Product Details

• Actors: Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara, Noriko Hidaka, Kenichi Ogata, Hirotaka Suzuoki
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: Catalan, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 5
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Viz Video
• DVD Release Date: May 9, 2003
• Run Time: 600 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000094J7H
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,341 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Ranma 1/2 - Martial Mayhem - The Complete Fifth Season Boxed Set" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

If the fifth broadcast season of Ranma 1/2 doesn't quite match the consistent inspiration of the third (Hard Battle), it's much better than the fourth (Outta Control), with more imaginative writing and fewer weak episodes. A spoof of American Westerns, with Ryoga as the wandering hero who confronts the villain in a saloon-cum-ramen parlor, is simply hilarious, as is a spoof of Japanese historical dramas with Ranma in formal hakama. An aphrodisiac-impregnated band-aid turns Ranma into a suave ladies' man; the cord binding his trademark pigtail turns out to be a charm that grows hair, something Happosai, Genma, and four characters with heads like bao rolls desperately want. The entire cast brings the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts style to such improbable activities as men's rhythmic gymnastics, Japanese chess, Okonomiyaki cooking, Bath House-Fu, and the "Gourmet de Foie Gras" technique of fine dining. Ryoga sets new records for geographical confusion, getting lost in a three-legged race and inside a log cabin. Even more improbable is Sasuke's suggestion that Furinken High's pidgin-speaking Principal may be the long-lost father of Kuno and Kodachi.

A few gentle moments provide the needed balance to the insanity: Ranma apologizes--sincerely--to Akane in "Hot Springs Battle Royal" and admits he thinks she's cute in "Ranma the Lady-Killer." Richard Cox, the voice of boy-type Ranma (and Inu-Yasha), has grown more comfortable in the part, effectively conveying the sullen and likeable sides of Ranma's personality. (Rated 13 and older: slapstick violence, nudity, mildly risqué humor) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A surprisingly good followup, May 27, 2003

By 

skedaddle "skedaddle" (CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ranma 1/2 - Martial Mayhem - The Complete Fifth Season Boxed Set (DVD)

The fourth season was a step down, and I didn't have high hopes for this set, but I was pleasantly surprised and well-pleased with the purchase.

First, technical notes: the animation quality is much better than the previous season, more on par with the 1st/2nd season in quality and detail, although the evolution towards the OAV-style is obvious (and welcome). Copious line art is available on the fifth disc, along with the ever-present "naked" opening/closing, and good on-disc notes. Some new and playful incidental music appears in this season from Kenji Kawai that perhaps Viz will release on CD one day????

These are certainly some of the more bizarre and original offerings, including a Dragon's Whisker (holding Ranma's pigtail together) with strange effects on men pursued by murderous bean, curry, pizza and pork buns; the ghost cat from season 4 returns to possess Ryoga; a weird martial arts school with impossibly huge mouths gets their clutches on girl-Ranma; and the Principal's relationship to Kuno is revealed. Some are clinkers (the Tea Ceremony School is tedious at best), but they're definitely unlike anything you've seen before.

English notes: Richard Cox (boy-Ranma) has improved greatly since season 4, although in the first few episodes the English voices seem to have trouble with their lines flowing well (might be a dubbing artifact). Unfortunately, Teryl Rothery has been replaced as Kodachi, and her replacement sounds too much like Ukyo (lacking the shrill quality that made Rothery's voice perfect for the character). Also, while Nabiki is still Angela Costain, some of her later voice work is rather deep-sounding as if like she had a cold. Miriam Sirois is still fabulous as Akane, and Venus Terzo continues to be a superb girl-Ranma as well.

Quibbles aside, this box set does much to drag the series back on positive territory, and the episodes are in general good fun. Recommended for fans and even those just starting their journey to Ju-sen-kyo.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ranma 1/2 Martial Mayhem, May 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Ranma 1/2 - Martial Mayhem - The Complete Fifth Season Boxed Set (DVD)

Yes, finally the last season of Ranma 1/2 to be released on DVD is in America. Now people say that when it hit the 4th season, everything went to hell, but they're wrong about that. In my opinion, Ranma 1/2 gets better and better. The season had me in stitches in almost every episode. Others just kept me interested enough to finish seeing them. Anyways, this box set is a true jewel. One problem I found with it was that on most of the episodes the opening credit title would be in Japanese instead of an English title. Towards the last two discs this problem is fixed, but I think it's like this because technically the fifth season is the rarest season and from what I've heard, not even all of the volumes (VHS) weren't even dubbed to begin with, so this can explain why the earlier episodes of this season are still in Japanese and the later ones were later fixed like all the other seasons. Also I noticed that Viz Video changed their logo now, it's now just Viz, I don't get why even in this picture it still has Viz Video; but that picture at the top of the screen is wrong. I own it and the logo is different, I even checked their web site and it's different. Anyway, here's my episode reviews.

Episode reviews (these are on a scale of 1-10):

"Gimme That Pigtail" - 6
"When a Guy's Pride and Joy is Gone" - 6
"Ryoga's Proposal" - 10
"Genma Takes a Walk" - 5
"The Gentle Art of Martial Tea Ceremony" - 5
"And the Challenger is...A Girl?! - 5
"Hot Springs Battle Royale!" - 8
"Me is Kuno's Daddy, Me is..." - 7
"The Matriarch Takes a Stand" - 4
"A Leotard is a Girl's Burden" - 6
"The Mixed-Bath Horror!" - 5
"The Frogman's Curse!" - 4
"Revenge! Raging Okonomiyaki!" - 4
"Ranma the Lady-Killer" - 10
"Shogi Showdown" - 6
"Sasuke's Mission Improbable" - 9
"Bonjour, Furinkan!" - 3
"Dinner at Ringside!" - 4
"Swimming with Psychos" - 5
"Ryoga, Run Into the Sunset" - 7
"Into the Darkness" - 8
"Nabiki, Ranma's New Fiancee!" - 9
"Case of the Missing Takoyaki!" - 7
"Ranma Versus Shadow Ranma!" - 10

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars God Bless The Little People, April 13, 2006

By 

Underground Reborn "gnome" (ny) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ranma 1/2 - Martial Mayhem - The Complete Fifth Season Boxed Set (DVD)

Things are just not getting easier for Ranma Saotome, as 'Ranma ?' heads into its fifth season. For some strange reason things aren't getting much better from the previous year.

This season of the show is more highs and lows, rather than a constant flow of entertaining episodes. There were certain points as I was watching this season where I was just bored. Still, I have to admit when the show reached its high points it got really good. One of the things I did realize in this season was there were a lot of menacing new enemies and they were all no bigger than a toddler. The bun headed gang, the matriarch of the House of Martial Arts Tea Ceremony, The Frog Master and many more. This season also had some great stories that featured Ryoga, the viewers really get to see him in a whole new light and that he really is not such a bad guy. Probably the most dramatic of the episodes is when Akane, and her sisters' find out they are engaged to a master of Martial Arts Dinning. Unfortunately there are many more lows the episode where Kuno finds out his dad is the principal of Furinkan High and also the fact that there are very few appearances of Shampoo, Mousse and Ukyo, when they are there the show is good. I do have to admit that when the season comes to a close the last few episodes really save it. The last 5 episodes are hysterical.

Like the fourth season watch the fifth as well to stay with in the flow of the story. One thing you have to give this show credit for is the fact that the origional point of the story is still clear and its what keeps all of us fans watching. This time around Akane is still trying to figure out if Ranma really likes her and the funny part is Ranma is suddenly realizing could the feelings he actually has for Akane...be love?

*Recommended Episode: Into the Darkness*