Ranma ½

Well, I finished this series a short while ago, so now it's time to put in a review for it. If you don't know what Ranma 1/2 is about, check out the synopsis above before reading.

Story: 7 (Good)

Ranma 1/2 does have somewhat of an ongoing story, although there is no major objective in the series other than Ranma's constant failed attempts to return his body to normal. Even though Ranma can return to 'boy-type' Ranma by taking a warm bath (cold water returns him to 'girl-type' Ranma, aka Ranko Tendo for some purposes), he still desires to once again become 'all man' by ridding himself ... of the Jusenkyo curse that was placed on him when he fell into the Spring of Drowned Girl. He feels as though his pride as a man has been dented by being able to turn into girl form, either willingly (for some purposes he does this for his own gain) or unwillingly (for either Happosai's entertainment or when some mishap occurs).

I gave the story a 7 because despite it not having a lot of depth, each episode usually strives to be unique and entertaining, and more often than not, does this without complaint. After about the first 120 episodes however, the episode stories do become pretty predictable, but there is still much enjoyment to be had if you've come to like the characters (which I have). So the story ends up with a 'good' rating, because it was, afterall, 'good', and not particularly bad.

Art: 9 (Great)

For the time period, Ranma 1/2's art and animation was pretty well done. No complaints really, some parts are more well-done than others, while you have the occasional background or scene where you can tell there was *some* degree of slacking off. But there is nothing really you can bash it for considering when it came out and how many episodes it ran for. I'm quite surprised the level of quality remained fairly consistent, although the animation from the start of the show did change part-way through, as you can tell if you've seen the series through to the end.

Sound: 8 (Very Good)

Most of the music in this show is fairly catchy, you might find yourself humming along with it, or when you're by yourself just doing something random. Again, nothing really to complain about here, yet nothing particularly spectacular either.

Character: 9 (Great)

While most of the characters do stay the same throughout the series and don't develop too much, Ranma 1/2 has a vast array of likable characters, ranging from minor and hardly-ever seen to major and always up to something predictable, yet hilarious. In fact, one of the strengths of this show is knowing what each character is going to try and do in certain situations, because even though you can see it coming before it happens, you find yourself rooting for your favourite character in hopes that their plan is successful. That's part of the fun in this show. And sometimes you *think* you know exactly what's going to happen, only to have a twist thrown in that you never expected that will have you laughing hysterically, only to find yourself playing back that scene a couple more times before moving on.

Ranma, Moose, and Ryoga seem to be the usual favourites of this show, and quite honestly, when these three go at it, comedy can't help but follow. Ryoga is usually getting lost when he has to walk more than a few minutes in a straight line, Moose is completely clueless of anything without his glasses, and Ranma is the glue that ties them all together with his level-headedness and arrogance. Most of the characters have one or more traits about them that make them who they are, and you come to know them by those traits. So even though none of the characters are very deep (with maybe the exception of Ranma and Akane), you learn to love them. And it's all too easy to do so.

Enjoyment: 10 (Outstanding)

I'll admit, I did start to get a bit bored by the time I got around to the episode 120-or-so mark, but overall, I'm glad I picked up this series, as it was a great watch most of the time. The fact that it ran so long may have been to it's detriment, but I'm sure if you take it in small doses and watch a little here and there, you can retain most of the comedic atmosphere and avoid some of the boredom that comes with watching this show in marathons, as I did frequently at the start.

Overall: 9 (Great)

It wasn't the best show in the world, but it's one I believe most anime fans should at least try a bit of at some point or another, because it's got something in it for everyone. It's made by the creator of Inu Yasha, which in itself might make you think it's *like* Inu Yasha, but no. I'll tell you right now, this show is not like Inu Yasha, the show where absolutely *nothing of interest* ever happens. Sure, nothing really epic happens in Ranma either, but at least it's *interesting* nothing. Sort of like Seinfeld, in a way.

Another thing I liked about it is that this show does not try to be ecchi. Far from it. Sure, someone will walk in on Ranma as a girl the odd time and you might catch a glimpse of some (uncensored) boobs, but it's not meant to be a big deal, there is no big eccentric close-up like in the ecchi series of today, there is no "WHOOA! Nosebleed!" effect (none that I can recall), and there is no 'kawaii' exclamation from someone every couple of minutes. It's simply a moment for the character, and it passes, and it's not a big deal.

An example: Ranma goes to a public bath. Ranma gets splashed with cold water by Happosai. Oh noes, boobs (because of the situation), but no one seems to care (and why should anyone? It's just boobs.) Ranma fights with Happosai. Ranma is eventually done and turns back into a guy, having gotten his revenge by punching Happy out through the ceiling or something. And that's it. These days series make a big deal of boobs on 'kawaii' girls and panty shots at unexpected times, and make them out to be a big deal. Ranma does not attempt to do this (maybe because of the time when it came out). It assumes more maturity on the part of the viewer, and I commend the PG rating on this show and the fact that no one felt it needed to be censored. There exist some otaku out there that love this show because it's down to Earth, and there also exist some otaku out there who may not like it because of that as well.

SO IS RANMA 1/2 FOR YOU?

If you're looking for a comedy series with a lot of laughs, interesting characters, and some memorable moments that you can share with other anime fans, then go for Ranma 1/2. Martial arts fans, you get a lot of that in this show as well, but it's not taken very seriously, and in fact, sometimes it's taken to a ridiculous (yet humourous) extent (ie. Martial Arts Tea Ceremony, Martial Arts Gymnastics, Good Ole Days Martial Arts, etc).

If you're looking for boobs or panty shots, well, you'll get boobs, but they won't be a big deal (nor should they really unless childish ecchi is your thing). If you're an ecchi fan, sorry, this won't do it for you.

Are you a rather mature anime fan who likes that classic aged animation, comedy, anything-goes humour, and a wide array of likable characters? If so, then Ranma 1/2 IS for you.

A person needs good taste and a sense of humor to enjoy Ranma ½.
If you possess these attributes then Ranma ½ should appeal to you.
Don't expect it to be like Akira or Death Note because this is a true comedy.
If you enjoy Monty Python then Ranma ½ will entertain you.
If you aren't amused by it then you have no sense of humor.

Story:

The episodic format often prevents a long story arc from developing
but most of the story arcs that occur throughout the series develope
... the overall plot with the character learning new techniques
although some of the story arcs bring the story back to square one.
The main form of plot developement that happens is cast expansion
which means more and more characters are introduced that can later be
used in subsequent episodes.

This massive cast of characters eventually developes a complicated web of relationships that change very little but the web does continue to get larger.
In other words the situation grows more than it actually progresses.

Art:

The art quality was magnificent early on in Seasons 1 and 2
and later on in Seasons 6 and 7 but Seasons 3, 4, and 5 were inconsistent.
This inconsistency is because different animators with varying levels of skill
animated different episodes throughout these middle seasons.
Asami Endo worked on way too many episodes and her style detracts from the quality of the seasons that she worked on extensively.
Atsuko Nakajima was the greatest animator and every episode she made
was entertaining and her style of art and animation was perfect in every way.
Yuka Kudo and Chi Isono were also excellent animators.

Sound:

The sounds effects and music are perfect and they fit the series well.

Character:

Above all else the characters are hilarious, charming, and unusual.
The characters are actually extremely deep and most of them have extensive
back stories that provide extensive information about their past.
Whoever said they're not deep is completely wrong and obviously didn't pay any attention to the comprehensive background information that was given to tell about the events that led up to the ongoing circumstances of
the series and give depth to the characters by telling parts of their life story.
The characters are extremely eccentric but they have believable personalities
because they almost always act in character.

The characters have consistent personalities that make them believable and insanely hilarious. The characters are this anime's best characteristic.

Enjoyment:

Enjoyment is what this anime is all about.
You should chill out and make sure you have a sense of humor before you watch this anime.

