, but Tarou smiles and pulls out a large bottle of water.  He 
explains that he went to Jyusenkyou, and that this is water from the 
spring of drowned good samaritan.  Everyone is overjoyed at Tarou's 
plan, but when Ranma offers (rather condescendingly) to help, Tarou 
dumps ice water on him and says that he doesn't need a cowardly 
crossdresser's help.  Soun and Genma hold back the raging Ranma, while 
Akane asks Tarou if he really thinks he can beat Happousai alone.  Tarou 
chuckles, and reveals that the person who had beaten Happousai was him.  
He leaves with Soun and Genma's blessing, while Ranma sulks. 

However, just then Akane gets a call from the Jyusenkyou guide, and
then runs into the room, crying that they must stop Tarou...he has
water from the wrong spring!  Ranma, Soun and Genma speculate on what 
water it might be, and end up concluding that nothing could be
worse...until Akane says that it is the spring of drowned twins.  They 
all rush out after Tarou, who by this time has found Happousai. 
The old man defiantly declares he will be evil till the day he dies,
but Tarou lures him in with a bra and is about to pour the water on
him when Ranma comes flying in and grabs the jar himself.  

Tarou is steaming mad at Ranma-"Since when are you protecting the old 
geezer!?"-but as Ranma tries to explain, he get distracted by
Happousai.  Tarou and Ranma face off, and Ranma says that Tarou can't 
have the water no matter what.  Tarou has regained his composure by now, 
and cooly reminds Ranma that he, Tarou, beat Happousai, and thus Ranma 
has no chance. Ranma is determined anyway, but Tarou chuckles and 
declares Ranma will see his new weapon, just as it starts to rain...and 
Onna-Ranma is confronted with the huge minotaur, except that now he has 
tentacles sprouting from his back!  

Happousai saves Ranma from Tarou, but then Tarou uses another bra to 
trap the old lech, and then attacks Ranma once more.  She manages to 
dodge the tentacles, but then Tarou shoots ink in her face and grabs 
her. Retrieving the water, he starts to pour it over the semiconscious 
Happousai...when Onna-Ranma desperately rips open her shirt, causing the 
old lech to revive and glomp onto her instead. 

Tarou, enraged, is about to crush Ranma when Akane, who had been 
watching, throws a kettle of hot water and turns Tarou back.  Both 
Onna-Ranma and Tarou run for the lost water, but Happousai glomps Ranma 
and Tarou gets it.  He runs off, angrily declaring that
he'll kill Ranma. However, they still have Happousai, and thus lure
the old lech into a bathhouse, where Ranma, Soun and Genma disguise 
themselves as janitors.  The plan is that Tarou-minotaur can't get in 
because of all the hot water around, but Tarou simply pays and walks in 
the front door as a customer.  

Once inside, he sprays himself with cold water, and prepares to attack.  
Soun desperately tries to point him to Happousai, but by this time the 
old lech has escaped and gone into the girl's side.  Ranma is summarily 
turned into a girl and tossed over there, managing to retrieve the old 
man.  By the time he returns, Tarou-minotaur has disposed of Soun and 
Genma, and he quickly attacks Ranma.  He tries to spray Tarou with hot 
water, but the monster counters by using his ink to block it.  Tarou 
then grabs a bunch of shower heads with his tentacles and sprays Ranma, 
then attacks, forcing her to retreat.  Ranma suddenly thinks of 
something, and beleives that she knows the tentacles' weakness.  

She challenges Tarou to a final fight, and then runs away, still 
carrying Happousai.  They exit the bathhouse and Tarou chases Onna-Ranma 
along the rooftops, but in the confusion Happousai escapes.  He has 
returned to the girls locker room, but there he is confronted by Akane, 
who punts him back out.  Happy flies through the roof and up by a large 
smokestack, which Ranma hurriedly climbs up.  Catching the old man, she 
lures Tarou in...and then just as he is
about to catch them he is startled as the tentacles snake into the
smokestack of their own accord, trapping him.  Soun and Genma,
watching this, realise that the tentacles have the same octopus
instinct of liking to hide in small dark places.  

Ranma thinks that she has won, but Tarou proves the gloating martial 
artist wrong by ripping off the smokestack and smashing her over the 
head with it, KO'ing Ranma. However, the concrete is too heavy for him 
to lift up with the tentacles, and a moment later it comes down on 
Tarou's head as well. Both Onna-Ranma and Tarou-minotaur fall towards 
the bathhouse, and in the air the dropped Jyusenkyou water spills on a 
bird, which instantly becomes twins.  Tarou sees this and realizes his 
mistake, and as the two crash land in the water below and return to 
normal, Ranma tells Tarou what the guide said.  

