Customer Reviews

Ranma 1/2 - The Digital Dojo - The Complete First Season (Box Set)

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When I first heard of Ranma 1/2, the premise alone made me steer clear. A boy, cursed in an ancient Chinese spring, turns into a girl whenever splashed with cold water. Hot water undoes the curse, but only until the next time. I wanted nothing to do with this gender bender series billed as a martial arts sex comedy.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
A good friend made me watch it, and I was hooked. In a series that pokes fun at gender stereotypes, with martial arts hijinx, a mismatched marriage engagement between the hapless Ranma Saotome, cursed to become a girl in cold water, and the boy-hating Akane Tendo, who would sooner die than admit her feelings for Ranma, this is a hilarious series.
Season One introduces us to the amazing characters; Ranma, Akane and her sisters, Kasumi and Nabiki, and several rivals for both the hearts of Ranma and Akane. As we watch Ranma struggle to deal with not one, but two engagements, as the Chinese Amazon warrior Shampoo enters the scene. And marvel at the antics of the eternally lost boy, Ryoga Hibiki, Ranma's rival for Akane's heart, and bearer of a "dark secret".
Let me put it this way, if you want a great laugh that you know will always be around to treasure, then you can't go wrong getting Ranma 1/2 on DVD. Your sense of direction would have to be worse than Ryoga Hibiki's to pass this up.

Ranma 1/2 is by far the most entertaining anime series I have watched to date. Having watched Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Dragonball (Z), etc. I have to say that Ranma 1/2 is easily the most original and hilarious. Although there is plenty of martial arts action, it is also refreshing that no-one ever gets killed. The premise of the Ranma 1/2 series lies in the hilarious situations that occur due to the love interests of the many colorful characters. Needless to say Ranma is in the center of the whole convoluted scenario being the "unwilling" recipient of affections from both female and male suitors (while in his female form). The fact that Ranma is able to turn into a girl makes for some of the funniest situations imaginable.

I have now watched the first 4 seasons of Ranma 1/2 in chronological order and I think seasons 1 and 2 are the best. Season one introduces you to the main characters and sets the background for following episodes. Yet each episode is entertaining and usually adds a new character or interesting story element. Someone who is very familiar with the series may find some of the first few episodes "thin" because many of the main characters don't get introduced till later. However, for those who are relatively new, I think the build up in history and character development is perfect. Enough time is devoted to each new character introduced to give them some depth. In the season 1 set, the story line is relatively linear from episode to episode (each episode continues where the last left off). In seasons 3 and 4 this no longer occurs quite as much with the some episodes becoming almost completely "stand alone".

In conclusion this is a set that all Ranma fans should have and anime fans that haven't yet watched Ranma should definitely start here.

Just in case you've never seen Ranma 1/2, here's the plot in a nutshell: on a training mission with his father, Ranma falls into a cursed spring and now turns into a girl (who happens to be red-haired and...er, well-endowed) when doused with cold water, and back into a boy with hot. Everything else is just a zany, ever-expanding web of elaboration on this main theme. It's closely based on the long-running, successful Japanese manga (comic book) of the same name.

The show has a huge cast of characters, including but not limited to: Ranma's reluctant fiancee, Akane; his father, Genma, and his rival, Ryoga, both of whom have their own curse; Tatewaki Kuno and his sister Kodachi, who are in love with female and male Ranma respectively; and about a zillion other characters who are introduced later in the series.

This first DVD set has the entire first season of the TV show. All of the episodes are good, with the exception of the last one (which is a "lousy clip show," to quote the Simpsons). It takes you through many of the major events of Ranma 1/2: Ranma and Akane's first meeting and the introduction of Ryoga, the Kunos, and Chinese amazon Shampoo.

The DVD format is ideal for anime, and this is no exception. Allowing you to see it both subtitled and dubbed, letting you skip to your favorite chapter, and creditless opening and closing segments are just a few of the perks with the DVD version. Just keep in mind that the animation (which was done about ten years ago) was not terribly high-quality to begin with - don't be disappointed if it doesn't look like more modern, glossy animation, and rest assured that it still looks much better on DVD than it ever did on VHS.

Finally, the first season of Ranma 1/2 on DVD. There are three major reasons to get this:

(1) The first few episodes introduce the enchanted spring phenonema and establishes the Ranma/Akane relationship. Nowhere else in the series was this done adequately.

(2) The introduction of the Shampoo character. Rumiko's blend of Love, martial arts and gags reaches its zenith here. This is perhaps one of the best anime episodes ever produced.

(3) I really love this first season because this is where creator Rumiko Takahashi has creative control. There is a subtleness in the humor and relationships that was unfortunately lost in the later seasons. Rumiko's mastery lets you actually feel what the characters are feeling as the story progresses.

This is an all time classic for people who wish to collect the best of anime.