Ranma 1/2 is something that is difficult to pin a single description on. At times there are lots of action scenes, explosions, and various attacks flying around. At other times it is side splitting humor due to an awkward time and place for Ranma to transform, or situations he gets roped into, and still other times where Akane's explosive temper or jealousy takes us by surprise. Scattered here and there are some genuinely sweet and tender moments as well.

(8) Ranma 1/2 is episodic. It has no overarching plot other than to perhaps reverse the curse placed on Ranma and several others we meet along the ... way. We have our core group of Ranma and friends, and a number of other characters that come and go.

(8) The art is generally very good. Age is no qualm here as an excuse for sloppy art. The animation quality is a bit simple at times. But at others, especially during fight scenes, is very good. Quality overall is still very good though. Although in rare occasions, the art quality drops significantly.

(9) The sound quality suffers a little bit due to age. Especially having been on VHS for over half of the series lifetime. But otherwise the sound quality is still very good to great. Surprisingly enough the core group of characters have very good English dubs. Even a lot of the supporting and background characters have good voice overs. Occasionally we run into a bad voice over, but by far that is in the minority.

( 10) The characters here all have a healthy dose of insanity. With few exceptions most of the characters have some unique personality traits that either put Ranma and crew in massive trouble, or cause such an awkward scene that you can't help but burst out laughing. Also with few exceptions most of the characters are so tenacious that they just cannot give up. ever. It doesn't matter how many times they get pounded into the ground, or launched into the sky, or made a total fool of, they just keep coming back for more. But it fits with those characters personalities and makes them what they are. We do have a number of one or two shot characters that appear for a scene or two and are never seen again.

(9) Ranma 1/2 is a very long series, 161 Episodes, 12 (now 13) OVA's and two movies are a lot to watch. This series is no exception to getting a bit burnt out on itself. I won't lie and say I enjoyed every single one of the stories, but I'm willing to forgive them in light of the insane fun of the majority of the set.

(9) Overall I loved Ranma 1/2 and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a bit of insane fun mixed with various action bits and a romance plot that is extremely warped due to the number of opposing parties involved. Not to mention that Ranma is both a boy and a girl, and with the plentiful insanity, various people either love him or hate him depending on which he is at the time.

The only bad things I can say about the series is that sometimes enough is enough. Ranma's immaturity, and Akane's explosive temper can get a little old
but still.
9/10 without a doubt. Bias included.

*This could easily be a solid 10, but the series was never finished. The anime cuts off roughly in volume 22 (out of 38) of the manga. The OVA's only take on a few more stories but leave a substantial number untouched.
There are still a lot of interesting characters that we never see, and a lot of fights, plots, and other bits that I would have loved to see animated. Not to mention the resolution of the series as a whole.*

A comedy/romance based on the manga by Rumiko Takahashi, Ranma 1/2 revolves around the arranged marriage of Ranma Saotome, a boy who has been trained by his father in martial arts since childhood and Akane Tendo, an average girl who is also a martial artist, living with her father and two sisters. Although their relationship starts off rocky at first, over time they begin to grow close to each other, but not without complications brought about by many of the other characters.

Story: The premise of Ranma 1/2, that makes it unique to other comedy/romance anime, are the many Jusenkyo springs which, if fallen into cause ... the person to be cursed. Ranma is cursed and turns into a girl whenever he is splashed with cold water, and is changed back to a boy when splashed with warm water. The story focuses on the many love webs between the numerous characters, with most of them being in love with either Ranma or Akane. This leads to various conflicts which are usually resolved through martial arts or other supernatural elements. Although the first few seasons introduce new characters and elements, the latter few become stale and repetitive and fail to rap up many of the plotlines. You could almost say that nothing much drastically changed from season 3-4 to season 7

Animation: Hard to comment on the animation of an anime from the late 80's early 90's. However I have to say that it seems very well done for its time, The character's appearence are consistant and the fighting scenes, like I said, for its time, seems well done. Although in some instances they seem to come off a little choppy or with recycled animation.

Sound: The sound is fitting to the tone of the show, music for battles scenes come off as both serious and silly at the same time, which many of the battles are. The opening's and ending's also fit the show very well and were enjoyable. I watched the show in japanese, and although the voice acting was average, it gets extra points for having the great Kappei Yamaguchi as male Ranma, and Megumi Hayashibara as female Ranma.

Character: The anime feature various characters, alot of which have feelings for either Akane or Ranma, and spend alot of their time trying to wedge them apart and win the favor of the one they love. Like Ranma, many of the characters also have Jusenkyo curses and change their form, some curses include a cat, duck, pig and panda. There are also many minor characters who appear only a few times, usually they present some type of martial arts, or perhaps supernatural challenge.

Enjoyment: I was disapointed with the way the repetitive plot and shallow ending, but overall I did enjoy it. Many of the situations were very humorous as well as the over the top personalities of alot of the characters. If you are a Rumiko Takahashi fan (although if you are you have probably seen this already) or just like overly silly comedy/romances with quite a bit of action then I would have to recommend this to you.

Overall: It was painful to remember about this anime, Ranma is sort of your typical pointless anime, no good story, no real point to the entire story, and defiantly not funny enough to be considered a good comedy series... it deserves to be lumped up in the pile of "boredom-inducing-fillertasitc" anime, along with Naruto, Inuyasha, and others...

Story: they laid out the story in the first episode, ranma is engaged to akane because of odd circumstances, and they didnt advance whatsoever till the very end, actually, it didnt have a story at all pretty much, just random junk happening, if you like a massive pile of ... fillers, this is your thing.

Art: its old school, but its not that impressive or anything, not bad, not good either. The art seems really bland compared to the Anime of today, so if you are just starting this out, you will notice that really easily, though I'm not saying old school anime is not good...

Sound: well, nothing really outstanding here, no epic soundtrack or anything...

Character: theres not that much depth in the characters and they introduce them by the dozens, even the main characters are not that deep, it feels like they just slapped it together out of randomness and kept going not knowing where to go.

Enjoyment: well its ok the first couple episodes you watch, though it goes downhill from there, it never really picks up or goes on an epic story arc or anything, just pointless random bickering and fighting. It gets old very fast, even with the mass produced new characters.

Overview :

Seen as the original innovator that would come to influence the modern harem genre, Ranma 1/2 is a very simple and non-episodic slice-of-life comedy that has an overarching theme of ‘martial arts’.

To address the elephant in the room, this anime has many cliches and tropes that have become the norm in modern anime, however it is something that is easily forgivable considering the time of its initial airing.



Plot / Characters :

In each episode our protagonist Ranma Saotome usually gets involved in a situation involving martial arts battles or involving a way to reverse his curse that makes him a genderbent ... female upon contact with water.

True to its SoL genre, the show doesn’t take itself too seriously and rather the battles can range from typical shonen fights to more bizarre battles such as ice skating or fine dining contests.

Because of its non-episodic nature, very little progression occurs or even carries over as the series progresses.
Furthermore there is little character development and many characters remain unchanged as walking tropes from the episodes they were introduced in.
This isn’t to say there isn’t any character development however. What you will notice is that the progression of relationships between the main cast and Ranma, aside from some loud mouths is something subtle and never directly spelled out.

This ties into the romance aspect as this is after all a harem anime. I won’t spoil too much but Ranma’s harem consists of 3 finances who he has each agreements to marry with.
Although Ranma himself doesn’t explicitly show romantic interest most of the time, on the contrary most of the romance moments in the show are conveyed by his fiancé’s.

In particular the main girl Akane Tendo is a literal tsundere and constantly bickers with Ranma in the earlier episodes. Gradually however she opens up to Ranma and although they still fight, it is usually because she cares about him.

