Ranma 1/2...
Years ago, I got involved with the Ranma 1/2 franchise...
All of the early Ranma 1/2 releases were dubbed VHS only. Later on some of the series was released on subtitled VHS, but, by that point I had lost interest in the series. I still think fondly of Ranma 1/2. But, at this point, I don't think I would consider repurchasing any of it on DVD. I gave Ranma 1/2 a 4 out 5. Although I liked Ranma 1/2, because of the size of this series, in the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I opted not to repurchase the series on DVD and I allowed the VHS tapes to leave my archive.
Ranma 1/2 A very large series with some movie length features, some OVAs and seven "seasons" (TV, Anything Goes Martial Arts, Hard Battle, Outta Control, Martial Mayhem, Random Rhapsody and Ranma Forever). Ranma 1/2 is a romantic comedy with a martial arts theme. But, it's strictly family friendly entertainment - there are no naughty bits or gore to speak of. I like Rumiko Takahashi's work, but, sometimes her series can be very long.In the town of Furinkan in the greater Tokyo area, martial artist Soun Tendo operates a dojo training students in the Anything-Goes Martial Arts technique. (The dojo does not appear to be doing terribly well, as we almost never see any students actually training there.) To ensure that his family continues in the traditional martial arts, Soun makes plans with his old friend Genma Saotome that Genma's son Ranma (also a practitioner of the Anything-Goes School) marry one of his three daughters-19-year-old Kasumi, 17-year-old Nabiki, or 16-year-old Akane-and thus carry on the dojo together.
Unfortunately, when Genma and his son show up at the dojo's doorstep, it appears that they have both fallen victim to a curse at a mysterious Chinese training ground known as Jusenkyo. As a result of falling in one of the springs, whenever they are splashed with cold water, they each change into the last being that drowned in the spring ages ago. In Ranma's case, this means he turns into a busty, red-headed young girl, while Genma transforms into a panda. Hot water will reverse the effect, but only until the next time...
Ranma 1/2 is the most popular manga by Rumiko Takahashi (creator of Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku), the most popular female comic artist in the world. It's zany martial arts, teen romance, and comedy like you've never seen before. Join Ranma, Akane, P-chan and the rest of the cast in a whirlwind of exciting adventures.
Volume 1
Season One
The Strange Strangers From China
A feisty redhaired girl and a giant panda show up on the Tendos' doorstep. After the details of the tragic training exercise in China are revealed, older sisters Kasumi and Nabiki waste no time in nominating Akane for bridal duty.
School Is No Place For Horsing Around
Akane is given the duty of escorting her fiance to his new school, Furinkan High. Ranma learns there's more to Akane than he thought when he meets her many suitors.
Volume 2
A Sudden Storm of Love ... Hey, Wait A Minute!
Poetry-spouting high school swordsman Kuno discovers a new object of affection the lovely, bosomy, red-haired wench he knows only as the pig-tailed girl. Naturally, Ranma doesn't react too well to Kuno's come-ons, and a battle is arranged between the two. If (female) Ranma wins, Kuno will allow her to date his glorious self. If Kuno wins, Ranma still gets to date Kuno!
Ranma and... Ranma? If It's Not One Thing, It's Another
Ranma is still reeling from Kuno's declaration of love for the robustly healthy pig tailed girl. Meanwhile, the ever resourceful Nabiki has discovered a new source of income selling French postcards of female Ranma to a lovesick Kuno! Will Ranma be flattered by Kuno's interest in him/her? Or will he find a whole new use for that wooden sword Kuno's always waving around?
Volume 3
Love Me To The Bone! The Compound Fracture of Akane's Heart
Kendo master Kuno continues his assault upon male Ranma for alleged lechery against his darling female Ranma whom he knows only as the pig-tailed girl. An angry Akane hears one wisecrack too many and sends Ranma limping to kindly chiropractor Dr. Tofu. Akane takes a phone call from someone Dr. Tofu really likes and who's already on her way over.
Akane's Lost Love... These Things Happen, You Know
Dr, Tofu's patients know it's time to run for cover when his mystery sweetheart stops by. Being treated by the good doctor is not such a good idea when she's around, as he's prone to forgetting who he's talking to and to running around town with his skeleton Betty on his back. When Genma counsels Ranma to be nicer to his intended, Ranma grudgingly admits that Akane may not be so unattractive after all.
Volume 4
Enter Ryoga, The Eternal Lost Boy
We meet a brand new character: Ryoga Hibiki, a boy with a pathological bump of misdirection. For Ryoga, life is lonely and travel is torture, as it can take him days or even weeks just to find his way around the block. When Ryoga comes to Furinkan High (after several false starts) in order to settle a score wi Ranma, will this mysterious new rival be able to make it to school on time?
School is a Battlefield! Ranma vs. Ryoga
The fight at Furinkan High between Ryoga and Ranma continues. Nabiki, never one to miss a moneymaking opportunity, acts as a bookmaker and takes bets from gawking students. Akane tries to reason with the two combatants and ends up being caught in the middle.
Volume 5
Rue Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!