Caution: This series contains "comic nudity". It's not kinky stuff, but just illustrates how Ranma doesn't have modesty after getting transformed into a girl after contact with cold water. It's not a "sex comedy" but a "gender comedy" focusing on relationship and gender roles.

The first season of Ranma 1/2 is the one that relates the basic story. Ranma becomes a girl when splashed with cold water; this is due to an accidental dunking, in a cursed Chinese pool. The initial story is very funny as Ranma and his dad (who also got dunked but in another pool) arrive at his dad's best friend Soun Tendo's house. Their purpose is for Ranma to become engaged to one of Soun's three daughters. Soun and his daughters are waiting, but they have no clue who has arrived when a girl, and a giant panda show up on their doorstep.

The series goes on to introduce many of the main characters that will either be Ranma's competition, or his potential romantic interests during the series. Rumika Takahashi has a knack for inventing the funniest, and most varied kinds of martial arts. Throughout the entire Ranma series, there must be more than 100 different forms including Martial Arts Pickle Making, Martial Arts Gymnastics, Martial Arts Pizza Making, Martial Arts Figure Skating, and Martial arts Tea Ceremony.

Ranma is an episodic series, and for that reason after you see the first series here, (which gives you the basic story and characters) you can buy or rent any DVD from any subsequent season. You might miss a character introduction somewhere but that's usually not a problem. The only important continuing storyline thread is about Ranma's relationship with Akane, his arranged fiancé. He talks like the relationship does not matter, but his actions give him away. He generally resists the scheming and plans of all the other women out to capture his heart, most of which got that way through the funniest of circumstances.

Outside of his fiancé, Ranma's only other passions are fighting, and trying to figure out a way to lift the curse that turns him into a girl. In a lot of ways the characters in this show may be like the Japanese version of the Simpsons. Takahashi has added dozens characters motivated by greed, revenge, love, hate, desperation, and perversion. Many are really funny images of some of the characters we all know. She somehow manages to present all of their diverse emotions in a funny, and generally light-hearted manner.

This is one of the longest running and best anime series from Japan, but by the time you get to the seventh season, the material gets a little thin. Like most TV shows anime or live action, the first season is generally among the best, and for anime fans this is a must own. A classic anime concept from one of the all time classic anime authors!

Rumika Takahashi has had a prolific career creating new anime series and being able to change her style and come up with new concept each time. From aliens (LUM) to boarding houses (Maison Ikkoku), to martial arts (Ranma 1/2), to ancient Japanese folklore (Inu Yasha), her constants are an incredible imagination, and a universal humor. Along the way her artistic talents have gotten better, and her story talent more refined. You really can't go wrong with any of her works.

I didn't really like the Ranma 1/2 OVAs and movies that I seen, but I decided to give the TV series a try anyway. I'm glad I did, because this is great. The video is good for a TV series, and both the English and Japanese voice actors are great. For once, I didn't mind watching the dub. The menu loads quickly, and it has some very good animation. The only problem with the set is that Pioneer didn't strain themselves thinking up extras. All it contains is creditless openings and endings. Oh well, at least the songs are subtitled, and the episode previews were left in.

This is the first season of Ranma 1/2. It contains 18 half-hour episodes, of which 1 consists mostly of clips from earlier episodes. However, the other 17 are excellent. Please note that it's four discs, not five. Also, the box says that it is region 1 encoded, not `ALL'.

Ranma and his father travel to china to train in the martial arts. While there, they are cursed. From now on, whenever cold water is tossed on them, Ranma will turn into a girl, and his father will turn into a panda. This causes problems because Ranma is engaged to marry another girl! A host of other characters soon show up to kill and/or marry Ranma. The plot is too complex to really explain, but sufficient to say, the series involves a lot of martial arts fights and romantic comedy. It's defiantly worth a look.

If I tell you this anime is about an exceptional good martial artist boy who turns into a girl when cold water splashs him, son of a light living lazy father who turns into a panda, about a regular martial artist girl who hates boys, about an amazon girl who turns into a cat, about a lost boy (who gets lost going to the bathroom) who turns into a pig... Wouldn't you wonder what kind of sick plot it has? I'll tell you, is about love.
Full of traditional japanese situations, you'll get to know the Tendo family, whose hosts bring all kinds of funny troubles, and where the love is the center of each chapter. Yes, it has nudity (the naked tops appears once in a while), but they are funny instead of erotical. This is the first season of this, one of the gratest anime series of all times (for the japanese people). 18 chapters (17 really, the last one is just a serie of past scenes). 4 Dvds in japanese and english. Too bad the japanese tracks are in mono.
If you buy it, you'll feel that sensation again, when you loved someone but never have the courage to say "I love you".