Generally I’d say that the anime itself does contain its share of wholesome moments but at the same time it is not so easily rewarded and it is largely up to the viewer to interpret certain visual and dialogue cues as emotional development.



Animation / Art :

The hand drawn animation is very pleasant to look at and generally remains consistent throughout the whole series.

During some fight scenes there are certainly moments where it can get a little choppy, but the choreography itself isn’t something too sophisticated and therefore it simply gets the job done most of the time.

Likewise the art style has aged like fine wine and you can really appreciate the late 80’s to early 90’s aesthetics such as the way hair and eyes are designed.

You will notice that in the later episodes, the way faces are drawn do change but this is something extremely subtle and you will probably not notice it during your initial viewing.



Sound :

Personally aside from the first opening nothing was really that special and I found myself skipping it most of the time. That isn’t to say the OST’s are bad by any means as some of them were absolute bangers.

Primarily produced by Kenji Kawai, I found the BGM used for fights to be nothing too amazing but where the soundtrack really shines is in its tracks dedicated to SoL and emotional moments.

To name a few some of my favourites are;
• Just so long as you realise
• Okay is not the word
• Happy, Shining, Morning
• Akane’s Daydream

My only complaint is that the track usage is sometimes disproportionate, and you usually hear some songs more often than others. For example the track “Okay is not the word” only gets used like 4 times in the entire show.
Aside from this minor nitpick, although some tracks are mediocre and get used way to often, for the most part the soundtrack is good and helps accent the laid back SoL nature of this show.

As for the voice acting they absolutely nailed casting the right voices for the right characters. For an anime made in the late 1980’s I went in expecting awkward and out of place voices as seen in for example ‘Urusei Yatsura’. To my surprise I was actually quite pleased with just how professional and talented the voices were compared to the amateurish voice acting that was normal in the 1980s. Funnily enough I didn’t expect to see Takehito Koyasu (Dio’s va) playing a high pitched perverted grandpa character, so seeing that gave me a laugh.
Overall I have no complaints about the voice acting and it definitely is one of Ranma 1/2’s consistently great points.



Criticisms :

For the most part I think the anime delivered interesting and funny comedic oriented episodes but unfortunately there were some which made me want to skip to the next.
Personally I believe that the decline started to occur around episode 124, but this isn’t to say that there aren’t any good episodes past that as I really liked episodes 128-129, 150 and 154-155, but rather it did feel that they got rarer to some degree.

Adding on to the that, I found that quality of directing itself had gotten blander overtime compared to the charm it had in earlier episodes.
For example, if I hear the track “Just So Long As You Realise”, I instantly think of the first 30 seconds after the title card in episode 3, with the slow panning shots over a very warm and tranquil scenery of the school.
Of course there are plenty more examples which come to mind but to return to the point, whether through shot composition or use of audio, it does feel like a lot of the aesthetic and iconic scenes had become limited as the series progressed.

My final criticism I have is that unfortunately the anime ends abruptly and never gives you the satisfying final conclusion at the end of the 161 episodes. There are OVA’s to fill that void afterwards but it should be noted that they are either missing chapters from the manga animated or completely original content.



Verdict :

Having watched Ranma 1/2 in 2021 and it being one of my first Rumiko Takahashi works,
I can safely attest that my review is not clouded in nostalgia.
Overall the anime is relatively good for the most parts and just as the series has its ‘high’ peaks in terms of episodes, it also has its fair share of ‘lows’.

I understand that it’s episode length may be an intimidating factor, however because of its non-episodic format it makes it friendly for the viewer to gradually watch episodes over long periods of time yet not feel lost.

Although I criticised a lot about this anime in my review, at the end of the day I did get genuine enjoyment out of it and it easily sits within my list of favourite animes despite its obvious flaws.

I definitely recommend this anime for those who like a good SoL shonen with a simple premise that is laid back and doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I give Ranma 1/2 a
9 out of 10


tldr; Good laidback and fun SoL martial arts anime. Kind of like a SoL Shenmue mixed with Nisekoi and genderbending.

Ranma is probably the anime that got me completely hooked on all anime. It was not the first i had ever seen but it was in the first 10 at least. When i saw the very first episode of this show i immediately sat down and watched the entire series from beginning to end over the span of a month. This is truly my all time favorite anime and this is my review of it.

The story of Ranma is not a very deep or complex one, it doesn't even have a conclusion. Ranma is majorly episodic and has very few two part episodes. Ranma ... has constant conflicts in his life between rivals,love interests and his own personal goal of removing his curse.This premise sets of the show for hours upon hours of laughter and excitement with lots of surprising moments. The show is simple and sweet which is all a romance comedy action anime like Ranma should be. Being set in the 80s the show tends to have lots of wacky and silly humor poring out of it which can be unappreciated by some people. I love anime of this generation cause of its boldness and just ability to be unpredictable cause it was the start of the industry's explosive growth.

As far as characters go Ranma is riddled with bizarre characters that never cease to amaze me. The supporting cast is full of original and funny characters that almost make it feel like some kinda odd themed game show at times. The show used to catch me off guard by throwing in standard character types but with a wacky twist or just by making them goofier than they were ever meant to be. One of the best things about Ranma is all the characters are really original and don't feel like rip offs from another show. They also did not hold back on the soft color pallet full of primary colors. It can be really hard to talk about Ranma characters since they are very 1 dimensional but they are all fairly memorable and even the show acknowledges this at times with some of the gags. The only characters that are every really expanded upon deeply or at any length are Ranma and Akane and it usually is about there subtle and tsundere emotional connection.Even if it lacks a lot of character development i grew to love all the characters a lot.

There is at least a dozen frequent minor characters that are all noteworthy and important to the series but my personal favorite has always been Shampoo. Shampoo is the Chinese amazon with the unrelenting love for the main character that drives her to try wacky and mystical love schemes a like. She was also my favorite character visually cause it always just felt like she was special, when you saw the way she was drawn in the first season it was obvious she was not just my favorite. Compared to most other character she stands out quite a bit with her blue hair and Chinese clothing.

When i watch anime from the 80s time period i'm always given a warm fuzzy feeling from the way everything looks but Ranma used to give me this really vibrant feel of joy when i watched it. I was always enchanted by the backgrounds even if some were recycled too often, it always just seem to set me in the right mood for the show and i could forgive it easily. I was also very glad to see the usage of color was so utilized as compared to other shows of the time. A lot of shows got away with just changing characters hairstyles and wearing school uniforms but in Ranma most characters get quite a few different uniforms that really show off the colors of the rainbow. Another great thing i liked about the show is that only a few characters had strange hair colors, with the exception of Ranma and Shampoo everyone has natural hair colors like black or brown. I like that the show used the color of there surroundings to emphasize the characters more than eye catching neon hair colors.

Audio wise Ranma has a lot of standard sound effects from that period of anime but its soundtrack was pretty catchy. I remember season ones soundtrack being so charming and cute that i listened to it more than a few dozen times. As for voice acting, i enjoyed it pretty thoroughly. I have seen both Ranma in English and Japanese and i can say that both are pretty fair to amazing in voice talent. I did however resent the change in voice for Ranma in the English version as it was somewhat drastic. All in all the audio is very good though i feel it was strongest in season one.

Overall i enjoy Ranma more than anything i have ever seen before which is saying a lot about it. I love to laugh, i love bright and warm shows and I like too see things that i haven't before. Ranma offered me a lot of new things and if you have seen tons of anime and then watch it you may not see the originality as much as i do but it is there. I still wish a studio would remake or continue from where the first one left off even if they gotta recast the voice actors and add actual plot. I cant help but gush about how happy it makes me to watch this show. Season one was definitely the best season overall before they did the changes for big time production but the rest of it is great too.

Ranma 1/2 is Outstanding to me and i think people can still get lots of entertainment and enjoyment from this show.

Oh, where to start..?