Newly coiffed Akane learns that the gender-bending Ranma isn't always a jerk. Newly humbled Ramna learns that a few measly pieces of bread aren't going to solve his problems with the pathologically misdirected Ryoga. And newly aquaphobic Ryoga learns to stay out of the rain or else.
P-P-P-Chan! He's Good For Nothin'
A not completely unsympathetic Ranma is obliged to listen to Ryoga's tale of woe. A small black pig by the unlikely name of P-Chan steals Akane's heart. And the wacky Chinese guide from the legendary Training Grounds of Cursed Springs makes a long-awaited appearance.
Volume 6
Dead-On! Enter The Delinquent Juvenile Gymnast
Ranma's reluctant fiance Akane is elected champion gymnast of her team for an upcoming match against a black-clad girl from another school. Why is there such a strong resemblance between this girl and a certain poetry-spouting swordsman?
A Woman's Love is War! The Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge
A training accident forces Akane to withdraw from the upcoming match. Could it be that the champion fighting to decide who'll go steady with Ranma is Ranma?
Volume 7
A Tear in a Girl-Delinquent's Eye? The End of The Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge
The conclusion to the martial arts rhythmic gymnastics tournament. Kodachi's still got a lot of dirty tricks up her sleeve, not the least of which includes handcuffing a very angry P-Chan to female Ranma Remember, if Kodachi wins, Ranma's honor-bound to break off his engagement with Akane. If Ranma wins, Kodachi must give up her Ranma Dream forever. Can Ranma dodge Kodachi long enough to break the chains of love?
Pelvic Fortune-Telling! Ranma is the No. 1 Bride in Japan
Dr. Tofu's mother comes bearing gifts in this case, photos of a prospective daughter-in-law! Worried, Akane tells his mother that she's his intended. For a slight fee, Nabiki does the same. When Dr. Tofu's no-nonsense mama decides the best bride for her boy's got the biggest child-bearing hips, who do you think will be the one to measure up as the winner Akane, Nabilki or Rama?
Volume 8
Enter Shampoo, The Gung-Ho Girl! I Put My Life in Your Hands
Ranma discovers that turning into a girl isn't entirely bad. For example, he can indulge his sweet tooth for elaborate desserts that he'd be too embarrassed to order as a guy. But there's a price for being a girl, especially when Shampoo, the cutie from Chita is around. According to the custom of her Amazon tribe, those defeated by a man must wed that man, while those defeated by a woman must kill that woman! Guess which one Ranma was when he first met Shampoo?
Shampoo's Revenge! The Shiatsu Technique That Steals Heart and Soul
Shampoo's decided that she's going to wash that Ranma right out of Akane's hair with a secret memory-erasing shampoo formula. Oddly enough, Akane seems to recognize everyone in her family, at school, even Dr. Tofu everyone but Ranma. Shampoo offers Ranma an antidote, but there's one catch: Ranma must grant Shampoo one wish. Will the price of restoring Akane's memory be too high, even for Ranma?
Volume 9
I Love You Ranma! Please Don't Say Goodbye
Akane still can't remember Ranma. Shampoo's more than willing to give Ranma the special shampoo formula that will restore Akane's memory, but in return, Ranma has to grant Shampoo one favor (But don't go asking me to marry you or kill Akane or nothing, okay?). Now that Ranma's agreed to almost kill female Ranma. will he be able to persuade his rival, Ryoga, to help him help Akane?
I am A Man! Ranma's Going Back To China
Ranma and Genma come to blows when the younger Saotome announces he's returning to China. Join Ranma and Genma in a look back at their adventures thus far, including the fateful fall into the accursed springs at Jusenkyo, Ranma's first meeting with Akane, Kuno's pursuit of the mysterious pig-tailed girl, Kodachi's martial arts rhythmic gymnastics vendetta against female Ranma, Ryoga's own Jusenkyo plunge, and more.
Volume 1
Season Two: Anything Goes Martial Arts
Darling Charlotte
When Asuza Shiratori sees anything cute, she just has to give it a cute name and take it home... and now she wants Akane's adorable black piglet, P-chan! To get him back, Akane and Ranma have to take on the undefeated champions of Martial Arts Figure Skating, the 'Golden Pair!' Now if only Ranma could learn to skate...!
Volume 2
It's Fast or It's Free
The conclusion of the Martial Arts Figure Skating Competition, plus the Anything Goes Martial Arts Restaurant Takeout Race! Years ago, while training in the wilderness, Ranma's hungry father Genma traded his infant son for some fish to the head of the school of Martial Arts Restaurant Takeout! And now he's come to collect his due...!
Volume 3
Cat Fu Fighting
Kuno and his henchman, nefarious ninja Sasuke, are hot on the trail of Ranma's secret weakness! What could Ranma be afraid of...and what is the secret of the dreaded 'Cat Fist' martial arts technique? Plus, Shampoo returns from China, and she's got her great-grandmother along to make sure she becomes Ranma's bride!
Volume 4
Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire
When Shampoo's old beau from China shows up, Ranma's got to fight him, but with the 'full-body cat-tongue' inflicted on him by Shampoo's great-grandmother Cologne, he can't even change back into a guy!
