kcroarkin's Blog

Anime Relations: Ranma ½ (2024)

I'm very glad that there is a Ranma 1/2 remake, I have held this series dear to me since I was very young.

(I am reconstructing events from memory, it is too easy that this things slip from your grasp).

My first introduction to anime was in 3rd grade and was an AMV of Soul Eater of "This is Halloween." Didn't really know what anime was at the time--but the video encouraged me to see the anime, which I fully completed. This afterwards kickstarted me into getting my hands on more anime and manga, which I did.

My parents did not approve of me buying comics/manga in bulk (understandingly) so a lot of my experience reading came from (1) reading manga in the Starbucks section of Barnes & Noble I haven't bought and (2) Reading used manga from my towns library. The manga section was across the library from where the children's section and I was thrusted into an unknown place, a lot of the manga was from the 90s-00s and a lot escapes from my memory. There are two that I remember: InuYasha and Ranma 1/2. The library, of course, did not have all volumes for either so I ended up reading them out of order and reconstructing the plot in my head. Despite this, I fell in love with both and Ranma 1/2's style was heartwarming and something that really grabbed onto me at a young age. so much so that I remember crying reading the final volume. Despite being so long I can remember some panels of the manga with a clear vision.

I am grateful for Rumiko Takahashi's work, I am grateful that I got to read these pieces of work at a young age and I am grateful that Ranma 1/2 is getting remastered. Thank you for reading this. Not sure how this blog feature works, but if you want to talk about how you got into anime please write in the comments, I would love reading your story.

Anime Relations: Mimi wo Sumaseba

10 years ago I went to a Japanese language camp in the rural area of Minnesota. It was a good week experiencing it but while I might've forgot all the Japanese, there was one thing I remembered: ghibli films. They packed us into some open space, might've been some hangar, every day and had us watch Ghibli films. This was my first time watching "Spirited Away" as a kid. There was another movie they had us watch. My memories on it were very vague, it had a grandfather clock and it was a "boy meets girl" story. I forgot it and wondered what it was for years up until now when I was watching "Whisper of the Heart" at the theaters and realized that this was the movie. It's a good tying of loose ends that occurred.