Tarou is crushed with disappointment, and Ranma makes a few (rather 
insincere) platitudes. Tarou, a bit too calmly, says now he'll have to 
try something else, and Ranma, Genma and Soun are thrilled, asking if 
he's going back to China.  Tarou, smiling, says that first he has to do 
something else...then lifts up the bottle and roars that he's
going to turn himself into twins and beat them all up.  Ranma, Soun
and Genma jump him and take the water before he can use it, but then 
Happousai grabs it, having heard the whole story.  

Thinking that if he's twins he can get twice as many panties, he tries 
to run away, but Ranma manages to hit him with a well-thrown concrete 
slab, and Happousai drops the bottle...which splashes on his head.  
Everyone is horrified...and then the bump on Happousai's head turns into 
two lumps.  Later, Ranma asks Tarou "Calmed down yet, Pantyhose Tarou?", 
and Tarou hits him and tells him not to call him that.


In his third appearance, Ranma, Genma, Soun and Nabiki are watching TV, 
which shows footage of Tarou-minotaur battling some sort of strange 
light over Shanghai. Ranma realizes who it is and is about to comment, 
when Tarou-minotaur crashes through the roof and lands on top of him, 
beaten up.  

Meanwhile, Akane is coming home from a game of tennis when she notices a 
bright light in the sky.  The light falls until it hits a fountain, and 
when Akane goes to investigate, there is a beautiful young girl in the 
fountain, who promptly passes out.  

Back at the dojo, they have returned the still-unconscious
Tarou to normal, and Ranma and Genma are doodling on his face and 
sticking flags in his hair.  After awhile, Tarou hasn't woken up, and 
Ranma insincerely seems sorry...but Tarou leaps up and hits him
after Ranma mentions his name.  He is still quite injured, but when
Soun and Ranma ask who did this to him, Tarou coldly tells them it's
none of their business, at which point Ranma and Soun pull out
mallets and promptly put Tarou back to sleep again. ^_^ 

Later, Akane introduces everybody to the girl she found earlier, who has 
by now recovered. She says her name is Rouge, a "shy and beautiful young 
girl".  She begins telling a story about how she was accosted when 
bathing by a foul lecher, but just then Tarou-the lecher she had been 
describing-shows up and calls her a liar.  He starts to attack the 
terrified Rouge, but Ranma and Soun jump the still-injured martial 
artist and stop him.  Tarou protests that he's the victim, but Soun and 
Ranma don't believe him.  Rouge tells Tarou to return what he stole from 
her, and nobody believes Tarou's protests that he has no idea what she's 
talking about.  Angrily, he declares that he was a fool for trusting 
them even a little bit, and then leaves...though not before splashing 
himself and wrecking the dojo. 

Later, Rouge has fallen asleep, and Ranma and Akane are discussing the 
light that Tarou was seen fighting on television. Happousai is coming in 
from his regular panty raid, and accidentally splashes water on Rouge, 
whose eyes snap open...there is a scream, and Ranma and Akane rush over, 
to find a charred Happousai and a glowing, monstrous Rouge.  This Rouge 
is now a demon, with six arms, three heads, fangs, and a decidedly more 
aggressive personality. She flies out the roof of the dojo, looking for 
Tarou.  

Meanwhile, Ranma decides that Tarou might have been telling the truth 
after all, and goes out looking for him.  After he calls out Tarou's 
name in a loud voice, Tarou hits Ranma over the head and tells him to 
shut up.  Later, Tarou and Ranma are talking in a park.  Ranma wants to 
get Tarou's side of the story, and says he might help, but Tarou scoffs 
at the idea of Ranma helping him.  Ranma points out that even Tarou 
can't beat this monster alone, and asks if Tarou has any friends.  Tarou 
angrily hits him. Just then, Rouge shows up again, and Tarou makes a 
dash for the fountain, but Rouge sends a blast which boils the water, 
keeping Tarou from changing forms.  

