Ranma ½

For me I find Ranma 1/2 to be the best series that I have ever seen. I am an anime fan. Slowly rising in the world of anime fandom. For I have been a fan since Sailor Moon first apeard in the UK.

But anyway on to the comments of this. I have only seen up to series 3 and the 2 movies but I find it to be amazing. What with curses plaguing people and getting them into trouble. But also helping them out. But also with martial arts and hilarious prodicaments to make this better. Plus for the cherry on top there is a little bit of romance in there to make people connect with it and enjoy it more. Now the characters are brilliently created from there personallities to what they look like and the voice actors used.

Well as you can see I love this series and I say if you like romance, fighting or funny anime then this is the one for you.

Hilarious combination of slapstick and romantic comedy features two young martial artists, betrothed against their will by their fathers. Ranma, the boy, is cursed to change into a girl when splashed with cold water (he changes back with hot water.) Akane, the girl, is a tomboy with a violent temper. Their messed-up lives are further complicated with rival fiancees and would-be fiancees, etc. Lots of martial arts action, jealous rages, mistaken identities, and knockabout comedy with the occasional tender moment. The strong characterizations make this series a standout and a cult favorite. For more info, there are about a million sites on this series on the Web.

Where to start, where to start?!? Ranma 1/2 is possibly the greatest Anime series ever produced, written by the ever talented Rumiko Takahashi, based on the MANGA of the same name. It has it all, romance, comedy, and the GREATEST CAST OF CHARACTERS TO HIT MEDIA SINCE THE "A-Team!!!" But seriously though, Ranma 1/2 follows the plot of a young japanese boy going through an identity crisis of sorts. You see, whenever Ranma Saotome is splashed with cold water he, becomes a 'she'. This is all due to some

strange Chinese Curse, that he acquired on a training trip through China. The meat and bones of the series deal with Ranma's attempts to cure himself while dealing with numerous fiancees' none of his choice I might add. You see, Ranma's father is a bit of a heel. Genma Saotome, who takes the form of a giant Panda

when wet has eveidently arranged for Ranma to merry into the family of his(Genma's) closest friend Soun Tendo. Soun ole' boy gets a little more than he bargained for. In addition to being promised to one of Soun's daughters, Ranma has also been promised to at least 3 others. In the

end Soun decides it best to give Ranma his daughter Akane, whom at first, shares Ranma's extreme dislike for the entire situation. What makes Ranma 1/2 so great is the characters, and their very interesting personal relationships. The chemistry between Ranma and the rest of the cast is adorable. For example, Ranma while on the outside, rejecting Akane, deeply loves her, this

makes for a very heart-warming main plotline. In addition to the deep dramatic overtones, Ranma happens to be very funny. If you

can stand japanese slapstick, mixed with heartwarming drama, I

suggest you do as I did and START WATCHING RANMA IMMEDIATELY!!

At first, I was reluctant to see Ranma ½ , having heard it described as a gratuitous slapstick comedy, but I've changed my mind.

Ranma is one of the cutest and dearest series you will ever watch. On the surface, it is about a young man with a terrible, but comical curse who has a fiancée he is not too fond of. That in itself (the curse) is extraordinary, but the meaningful characters make Ranma ½ so much more.

In Ranma, things are not always what they seem, and besides the protagonist's dilemma, there's Akane, Ranma's fiancée. If I have to name my favorite character of all time, it must be Akane. (Much of this review is due to her.) Although Akane seems to be only a girl of violent temperament, she is really, deep down, gentle and eager to be more feminine and dear. Her hidden character glimmers through sometimes during the show, like when she tells Ranma something to the effect of, "I know you're not telling the truth when you say I'm cute, but I'm just happy you said it." (Ranma's bewildered facial reaction is, 'she really is cute'). Akane's model is her eldest sister, Kasumi, who is the epitome of Japanese feminine grace and beauty. (The show also focuses on Ranma and Akane's growing affection/love for each other.)

Of course, what would Ranma ½ be without the humor and the wit of which it has been so lauded for? The host of magically-cursed humans, especially the panda, is very cute and funny, and the fantastically silly Tendo-dojo is a place of endless fiancé and family fights (literally). There are many plays on words that non-Japanese speakers would miss (like how Ranma's last name foreshadows his curse, and Akane's name means crimson, scarlet). There are some gratuitous displays that would make some people blush, but you must keep in mind that Japanese view nudity in a different, less severe way, than the West.

I have seen an episode of Ranma ½ in English dubbed, and I recommend that you *never* see this version. The dubbing does no justice to the characters, especially Ranma and Akane, making them too forceful. If you have the means, see the original version or the subtitled version and enjoy the nuances of the voices.

I simply picked up a copy of the Ranma 1/2 OAVs since I had some extra money when I was picking up my usual copy of a DBZ DVD(The Draw, to be precise). I had heard about Ranma and the comments were positive ones, and having read about the episodes in my Viz catalog I decided to try it out. When I popped the OAV video into my VCR, I never knew that when I was done I would be laughing my head off.

Now, I own half of the OAVS, one of the films, 4 Ranma DVD boxsets(seasons 2-5), and a ton of videos and DVDs, as well as about one third of the manga. Ranma's great. The weird, but awesome, fighting is just the icing on the cake. What we really have is Ranma trying to not get his rear handed to him by crazy rivals, Akane bashing Ranma's head in, Ryoga trying to find where in the world he is, Shampoo gloomping Ranma in a bear-hug that would probably strangle Arnold Schwarzenegger, and near-blind Mousse, who mistakes Ranma, Shampoo, Akane, and everyone else for just about everything. With this laugh-out loud silliness, it's obvious you know you're watching something great.

I think the best thing about the entire series is that I can really relate to Ranma(well, aside from the curses and stuff). He has a fear of a certain type of animal due to..... childhood circumstances, he feels like everyone uses him, blames him for things even if it's not his fault, he doesn't have many friends, and his father cares jack squat for him. This makes Ranma really empathetic for me, something most anime characters don't usually do.

Shockingly, one character I like in this is voo-doo fixated Hikaru Gosunkugi. I like the fact that he's not the typical Ranma rival who goes out and confronts Ranma directly. He's even able to actually have some effect with his plans. Of course, said plans usually backfire on him....

Finally, the show introduces just about the cutest anime character ever, Shampoo! Every time she purrs out "ailen," it makes me melt......

BOTTOM LINE: Watch Ranma 1/2! You don't know what you're missing if you don't!