It's been a while, so I can't recall the specific episode. But the OVAs were dubbed alongside the early seasons and feature the original cast. The first 2 even feature Brigitta Dau instead of Venus Terzo as female Ranma.
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Ranma 1/2 30th anniversary anime retrospective, all 7 seasons, 3 movies, 11 OVA, and 161 episodes (ongoing).
- Thread starter Inugami
- Start date
OP
OP
OVA 7 and 8, judging by the episode list. It's not on Hulu.
Actually, Tsubasa soon disappears in the manga, but becomes a recurring character in the anime later. It's just the manga pretty much introduced Tsubasa 2.0 later on, Konatsu, as Ukyo's obvious pairing (like Akari for Ryoga) and that one becomes a recurring character. Konatsu like Akari is pretty much a "perfect" pairing though. Konatsu acts like a perfect Nadeshiko (humble, subservient, but also fierce), and although preferring female clothing wears male clothing too when Ukyo asks for it in order to get girls to come to her restaurant.
OP
OP
That's what it was, thank you. It's been over a decade since I read the manga (got it lined up for the 35th anniversary of the manga in 2021).
One thing I never understood is why Shampoo is set as the main rival for Ranma's affections.
I mean, he seemed to not care about her that much, except for that OVA/arc in the manga which I always thought didn't fit right...
I mean, he seemed to not care about her that much, except for that OVA/arc in the manga which I always thought didn't fit right...
Probably because she"s the most affectionate. Or popular.
Needed a vehicle as well for Cologne to teach Ranma more techniques while creating conflict/shenanigans.
And also there are a much larger cast of chinese characters in the series than I've seen in any other manga, And alot of the designs (clothes, motifs, themes, settings) have a lot of chinese aesthetics. Pretty sure Rumiko was just a big chinaphile at heart and loved to use Shampoo and her cast.
It also doesn't hurt/help that Shampoo was quite similar to Lum from Urusei Yatsura in terms of character design.
Can't believe Takahashi made a proto-Kagome to pair up with Ryoga, lol.
I was looking into after reading this thread and remembered that the French ranma 1/2 opening theme is quite memorable even if completely different from the original
She's boringCan't believe Takahashi made a proto-Kagome to pair up with Ryoga, lol.
OP
OP
Sounds right for a proto-Kagome.
On the topic of shampoo, I'll quote myself from when she first appeared...
Shampoo is a lot of peoples favorite because of her design and the fact that she's the second mostly likely female character to be naked/sexualized after female Ranma... At least that's the only reason I can come up with, otherwise she's as I said, just a more plot relevant Kodachi.
What I really like are the pun names for the Chinese characters.
About Shampoo, her name is Xian Pu, right? So her first name is Pu?
Chinese character names for the series....Jusesnkyo guide doesnt have a name...just guide.
Shanpu
Ke lun
Musi
Pink/Link
Taro
Plum
Rouge
Habu (herb)
Saffron, Kiimma, Masala, Koruma
^^ Yeah!
The second scene is one the best/funniest in the entire anime.
On the subject of Shampoo, I like her because of her design, and how evil she as it always brings laughs for the most part. Though I think she goes too far in how she treats Mousse. I mean give the guy a break. He's shown he'd never take advantage even when he has the chance.
I really like the music that plays during it, and that random cut to one of the employees :v
Never really got into Ranma. I remember asking a friend about it and he told me there was a love triangle and their transformation when exposed to water. Not sure if it even holds up today. Might give it a watch, but still on the fence.
I'm guessing its another coming of age story?
If its anything like Inuyasha, then maybe it dragged on too long.
I'm guessing its another coming of age story?
If its anything like Inuyasha, then maybe it dragged on too long.
It's entirely the anime writers trying to make Ranma 1/2 into a harem anime.
And the Reversal Jewel arc is pretty much entirely Ranma's ego rather than any affection for Shampoo.
Except Akane isn't cold and insecure at all and Shampoo isn't jealous?
Please check out OP's recommendation if you can!
It's episode 42. If you do please report back here :D
OP also recommended to follow up with episode 43 if you enjoyed it!
So watch episode 42 without watching all the prior ones?
When you posted this the first time, I wanted to fire back, but honestly I couldn't find a good reason to retort with. I just think she's cute *shrug*. Even her deviousness has a certain allure to it.