Volume 5
Cold Competition
Ranma's still got that 'full-body cat-tongue' thing, and he can't change back into a guy until he can get the cure from Cologne by winning the martial arts 'Carry the Snowman' race! Plus, the attach of the dreaded Dojo Destroyer!
Volume 6
Breaking Point
Ryoga's being trained by Cologne in the dreaded 'Breaking Point' technique, which states(in theory) that every living thing has one certain spot, a 'breaking point,' which, when touched in just the right way, causes the victim to shatter into a thousand pieces! Now he's going to settle the score with Ranma!
Volume 7
Fowl Play
Shampoo's scorned suitor Mousse is back, and he's taking Akane as a hostage to get his revenge against Ranma! Mousse has some very special water he brought all the way from China, and if Ranma can't reach Akane in time, she'll be doomed to spend the rest of her life as.....a duck!
Volume 8
The Evil Wakes
Years ago, when Soun and Genma were mere students of the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts, they served under the school's most powerful (and perverted) master, Happosai! Find out why no woman... or half-girl... is safe around this martial arts master!
Volume 9
Goodbye Girl-Type
According to Cologne, when the three Nannii-chuan or 'Spirit of Drowned Men' urns are brought together in a certain place at a certain time, the waters of Japan's Nan-niichuan will rise again, and cure the Jusenkyo curse. The first urn was under the girls' locker room, the second is located under the grounds of... Castle Kuno!
Volume 10
Tough Cookies
Akane has a batch of cookies that she wants Ranma to eat...but Ranma would rather starve then touch her baked goods! It gets worse when Kodachi blackmails Ranma... and if Akane sees him eat her cookies, then it really will be 'tough cookies' for Ranma.
Volume 11
Ranma and Juliet
Akane is thrilled to be chosen to play Juliet in this year's Furinkan High drama production... until she finds out who's playing Romeo! Then, when the water heater breaks down at the Tendo house, it's over to the public bathhouse... with Happosai!
Volume 1
Season Three: Hard Battle
Ukyo Can Cook
Meet Ukyo, Spatula-wielding warrior and okonomiyaki chef-par-excellence! Yet another of the mysterious people in Ranma's past, Ukyo's got a grudge against Ranma that goes all the way back to childhood! Find out why revenge is a dish best served cold! Then, Ukyo tries to get Ranma alone by setting up a date between Akane and Ryoga!
Volume 2
Dim Sum Darling
Chinese Amazon Cutie Shampoo still hasn't given up trying to win Ranma! A new recipe which produces a posthypnotic suggestion like willingness to please (artfully hidden in some tainted dim sum delicacies) seems the perfect plan...until Shampoo accidentally 'a-choo's!' during a crucial moment! Now, whenever he hears a sneeze, Ranma is compelled to throw himself into the arms of whoever's close by. The bad news is, Akane's coming down with the sniffles. Plus Happosai takes a bath!
Volume 3
Dharma Chameleon
When Ukyo left home, she thought she'd left her problems behind her. But now, they're caught up with her, coquettish camouflager Tsubasa Kurenai, equally adept at soda machine, tree and mailbox disguise. When it comes to dealing with Tsubasa, the walls literally have ears! Can Ukyo give persistent suitor the slip? Then, Soun, Genma and Ranma must prevent Happosai from stealing a legendary bra that carries a curse... plus a scaly and seductive occupant!
Volume 4
Once Upon A Time In Jusenkyo
Akane eats some magic super noodles that make her super strong, but it looks like those super noodles may have some super-disturbing side-effects! Then, all our transforming friends (Ranma, Genma, Shampoo, Ryoga, and Mousse, or is that girl-type Ranma, the panda, the cat, P-chan the irresistible black piglet, and the duck?) are targeted for punishment by a secret society for abusing their transformational powers. Powers? And they thought it was a curse!
Volume 5
Pretty Womanhood
While being chased around the house by Akane one day, roughhousing Ranma whacks his head on a stone... and now, instead of just changing into 'girl-type' when doused with cold water, Ranma's convinced that he really IS a girl! Never mind that suddenly Ranma's got a yen for flower arranging and playing dress-up, but he (or rather she) no longer wants to carry on the Saotome School of Martial Arts! (It's just too violent!) What kind of cure can there be for a boy as pretty as she?
Volume 6
Suddenly Sasuke
Loyal retainer Sasuke is caught in the middle of an argument between brother and sister Kuno one day and forced to flee their house...straight to the Tendo Dojo under Akane's tender mercies! Sasuke is so grateful for Akane's kindness that you've got to wonder, what was life like in the house of Kuno anyway?
Volume 7
Melancholy Baby
Happosai goes looking for love with three special pills! Packed with a powerful love potion to make whoever swallows them fall in love with the first person of the opposite sex they see, each pill has a different effect, one only lasts for an instant, one endures for a day, and one has effects that last a lifetime! First Ranma falls victim to their spell, and then Akane, Who will be their beloveds, and for how long?
Volume 8
Back To Happosai
A priceless Amazon treasure sparks a trip back in time! The infamous old lecher Happosai goes back in time to the days of his youth, imagine Happosai at eighteen!, when he traveled the world in search of martial arts adventure, and happened upon a village of Amazons in the Chinese mountains... and a beautiful young woman named Cologne!