For instant comedy, just add water. Billed as a "martial arts sex comedy", Ranma 1/2 is the story of a boy named Ranma who fell under a bizarre curse, and turns into a girl when he is splashed with cold water.
It's the story of Ranma's engagement to Akane Tendo, a tomboyish girl who professes a hatred for boys. It's a story about the rivals for Akane's heart, the dimwitted swordmaster Kuno and the directionally challenged Ryoga, who suffers his own bizarre curse (he turns into Akane's pet pig, P-chan, when doused with cold water).
It's also the story of the rivals for Ranma's heart, the deranged Kodachi, sister of Kuno, and the Chinese Amazon warrior Shampoo, who will do anything to win her man.
Love Triange? We're talking decahedron, baby!
Ranma 1/2 is a story about love, martial arts, and weird water curses. It's the story of family (and you've never seen one like this before).
Ranma 1/2. Love hurts. Alot.
Lovingly preserved on DVD, Ranma 1/2 is one series that desrves royal treatment.
Trust me, you'll be hooked by the opening song.

THIS REVIEW IS BEST READ IF YOU'VE READ THE PLOT FROM OTHER REVIEWS.

Rumiko Takahashi manages to make each and everyone of her series there own hit. I saw Inuyasha (by Rumiko Takahashi) on TV (Adult Swim) and I decided to buy an Inuyasha graphic novel. I loved it. I soon bought more Inuyasha graphic novels and continued watching it on TV. Then I decided to try one of her other manga series, Ranma 1/2. After buying the first one, I quickly bought the second and third. Then I decided to buy this, the first season of Ranma 1/2. I know now that I liked this more than Inuyasha. It's filled with comedy, bizzare plots, hidden romance, awesome bizzare martial arts styles (Martial Arts Gymnastics, Martial Arts Skating, Martial Arts Tea Ceremony and more!) and best of all... PANDAS! Pigs, cats, pandas, ducks, it's awesome! If Ranma touches cold water, he'll turn into a girl! if his father touches cold water, he turns into a panda! Ryoga turns into a pig and in future seasons, Shampoo turns into a cat and more!

And, incase men are worried that the romance won't apeal to them, Rumiko Takahashi writes it so that you can't wait for the two main characters to fall in love! And in classic Takahashi style, more than a few people are in love with the two main boy and girl characters (in this case Ranma and Akane)!

I've purchased more Ranma 1/2 graphic novels now, and I also got the first volume of Maison Ikkoku (more Takahashi).

Here's an episode Guide:

Episode 1: "The Stranger from China"
Premier episode

2: "School is no Place for Horsing Around"
I forget, this or the third episode is the first appearance of Kuno

3: "A Sudden Storm of Love... Hey, Wait a Minute!"

4: "Ranma and... Ranma? If it's not one Thing, it's Another"

5: "Love me to the Bone! The Compound Fracture of Akane's Heart"

6: "Akane's Lost Love... These Things Happen You Know"

7: "Enter Ryoga, the Eternal Lost Boy"
Ryoga's first appearance

8: "School is a Battlefield! Ranma VS. Ryoga"

9: "True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!"

10: "P-P-P-chan! He's Good for Nothin"
Introduces that Ryoga transforms into a pig

11: "Ranma Meets Love Head-On! Enter the Delinquent Juvenile Gymnast"
Introduces Kodachi (Kuno's Sister)

12: "A Woman's Love is War! The Martial Arts Rythmic Gymnastics Challenge"

13: "A Tear in a Girl Delinquet's Eye? The End of the Martial Arts Rythmic Gymnastics Challenge"

14: "Pelvic Fortune-Telling? Ranma is the No. 1 Bride in Japan"
Introduces Dr. Tofu's mom, an 'anime-only' character

15: "Enter Shampoo, the Gung-Ho Girl! I put my Life in Your Hands"
Introduces Shampoo

16: "Shampoo's Revenge! The Shiatsu Technique That Steals Heart and Soul"

17: "I Love You, Ranma! Please Don't Say Goodbye"

18: "I Am A Man! Ranma's Going Back to China!?"
A flashback episode, extremely boring, never occured in the manga and is a bad finale episode

That's all for my review!

Well to be honest, I've only seen these episodes on VHS, but I own several other Ranma DVDs and they are all high- quality disks. The story is a little complicated, but that's what makes this series so much fun. It's about a boy, Ranma, who is engaged to a girl, Akane. These two aren't that crazy about eachother at first. To complicate matters, several boys compete for Akane's affection and several girls are after Ranma's heart. To further complicate matters, Ranma changes into a girl when he is wet. There's so much going on with each of the characters in Ranma 1/2, it would be hard to explain in less than 1000 words. If you like martial arts, goofy anime, and love triangles that involve gender switching, then pick up this set. The animation isn't outstanding in the first few tv episodes, but the OVA episodes are incredible- I also reccommend that box set.