*GROWF GROWL ROWR AWF*
“Uh, what was that, Saotome? Yes, yes, I’m coming to that. As I was saying, today’s theme item is this…ice skates!”
The red cloth covering the theme item had been whipped aside, and there was a pair of ice skates sitting on a pyramid of several stone spheres, flattened at the top and bottom, a handle on top.
Chairman Tendo smiled happily. “If memory serves me correctly, ice skates are the basis for the last battle between these two challengers and my Iron Ranma. The challengers were beaten, but just barely. Therefore, a new medium is being prepared for them to do battle in our arena, one that will not favor either side in any particular way. Yes, I am talking about…curling!”
Ranma was busy sneering and posturing at Mikado to listen to Mr. Tendo’s rambling dialogue or to see just what it was that was under the red cloth, but he snapped to attention at the last word: “-urling!” Blinking, he looked around and said “What the heck is that?”
From behind him, his mother, dressed nicely and holding a microphone, leaned forward and whispered “kind of like shuffleboard on ice. Listen to the commentator!” She smiled and held up her microphone, indicating that she was part of that team as well. Ranma nodded and looked over to the commentator’s booth, where he saw Hiroshi, Cologne and Daisuke sitting at a table with monitors in front of them. Daisuke was talking into a microphone.
“The Challenger this week is the Golden Pair of Azusa Shiratori and Mikado Sanzenin, coming back after their defeat on the figure skating scene by Ranma Saotome and partner. This time however, Ranma-kun is alone. The item is ice skates, the theme, curling: a winter sport recently added to the Olympic roster and especially popular in the northern European countries and North America. Japan’s Mens team from Miyota won the Bronze medal at the Pacific Curling Championship last year, in 2002, and the Womens team from Hokkaido won the Gold medal. Quite an accomplishment, is it not?”
Cologne nodded “Oh yes. It has become quite a world-wide sport. Even China entered a team last year. If I’m not mistaken,” and here the Amazon elder paused briefly, to indicate that she is never wrong, “we came in fifth. Impressive for a first-time.”
Hiroshi added "An interesting sport, and gaining popularity, thanks to the international exposure."
Daisuke continued his monologue. “According to the rules, both the challengers and the Iron Ranma will have an hour to battle. At the end of the hour, whoever can best represent the theme item will win. And our contestants are in place, so let’s look to the Chairman!”
In the fighting arena, the Golden Pair stood elegantly, clad in skates, poised as if for a photograph session. On the other side was Ranma, also in skates, but wobbling and holding on to the nearest surface. Curling brooms stood nearby the contestants and in the center of the arena were the curling stones.
Chairman Tendo, standing at the podium, waved a hand toward the arena and called out “Allez Cuisine!” There were more than a few blinks at that, but it was shrugged off and at the sound of the opening bell, Daisuke quickly said “Bang a gong, we are on!”
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Fri, 16 May 2003 07:35)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.