Volume 9
Da Do, Ling-Ling, Lung-Lung
Ranma thinks he's seeing doubles when Chinese Amazon twins Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung show up on the Dojo's doorstep claiming to be Shampoo's sisters! And what's more, they've come to Japan to find out why Shampoo hasn't carried out the 'kiss of death' on the girl who defeated her in China... Ranma! Plus, Happosai falls prey to a fatalistic fortune-telling that causes him to lose his will to live!
Volume 10
Smells Like Evil Spirit
Ranma's getting used to this bein' a girl stuff. Not only can he scam free eats when he's in girl type mode, but now, thanks to some evil incensed burned beneath his nose while he was sleeping, he can split his girl-side from his boy-side and date himself, too! Sounds like evil spirit? You know it! There's a new martial artist in town... one who looks a lot like Ryoga. And Kuno. And Mousse. And even... Ranma his/herself! With a wave of his oversized kerchief, legendary martial artist Copykat Ken can not only imitate the moves of other martial artists, he can impersonate them too!
Volume 11
Soap Gets In Your Eyes
Writing the love letter to Akane was the easy part. Now, Ryoga's got to find a way to make sure she gets it - a task made at least a little easier by the fact that he no longer changes into a pig when he gets wet! But will Ranma's interference prevent him from realizing his dream? Have you ever wondered who wins those Obstacle course races? Well, now you'll know, as Ranma, Ryoga, Akane, Shampoo, Mousse, Kodachi, Kuno, Soun, Genma and Master Happosai all compete for an all-expenses-paid trip to China. Akane knows why Ranma wants to go there, but what's Ryoga's excuse...?
Volume 12
Mirror Mirror
Remember that magic mirror of Happosai's from a little while back? Well, Ranma's remembered it, too, and unless Happosai stops him, he's gonna use it to return to Jusenkyo before he and his dad take that fatal plunge. Of course, when Ranma gets to the future, he may not like what he sees: Ryoga and Akane, Married with Children!?? What becomes an okonomiyaki chef most? That's what Ukyo wants to know, and she's willing to do just about anything to find out - anything, in fact, up to and including the trade in of her trademark okonomiyaki-making outfit for a more feminine skirt and blouse. The question is, though, do guys really make passes at girls who wear spatulas?
Volume 1
Season Four: Outta Control
Headmaster From Hell
The Return of the Hawaiian Headmaster from Hell
Aloha!! Furinkan High's got a new principal... and, trust us, he's nobody's 'pal.' You'd think the laid back attitude of the Islands would've softened up his educational hard case, but strict adherence to newly made school rules has got the student body holding on to their hair..
Enter Kuno, the Night-Prowling Knight
A no-good principal's bad enough, but now's he's recruiting deputies, too! After perverse martial arts master Happosai trains the knightly Kuno in his night-prowling was, it seems everyone at Furinkan High will be forced to observe the new school order. Will Happosai's fabled 'Speed of Light Elixir' give Kuno the speed he needs to defeat even Ranma?
Volume 2
Harder They Fall
Ranma Gets Weak
Interfering in Happosai's plans once too often, Ranma gets a lesson in humility the hard way as perverse martial arts master lays on him some strength-reducing moxibustion - a sure-fire way to bring the arrogantly confident Ranma to his knees! Let's just hope his enemies don't find out...
Eureka! The Desperate Move of Desperation
The Plot Thickens! Happosai's got Ranma right where he wants him, and the last thing he plans to do is let Ranma get his strength back without a little kowtowing first! A legendary hissatsu-waza or 'desperatation move' called the Hiryu Shotenha may offer hope, but Ranma has to master it, first...
Volume 3
Immoral Kombat
Showdown! Can Ranma Make a Comeback?
At last, the terrifying secret of the powerful Hiryu Shotenha or 'Heavenly Dragon Ascension Wave' revealed! And just in time, too, 'cause no matter how many dirty tricks Ranma pulls out of his sleeve, perverted martial arts master Happosai is determined to keep his cool and withhold the angry or 'battle aura' that Ranma really, really needs...
Here Comes Ranma's Mom
It's been almost a decade since her admittedly not-so-bright husband and then-young son left the nest in order to pursue a more rigorous program of training, but finally, after all this time, Ranma's mother gets reunited with her family at last!... Or does she?!
Volume 4
My Fiance, The Cat
Ryoga... Beyond the Pleasure and the Pain
Stranded up in the lonely mountains and plagued by memories of his thwarted love for Akane, Ryoga pauses to remember not only his grudge against his rival Ranma, but his true and unchanging love for Akane herself.
My fiance, the Ghost-Cat
According to legend, whoever it is that possesses one of two matching bells is destined to be wed, Beauty and the Beast-like, to a mysterious, hulking monster. The difference between that beast and this one, however, is that this one has a weakness for catnip...
Volume 5
Spirit of Furinkan
Blow, Wind! To Be Young is to Go Gung-Ho
When that macadamian nutjob Principal Kuno announces the arrival of a brand new Furinkan High School teacher, the students fear the worst - after all, when the head of your school plays the ukelele and thinks he's Don Ho, what else can you expect? but the new teacher - he's more like an inspirational speaker actually - has an agenda of his own: Ranma and Akane's future...!