Well, I give credit for at least trying to make a good anime; however, this was far from it. I don't mean to offend any lovers of Ranma 1/2, but the story was very poor. The plot, however, was imaginative, and it was enjoyable for a little while. The episodes kept drawing me back again and again, even though sometimes I'd yell out to myself "That was the worst episode EVER!"

The creator tried too hard to make Ranma 1/2 funny, so it fails dramatically later in the series. The events begin to be extremely predictable, and although sometimes the humor made me ... laugh my heart out, most of it was simply annoying.

With my taste in anime (I like to see adventure, occasional humor, and a LOT of character development), I found this show to be somewhat... Annoying. All right, maybe very annoying. Some of the episodes are like a pornographic version of Looney Tunes (what with all the slapstick humor), and it really got on my nerves. Not to mention that the characters NEVER develop. This makes for fun characters at the beginning, but the quality of events and story begin to fail later on.

However, I still finished the series, and found some episodes very fun and hilarious; but when I finally reached that last episode, I breathed a sigh of relief and moved on to different anime.

I have to give the plot some credit. It's fairly original and even cute sometimes, and pretty inventive (I mean, Ranma turns into a girl when splashed with cold water, and this makes for some very humorous moments).

The music is fun and catchy. Not cool or exciting, just catchy, and sometimes a bit... Weird. But it's fun nonetheless.

The art fits the plot very well. It's fairly cute and an original way to illustrate, and I somewhat like it.

Depending on your taste in humor, characters and their development, you may want to give this anime a try.

Ranma 1/2 is my all time fave anime. It is the greatest by Rumiko, in my opinion. (I was embarassed that got a R rating because I tend to avoid watching rated R stuff) Here are the details:
Story:9
The story was very good. Some arcs were a bit dull, and the lack of an ending was frustrating, but oh well. Fangirls will savor the rare romantic moments. I loved how they stuck to the Martial Arts concept instead of straying into the magic territory as so many "realistic" animes do. The story was well written and engaging.

Art: 6
This was made in the 80s so I understand ... the animation wasn't the best. It was okay. Could of been better, but simple anime is Rumiko's style I guess.

Sound: 10
The soundtrack was amazing!! Even though they used the same sound effects and songs throughout the entire series, I never grew tired of them!! Banzai!!!

Characters: 10
I loved the characters. Or hated them. Only Rumiko can create charcters that we both love and hate. I honestly liked Shampoo, while others viewed her as a pain, I liked her. He characters I didn't like were Akane, Mousse, Ryoga and (my least favorite anime character of all) HAPPOSAI. Oooh he makes my blood boil!! Anyway, fabulous characters.

Enjoyment: 10!!!!
As I said before, this is my favorite anime ever. With engaging story, fun characters, complex relationships, funny jokes, amazing sound effects and its witty charm, what's not to love?

Overall: 10
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good laugh and doesn't mind nudity. This is a masterpiece. Great tv show. I wish they would do another season. So, if this review hasn't already convinced you, WATCH IT!!!

My favorite anime, I love anything in it 10/10 doesn't matter at what is it(well it is matter if it is in Ranma½ or not).
I don't think that it's actually hatable or dislikable or anything except lovable or something that actually can't be hated or something that can be only the favorite.
I saw everything (which is about 73.5 hours total seeing all the series OVA's and Movies except live action) not second of waste even though I watched it about 6 times. There's no any second wasted on it.
If anyone sees my review and "Dropped It" then try it one more time.
Anyone that has it ... on "Plan to Watch" Watch it, the sooner the better.
Anyone that has it on "On Hold" continue watching it and finish this, the sooner the better(not in the bad meaning).
Anyone that doesn't listed it, "Watched It" nor "Didn't Watched It" neither "Dropped It" neither it on "On Hold", first, list it, secondly watch it.
Third thing, Enjoy this, but this one is inevitable.
Because there's no person who can actually not enjoy this. :)
Well, as I said earlier:
Story: 10/10 Outstanding
Art: 10/10 Outstanding
Sound: 10/10 Outstanding
Character: 10/10 Outstanding
Enjoyment: 10/10 Outstanding
Overall: 10/10 Outstanding

Ranma 1/2

Review By: John Fragglepuss Evans

Ranma ½ is a classic 1980s anime, from the animation style to the soundtrack. Genma has a unique tune that plays every time he becomes a panda, and so do other characters. This is a fun and light-hearted anime, where you will laugh at times and shake your head at other times. There are many repeated jokes throughout the series, some of which get worn out after a while, where others stay fresh and get a new spin on them at times. The story does not progress at a decent rate, feeling like a stand still at times, due to ... the series appearing to be broken up into mini-stories that are about five episodes each. Overall it is an enjoyable anime to watch and to see an anime that has been influential to many that have come after it.

You might enjoy this if: You want to get nostalgic or want an anime that will bring your spirits up after watching a soul-shattering, depressing anime.

You might not like it if: You get frustrated when you want two people to get together and love each other, but they just will not do it!

Note to the Viewer: If you enjoy the anime, check out the Ranma ½ manga. There are a lot of chapters, and there is additional story in them.

EXPANDED REVIEW FROM SLC ANIME:

Positives included the late 1980s art style and storytelling, the opening song that typified late 1980s J-Pop, the fact that it was a fun and light-hearted anime, and the nostalgia felt by some. A good point brought up was that if you are going to continue watching the anime after the group meet up, it must be a decent anime. Many group members plan to continue watching, so it must be decent. Something that was a positive and humorous was that while many characters hated Ranma, they only hated one gender of Ranma, not both of them.

There were a few negative points brought up. One was how most of the characters had one specific quirk that identified their personality, and the quirk would be played out over and over again. Another negative was the progression of the story, or lack thereof. The series was split into mini stories of about five episodes each, and would go one to the next without a lot of actual progression. Ranma ½ is a good dessert anime, one that could be watched an episode or two at a time, in between more serious shows.

There were mixed reviews on the English dubbing and with Ryoga as a character. People either loved or hated the English dubbing and we will leave it at that. Some people enjoyed Ryoga’s lack of a sense of direction and personality as a pig, while others did not like it at all and found him annoying.