I remember being so excited for Inuyasha as a follow-up to Ranma. But then that back and forth that DRAGGED ON got so tiresome. Takahashi wanted to something more action oriented and it just doesn't quite work. There's action in Ranma, but it's MUCH more comical and slapstick.
All you really need to know is that Ranma and Akane are heirs to a dojo, betrothed to each other against their will and Ranma turns into a girl whenever splashed with cold water.
OP
OP
All you need to know is Ranma turns into a girl when he gets splashed by cold water, and returns with hot water. Otherwise, you'll pick up the rest as the episode goes. I wouldn't recommend watching it, and then ignoring everything prior, but if you enjoyed that episode, or found it at least interesting, then you can go back and watch everything else.
I say this only because the first few episodes are pretty slow and the main concepts of the show don't really kick in till later.
Watching some episodes...
I really like how cool Ryoga and Ukyo look in their different outfits. They are both quite versatile.
I really like how cool Ryoga and Ukyo look in their different outfits. They are both quite versatile.
I was reading some interviews with Rumiko Takahashi featured in some recent Ranma 1/2 reprints.
Translated here: https://kanabits.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-making-of-ranma-interview-archive/
Interesting stuff:
The Making of Ranma, Part 1: Ranma Saotome
— So the basic idea is water turns Ranma into a woman, and hot water turns him back into a man. Where did this come from?
Takahashi: I was looking for a way to make it possible for him to be able to go back and forth between genders. I came up with a number of ideas along the way, but in the end, nothing was very entertaining.
— Was the idea of Ranma's gender-bending there from the beginning?
Takahashi: It was, but I just couldn't figure out how he would do so. But then I had a kind of vision of a bath-house's cloth entrance sign.
— You didn't actually see the sign with your own eyes.
Takahashi: No, I didn't. It just kind of popped into my head.
— And why did you decide to make it a martial arts story?
Takahashi: Gender-bending was the starting point. Then, the idea of water turning Ranma into a woman and hot water turning him back into a man. Next, I had to decide where this gender-bending ability would come from. This led to the idea of a cursed spring, and when I thought where you might find one, I thought of China. And when I thought of China, I thought of martial arts. It all kind of came to gather in that order.
— So the gender-bending was the basis, and the martial arts was added later.
Takahashi: That's right. Once the water and hot water thing was decided, everything else became a lot easier. Also with the idea that if you almost drown yourself in Jusenkyo, you could become just about anything.
— How did you come up with Ranma's character design?
Takahashi: This also got a lot easier after I decided on the gender-bending and Jusenkyo being in China. The traditional Chinese clothes I chose are surprisingly unisex. And China also made me think of ponytails, which again work with both genders.
— Ranma's ponytail is pretty iconic.
Takahashi: Exactly. I knew I wanted him to have one. Or perhaps it was more that I wanted readers to see that ponytail and, whether the ponytail was attached to a boy or a girl, immediately know they were looking at Ranma. Picking China as an influence was a great choice.
Part 2: Ryoga Hibiki
His terrible sense of direction is what made him so strong?!
— Ryoga is self-taught, but he's pretty strong.
Takahashi: In the world of Ranma 1/2, all characters are gifted martial artists.
— He also has a terrible sense of direction.
Takahashi: In the beginning I brainstormed a number of defining characteristics for him—for example, him being awkward around women—but nothing really made for a good character. But one day I was thinking how wonderful people are who, regardless of their mistakes, can keep moving forward in life, and from that, I decided to give him a terrible sense of direction. Along with that, I could do gags with souvenirs of his travels and other stuff and I think it worked out really well. Oh and, going back to what you said about Ryoga being so strong despite being self taught…don't you think he got that way because his experiences getting lost, wandering and camping out in the wilderness are what toughened him up? I mean, he wouldn't be able to find his way home even if he wanted to!
— Speaking of which, Ryoga's home is surprisingly normal.
Takahashi: I dunno, it just felt like that's how it should be.
— And his dog's design is quite something.
Takahashi: Yeah, I love that design.There's no way a dog like that could exist, which is why I thought it was such a perfect choice.
— Did you create Ryoga with the purpose of him being a rival to Ranma?
Takahashi: Well, at the time I thought it would be nice if it worked out that way. I had a number of Kuno-like characters there from the beginning, but Ryoga was the best choice for a rival, as he seemed to me the most likely to be able to remain one until the end. At the very least, I wanted him to be more than just a minor character who made guest appearances here and there.
— Because he's such a good character.
Takahashi: I worked hard to make him so.