The Appearance of a Formidable New Disciple
With three unmarried daughters, two freeloading houseguests, and one perverse martial arts master under his roof, poor dojo owner Soun's got his hands full. That's why, when a gung-ho new disciple shows up on the doorstep of the Tendo Dojo, his arrival is greeted with gratitude and relief. However, to an increasingly more jealous Ranma's point of view, resentment and trepidation might be more appropriate emotions...
Volume 6
Room With A Zoo
Step Outside
A small child, bedridden with illness. A missing father, lost in the treacherous wilds of a mountain range. Sob! If this were any other series, there'd be a legitimate claim on our sympathy, but.... Discover how it is that one spoiled, stubborn boy and one gluttonous, sloth-like panda manage to form the kind of friendship you read about in stories... fairytale stories....
Ryoga's 'Tendo Dojo Guesthouse' Diary
We've always known that life inside the Tendo Dojo, even for a Japanese family of martial artists, isn't what you'd call 'usual.' What happens when a high school dropout like Ryoga starts to think about enrolling in the same institution of his best beloved...? When he moves into the Tendo Dojo as its new houseguest? If the walls could only talk - In the episode, with a special 'pig's eye view' from Ryoga, they do!
Volume 7
Happy's Heart
Happosai's Happy Heart
You think it's easy being a senior citizen whose hobby is 'collecting' women's underwear? Happosai's happy hobby has caused him trouble before, but never trouble like this - trouble that begins with a capital 'T,' as in elementary school Teacher...
Extra, Extra! Kuno and Nabiki: Read All About It!
Can a man have more than one love? Of course he can... especially when he's a BSOC or 'Big Swordsman on Campus!' And now, just when Kuno's settling down to a choice between sporty Akane or the busty pigtailed girl, a new love enters the pictures: the financially savvy Nabiki!
Volume 8
Tattoo You
Ryoga the Strong... Too Strong
Remember that story about the fish granting the fisherman three wishes in thanks for not eating him? This isn't that story, but there are similarities... in exchange for eating his food, a crazed hermit grants Ryoga his heart's desire - to become the strongest man in the world! - but, just as with the fish, there's a... um... catch...
Close Call! P-Chan's Secret
So now Ryoga's got it, the so-called 'Mark of the Gods,' but at what price? Ranma's got his own reasons for helping Ryoga - doesn't he always? - but what will be the final result of Akane's slowly coming to realize that the tattoo on P-Chan's belly... and the tattoo on Ryoga's belly... are kinda... sorta... the same!?
Volume 9
Great Eggspectations
The Egg-Catcher Man
A mysterious wandering swordsman wanders his way into Furinkan one day, the mysterious part being his strange connection to eggs, and to Kasumi's past. Does this mean that Dr. Tofu has a new rival for Kasumi's affection? You'll see... but things may turn out the way you least egg-spect it...
Ranma and Kuno's First Kiss
Ranma's humiliated himself for a lot less reason than this! A sword earned by Kuno at a King Arthur-style tourney may be his last chance yet to escape the Jusenkyo curse, but before he can get one of Kuno's three wishes, there's something Kuno wants from the pig-tailed girl first...
Volume 10
Pinky Promised
Shampoo's got Ranma right where she wants him... and so long as his pinky's bound to hers with the fabled 'red thread of fate,' he's not going anywhere! Will Akane make it to the church on time? Then, Mousse's goose is cooked when Kuno and Kodachi need some bird feed for their pet alligator!
Volume 11
You Bet Your Dojo
Meet the strangely familiar Gambling King, whose poker face conceals the fact that he's the world's second-worst card-player. But since Ranma is the world's worst card-player, the Gambling King has the cards on his side in his plan to turn the Tendo Dojo into... a casino! Plus, Azusa Shiratori returns!
Volume 12
Eat, Drink, Man-Who-Turns-Into-A-Woman
Akane's back in the kitchen and the whole family's nervous -- will Ranma's tasteless destruction of her (cough, cough) cuisine send her sulking to the salt cellar? Also: The return of Shampoo's twin Amazon sisters Ling-Ling and Lung-Lung!
Volume 1
Season Five: Martial Mayhem
Buns of Steel
Ranma's never worn his hair in anything but a pigtail, and now it turns out there's a reason. How long will he be able to dodge the four steamed little buns from China who are out for his head?! And then: Talk about your bad hair days! Without the famed 'Dragon Whisker,' Ranma's hair will keep growing and growing. But even Rapunzel ran out eventually...
Volume 2
Marry Me Akane
Here comes the bride... and the groom, if he doesn't get lost. The day we never thought would come. Ranma and Ryoga have always competed in their martial arts, but now, with Ryoga's proposal to Ranma's fiance, their romantic rivalry is coming to the boiling point, too... and then: An argument over food (what else?) sends Genma storming out of the Tendo Dojo in a huff - and he's taking his son with him! Will Ranma and Akane be able to convince their bickering pops to stop?!