Story: 9/10
Art: 10/10
Sound: 7/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 9.5/10
I've said this once before, but I absolutely love Rumiko Takahashi's content, & Ranma is no exception. I was absolutely hooked from the start knowing that I was already gonna love this show, since it was created by my favorite manga artist, & starring one of my favorite seiyuu's: Kappei Yamaguchi. And on top of that, I have a very soft spot for old school anime, because not only do they not tease me as much as modern anime, but its just fascinating watching old ass anime that's like 25+ years old. So starting off with story, this show ... has a very solid premise: A young man named Ranma is cursed by a cursed spring from China that turns him into a lady while being hit with cold H20, & turns him back into a man while being hit with hot H20. This show is very unique when it comes to how its structured, because unlike most anime this one is an episodic anime. Now granted, it's still a story with time moving forward throughout the episodes, but every episode stands out in its own way with the occasional 2 episode stories here & there, but nonetheless 98% of the anime is episodic stories which is something you'd expect from a western cartoon. Rumiko Takahashi's art style may be just one of my favorites, I absolutely love her character design, (especially on Mousse) because unlike most anime I've seen, she draws male pupils the same exact size as female pupils. Now, I'm not against drawing male characters with smaller pupils than the females, because it makes it easier to tell who's who. But I really appreciate Takahashi sama's choice of drawing the male characters with big pupils with the exception of Kuno & Soun, but I digress, because everyone in real life has the same pupil size. Really the only character design I don't like much is the fact that Ryoga & Ranma share the same haircuts minus the braid, & they have somewhat similar fashion making it a lil tough to tell who is who whenever both characters are on screen, but that's just a tiny lil nitpick that doesn't really matter, since Ryoga wears a headband unlike Ranma, & both the characters have voices that are different enough to tell the difference. Despite when this show was released & its episode count, the animation is very solid. Of course there will be extremely little error's here & there, but I believe that's forgivable considering that this anime was made in the late 80s to early 90s, & that it was 161 episodes long. The soundtrack is rather decent. There are good op's & ed's here & there, but nothing crazy slapz to write home about. I very rarely talk about sub vs dub, because #1 I believe its a very repetitive subject, & #2 I mostly stick to sub at least 86% of the time, simply because I prefer to listen to the original Japanese cast. But I just gotta say dawg, I really love the performance that the seiyuu's put into this. As for the dub, I seriously wish they didn't cast a lady to voice both male & female Ranma. I understand why they did it, because it would be a hell of a lot easier for them, but then again the female voice just doesn't fit male Ranma since he's a 16 yr old dude, & not a lil kid. I've heard a very small clip of Richard Ian Cox dubbing the male Ranma, & he seriously fits the dub role for Ranma much better, since both Richard & Yamaguchi Kun voiced Inuyasha & Ranma. Unfortunately, I can't find the dub that stars Richard Ian Cox anywhere, so if anyone has access to it, I'd love to see it. But its not like it really matters since I prefer watching this show in Japanese. The characters are absolutely outstanding in this anime. By far my favorite side character is Mousse, because I believe he's underrated as hell, I love his appearance, his humor, his curse, his crush on Shampoo, & I also really love his seiyuu Toshihiko Seki. I heard that guy was tested positive for covid a few months ago at the time I'm writing this review, so I wish him well & seriously hope he's doing alright today. I love Kuno's running gag of him calling female Ranma "pigtailed girl", & how he always has to bring up his personal bio in every conversation he's in. Ryoga is a good character as well. He may not be one of my favorites, but it's easy to understand why he's the most popular supporting character in the show, because not only does he have a very mature personality, but he's like the only character that's both equal & slightly higher than Ranma when it comes to strength, which makes sense since the two dudes are basically rivals. Ranma & Akane are of course the two characters that shine the most since they are the only 2 main characters of the whole show, seeing two tsundere's being shipped is always interesting since it's not something you see very often in anime, & it's really only something you see Rumiko Takahashi do with both this show & Inuyasha. To be dead ass, the only character that I don't like all that much is Happosai. And before you say it, no it's not because he's an elderly pervert, because I enjoyed Masher Roshi from Dragon Ball despite the fact that he was an elderly perv, because unlike Happosai, Roshi actually pays the price for spying on ladies, & gets a good beating, he was a very humorous character which I enjoyed. Happosai on the other hand is always escaping & getting Scott-free with his actions always dashing away with a bag full of panties, & its not extremely rare, but pretty damn rare that we ever see him get his short ass kicked for being the panty thief that he is. But what's even worse is when he staples his pervy actions on others. Perfect example is in episode 40 where Happosai pictured Ranma to be someone that he's not right of front of all the ladies, therefore Ranma wrongly got his ass beat by all the ladies at the bathhouse, when in reality they should've been beating Happosai's ass instead. Then a few seconds later, he asks Ranma why Ranma always gives him a hard time while squirting soap in Ranma's eyes. I forreal don't understand why Ranma never stands up for himself or ever defends himself in conversations half the time, sometimes he does, but typically he doesn't. I'm lowkey surprised Ranma didn't respond back saying "That's what I should be asking you." because I know for a fact that's what I would've dont if I was in Ranma's shoes. Sorry that I got a lil ranty, it's not like I think Happosai is a badly written character or anything, I just don't think he's very likable, but it's easy to get over him fast since he is just a supporting character at the end of the day, & he's very overshadowed by all the other great characters in this show. This show is entertaining af, almost every episode is absolutely outstanding, & the fact that this is an episodic anime only helps that more seeing something new happening every time not knowing what's coming next. Overall, this show was great af, entertaining af, & in general just another reason why I love Rumiko Takahashi so much, & why I believe she's such an incredible storyteller. Sure there were lil issues here & there that I had with this show, but all those tiny ass flaws are completely overshadowed by everything that's great about this anime. If your into classic old school anime with that sort of old look to it, & if your really into Japanese content or Martial Arts type shit like I am, than I can guarantee you dawg, this show is right up your alley. I just spent 2 hours writing this review down, & it's been about 3 months since I finished this show, so I'm very happy that I finally got my thoughts & opinions on this show off my chest, so if you've read my review till the end, thanks for sticking around, & you have a goodie.

Well I am a big fan of Ranma 1/2, it is my fav anime and manga of all times but I'll still try to be somehow objective.

(Story:8) Ranma has a hilarious story! It's kind of stupid and doesn't really bring the characters anywhere. The story-line is also somehow blurry; the episodes have a chronological order of course but sometimes the don't necessarily follow anything. If you skip one episode you sure didn't miss much, just a lot of funny moments!

(Art:7) This is a really old anime so I'm not very pleased with the art, but among other anime form the 80's it is really good. ... You can see the art "evolving" form season 1 to season 7 and realize, the art at the end of the anime (or in the OVA's) becomes quite appealing to the eye. At firs I wasn't sure I wanted to watch it because of the somehow poor art, but I'm really happy I did. The art is also similar to the original art in Takahashi's manga witch is great because she has an awesome unique style!

(Sound:10) I have to say, the sound is really nice,the songs are good and the actors are also amazing! Yamaguchi Kappei (Ranma) does his role very good and manages to bring the character to life very well. So does also Haiashibara Megumi (Ranma f). The character songs are some of the best I've heard.

(Character:10) The main character is very nice built and the fact that you can see his male and also his female side is really interesting. The best thing in Ranma 1/2 is that you get to see a lot of very different characters and especially learn about their flaws which are quite hilarious. So many types of people!

(Enjoyment:10) I enjoyed every second of Ranma 1/2 and I could watch it again anytime! The jokes are the best! You can never get bored! I laughed so much watching it, and I just couldn't stop watching another episode when finishing one.

(Overall:9) Overall, I'll say it's a nine, although I could easily give it a 10. I guess this is an anime for people how like comedy and don't expect a great story. There are of course sad scenes, a lot of awesome fighting scenes and of course many cute romantic scenes! And do not get scared of the art or the fact that it is old! Takahashi Rumiko is one of the best mangakas and her stories deserve a lot of respect! I hope you'll enjoy Ranma 1/2 as much as I did!^^

I first heard of Ranma ½ maybe a full year ago on a “Top Ten Funniest Anime” list. It sat comfortably in the number two spot, right before Full Metal Panic: Fammofu. After watching the latter, I was still curious about the former, so I gave Ranma a shot as well. The first time I saw the episode number on my favorite anime website, I honestly felt intimidated. This anime is REALLY LONG. If you aren't prepared, back out while it's still possible. Because of a vow- To always finish every anime I start, no matter how long, stupid, or bad it is- I had ... to watch every moment of this anime, all one-hundred-sixty-one episodes. It took me no less than six months, possibly more. And I'm genuinely sad now that it's all over, for two main reasons:

1.It definitely felt incomplete. More on that later.

2.I grew a somewhat powerful bond with the characters over the seasons and actually feel devastated having to let them go like this.


Story: 6

How sad. A pitiful little six. For those of you who don't realize, a strong plotline is the most important component of an anime. However, Ranma ½ just doesn't pull it off. Let's begin with my earlier point: it felt incomplete. The more sensitive people may consider the next paragraph a breeding ground of spoilers. It is for that reason that I indent here in order to be fair to everyone. However, in my personal opinion, these shouldn't count as spoilers, but warnings. I won't tell you what does happen, only what doesn't.