Tarou and Ranma dodge Rouge's blasts for awhile, but they soon
get into a fight and Rouge blasts them both.  She is about to
finish off the semiconscious duo, but suddenly something happens and she 
flies off.  After they recover, Ranma asks Tarou for his side of
the story, and Tarou tosses a scratched up barbell at him and starts
to explain.  Apparently, he had been training near a hot spring in
China (lifting weights), when suddenly there was a noise and
something hit his barbell.  Tarou went to investigate, and was
surprised to find Rouge bathing in the spring...Ranma asks Tarou what 
happened after he was peeping, and Tarou hits him while angrily saying 
he wasn't peeping. 

He starts talking again, and we see Tarou letting Rouge batter him with 
a variety of objects, until finally Tarou figures he's done enough and 
starts to leave.  However, as he is doing so, Rouge demands Tarou return 
what he stole from her. Back at the park, Ranm a says he 
understands...and then asks Tarou why he doesn't return what he stole.  
Tarou, enraged, kicks Ranma into the air and then KO's him with the 
barbell.  As he walks over to get it back, however, he notices the 
barbell has been cracked...back at the dojo, Akane has just gotten off 
the phone with the guide, and reveals the source of Rouge's power...she 
fell into Asura-niichuan, where a statue of a Hindu demoness drowned.  
Just then, Rouge-asura herself bursts in, wrecking the roof 
again...meanwhile, Ranma has woken up, but Tarou is nowhere to be found.  
As he returns to the dojo, he finds Rouge there...showing that she has 
quite an appetite, with three mouths to feed!  

Elsewhere, in an alley, Tarou has found something inside the cracked 
barbell, and smiles evilly...later, the family and Rouge are working to 
repair the roof.  They have just finished and are sitting down for a 
snack when Tarou-minotaur bursts in-demolishing it again-and changes 
back.  He is carrying several small objects, which Rouge identifies as 
the "source of power" she accused Tarou of stealing.  She tries to get 
them back, but Tarou refuses, declaring that she must pay him back for 
calling him a thief and attacking him. Rouge, weeping, says that even if 
it makes her skin crawl, she'll go on a date with him, and Tarou asks 
her "who said I wanted a date?" ^_^ 

Then he reveals what he -does- want...he wants to know how to use them. 
Everyone is scared at the thought of Tarou getting his hands on the 
strength of Asura, but Rouge declares that they needn't trouble 
themselves, and pours water over herself .  Tarou angrily leaps into the 
pond, and the two monsters rise to face each other-Rouge demolishing the 
house AGAIN as she does so.  The two monsters fight 
inconclusively-Rouge's ability to create intense heat makes it hard for 
Tarou to hit her, but she has to be wary because Tarou is holding her 
"source of power".  Soon, however, Rouge begins to lose power, and her 
movements get slower.  Tarou closes in for the kill...but then it starts 
to rain.  

The heat around Rouge evaporates the water into clouds of steam, and she 
turns back to human form in mid-air and begins to fall.  
Tarou-apparently instinctively-saves her, which surprises 
everybody...but then he traps her in his huge hand.  Rouge says that 
she'll tell Tarou how to use the "source of power", but then the rain 
starts again and she turns back.  With a laugh she grabs them back..they 
had been in the same hand Tarou saved her with!  Applying them, she 
glows even brighter and fires a huge array of bolts at the minotaur. 
Taken off-guard, Tarou is dazed and falls to the ground...smashing 
through the roof of the dojo once more and landing in the bath.  Rouge 
fires a final blast at the dazed Tarou-human... when suddenly Ranma 
shows up and blocks the shots with two frying pans.  Having been 
watching the fight all along, he devised this way to block Rouge's 
shots.

Tarou is astonished that Ranma would save him (Ranma's real reason, 
however, is that he didn't want the house to get any more wrecked).  
Ranma suggests they cooperate, and Tarou leaps up, declaring Ranma isn't 
so bad after all.  Soun cries that the seeds of friendship have been 
sown...and then Tarou says "Thank you, fem-boy!" as Ranma says "You're 
welcome, Pantyhose!" and they start fighting again.  Nabiki comments 
that the "friendship" didn't last five seconds.

However, a bargain is struck, and Rouge is confronted by Ranma and 
Tarou-minotaur flying up, with Ranma still having his frying pans and 
Tarou-minotaur holding a variety of objects with his arms and
tentacles.  Rouge breathes fire at Ranma, which he deflects with his
frying pan...right onto Tarou's head.  Tarou, in retaliation, smashes
Ranma with several of the objects he's carrying, and then Ranma
slams Tarou on the head with the frying pan.  Things quickly
degenerate from there, much to Rouge's amusement.  

