Ranma ½

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!!

I pretty much got into manga and anime because of the first season of Ranma 1/2 (my first manga was the first appearance of Ukyo, and then a friend of mine loaned me his copies of the first season back in 1996). It's funny, clever, emotional, and well-animated. The dubbing was terrific--and after all these years, it's still the best dub I've ever seen, except for the Tenchi series (which, for some reason, I liked better than the Japanese voices)--but I just bought the DVD box set and watched the entire series in Japanese, and it's even better! I've been a big fan of Megumi Hayashibara (Girl-type Ranma, Tenchi's mother, Lina Inverse, Rei Ayanami, Momiji from Blue Seed, etc.) and I was not disappointed with her voice acting (I can't wait to hear her do the "Ranma's Declaration of Womanhood" episode). A bigger surprise for me was that the voice-actress of Nabiki also was Kiki from Majo no Takkyubin. Wonderful voices all around, but the Japanese Ryoga's voice is so strong and deep that I found it hard to believe he was as stupid as he is (interesting to note that he also plays the Jusenkyo Guide--I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen the credits!). Also, the subtitles gave some information that was important that was left out of the dub, and sometimes (such as repeatedly in the "Pelvic Fortune Telling" episode and that scene in Akane's lost love when they fight after eating hamburgers), I didn't understand what was really going on until I watched the subtitle. Still, I did find myself missing some of the Americanized jokes, especially in the episode where Akane loses her memories of Ranma and lists off a bunch of things that he must be ("That 1986 remake of King Lear directed by Akira Kurosawa" "That's Ran!" "That song by the Beach Boys!" "That's 'Help Me Ronda'"). Anyway, this is a wonderful series that doesn't have too much nudity and isn't too "kawaii" like Pokemon or Mon Colle Knights.

What more can I say? This show is the best anime show I've seen and is perhaps the first one to get me into that genre among others. I first laughed at the title, because it sounded ridiculous, and I was new to this, and I was just a kid. And as I watched, I laughed even more, to learn this is worthwhile and a great show, a great love comedy or martial arts show. With references to ancient China and traditions, except turned upside down to bring hilarious and chaotic results! And the character are unforgettable, Kuno Tatewake, Ryoga who is stupid but my favorite character of the show! Mousse, Cologne, Happosai, Akane and Genma, and not to mention Ranma's other suitors, Shampoo, Kodachi, Ukyo, this came before Tenchi Muyo! to those who say harem anime was copied from Tenchi! Without a doubt, this is a very funny and memorable show brought to you by Rumiko Takahashi who also made Inu Yasha, Maison Ikkoku, Urusei Yatsura and Fire Tripper. Great show, recommended to all fans of the shows mentioned earlier. >>>>> 10/10

I love this anime! I was laughing my head off with all of the jokes and the violence (mostly from Akane Ranma's reluctant but short tempered "fiancee")is so slapstick however Ranma does deserve it but he does try his best to make amends...clumsily. The main character Ranma goes to China to train only to fall into the cursed Jusenkkyo Spring and turns into a girl when splashed by cold water. From then on it's pure chaos one after another. Among the stand outs are the deranged brother and sister duo of Kuno and Kodachi, the sexy Shampoo, the pervert Happosai all causing trouble for our hero/heroine. However it is Ranma's selfish father Genma who winds up being the culprit for the mess most of the time. If anyone want an anime that's funny, this is the one. It's cuter and better with the Japanese dub.

If there is one good way to describe Ranma 1/2 (Nibun No Ichi), it would be absolutely HILARIOUS. The interaction between characters, and many of the characters' backgrounds are unbelievable-- There are so many odd characters in the series which you grow a liking for. It also mixes martial arts elements into, akin to Dragonball Z, except much more smoothly-animated. The combination of interesting fights with equally interesting characters makes this show one of the best, in my opinion.