In this animated short, poetry-spouting high-school swordsman Tatewaki Kuno comes into possession of the egg of the legendary phoenix, which is said to grant its owner incredible powers. A shopkeeper sells the egg to Kuno on one condition: "Never, never, in any circumstance, put the darn thing on your head."

Ranma Saotome, a teenage martial artist, and his father Genma travel to the 'cursed training ground' of Jusenkyo in China. There, despite the warnings of the Chinese guard, they fall into the cursed springs. From now on, whenever Ranma is doused in cold water, he turns into a girl and a cute, well-built redhead at that. Hot water changes him back into a man again, but only until the next time. To make matters worse, his father engages him to Akane Tendo, a girl who hates boys.

When Prince Kirin of the 7 Lucky Gods shows up at the Tendo dojo looking for his bride-to-be, guess who's accidentally holding the scroll that signifies his future mate? Why, Akane, of course, and the rest of the Ranma crew is forced to take a boat to China in order to save her from the horrors of marriage and a diet of pickled vegetables.

Happosai fed up with Ranma interfering with his hobby, decides to use a sleeping incense on him to make Ranma "sleep till spring". But Akane accidentally smells the incense and due to unforeseen side effects starts attacking everyone and everything in her sleep. Now the gang has to find a way to wake her up.