However this was in fact a trick to get her off-guard.  Ranma throws a 
kettle at Rouge, but she boils away all the water before it splashes her 
and merely gets enraged.  Spinning around, she creates a huge firestorm, 
which can't be blocked by the pans. Tarou, irritated by the heat, 
accidentally hits Ranma, but this has the beneficial effect of sending 
him out of the firestorm and above Rouge's head, where she is still 
vulnerable.  Ranma comes down at Rouge-several small objects shaken 
loose by her spinning hitting the frying pan as he does.  She breathes 
fire at him, but he blocks it with the pan and knocks one of her heads 
senseless.  Rouge is dizzied, and the firestorm fades out.  

Ranma tries for another shot, but suddenly is grabbed by Tarou, who 
relieves him of the frying pan.  Ranma and Rouge see the objects stuck 
to the frying pan, and Rouge cries it was her "source of power". Ranma 
tries to get a better look, but Tarou smashes him in the face with the 
pan and then hurls him away.  Ranma lands on Rouge's back, and now both 
of them are on the run from Tarou.  Slowly but surely he is winning, 
when Ranma suddenly tells Rouge not to worry, and performs a move on her 
back, the "Empty-Handed Filial Piety Strike".  It suddenly reenergizes 
Rouge, who begins tossing lightning bolts at Tarou.  The monster, still 
clutching the frying pan, manages to avoid them all, but a big one has 
been building up overhead.  He tries to dodge it, but the huge bolt is 
drawn to the pan and fries Tarou.  Rouge laughs, and Ranma says that 
Tarou's lust for the power doomed him, as he wouldn't let go of the 
frying pan until it was too late...just as the selfsame pan falls out of 
the air and slams into the back of Rouge's skull, knocking all three 
heads out.  Tarou, Rouge and Ranma all fall-destroying the dojo one more 
time-and thus the battle ends without a victor.  

Later, Ranma is being bandaged-Tarou is still unconscious-and Rouge is 
crying, as the "source of power" was destroyed in the conflict.  She 
takes out her frustrations on the unconscious Tarou, first kicking him, 
then hitting him with a fold-up chair, and finally slamming him with a 
table, at which point he wakes up and yells at Ranma for not stopping 
her.  Ranma tells Rouge not to fret, as they can go buy more source of 
power...later, we see them at a drugstore, where they are indeed buying 
more...the "source of power" are magnetic plasters for back pain.  With 
six arms, Rouge is subject to terrible backaches.  Ranma explains to 
Akane that the "Empty-Handed Filial Piety Strike" was actually just a 
backrub. Rouge buys a lifetime supply and leaves, while Tarou, back at 
the dojo, thinks he'll use them to rule the world. ^_^

6) When did he appear?

Tarou first appeared in the manga in Volume 18, part 1.  In fact,
his story took up that entire volume (1-11).  His second appearance
was in volume 23, parts 1-4, and his third was in volume 32, parts
1-5. He also had a small cameo in Volume 19, part 9. In the anime, 
he appeared in Nettouhen episodes 103-104, and had a couple of 
cameos: you can see his cursed form (albeit SD) in the DoCo 
opening in several of the OAVs, and he is also in the 
background in the "Tendo Family Christmas Scramble" OAV,
when DoCo is singing.  You can see him as a boss in the
"Ranma 1/2: Hard Battle" Super NES game, and play him as
a hidden character�he's also the final boss in the third Ranma
Gameboy game.  Finally, amusingly, you can buy "Tarou's
pantyhose" in the Ranma RPG game for Super Famicom (it's
an item that increases attack power).

7) When will he be in the Viz releases?

Not for awhile; at the current rate of release, both his anime and 
manga first appearances will be around the turn of the century...I'm 
not sure about the anime, but given the current release schedule, he 
should appear in the translated manga for the first time in Part 8, 
#8 (1999).  As a bonus, I have been personally assured by Toshifumi 
Yoshida (translator of the Viz Ranma manga) that his name will be 
translated as "Pantyhose Taro"�no more "Johnny Pantyhose"!  Yatta!

8) What does he look like?

In human form, Tarou is a somewhat effeminate-looking man, with
bluish-black, styled hair and earrings.  He generally wears baggy,
Chinese-style white pants, and a blue scaled vest.  He wears bracers
of the same material, and uses a pair of pantyhose as a sash.  In
his cursed form, he is a huge, minotaur-like creature with wings and
an eel for a tail.  Later, of course, he also got eight tentacles,
which sprout from his back.



______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com