Review of Ranma ½

I am/always have been completely addicted to this classic show. Even though there are a ton of clichés and anime stereotypes here (this is forgivable as this show/manga came before so many others), I never got tired of watching Ranma turn into a girl/punched/rage or felt that the comedy or romance didn't click even to this very day. Ranma 1/2 just has a feel and style of its own that can't be copied in my opinion. It's such an entertaining, comical, romantic and lighthearted show that you can't help but keep on watching until the very (long) end. I am also a huge fan ofmangaka Rumiko Takahashi (Maison Ikkoku, Urusei Yatsura) so the humor, characters and art were right up my alley aka I'm a blatant fanboy.

I watched a bit of this dubbed when I was younger but the original Japanese voices and subs make this show sooooooooo much better. I cannot emphasize this point enough. Please whatever you do, watch this subbed. Though the animation is a bit old (but who doesn't love Rumiko Takahashi's art?), I believe that it has aged relatively well. I would highly recommend checking out the recently remastered Blu-Ray release (ahem... Doki subs... ahem) as it improves the visual quality by leaps and bounds vs the old DVDs to the point of where you are questioning whether you are even watching the same show. The fight scenes are still well done for a show from the very early 90s and always end up being quite comical to say the least.

And of course, the characters are what truly make this show shine. The variety and depth in this cast of characters is unmatched. Shampoo (my waifu, "wo ai ni"), Ranma, Happosai, Genma, Ryouga, Ukyo, Cologne, the Kuno siblings (I'll even throw in Akane) are just the tip of the iceberg. I could go on and on. Once the full cast is introduced (especially Master Happosai in the middle of season 2/episode 33), the show just becomes a well-oiled machine of laughs and fun. Hold out until you at least get that far if you are considering dropping. Happosai is THE game changer.

Some people complain that there are too many fillers vs the manga material, but hell, I enjoyed them all nonetheless. That's how much that I loved the characters and their interactions. If you must avoid fillers at all costs, there are episode guides online that will help you navigate the "extraneous" episodes. The greatest weakness of the show is that it just kind of ends without resolving things but that is what the manga is for!! It finishes off the rest of the adventure and does not disappoint at all (depending on your ship). However, it is definitely a downer for those that wanted to see Ranma's entire journey animated (especially at 161 episodes plus additional OVAs).

I give this show a very solid 7.5/10 but due to my childhood nostalgia, I'll round it up to an 8/10. I highly recommend watching (or rewatching) Ranma 1/2 for all anime fans, old and young, because it is a classic for a reason. And when the battle theme below comes on, you can't help but get in the fighting spirit yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z04FpaILfE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGd5F0tCke8

Breakdown:
Story: 7/10
Art: 7/10 (Rumiko Takahashi's a god though)
Sound: 7/10 (those battle themes get me every time)
Character: 9/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Overall: 8/10