Volume 3
Tea For Three
Swept off her feet by a dashing young man on a prancing brown steed, Ranma is introduced by the gentleman and his tough-as-nails grandma to the gentle art of martial arts tea ceremony. (Hey, it's tougher than it sounds!) And then, when a girl who doesn't look a day over ten stakes her claim to the Tendo Dojo, no one seems worried. After all, Ranma and Akane have fended off worse challengers! But that was before she revealed her secret weapon: Nostalgia!
Volume 4
Daddy Dearest
An invitation from Akane to Ranma for an anything goes-style obstacle race at a local hot springs has all the usual suspects angling to get in on the action. With an all expense-paid trip to any hot springs resort in the world as prize (can you say Jusenkyo?), how anxious do you think Ryoga is to win? And then: Even coconut-headed high school teachers can have their soft spots, can't they? In the Principal's case, it's the long-lost son who disappeared at age fourteen. Then again, the fruit never falls very far from the tree...
Volume 5
One Lump Or Two
It's another trip back to the land of martial arts tea ceremony as Sentaro makes a play for an all new bride: Akane! Then: Martial arts gymnastics as a girls-only sport? Not if three cloaked challengers have anything to say about it!
Volume 6
Croak and Dagger
In these two episodes, a family vacation at a hot springs resort goes bad when it seems that a monster is lurking in the resort's waters. In the second episode, Ranma's insulting remarks to a visiting traveling frog garners him a curse that could do some permanent damage.
Volume 7
Three Girls, a Guy, and a (Japanese) Pizza Place
First, in Raging Okonomiyaki, Ranma must deal with Ukyo, his fiance and local okonomiyaki (Japanese Pizza) chef. Then in Ranma Gets Hit On, Ranma quickly discovers a major drawback to going out in public in his girl form...
Volume 8
To The Victor Go The Spoils
Checkmate, Ranma! Just when you think you've seen every imaginable martial art, here comes the martial arts of chess - Japanese chess (shogi)! Then, with a whole new staff of highly trained, more serious ninja at his disposal, Kuno considers giving Sasuke his walking papers, but not before one last mission: Arrange for him to work with the pig-tailed girl!
Volume 9 Foie Gras
There's more here at stake than a filet of beef! Say bon jour to Picolet Chardin, champion supreme of that most refined of battle styles - Martial Arts Dining! Sure, Ranma may have won the Chestnut battle a long time ago, but how will Iron Chef Saotome fare in this latest culinary challenge?!
Volume 10
Swimming With Psychos
At last, Akane's inability to swim has caught up with her! Taking lessons from coconut-headed Principal Kuno may not be her first choice, but when you're swimming with sharks (and psychos!), you've got to hang on to whatever help you've got. AND THEN: In homage to the classic American movie Shane, perennial lost boy Ryoga Hibiki wanders into a scene straight from the Old West. Ryo-o-ga, Come ba-a-a-a-ck!!
Volume 11
Nightmare of Happosai Street
If only you could tell yourself, when you're having a nightmare, that it's all just a dream. Wouldn't that be comforting? Imagine, though, that you know you're in a dream and, even worse, that it's the dream of martial arts master Happosai! Will your daily life become a waking nightmare? And then, ticked off one too many times by the careless cracks of her inconsiderate fiance, Akane decides to de-nominate herself as the younger of Saotome's future bride, leaving the path open for mercenary Nabiki?
Volume 12
My Kagemusha, Myself
The Tendo household's in an uproar as an order of takoyaki, a traditional Japanese snack made with octopus, seaweed, and red ginger (hey, it's better than it sounds) goes missing. ALSO: Here's a battle you don't see everyday! It's Ranma vs. Shadow Ranma as boy-type faces girl-type in a no-holds (not to mention no-clothes) battle.
Volume 1
Season Six: Random Rhapsody
Who Do? Voodoo
Interfere with a girl and the idealized image she holds of her papa at your own peril! Kuno's ready to give his delinquent dad the boot, but Kodachi seems to need him now more than ever. Can the cranky upperclassman put up with the indignities for his sister's sake? AND THEN: There's a new kid in town! A really creepy kid! Who puts nails into stuff. And carries voodoo dolls. And also has a crush on Akane!
Volume 2
The Way We're Not
Ranma runs into a shady man who runs a secret black market store on Furinkan High's campus! Principal Kuno wants him off the grounds, but this is one feisty merchant that won't go without a fight. Then, Ranma, Ryoga, and Mousse travel into the mountains in search of the legendary Spring of Drowned Man in an attempt to restore their original forms. Will the three martial artists be successful, or will paranoia tear them apart? Plus, what is Genma thinking when he names Ryoga as the inheritor of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts!?
Volume 3
Watermelon Beach
The residents of the Tendo Dojo take a family vacation to a local beach, only to find Kuno washed up on the shore wearing a watermelon on his head. Even more confusing, Kuno seems to have lost his memory and gained incredible skill, making him possibly more powerful than Ranma! The answers lie on a deserted isle called Watermelon Island...
