When You Wish Upon a Sword (聖刀満願丸, Seito Manganmaru?) is the 147th chapter of the Ranma ½ manga and the first chapter of the Wishing Sword Arc.
Summary
Kuno travels to a remote temple and pulls the legendary Wishbringer sword from it's stone. The sword is able to grant three wishes, and as soon as Kuno arrives back in Nerima he encounters Ranma. Kuno uses his first wish to "humble" Ranma. The sword changes into a mallet, and while Ranma stares in amazement Kuno smashes his head. Ranma quickly tells his father of the magical sword and the two hatch a scheme to steal it and use it to remove their curses.
Plot Overview
Whilst enjoying a quiet day at the Tendo Dojo, Ranma and Akane get a special delivery addressed to them. As they begin to unpack the delivery, Akane wonders who it may be from, although Ranma notices that the package is addressed to "Akane Tendo & The Pigtailed Girl" meaning that it has to be from Kuno. The pair continue unpacking the delivery when they see Kuno's head appear from underneath the packaging, causing the two of them to jump back in shock.
After removing the rest of the packaging, the pair see that it is actually a bust of Kuno with a recorded message explaining that he won't be in school due to personal reasons. Whilst Akane shakes in horror at this gift, Nabiki just stares at it all the while wishing that bad taste was a crime. Just then Kuno's message tells the pair that he knows how lonely they'll be without him so he is sending them this statue so they can stare at it lovingly until he returns. Not wanting to hear anymore of the message, Ranma angrily stamps the on the statue.
Elsewhere, Kuno himself is waiting patiently in line with hundreds of other men so that he may have a chance to draw the legendary Wishbringer sword. As he waits, Kuno thinks to himself how foolish everyone is coming to this temple every year to try and draw the sword since feudal times in the hope they finally draw it and get their three wishes.
By late afternoon Kuno finally gets his chance to try and pull the sword, but as he walks up to where the sword is placed, the head monk declares that Kuno must be one destined to pull the sword as per the word of the ancient scroll. Spurred on Kuno tries to pull the sword and sure enough he succeeds in claiming the Wishbringer as his own.
Upon returning to Furinkan, Kuno begins to wonder just what his three wishes will be. Despite trying to think of something, Kuno continues to struggle given how he's already "gorgeous, brilliant and rich with a great personality". At that moment, Ranma appears and jumps on Kuno's head, welcoming him back. Irritated, Kuno decides he knows what his first wish will be. He then proceeds to remove the sword from it's Saya and wishes the sword "humble" Ranma.
With Kuno's wish voiced, a voice comes from the Sword agreeing to grant it. Just then Nabiki and Akane appear and watch the scene with the other shocked students. Kuno, meanwhile, charges at Ranma with the Sword above his head. Ranma, however, isn't impressed with the sword and charges at Kuno, but stops when he sees the sword turn into a large mallet. This gives Kuno the chance to hit Ranma on the head with the mallet, thus humbling him.
As Akane asks Ranma is he's okay, Kuno returns the Wishbringer to it's Saya before telling Ranma that he now knows never to challenge his powers again. Ranma and Akane watch as Kuno walks off, all the time wondering just what is with the sword Kuno's using. Meanwhile, Genma (who presumably saw the whole scene) looks on before holding up a two signs noting that he recognizes the Wishbrigner Sword.
Upon arriving at Furinkan High Kuno tells his classmates how he was the one destined to draw the Wishbringer. Nabiki, however, refuses to believe such a thing which prompts Kuno to give her the ancient scroll which the Monks read to know that he was one destined to draw the sword, but when Nabiki and a couple other students inspect the scroll and see that it's full of nothing but Tally marks.
Curious, Nabiki asks what exactly this means, to which Kuno reveals that he was actually the One millionth person to try and pull the sword. As Kuno cries over the pride he felt that day, Nabiki and the other students comment on how Kuno pulling the sword is no different from winning the lottery.
Continuing, the students begin questioning Kuno on what he's going to use his remaining two wishes on. Kuno darkly replies that with the power of the sword he could take over the world which terrifies the other pupils into thinking of trying to take the sword away from Kuno. Luckily, Kuno's idiocy gets the better of him and he uses his second wish to allow him to date the Pigtailed Girl.
Ranma, meanwhile, has just learnt from his father about the Wishbringer and it's ability to grant wishes. The pair then quickly realize that if they use the wishes on themselves they can finally be rid of their curses. Some time then passes and Kuno gets a message attached to an arrow hit the back of his head. Kuno reads the message and sees that it's from the Pigtailed Girl asking him to date her again. As Kuno declares his love to the Wishbriner, Ranma looks on from outside the classroom window and thinks to himself that Kuno should enjoy the Wishbringer, while he can.
