Ranma 1/2 - Film 1: La grande bataille de Chine

A slight, forgettable episode script turned full movie is ruined by akane being just the worst love interest in anime history.

This movie tonally jerks back and forth from trying to have some kind of low level of stakes in terms of fighting and romance to bad jokes and Akane being insufferable, as she was in the bulk of the Ranma tv show after the first season or so.

There's fanservice in so far as all of the main cast shows up to say hi, but there's barely any plot to speak of and nobody really does much of anything. Akane get's kidnapped, the gang follows, and then it's quickly resolved in an unclever way very quickly.

The new characters are undeveloped even compared to the main cast of unchanging, status quo ridden poor fools, and they all are set up to be very strong but get handwoven away in 2 seconds at the end unsatisfyingly.

This movie came out closer to the end of Ranma's run, and it really feels zombified like latter seasons of The Simpsons and all the other modern shows that have all the life sucked out of them over the years, solely kept alive to make money.

The writers at this point must have been desperate, horrified even of being without work. I can't speak to how good or bad the economy was at the time, but it's pathetic. The only good thing about this movie is the animation looks nice, the one sole thing about the ranma series that didn't horribly degenerate over time.

Have you noticed, how every first theatrical animation of a series has to a) have every character appear at least for a split second and b) present a story that would like to be overwhelming (but is actually very poor) and tries to adapt the complete content of the original comic character development as if there was no intent of making another one ? And then the creators loosen up in the making of the sequel which then turns out much better ? This is a perfect example. The seriousness and the somewhat heroic-like behaviour of the protagonists just don't allow the typical "Ha-ha-Ranma-no-baka" feeling, especially towards the end. Sure, there are some laughs, but hardly anything new for the devoted Ranma-lovers. You don't have to be a Ranma-Fanatic to enjoy this movie, but being one doesn't help either.

I figure since no one's written on this yet, let me be the first. And this is from a fan, not a film critic, so hey. Well, it's Ranma, and for those of you who love Ranma, you must think this movie's like the toast of the town [or whatever phrases y'all use]. But, looking at it objectively, it's a horrid story. I am of the unfortunate few who don't understand Japanese and have to wait for english dubbed releases of movies, but when you get right down to it, this movie wasn't a great piece of writing. The beginning opens with I think just about every Ranma TV-show character ever made, but then they all vanish so you can get to the real story, which is your standard, "Girl gets kidnapped, it's up to Guy/Girl to rescue her!" It contains a few choice moments (prince Kirin eating meat!) but other than that, it's a pretty lame movie.

But to fans it's great!

I voted it a 4 because the second Ranma movie is better by leaps. [Not bounds, just leaps]

i recently saw this and it was so funny! the story was your typical save akane routine, but in the beginning, it shows all of the characters in the past chase after ranma and haposai. a great opening. the animation is very traditional, the characters are funny as hell, especially panda, and ranma soups up his incredible fighting moves. see this one for hilarious laughs and good times.

This movie is worse and very silly with this Bad comedy, the characters are very silly, the action is totally useless, they don't know How feel good, they are totally demons. I Hate You Ranma ½. DAMNED movie.