Volume 4
Demon from Jusenkyo
The Visitor's log at the cursed springs of Jusenkyo has been stolen by someone... or something. Now all the people who have visited Jusenkyo in the past are systematically being attacked! Ranma and the others at the Tendo Dojo prepare for battle while trying to figure out why someone would be after them. Who will be the next victim of the mysterious enemy?
Volume 5
Wacky Winter Wonderland
As the Tendo family prepares for Christmas, Ranma goes missing. A routine search brings in the usual troublemakers, but still no Ranma. Will Akane find Ranma in time to spend Christmas with him? Then, the cold weather brings an unnatural snowfall and unnatural enemies. When a mysterious creature attacks Ryoga, Ranma and Akane head into the cold to find out what happened only to find a little girl and some very large footprints. What could the connection be?
Volume 6
Panda-Monium
Ranma and the others visit an exhibit of cursed Chinese paintings at a local festival. During a scuffle over food between Genma and Ranma, the exhibit is crashed into and three scary monsters depicted in the paintings are unleashed! Two of the paintings depict traditional demons (which Soun, Happosai and Genma must fight), while the third demon -- a very high girlish demon -- declares she won't go back into her painting unless Ranma takes her out on a date!
Volume 7
Ukyo's Secret Sauce
Special two-part episode!! Ranma's wrecked Ukyo's secret sauce and has to marry her to make up for it. But what's with Akane claiming they're already married? Then later, a teenaged ghost leads the way in a troubling treasure hunt on the grounds of Furinkan High.
Volume 8
For the Love of Akane
Gosunkugi, the new kid at school, is desperate for Akane's attention and resorts to magical paper dolls that will make her do what he desires. How will he use his magic to get her to follow his command? Then, fed up with Ranma's insolence, Happosai finds a mystical pill that will make any disciple subservient, only to find out that it's a spell that makes them physically attached to each other.
Volume 1
Season Seven: Ranma Forever
Initiation Nite
The first volume of the FINAL season of Ranma 1/2!
Tatewaki Kuno, Substitute Principal
The principal is off on an inspection tour, and he's put his seventeen-year-old son, Tatewaki Kuno, in charge. As they say, the coco-nutcase never falls far from the tree.
Ranma's Greatest Challenge!?
Ranma is told the Tendo Dojo will lose its successor if he doesn't win, so Ranma trains hard for an upcoming contest. But kick-the-can may be just another way to say kick-the-Ranma! It's really just thuggery, Tendo Dojo-style.
Nihao! Jusenkyo Guide
He claims he's on a sightseeing tour, but surely the Jusenkyo Guide hasn't come all the way from China just for that. Could his surprise visit have something to do with Ranma and Genma's mishap at Jusenkyo Spring?
Volume 2
From the Depths of Despair
A pack of magical, powerful cards has fallen into the wrong hands, and now Happosai is several times as much a pain as before! It was bad enough when there was just the one of him - now there are six! Then, better than the construction-specific Breaking Point technique (which worked only on rocks), Ryoga's new move has got Ranma on the run. Can he get away fast enough? And finally, to perfect the dangerous Shishi Hoko-Dan technique, one must travel to the depths of despair where Ryoga lives most of the time anyway! But why is Ranma trying to make Ryoga even more miserable?
Volume 3
Kiss Me, Cat
Love hopeful... Shampoo's Cursed Kiss
Be my bri-i-i-i-i-de--!! It's been a while, but at last the Ghost Cat from episodes past has come back... and he won't release Shampoo until she agrees to marry him! Can Ranma prevent her from becoming the cat's trophy?
Love Revisited... Run Away With Me!
A recurring dream... a romantic couple... their destiny, somehow tied to the blooming of cherry blossoms. Ranma gets roped into helping a ghost to have no regrets before shuffling off this mortal coil. But the ties that bind can be stubborn... love digested.
Let's Go to the Mushroom Temple
The soul of the mushroom is the soul of the earth, or so it's said by those in the know. Love mushrooms... poison mushrooms... can a relationship based on fungus possibly survive among us?
Volume 4
Rock-A-Bye Ranma
In the life of every father, there must eventually come a time when a son challenges his authority, test his own strength, declares himself a man. But is Cup Ramen worth losing your dad for?! Meanwhile a vat of forbidden, blue wine is having a strange effect on Picolet Chardin, that memorable masterful monsieur of martial-arts dining. Fearing for her charge, Mme. St. Paul asks for help...though she may wish she hadn't! And finally, held every year on July 7th, Japan's tanabata festival celebrates the celestial reunion of the Weaver Princess and her beau, the Cowherd. When the two descend from the sky, their story seems suddenly so much less romantic...
Volume 5
Wretched Rice Cakes of Love
It's said, if he who eats of the sakura-mochi or cherry blossom rice-cake is meant to be with you forever, the mark of the sakura shall appear on his forehead. But if it should be that he is not... Happosai's always relied on his special Happo Dai-Karin or Happo Fire-Burst technique to get what he wants, but when the karin part changes to kaBIN, Happosai's mold starts gettin' old real quick! Then, Tatewaki (age seventeen) is in love with girl-type Ranma, while Kodachi (a.k.a. the Black Rose) adores the boy-type. Brought to blows by jealousy, where's King Solomon when you need him?
