The third broadcast season of Rumiko Takahashi"s long-running transgender comedy was clearly one of the high points in the series: "Am I Pretty" may well rank as its funniest installment. When he insults her cooking yet again, Akane clobbers Ranma with an iron skillet--which somehow brings out the feminine side of his nature. The normally loutish Ranma suddenly becomes obsessed with frills, fine cooking, and extreme modesty (he blushes at the sight of his own jockey shorts). The results are hilariously incongruous. "Ryoga"s Miracle," in which the geographically challenged Ryoga Hibiki finds a miraculous soap that seems to counteract the transforming spells of Jusenkyo, is only slightly less uproarious. The season begins with Ranma acquiring the last thing he needs or wants: another would-be fiancée, Ukyo, a champion okonomiyaki chef. The cross-dressing contretemps reach new heights of absurdity with the arrival of Ukyo"s admirer, Tsubasa; soon no one knows who"s who or what"s what. Meanwhile, Chinese Amazon Shampoo serves pork buns laced with a love potion; Kuno banishes the long-suffering Sasuke, who takes refuge at the Tendo Dojo; and the entire cast competes to win a trip to China in the Miracle Martial Arts Obstacle Race. The set concludes with a no-holds-barred farce as Ranma attempts to change the past and keep himself from falling into the accursed spring at Jusenkyo. A must-have for Ranma fans. Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and up: Slapstick violence, nudity, mildly risqué humor. --Charles Solomon