Ranma 1/2, Vol. 8 [Paperback]

Rumiko Takahashi (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 1997 | Series: Ranma 1/2 (Book 8)

In this volume, Ryoga teams up with Ukyo, goes on a date with Akane, and meets his long-lost fiancée. Meanwhile, Ranma and Akane both swallow "love pills" supposed to make them fall for the first person they see.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 180 pages
• Publisher: VIZ Media LLC; 1 edition (October 6, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569312028
• ISBN-13: 978-1569312025
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,422,813 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The spotlight on Rumiko Takahashi's career began in 1978 when she won an honorable mention in Shogakukan's annual New Comic Artist Contest for Those Selfish Aliens. Later that same year, her boy-meets-alien comedy series, Urusei Yatsura, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday. This phenomenally successful manga series was adapted into anime format and spawned a TV series and half a dozen theatrical-release movies, all incredibly popular in their own right. Takahashi followed up the success of her debut series with one blockbuster hit after another--Maison Ikkoku ran from 1980 to 1987, Ranma 1/2 from 1987 to 1996, and Inuyasha from 1996 to 2008. Other notable works include Mermaid Saga, Rumic Theater, and One-Pound Gospel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The cute fiancee..., October 10, 2005

By 

E. A Solinas "ea_solinas" (MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ranma 1/2, Vol. 8 (Paperback)

Ever since arriving at Tokyo, Ranma Saotome's love life has been way too complex. But in the eighth volume of Rumiko Takahashi's "Ranma 1/2," things get even worse for the teenage martial artist -- he now has three fiancees and a newly-cursed rival to deal with.

A mysterious young man, Ukyo, thrashes Ranma's dad and threatens to do the same to Ranma. Ukyo is a childhood pal of Ranma's, now a master okonomiyaki chef (sort of between a pancake and a pizza). But he seems angry at Ranma, for reasons Ranma doesn't understand and soon challenges him to a duel. It ends with Ranma and Akane discovering a shocking connection to Ukyo: "He" is really a girl, and Ranma's fiance....

As if this weren't uncomfortable enough for Ranma, Ryoga soon arrives and tries to throttle Ranma for having another fiancee when he also has Akane. Ukyo clues in that Ryoga likes Akane; to get Ranma all for herself, she sets up a date between the bashful Ryoga and clueless Akane. Problem is, Ranma soon shows up as Ryoga's "long lost fiancee..."

There's no fun in the sun for the Ranma gang, when Ranma sets ancient martial-artists Cologne and Happosai on a date. Turns out Happosai raided the Amazon village a hundred years ago, and stole a valuable heirloom... which has three love pills embedded in it. And now Akane has accidently swallowed the "life" one. And finally, a trip to the circus reunites the gang with Mousse, who now has a Jusenkyo curse of his own... and a new grudge against Ranma.

Ranma doesn't even need to turn into a girl to have romantic complications -- he has enough of them just as a boy. The eighth volume tallies his fiancee count up to three, with poor Ranma not responsible for any of the engagements.

There's plenty of goofy humour in this one, everything from legally blind Mousse kidnapping a stuffed pig to Ryoga almost making out with the disguised Ranma. But it ends on a taut cliffhanger, with Mousse about to turn the captive Akane into a duck, so he can trap Ranma. Somebody get that boy a therapist.

This volume also introduces Ukyo Kuonji, a girl who has been living as a boy for ten years. Ukyo is also Akane's biggest rival: Not only does she have a longer acquaintance with Ranma, but she's also tough, blunt, pretty, a good cook, and far wilier than the brutally ditzy Shampoo. And poor Ryoga gets his feelings played with once again.

One of Rumiko Takahashi's most memorable characters makes her debut in the eighth volume of "Ranma 1/2," bringing even more romantic turmoil in her wake. And it gets even worse...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Martial Arts Okonomiyaki..., May 29, 2003

By 

"mangaqueen16" (the States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ranma 1/2, Vol. 8 (Paperback)

...now I've seen it all. (Of course, knowing Takahashi, there is probably a LOT more that is stranger than this!) Ukyo Kuonji was a childhood friend of Ranma's, but when he left for China, Ukyo wanted revenge. Armed with flour bombs, deep dish glue, rubber yakisoba noodles, and a human-size (literally) spatula, Ukyo tracks down Ranma and changes him to a fight on a ring surrounded by a hot plate.

But Ukyo is hiding something, and there is something else that Genma Saotome forget to mention to his son...

And Ryoga gets a fiancee!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Funny book, even aside from Ukyo, March 7, 2004

By 

Christopher P. Cecena "ssjanifan" (Pine Valley, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ranma 1/2, Vol. 8 (Paperback)

Volume 8(originally vol. 9-10 in Japan) introduces Ukyo Kuonji, an old friend from Ranma's past. As our story progresses, we learn of her engagement to Ranma, and it's soon renewed afterwards, thus leading to Ranma gaining his "cute" fiancee as she's called. Now, if you want me to be honest, I do not like Ukyo. In fact, you could go as far as to say that I hate her. Which is probably why the scene where Ranma pours the hot water over her is my favorite in this. But that's just me. After the her introduction, we go to a few other stories, including her setting up a date between Ryoga and Akane, which is the funniest one(particuarly Ranma and Ryoga's battle at the beginning, it's hilarious), Happosai getting ahold of some love pills that will make anyone who swallows them fall in love with the first person of the opposite gender they see, and the second best in the group, Mousse's return in the series, and as of now he's cursed to turn into a duck when he gets splashed into cold water. That alone has some funny moments, escpecially Mousse's "fight," with a monkey that he mistakes for Ranma. So all in all, another solid volume of Ranma 1/2.