Summary

Ranma Saotome, martial artist extraordinaire, trained in the harshest of conditions to become a master in "Anything Goes Martial Arts." One day, he and father happened upon the cursed training grounds in China known as Jusenkyo. Since Ranma's father didn't know one iota of Chinese, they ended up falling into Jusenkyo's cursed pools. What is this curse you ask? Now Ranma has this *great* ability to turn into a girl when splashed with cold water, and is turned back into a boy with hot water. His father Genma turns into a panda, and the "friends" Ranma meets across the arc of this VERY long series have even more interesting curses. 

Ranma, after receiving his unfortunate curse, seems to have cold water constantly finding him (how many times have *you* been splashed with cold water out of the blue?) and on top of this, has an arranged marriage to Akane Tendo, his father's friend's daughter (try saying that 10 times fast!). Calling her violent is truly an understatement, her cooking is corrosive, but she really is cute when she smiles. :-)

Wait! There's more! For some reason, there are lots of people out to get Ranma over some grudges in the past, present, or whenever, more pop up fiancees, (Ranma gets 4 total!) and men vying for Akane's attention! There are lots and lots of characters in this series to keep track of! How can Ranma and Akane express their true feelings toward one another amidst this convoluted mess (and their meddling fathers)?

What I like about this series:

This is the very first manga/anime I was introduced to. Libraries are good things because of the manga on the shelf! Anyway, what got me hooked on this series are pretty much the same things that got me hooked on anime in general. Ranma 1/2 introduced me to a world of wonderful umm...wonderfulness?

Back to the topic...well Ranma 1/2 is in a word, funny. You will be cracking up in the first episode guaranteed! There are just so many funny situations Ranma's curse can get him into. The possibilities are endless!

The classic romance. Well maybe it's not "classic" per say, but the romantic element of the story is what really makes me sit down to watch (or read) more Ranma 1/2. The romance between Ranma and Akane may be subtle, though everyone (except them) knows it's there. The sweet moments between them, though rare, just give you that Warm and Fuzzy Feeling (WAFF for you fanfic readers!).

All of that weirdness! There is so much weirdness in this series, that each situation (or person) introduced into the story seems weirder than the next! Rumiko Takahashi must have had a field day with this story!

What I don't like about this series:

This visuals for the TV series are mediocre at best. It annoys me that Ranma, Ryoga, Kuno, or Mousse aren't portrayed as the handsome guys they're supposed to be! Also, Akane, Ukyou, and Shampoo are supposed to be drop dead gorgeous too (how else would all those guys fall for them?). Sometimes, it seems, despite all of the martial arts going on, they still gain weight! They look too chubby with big cheeks, no defined jaw line, and simplistic design. Sometimes it looks ok, I guess. The OAV's and the movies are BIG improvements visually, and I totally recommend those. Personally, because of the quality of the TV episodes, I would much rather read the translated manga version. Rumiko Takahashi's artwork is awesome and does the characters justice.

Where's the story after the first few seasons? After a certain point, the story gets very random, much like an American cartoon series. Some stories are brought up in later episodes, though this doesn't happen too often. To sum it all up, there aren't very many spoilers for this series because what's there to spoil?

What about Ranma and Akane? Even at the very end, there is no big resolution about their relationship. But then again, the cliffhanger ending has spawned many great continuation stories by some awesome fanfic writers on the web. I recommend Daigakusei no Ranma as a starting point. Follow the links on the anime web turnpike to read even more! I have read so many Ranma 1/2 fanfics, that I have visited most of the links on the anipike's Ranma fanfiction list! Scary, don't you think?

The Ami Rating (Overall):

For the latter parts of the TV series:

Just like for me, this is a great series to get anyone started on anime and manga. It is VERY addictive once you get hooked (just ask me about it!). So why the "indifferent" rating? Well, I have seen some of the more recent Ranma episodes and was sadly disappointed with the mediocre plots contained in some of them. I don't know why they seem ok in the manga though...maybe it's the dub. Oh yeah, I have only seen the dubbed version of this series, since Viz makes it so much easier to get it. I have been wanting to see it in the original Japanese for such a long time! Till I get a DVD player then...Don't let all of the inconsistencies stop you from starting this series though, you'll be missing out on one of the anime classics! As old as Sailor Moon? Perhaps...or maybe even older? This turned out to be pretty long! Wow...this is a first!