Ranma never confesses to Akane. Their relationship never gets anywhere. Ranma never becomes all-man. If there is any conflict that isn't resolved in the same episode it originated in, it will invariably persist throughout the series. Unfortunately, I can only think of one exception (codewords “Martial Arts Tea”). The last episode doesn't actually feel conclusive until its final moments, and not because anything happened there either; just because it was a familiar looking scene. The final two episodes have their own special conflict a step above the regular events of the series. However, ironically, not even that lonely circumstance is given a satisfying ending. Just another “we're back where we started” ending. Absolutely every single possible step forward is chained in place because of the character's inability to move out of square one. I don't know why they refuse to progress the plot even in the series' dying moments. Although an actual storyline may prevent the writers (namely Takahashi) from using ideas they surmised after they made it canonically impossible (i.e. if Ranma became all-man halfway through, then they couldn't use the female Ranma ever again), they should at least grant us a true ending where at least SOMETHING happens.

This series is episodic, and what I previously mentioned was only one of the flaws such a setup brings. The tones vary from episode to episode, sometimes with two neighboring stories feeling like two different anime for the a lack of a consistent voice. Special techniques Ranma learns during the course of one episode are quickly forgotten after the credits roll. He and Ryoga only readily use one attack each that we saw them train to obtain. The rest you never see again, even when they would clearly be useful. There are characters you only see once. And while the romantic scenes between Ranma and Akane become more common the longer you watch the series, they never last a very long time or tell you anything that you wouldn't already know.

However, each of these individual episodes are creative and well written. Ranma 1/2's colorful cast of friends, family, and enemies make this series an interesting watch to those who are already used to a decidedly more “American” structure. Even if they don't add to an overall plot, these are still very fun tidbits about the Tendo family and their daily affairs, about Ranma and his futile shear for a cure, or about some strange relic that's been unearthed. Excepting the episodes which yank the cast back onto linearity at the last second in order to prevent plot progression, Ranma's individual storylines and arcs are filled with action, comedy, and occasionally even heartwarming moments. Something which I can say about Ranma with a clear conscience is that it is never, ever dull. However, it's famous sense of humor may have been only slightly overrated. You'll still enjoy it if it's your style.


Art: 7

I don't care about animation quality. I like eye candy as much as the next guy, but the only time I'll ever be angry about animation is if it somehow detracts from from the overall experience. And I enjoyed Evangelion's ending, so it looks like I have pretty low standards regarding this subject. Or a low attention span. Anyway, Ranma ½ has a noticeably slow frame rate along with a purposeful lack of detail. I love the art style anyway, as its movements and colors, along with Rumiko Takahashi's flawless character designs, fit the series perfectly. I liked the lighting in particular. The backgrounds are relatively simple, too, though again, it really shouldn't matter if you like the anime.


Sound: 8

Ranma ½ has fantastic music. The battle themes and everyday songs were well composed and well used. None of the songs have stuck with me, but I was instilled with excitement or a sense of calm whenever I heard them play. There wasn't a single opening that I didn't try to sing along to, even if most of the endings lack that charm. It's hard to describe music, though. The Japanese voice acting was great, too. Every voice fits each character with perfection.


Character: 9

No doubt the series strong point. Its varied cast is full of faces, voices, and personalities that you're certain to remember long after the series ends. None of them are simple, lazy archetypes, but full-fledged well thought out people that really help flesh out Ranma's crazy universe, even if you sometimes don't see certain favorites for ten or so episodes. However, they don't often develop.


Enjoyment: 8

As I mentioned earlier, while Ranma ½'s storyline isn't as strong as I'd like, everything else pretty much makes up for it. This is an anime that I find impossible to hate. There's too much spirit in it for me to ever even comprehend slandering its good name. Simply put, it isn't hard to see why this is a classic, though you'll have to see the anime for yourself to truly realize why, even with my detailed description.


Overall: 7

While Ranma's story may never reach condescending levels of greatness, the depth of the characters, the hilarity and fun, and its truckloads of charm pull through to give it a passing grade. This series isn't for everyone, but if you want to immerse one of your good-humored friends in the world of anime, this would be an excellent first step.




Rezindez, the Immortal Crow

Ranma 1/2 is a classic anime/manga written by Rumiko Takahashi. This anime/manga is possibly the anime/manga that has started the popular comedy action mangas that are made today and for good reason.

Progression (3): Ranma 1/2 is an action comedy manga/anime so it does not really need much progression. Often, what will happen in an episode/chapter will be events that happen in random intervals in Ranma's life that are hilarious.

Story (5): This manga/anime story is not that great, however it is very unique. The reasons why I say it is not that great is because it is repetitive and no progression to the story happens at ... all. This is not needed however because this is a show mainly about making the viewer feel good, and thus during this time the story is the least thing on the viewer's mind. However, the biggest point damager for this category was the ending which was very unsatisfactory because it left no closure for the reader.

Art (10): The drawings to be honest are not that great, especially within the manga. However, Rumiko's unique style of art actually has enhanced it, even though it is not very realistically drawn, due to the style of art it enhances the comedic effect much more and actually fits the atmosphere well. At times, the poorly drawn faces with the look of surprise just make you laugh uncontrollably. The fact that this was to be taken for fun makes the artwork very excusable and even fitting. The battle scenes within this show were also surprisingly good and well done. It may just be for the fact that you watch this show for 2 reasons: the comedy and the fight scenes.

Sound (10): The music fits the anime well, there are even specific tracks that I would listen to without the accompaniment of the episode.

Characters (9): The characters within this show are all very lovable and interesting. It is impossible not to get latched to at least one, and even though there is no character development, the fact that it does not need any for the comedy makes that a statement that cannot boast much damage to the show overall. The thing that did bug me about the characters were their indecisiveness at times especially when it came to romance and the fact that some of them were somewhat annoying because they could be such jerks at times that you would want to see them get something coming to them only to find out that they were way too powerful.

Enjoyment (10): I would put an 11/10 here if I could because it's that enjoyable. Out of all the other anime/manga I have watched/read this was by far just the most enjoyable due to its pure fun. Every time I came out of reading this pick-me-up it has the effect of making me smile. It surpasses just about every other manga/anime I have read/watched so much in this art that I would give an 11, it's that good in making one feel good. However I cannot give something above a 10, thusly I shall just give it a 10. Often, the immersion I would have with this show would be unbreakable because of the interesting characters, the funny (which often made me shed tears of laughter), and sometimes the awesome battle scenes.

TLDR?

Pros:

*Funniest anime/manga I have ever seen
*One of the best feel good anime, anytime you watch this, you will probably come out of the episode with a smile on your face
*Unique for a manga/anime (possibly the first martial arts comedy manga/anime)
*Characters are lovable
*Immersion is nigh unbreakable, you will almost always be glued to the screen because something funny or awesome is bound to happen
*Great fight scenes

Cons:

*Story has virtually no progression (Not really an issue, since this story is more for laughs)
*Story is almost nonexistent (Again, not an issue since this is a purely feel good anime, and does not require it)
*Characters are too indecisive
*No character development (This was not needed in this type of show)
*The ending had no closure
*The sad realization that the show has ended and the fact that you may never find another manga/anime that's as funny as this one or has as many enjoyable characters as this one.

Overall Score: 8/10

***Please keep in mind that this is just a review and a personal opinion. I am just being entirely honest here about what I thought was good and what I thought was bad. This is not a hate review or a love review, and I try my best to be unbiased and write what I truly thought about the show/manga after watching/reading it. If you enjoy/hate this anime/manga, feel free to accept my thoughts on said anime/manga or discard it.

So the thing about that the series like Ranma 1/2 have is that this anime is based on the manga of the same name by Rumiko Takahashi who is known for Inuyasha, Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku among other of her notable works she is known for this series Ranma 1/2 only lasted about 7 seasons only 161 episodes which is the great example of how anime came out in the late 80s and early 90s before Sailor Moon and Yu Yu Hakusho arrived during the 90s anime period.