Characters in Order of Appearance
- Akane Tendo
- Ranma Saotome
- Genma Saotome
- Tatewaki Kuno
- Nabiki Tendo
- Wishbringer Monk
Quotes
To be added
Trivia
- The English title of this chapter is a pun on the phrase "wish upon a star".
- Kuno having to pull the Wishbringer from the stone is a fairly obvious reference to the legend of how King Arthur obtained Excalibur.
- In the original Japanese version, the Wishbringer Sword is known as "Manganmaru".
- The "Mangan" in "Manganmaru" means "fullfillment of a vow" in Japanese.
See Also
| Chapters | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 | Volume 1 | 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 2 | 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 2 | Volume 3 | 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 4 | 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 3 | Volume 5 | 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 6 | 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 4 | Volume 7 | 59 • 60 • 61 • 62 • 63 • 64 • 65 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 8 | 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 74 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 78 • 79 • 80 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 5 | Volume 9 | 81 • 82 • 83 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 91 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 10 | 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99 • 100 • 101 • 102 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 6 | Volume 11 | 103 • 104 • 105 • 106 • 107 • 108 • 109 • 110 • 111 • 112 • 113 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 12 | 114 • 115 • 116 • 117 • 118 • 119 • 120 • 121 • 122 • 123 • 124 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 7 | Volume 13 | 125 • 126 • 127 • 128 • 129 • 130 • 131 • 132 • 133 • 134 • 135 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 14 | 136 • 137 • 138 • 139 • 140 • 141 • 142 • 143 • 144 • 145 • 146 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 8 | Volume 15 | 147 • 148 • 149 • 150 • 151 • 152 • 153 • 154 • 155 • 156 • 157 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 16 | 158 • 159 • 160 • 161 • 162 • 163 • 164 • 165 • 166 • 167 • 168 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 9 | Volume 17 | 169 • 170 • 171 • 172 • 173 • 174 • 175 • 176 • 177 • 178 • 179 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 18 | 180 • 181 • 182 • 183 • 184 • 185 • 186 • 187 • 188 • 189 • 190 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 10 | Volume 19 | 191 • 192 • 193 • 194 • 195 • 196 • 197 • 198 • 199 • 200 • 201 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 20 | 202 • 203 • 204 • 205 • 206 • 207 • 208 • 209 • 210 • 211 • 212 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 11 | Volume 21 | 213 • 214 • 215 • 216 • 217 • 218 • 219 • 220 • 211 • 222 • 223 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 22 | 224 • 225 • 226 • 226 • 228 • 229 • 230 • 231 • 232 • 233 • 234 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 12 | Volume 23 | 235 • 236 • 237 • 238 • 239 • 240 • 241 • 242 • 243 • 244 • 245 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 24 | 246 • 247 • 248 • 249 • 250 • 251 • 252 • 253 • 254 • 255 • 256 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 13 | Volume 25 | 257 • 258 • 259 • 260 • 261 • 262 • 263 • 264 • 265 • 266 • 267 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 26 | 268 • 269 • 270 • 271 • 272 • 273 • 274 • 275 • 276 • 277 • 278 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 14 | Volume 27 | 279 • 280 • 281 • 282 • 283 • 284 • 285 • 286 • 287 • 288 • 289 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 28 | 290 • 291 • 292 • 293 • 294 • 295 • 296 • 297 • 298 • 299 • 300 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 15 | Volume 29 | 301 • 302 • 303 • 304 • 305 • 306 • 307 • 308 • 309 • 310 • 311 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 20 | 312 • 313 • 314 • 315 • 316 • 317 • 318 • 319 • 320 • 321 • 322 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 16 | Volume 31 | 323 • 324 • 325 • 326 • 327 • 328 • 329 • 330 • 331 • 332 • 333 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 32 | 334 • 335 • 336 • 337 • 338 • 339 • 340 • 341 • 342 • 343 • 344 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 17 | Volume 33 | 345 • 346 • 347 • 348 • 349 • 350 • 351 • 352 • 353 • 354 • 355 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 34 | 356 • 357 • 358 • 359 • 360 • 361 • 362 • 363 • 364 • 365 • 366 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 18 | Volume 35 | 367 • 368 • 369 • 370 • 371 • 372 • 373 • 374 • 375 • 376 • 377 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 36 | 378 • 379 • 380 • 381 • 382 • 383 • 384 • 385 • 386 • 387 • 388 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 19 | Volume 37 | 389 • 390 • 391 • 392 • 393 • 394 • 395 • 396 • 397 • 398 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Volume 38 | 399 • 400 • 401 • 402 • 403 • 404 • 405 • 406 • 407 | |||||||||||||||||||