Ranma 1/2 is easily one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time. It’s widely recognized as a classic, and rightly so.

For me, it was this title that led me to more anime. Sure, technically, my first anime shows were Voltes V, Daimos, Astroboy (all reruns, I assure you, for I am NOT that old) and Candy Candy — but Ranma 1/2 gave the perfect introduction to more of the same. It was the one which opened the gateways of obsession for me. And there couldn’t have been a better “gate keeper”, so to speak. Because Ranma 1/2 is simply one of THE titles that should be watched/read by all devoted animanga fans.

Anyway, as is the usual case for me, I loved Ranma 1/2 the anime. This is why I started reading the manga. And I was not disappointed! In fact, as the usual case again goes, Ranma 1/2 the series as a whole even became more lively, animated and fun with the manga experience! I got to know several characters that weren’t introduced in the tv series, and some episodes that weren’t included in the anime — they were all worth it.

This is THE classic Rumic title. That alone should give you enough reason as to why you should have this. Many people consider this as “Rumiko at her best”, in fact. To date, it is her most successful installment, surpassing even the tremendous hits that were her past works. It displays her character wit, refreshing charm, eccentric yet lovable characters and of course, her unique humour. Sometimes I even wonder how she keeps it up — with her style, there’s almost always something new. You never get tired of the stories she writes, because even though she’s written a whole lot of them (her most popular series are VERY long), there’s bound to be something different.

This is certainly what you get with Ranma 1/2. It deals not only with the hilarious day-to-day life of a 16 year-old boy with his “unwanted” fiancée (who’s supposed to bear the same sentiments), but also the (mis)adventures of everyone else around him. There’s a bit of action, as well, and sometimes even drama…when everything’s not geared towards comedy, that is. Well, that’s Rumiko Takahashi’s forte, after all. You will discover — in this work of hers, especially — that she creates characters like no other. And you will realize that this is what keeps her in the lead, ahead of the rest of them.

Individual Rating: Art 8; Story 10; Characters 10

This entry was posted on Monday, January 14th, 2002 at 10:55 am and is filed under Ranma 1/2, Manga. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.