Story
This takes place of how it starts off with a teenage martial artist named Ranma Saotome and ... his father named Genma Saotome were training the martial arts in Junsenkyo in the high lands of China of how their training Martial arts has got to the flexibility which caused his father fell into one of the cursed spring ponds which Genma fell into the spring of drowned Panda which makes him turn into a Panda which it wasn't long until Ranma fell into the spring of drowned girl which turns Ranma into a girl of himself except the fact that Girl type Ranma has red hair before they return to Japan at the Tendo dojo owned by Soun tendo and the tendo sisters as well which in fact when Ranma and his father returned to the Tendo dojo which it has gone quite well for this at this point before Ranma had to do for what he noticed at this point if he was splashed with cold water he becomes a girl but when he is splashed with hot water he reverts back to the boy himself when Soun introduced Ranma to one of his sisters if any of then have to be his fiancee especially Akane tendo but it seems that Soun and Genma arranged the match which it was which it was originally has got to them long ago Ranma had to fight with hisnribal such as Ryoga Hibiki who always wanted to get revenge on Ranma from town to town but he ends up getting lost whenever henisnup to something, but then at this point is that Ranma realizes that there is suitors which has got the attention whenever Ranma is in the girl form towards Tatewaki Kuno who is basically the Swordsman at practice at the Kuno residence but whenever this has gotten quite well for this is that whenever Ranma as a boy the female suitors always got the attention to make Ranma as the fiancee such as Kodachi Kuno the black rose herself she is Tatewaki Kuno's sister and then thenfemal suitor rivals first being Shampoo the Chinese amazon herself who wanted to attack girl type Ranma whenever she had to track girl type ranma down but it wasn't long until she has found Ranma in Japan although Shampoo has received Girl type Ranma the Kiss of death whose promised to vow revenge to kill Ranma but when Ranma as a boy Shampoo falls in love with Boy type Ranma because she wanted Ranma to be her husband and then there is Ukyo Kuonji who is Ranma's childhood friend which has a giant spatula for most other suitors has got to this everywhere which is always hasn't gone right especially for has gotten to this.



Art
The animation is good just because it was animated by Animators when they worked on the animation art as well.as the character design, cell art, animation storyboards and so forth the animation art style has been gotten very good for the artistic creation for the creativity in the process.



Production
The production is very well done and it basically has got to the part that writers written every episode when they worked on the plot of how it developed the story and at this point most of the episodes were directed by every like other episode directors when they worked on the anime like Ranma 1/2 especially for the production for that point as well.



Sound
The sound it is very well unique which if it only depends on what to expect of what is going on on each and every episode in general of how it works.



Characters
Well the characters has the personalities especially for the whole examples is that of how and why every other character in Ranma 1/2 has a big personality and basically this has gotten to where is that for the whole satisfaction results for the credibility depends on each of every other Ranma 1/2 character has a personality.



Overall
For the thing about Ranma 1/2 is like there's some characters which has the Martial arts action but there is some comedy and there is romance especially between the characters it has its moments though however there is the Christmas episode A Xmas without Ranma is the only Christmas episode in this particular series which isn't part of the original manga source material although most episodes were adapted from the original manga source material.


Music
The music in the Ranma 1/2 series is getting a lot more better is that this has something good Opening theme song such as the first Ranma 1/2 theme song with the lyrics such as "Yapapa Yapapa ii shanten' which is basically the song Yapapa da sasenai by Etsuko Nishio which is the best theme song from Ranma 1/2 which it delivers the goods.



Enjoyment
So that it is pretty more cool about how this series is very good is that this series Ranma 1/2 is the perfect example of late 80s and early 90s anime period and this series has got to be the best anime series to binge watch for the whole thing to watch although this series has to get the whole greatest expectation on the market for the whole thing about at this point.



Score
10/10


If there is a anything goes Martial arts with a hot and cold feeling for anime series like Ranma 1/2 check this anime out because this series delivers the goods.

Let me start off right away by saying; no, I haven't read the manga. Although I had heard about Ranma 1/2 before, it was only since very recently that I came in contact with it. And it just so happens that I prefer watching anime than reading manga.

Besides, everybody keeps saying that the manga is superior, so why would you need me to confirm it for you? And if it is true, than I must truly adore the manga should I ever read it. Though the manga may be better, I will remain ignorant of that for this review.

Story - 7/10

This is the deciding factor ... whether you are going to like Ranma 1/2 or not. Let me put it this way; if you were expecting your typical long-runner shounen anime with story arcs of 30 episodes (or more) each, with multiple, powerful bad-guys, then you are looking in the wrong spot. Ranma 1/2 is not like Naruto, One Piece, Dragon Ball or Bleach. It simply doesn't take itself serious enough for that. Basically, it's an 161 episode long, episodic romantic comedy with a good dose of action. There are no major villains, no battles to decide the fate of the world, no casualties and no story arcs. That being said, if you enjoy these collections of short, silly, light-hearted scenarios, then you'll probably enjoy Ranma 1/2. If not, I suggest you skip this one completely.

So storywise, there's not much going on here, but naturally there is a plot. It follows 16 year old Saotome Ranma, who, during a training journey through China with his father, Genma, falls into a cursed spring at Jusenkyo. It was in this spring that a young girl tragically drowned some 2000 years ago. Now, a curse rests on Ranma, and whenever he is splashed with cold water, he transforms into a red-headed girl! He transforms back when doused with warm water. I don't think I need to tell you what awkward situations this can bring. But he is not the only one. His father, Genma, fell into a spring where a panda drowned, thus causing him to turn into a panda. A little later, they both return to Japan, where Genma has made a promise with his old fellow trainee Soun Tendo that his son was to marry one of his daughters and inherit the Tendo Anything-Goes-Martial Arts Dojo. Ranma's fiancée turns out to be Akane Tendo, a tsundere prototype. And you guessed it! They don't get along at all, and constantly deny their engagement to one another.

More characters pop up as the show progresses, such as Ryoga Hibiki, the directionally challenged rival of Ranma, who transforms into a black piglett, dubbed by Akane as P-chan, and Shampoo, an Amazon sworn to kill girl-type Ranma (for a little while at least) and marry boy-type Ranma. She turns into a kitty when splashed with cold water.

For pretty much the rest of the anime, several boys fall in love with Akane, several girls fall in love with Ranma, and even girl-type Ranma (aka the pigtailed girl) gets some attention. Ranma strives to lift his curse, is challenged by a whole array of goofballs to some bizarre forms of martial arts (dining martial arts?) and struggles with his relationship with Akane. And that's pretty much all I can tell you. Really, there's not many risks for spoilers.

Animation - 7.5/10

Taking into account that this anime is relatively old (around 20 years), I really don't feel like I can complain about it. I haven't seen many anime of this age, so I can't compare it all that well. But to me, at least, the art and animation is satisfactory. I have noticed some small errors, such as Ranma's hair being colored black in certain shots while he was in girl form. These errors are fairly rare though. Lipsynching is a little sloppy most of the times, but that's not such a big bother. Animation does what it needs to do, albeit a bit on the simplistic side mostly. In short, if you like this kind of old-school style, you should appreciate it.

(Also, though it might not look like it, this anime contains nudity, so be warned)

Sound - 9/10

For an oldie, I found the sound quality to be really good compared to others like Dragon Ball. The casting and voice acting is spot on, nearly every character, period. Overacting is not an issue, since it's generally a comedy. The soundtrack consists of some very memorable, recognisable and fun tracks. Wether they're battle themes or play during the funny slapstick scenes, they will always stick to you. Then again, if you've watched 161 episodes, you are at least going to remember some music anyway.