— All the good characters end up falling in cursed springs, don't they?
Takahashi: I made sure in the beginning, especially, that the cursed springs would stay a part of the story and continue influencing its direction. The springs are really what Ranma 1/2 is all about.
— Why did you choose to make Ryoga a black pig?
Takahashi: I had already decided on making him a pig. Because when you think of Chinese food, you think of pork. But, no matter what, I wanted the design to be cute, and Meishan pigs (the breed used for China's highest quality pork) are definitely not. So I made him a black pig instead.
Translated here: https://kanabits.wordpress.com/2018/02/22/the-making-of-ranma-interview-archive/
Interesting stuff:
The Making of Ranma, Part 1: Ranma Saotome
— So the basic idea is water turns Ranma into a woman, and hot water turns him back into a man. Where did this come from?
Takahashi: I was looking for a way to make it possible for him to be able to go back and forth between genders. I came up with a number of ideas along the way, but in the end, nothing was very entertaining.
— Was the idea of Ranma's gender-bending there from the beginning?
Takahashi: It was, but I just couldn't figure out how he would do so. But then I had a kind of vision of a bath-house's cloth entrance sign.
— You didn't actually see the sign with your own eyes.
Takahashi: No, I didn't. It just kind of popped into my head.
— And why did you decide to make it a martial arts story?
Takahashi: Gender-bending was the starting point. Then, the idea of water turning Ranma into a woman and hot water turning him back into a man. Next, I had to decide where this gender-bending ability would come from. This led to the idea of a cursed spring, and when I thought where you might find one, I thought of China. And when I thought of China, I thought of martial arts. It all kind of came to gather in that order.
— So the gender-bending was the basis, and the martial arts was added later.
Takahashi: That's right. Once the water and hot water thing was decided, everything else became a lot easier. Also with the idea that if you almost drown yourself in Jusenkyo, you could become just about anything.
— How did you come up with Ranma's character design?
Takahashi: This also got a lot easier after I decided on the gender-bending and Jusenkyo being in China. The traditional Chinese clothes I chose are surprisingly unisex. And China also made me think of ponytails, which again work with both genders.
— Ranma's ponytail is pretty iconic.
Takahashi: Exactly. I knew I wanted him to have one. Or perhaps it was more that I wanted readers to see that ponytail and, whether the ponytail was attached to a boy or a girl, immediately know they were looking at Ranma. Picking China as an influence was a great choice.
Part 2: Ryoga Hibiki
His terrible sense of direction is what made him so strong?!
— Ryoga is self-taught, but he's pretty strong.
Takahashi: In the world of Ranma 1/2, all characters are gifted martial artists.
— He also has a terrible sense of direction.
Takahashi: In the beginning I brainstormed a number of defining characteristics for him—for example, him being awkward around women—but nothing really made for a good character. But one day I was thinking how wonderful people are who, regardless of their mistakes, can keep moving forward in life, and from that, I decided to give him a terrible sense of direction. Along with that, I could do gags with souvenirs of his travels and other stuff and I think it worked out really well. Oh and, going back to what you said about Ryoga being so strong despite being self taught…don't you think he got that way because his experiences getting lost, wandering and camping out in the wilderness are what toughened him up? I mean, he wouldn't be able to find his way home even if he wanted to!
— Speaking of which, Ryoga's home is surprisingly normal.
Takahashi: I dunno, it just felt like that's how it should be.
— And his dog's design is quite something.
Takahashi: Yeah, I love that design.There's no way a dog like that could exist, which is why I thought it was such a perfect choice.
— Did you create Ryoga with the purpose of him being a rival to Ranma?
Takahashi: Well, at the time I thought it would be nice if it worked out that way. I had a number of Kuno-like characters there from the beginning, but Ryoga was the best choice for a rival, as he seemed to me the most likely to be able to remain one until the end. At the very least, I wanted him to be more than just a minor character who made guest appearances here and there.
— Because he's such a good character.
Takahashi: I worked hard to make him so.
— All the good characters end up falling in cursed springs, don't they?
Takahashi: I made sure in the beginning, especially, that the cursed springs would stay a part of the story and continue influencing its direction. The springs are really what Ranma 1/2 is all about.
— Why did you choose to make Ryoga a black pig?
Takahashi: I had already decided on making him a pig. Because when you think of Chinese food, you think of pork. But, no matter what, I wanted the design to be cute, and Meishan pigs (the breed used for China's highest quality pork) are definitely not. So I made him a black pig instead.
