Synopsis:
Ranma is a regular guy with a not-so-regular problem. See, when he was training in China, he accidentally fell in a cursed spring. As a result, whenever he comes in contact with cold water, he turns into a she. Not to worry, a splash of hot water to turns Ranma back to his male self just as quickly. It doesn't help that Ranma's future marriage has already been arranged by his father... and that several girls and guys are after both boy-type and girl-type Ranma!

Review:
Ranma 1/2 is possibly renowned manga artist Ms. Rumiko Takahashi's most successful work. While Ms. Takahashi's fans may differ in their opinion of what her greatest creation is to date, in terms of financial success I believe it is Ranma 1/2 that will earn enough for her to buy a fleet of Ferraris if she feels the need (for speed).

The transition of Ranma 1/2 from manga to anime is a happy event for us Ranma enthusiasts. I believe the TV animators got it spot on from the first series and never really went astray since. I personally prefer the artwork of the TV series to the more recent OAV series I've seen, since the characters seem to look a little softer and bear a closer resemblance to Rumiko's original design. As for the content, the first Ranma TV series is something of an anime milestone for me, as I actually saw a few episodes of this series prior to getting my mitts on the manga. I have fond memories of the first time I saw an episode of the Ranma TV series, as it was a laugh-a-minute experience for me... and thirty laughs in half an hour is just the thing to prolong one's youth. Certainly it was enough to make a devotee out of me.

In this series, we are introduced to most of the major characters who will remain with us throughout Ranma 1/2's run, not to mention the rest of our lives. Characters who make their debut in this series include the double-gendered Ranma Saotome, his silly dad Genma, the ultra-violent Akane, the deadly Chinese babe Shampoo, the clueless Ryoga and his cute porcine alter-ego P-chan, etc... The list of wacky and wonderful characters just go on and on, but I won't. Suffice to say that Ranma 1/2 is the possibly most fun you can have with your clothes on!

Miscellanies:
Contrary to popular belief that Winnie-the-Pooh is the world's silliest bear, Genma the panda makes Pooh seem like Einstein.

Screenshots:

Shopping - click on title to purchase:

AnimeNation Ranma 1/2 (TV series) (DVD Box Set)
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