Since this is a long-runner, there's multiple OP's and ED's. Some are very catchy, while others are rather forgettable. But no matter what, you will never in your life forget about the very first opening theme and the second season's ending. It's physically impossible!

Characters - 8/10

There is barely any character development. Yeah, since this anime is episodic, don't count on the characters' personalities changing. With the exception of Ranma and Akane growing towards eachother more, and perhaps Ranma's and Ryoga's relationship, what you see in the beginning is what you gotta deal with for the rest of the series. Akane is the perfect tsundere, and possesses all necesarry qualities, 'nuff said. Ranma's personality doesn't change when he turns into a girl, but he's not afraid to take advantage of his curse. He's just as stubborn, thick-headed and arrogant as his fiancée Akane, so they usually end up squabbling. In a way, Ranma is a tsundere too. Shampoo is a sneaky girl that wouldn't mind resorting to dirty tricks to win Ranma all for herself. Ryoga is quite resentful towards Ranma, mainly because he too has a crush on Akane. When facing Ranma, he's aggresive, but when with Akane, he turns into a major softy. Mousse is a short-sighted fighter who is in love with Shampoo, and has a few bones to pick with Ranma. Kuno has a crush on both Akane and girl-type Ranma. He's arrogant, and possibly the biggest imbecile of the show. Both Genma and Soun are birds of the same feather. They're cowards and appear to be completely useless in a real fight. And the last one I want to adress is Happosai, Soun and Genma's old master. He is the resident "ero-jiji", whose main hobby is stealing women's underwear. He's also a total jerk, and the most hated resident of the Tendo dojo.

Ranma 1/2 has a huge array of characters, and though they may be stereotypical and extreme, they are the driving force behind the anime. It's those over-the-top character traits that make the show fun to watch, and put our main hero in yet another sticky situation.

Conclusion - 8/10

I found Ranma 1/2 to be a fun ride, and I'll definitely check the OVA's and movies later. However, though it has good qualities, it will not appeal to everyone. Heck, I'm not even sure what demographic this anime tries to target, but I suppose it's largely a shounen. If you don't mind episodic, romance mixed with martial arts and overall silliness, give this one a 8 😆😆😆😂😂😂

Story:
The best point of the story of Ranma 1/2 is that is very original, bringing us a totally new concept about the cursed springs of jusenkyo and how a guy
wants to get its masculinity back.
It have such variety on its themes: Sometimes is a romance, sometimes is a harem, sometimes is a hilarious comedy and most of the time is a martial art
shonen with weird fighting styles (Like the tea ceremony martial arts and the cheerleaders martial arts)
Mostly, the series dont focuses on the principal plot and take different ways like showing the characters, the relations between them and how they ... react to various situations.
Well, it have filler, but its keeps the crazyness of the show that characterizes it and make the anime so fun to watch.
7/10 (Good)

Art:
For its time, it got really nice art and character desing.
Nothing outstanding, but you must enjoy how animated are the fights and the faces that the characters take.
Theres not much to talk about it, so, moving on.
8/10 (Very good)

Sound:
Most of the OST of the series are funny and catchy songs that express the randomly fun of Ranma 1/2. Maybe are not such memorable songs but fits perfectly with the show, and it have a few fight songs, like the one from Ranma vs. Ryoga battle, my personal favourite.
If you speak spanish, i personally recommend to see it with the latin american dub, that is very smartely planned;For example, Ranma have a pubescent voice that fits with him sassy personality.
7/10 (Good)

Characters:
The strong point of the show; You have Ranma, that is not the tipic boring and shy harem protagonist; he is cheeky, impertinent and cynical, just like his father, Genma: One social mantained that lives of the compassion of his friend and old training mate, Soun Tendo.
Genma, along the time he spend traveling with his son, commited he to three girls:
Ukyo, childhood friend of Ranma, Shampoo, a chinese amazon and Akane Tendo, the daugther of Soun. Akane is a mulish girl that constantly fights with Ranma, who insults her calling it fat, flat chest, butch or any insult you can imagine.
Ranma have rivals and enemys too, the most noteworthy is Ryoga, who thinks our protagonist have the fault of hes...little problem.
Like i say, most of show is hold in how the relations between the characters evolve and, in the case of the antagonist, how they improve they fight skills.
9/10 (Great)

Enjoyment:
I enjoyed this anime a lot, certainly is not one of the best shows of all time but if youre new in the world of anime of you just want to have a good time, check it out.
9/10 (Great)

Overall: 8/10 (Very good)

I watched this anime about 3 years ago, but I've gone back and rewatched it a lot. I've always wanted to let others know how I view this anime and how much more hidden depth there is in it. However this anime is a lot harder to sum up together then one might think. -.-

Story- 8

Ranma 1/2 story plot is fairly odd, but you can really feel for the main character, or at least I did. The main gist of the plot always comes back to Ranma(wanting very badly) to return to a being normal guy, getting stronger, and who he should marry. ... You could say there really is not straightforward direction plot wise, but there is reasoning. Ranma Saotome is a guy with a curse that turns into a chick when spashed with cold water, but turns back into a guy when warm/hot water hits him(or he just takes a warm bath). This is pretty darn great to watch because it is something that isn't what you see in typical anime. Another thing I noticed was all the things that happen to the main character would bring down any other person, but he never gives in for long. Although it comes off as a funny romance with some action, it is also a bit sad and can get pretty dramatic and cute.

I gave it a 8 because some of the epsides become kind of predictable, but it was really fun to watch one you warm up to the characters. This anime would have a lot higher ratings if it was completed.


Art-9

For an older anime, it's one of the best animation I've seen comparing it to other older animes. Though the change in art kind of bugged me, but it only gets better.


Sound-9

I really enjoyed the music, and really it's pretty catchy and fun! You'll for sure catch yourself songing along too!

Character-9

As strange as it seems the characters stay pretty much the same, they are pretty likeable and will get you laughing your head off. The only two that do change and grow as characters are Ranma and Akane(though old habits do die hard). Sometimes when you think one character will do something in their character there are times when you're in for a twist.

Akane Tendo and Ranma Saotome are (as I said before) the ones that grow the most (compared to everyone else who doesn't) and can surprise you with how they interact with one another (when they aren't fighting).

Ranma, Moose, and Ryoga seem to be the usual favourites of this show, and quite honestly, when these three go at it, comedy can't help but follow. Ryoga is usually getting lost when he has to walk more than a few minutes in a straight line, Moose is completely clueless of anything without his glasses, and Ranma is the glue that ties them all together with his level-headedness and arrogance. Most of the characters have one or more traits about them that make them who they are, and you come to know them by those traits. So even though none of the characters are very deep (with maybe the exception of Ranma and Akane), you learn to love them. And it's all too easy to do so.

Enjoyment- 10

I could not stop watching and rewatched a lot of the episodes (normally something I don't really do) and it never ceasese to amaze me how something that seems so comical can have a bit of hidden depth of sadness.(It's not all that obvious but you will see a bit of it yourself)

Overall-10

I am fairly picky with my anime and have trouble liking the newer anime due to them being overally perverted, but even though we do see nude-ness it doesn't become annoying, or overdone. I really recommend this to anybody out there who is sucker for romance, action, interesting twists, and insane fun!

As I said before this show would be a lot more amazing if it had an ending, and if you guys check out the manga you'll know what I mean. There's even more not-so-hidden darkness to Ranma 1/2 and it's pretty twisty! ^^

As a last thought, it is so worth watching! I've even gotten a few anime-dislikers loving it (my friends) :P

This was my first anime I watched. That's why I wanted to watch more anime because of Ranma 1/2. This story was super funny and I LOVED the characters. It's like you get attached to them because there were many episodes... and I seriously did not want to go to sleep. I know nothing is perfect but I had to rate ranma a 10 0verall. There were 2 or 3 filler episodes I didn't care for but I still encourage all of you to watch it.