I remember reading the same, battle sequences would have been quite the sight to behold :v
Anyway, I've been falling into the Ranma rabbit hole due to YouTube, and this DoCo song with Ranma boy-type instead of girl-type is so funny :v
Also Kodachi singing ED1
Reading some manga bits... That seems the case but...
Am I letting my bias act or is Akari really a boring character? She is basically Ryoga's Shampoo without conflict, or really anything going on...
She doesn't play off with Ryoga's traits at all. She basically kills Ryouga's predicament since she's so submissive.
That's why I added the quotation marks. They're characters created to basically eliminate conflict, and it's pretty obvious. It wasn't really done naturally at all and their existence generally doesn't really add much to the series.
She is so boring. Ukyo x Ryoga is where its atReading some manga bits... That seems the case but...
Am I letting my bias act or is Akari really a boring character? She is basically Ryoga's Shampoo without conflict, or really anything going on...
She doesn't play off with Ryoga's traits at all. She basically kills Ryouga's predicament since she's so submissive.
Actually, yes they do add to the series. They're both fun characters and definitely add "conflict."
Konatsu in particular is hilarious with her absurd competence mixed with total lack of self esteem and negative knowlege on finances.
They both would have been great if the series had continued longer.
Except they barely interact and only team up to try and engaged in some scheme to break up Ranma and Akane.
#facts
Ryoga really needed a character to play off his insecurity, someone harder to cut off his helpless romantic (and deceivious) side...
Honestly, Ukyo would have been ideal for that (At least in the anime side) since, being a loner herself, she has shown the desire to have someone who actually learns to love her and all, but isn't afraid to call that person out when necessary.
And she actually doesn't care about the Jusenkyo curse at all!
They can be given growth together, unlike with Akari and Konatsu...
Like, I want to write a whole wall of text about this, a fanfic, dunno >:v
What do you think particularly of Konatsu?
At least from him, I think they added some interesting traits, like being stingy or a bad Okonomiyaki cook and terrible at business practices.
But yeah, totally added too late to close some pending threads, so there is nothing much going on. Maybe originally was Tsubasa intended to be the Mousse for Ukyo? (But the manga author didn't like it at all)
Ukyo x Ryouga is a thing with the fandom mostly due to the anime, where they make Ukyo more "normal" rather than another crazy aggressive fiancée and also team them up a couple of extra times in filler, even sometimes unrelated to devious schemes, like in movie 2.
Konatsu works better as an humorous addition than Akari, but still feels like a character only created to close loose ends... although neither Akari nor Konatsu really do that either since at the time of Ranma Rumiko really seemed to think that any serious development would go against the comedic spirit of the series.
I remember reading an interview where she outright stated that (serious development would go against comedy) although talking about a different matter (characters not aging in spite of the seasons changing in real time), but I couldn't find the interview in a quick search.
Yeah totally. The anime writers didn't know what they were doing.
Thanks for the response.
I will try to search for it as well, seems an interesting interview.
I think Akari feels from a much "normal" manga, she needed another funny trait... Dunno.
I personally like anime Ukyo more than manga Ukyo as later she just becomes Shampoo 2.0 basically.
Ukyo never "becomes Shampoo 2.0" she was always a crazy obsessive antagonist or did you forget she decided to pretend to be a man for a decade over some girls teasing her when she was 6 to take revenge on something Ranma didn't even do. Only to immediately snap to "Going to marry you" when Ranma called her cute once.
Also she was always the most unstably violent.
Love this series, had most of the volumes when i was a kid.
I remember very well a chapter where Happosai meets his rival and all they disputed on was a technique to make a copy of someone's breasts or something lol
Won't lie though this was probably the first series with a "waifu" effect on me, as i was probably less than 12 and thought every girl was so freaking hot.
Female Ranma was probably my 1st anime crush: hot, redhead, feisty, knew martial arts, and was often naked. Didn't even care if it was a man.
I remember very well a chapter where Happosai meets his rival and all they disputed on was a technique to make a copy of someone's breasts or something lol
Won't lie though this was probably the first series with a "waifu" effect on me, as i was probably less than 12 and thought every girl was so freaking hot.
Female Ranma was probably my 1st anime crush: hot, redhead, feisty, knew martial arts, and was often naked. Didn't even care if it was a man.
Shampoo fits that more. I mean, Ukyo was the only fiance Ranma treated as a friend