Volume 6
Battle for Miss Beachside
This is like no bathing-suit competition you've ever seen! The contestants are Akane, Shampoo, Ukyo and Kodachi...plus girl-type Ranma, and Tsubasa Kurenai to boot. Knowing these girls, it's going to be ...
Volume 7
Bring it On
Having learned (or been the victim of) almost any martial arts style imaginable, Ranma's nevertheless about to learn a whole new one: Martial Arts Cheerleading! Sure, Ranma's got the basic moves down, and that uniform is really cute, but then it turns out that it's Kuno's kendo match he has to cheer for. Meanwhile, during an annual cleaning of the estate, Kuno comes across an ancient taiko drum that's got the devastating power of a howitzer!
Volume 8
Someday, Somehow
Having learned of his father's long-ago death pact with his mother, which states that he, Ranma be either reared as a man among men or be put to the sword (along with his father!), Ranma struggles desperately to avoid a seemingly all-but-inescapable fate. Can Akane's intervention with Ranma's bushido-minded mama prevent the inevitable, or has Genma made his last mistake... ever!?
Movie 1
Movies
Big Trouble In Nekonron, China
It's just another day the Tendo Anything-Goes Martial Arts Training Hall - That is, until a strange girl named Lychee and her giant elephant Jasmine arrive to settle a score with lecherous martial arts master Happosai. Apparently, a very long time ago, Happosai gave Lychee's great-grandmother half a of legendary scroll guaranteed to bring happiness to whoever was holding it. The women of Lychee's family have been waiting for three generations now, and the prince still hasn't come - but of course, the moment Lychee lets the scroll out of her hands, the prince finally appears. Only now it's Ranma's reluctant fiancee Akane that's holding the scroll, and the long-awaited prince is only too ready to sweep his lucky bride off her feet. Now Ranma and Co. have no choice but to follow Prince Kirin's majestic flying barge all the way to Nekonron, China, where they find themselves in a showdown with the Seven Lucky Gods of martial arts!
Movie 2
Nihao My Concubine
After Ranma and Co are stranded on a tropical isle, youthful Akane, Kasumi, Nabiki, Shampoo and Ukyo are kidnapped by a prince searching for his perfect bride! Can Ranma(in disguise as a girl) rescue Akane and beat scores of kidnapped concubines in an anything-goes martial arts bride-off, all white wearing a push-up bra and three inch heels?
Volume 1
OVAs
Akane and Her Sisters
In the special two-part story 'The One to Carry On,' two girls appear at the Tendos to claim their heritage, The Tendo Anything Goes Martial Arts Training Hall! Are they really Father Tendo's 'other' daughters, and more importantly, can Akane and Ranma defeat their challenge?
Volume 2
An Akane To Remember
Lost in a remote forest as a child, Akane was saved from terrifying monsters by a brave young boy. Now, returning to the forest, she rediscovers Shinnosuke, the young man who saved her life. But because of his brave act all those years ago, Shinnosuke's lease on life is running out, and Akane swears that she will repay her debt to him... whatever the cost! Featuring special bonus music videos!
Volume 3
Desparately Seeking Shampoo
In 'Curse of the Contary Jewel,' Ranma's life gets a lot more interesting when usually so-in-love Shampoo suddenly turns frosty. He can't know a cursed piece of jewelry is to blame, but will it matter after pride drives Ranma to try any tatic to win back her heart? Then, Santa visits Kasumi in a dream and tells her to hold a Christmas Party. Look for a special karaoke song by the entire regular female cast!
Volume 4
Faster, Kasumi! Kill! Kill!
An evil ogre posses gentle Kasumi! But even though all it takes to release the possession is to hit her on the head, Daddy Soun won't allow anyone to hit Kasumi! How long can the devil in Miss Tendo hold the whole household hostage before somebody takes matters into their own hands?! Then an evil doll switches consciousness with Akane to take revenge against Ranma. Trapped in the doll's body how can Akane warn him? Featuring bonus music videos!
Volume 5
Like Water For Ranma
Akane has always longed to be able to cook a meal 'just like Mother used to make.' The problem is, when it comes to cooking Akane's got a black thumb! Watch the Tendos go from out of the frying pan and into the fire in this deliciously scrambled gourmet comedy. In the second OAV, 'Stormy Weather Comes to School,' a new teaches comes to Furinkan High. Guess who's first on her discipline list? That's right, Ranma!
Volume 6
One Grew Over Kuno's Nest
Kuno plans to acquire the power of a legendary Phoenix egg to help him defeat Ranma... but what he didn't count on is the egg hatching and the Phoenix latching onto him! Then, Ranma and Co. take their vacation at a haunted cave where it is fabled that any couple that enter will leave... apart! Featuring special bonus music videos!
All of the early Ranma 1/2 releases were dubbed VHS only. Later on some of the series was released on subtitled VHS, but, by that point I had lost interest in the series. I still think fondly of Ranma 1/2. But, at this point, I don't think I would consider repurchasing any of it on DVD. I gave Ranma 1/2 a 4 out 5. Although I liked Ranma 1/2, because of the size of this series, in the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I opted not to repurchase the series on DVD and I allowed the VHS tapes to leave my archive.
