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Ranma 1/2

Romantic comedy is a staple of shonen, or boy's, anime. That's surprising in itself for most Americans, who would rarely, if ever, associate the words "boys" with "romance." But even more surprising is the sheer variety of anime's romantic comedy. There are stories set in school, such as Boys Be and To Heart. The long-running Urusei Yatsura features wacky aliens from Outer Space. A surprising number feature gender blending, one of the most recent being Cheeky Angel. In Cheeky Angel a boy who strives to be a "man's man," ends up in the body of a beautiful, hyper-feminine girl. Such a theme in a boy's cartoon would be strikingly unusual here, but it's nothing new in Japan. The theme of gender confusion dates back to the earliest of anime and manga in shows such as "Princess Knight," and remains popular in both boy's and girl's entertainment. One of the most famous gender bending romantic comedies is Ranma ½, which also happens to be a spoof of martial arts. One of the first anime to make a splash in the U.S., Ranma ½ is about the young martial artist of the title who falls into a cursed pool while training in China. There are several pools, and anyone plunging into one takes on the form of whoever (or whatever) drowned there. Ever after, when drenched with cold water he turns into a girl, changing back when doused with hot water. The series is bizarrely funny, and allows the creator to question and satirize the role of gender and sexuality in Japanese life.

The author of the manga Ranma ½ is Rumiko Takahashi, one of Japan's best-selling writers. Wildly imaginative, she spins an eclectic body of stories with crazy characters that range from female ex-wrestlers in space to cross-dressing ninjas who specialize in disguising themselves as mailboxes. Ranma ½ is a dizzy parade of weird, funny people set amid a complex tapestry of love triangles and secret plots. There is even time for an occasional emotional moment between Ranma and his designated bride-to-be, Akane. The two principles attract as they repel, Ranma scorning his fiancé for her boyish lack of "cuteness," and Akane despising his arrogance and general lack of consideration. That Ranma is sometimes a girl proves a saving grace, as Akane is more comfortable with the girl-form Ranma, while Ranma himself has a chance to see "the other side of the hill" when he lives life as a female.

Further complicating their relationship is a bevy of suitors. Akane literally beats off a horde of boys every morning on her way to school, while Ranma is wooed in both his girl and boy form. The secondary characters energize the series, and highlight Takahashi's high weirdness. Fans invariably have their favorites: Ryouga, Ranma's bitter rival, changes into a cute black piglet and sleeps with an unknowing Akane as her pet. Shampoo is a scheming and aggressive Chinese amazon determined to make Ranma hers, despite an unfortunate propensity to change into a cat around the feline-phobic object of her affection. Yes, she also fell into one of the cursed pools. Azusa, a kleptomaniac figure skating martial artist obsessed with all things kawaii, falls in love with Ryouga in his piggie form, and gives him the suitably cute name of Charlotte. As strange a gallery as this is, it doesn't even scratch the surface.

Despite somewhat dated animation, Ranma ½ is still a popular favorite both here and in Japan. The series is pretty long, but libraries can make a modest start with a season or two, or perhaps some of the OAVs. Unbeatable for sheer zaniness, the Ranma 1/2 is usually funny and always surprising. Indeed, half the fun is wondering what Takahashi will come up with next.



  • Studio: Viz
  • Format: DVD. VHS no longer produced.
  • Episodes in series:
  • TV 161
  • OAV 12
  • Movies 3
  • Series Completed: No
  • Number of DVDs: Lots

 
  • Audio Tracks: English, Japanese
  • Subtitles: English
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Ages: 13+
  • Cautions: Occassional nudity; comic violence
  • Reviewer: George
  • Core Collection: High School, Comedy