Print Review: Ranma ½ volumes 1-18

Review Ranma ½ volumes 1-18Written by WarpshadowRating very good/ excellent

Ranma ½ has been around for quite some time and has influenced a great deal of anime fans, myself included. If you haven't already I suggest you read up on this part of comic history.

When Soun Tendo received a letter that his old friend Genma would be arriving soon he was glad he could finally arrange for Genma's son Ranma to marry one of his three daughters. What he wasn't expecting was a girl and a panda who were Ranma and Genma respectively. Originally both were men but they became cursed when their martial arts training trip took a detour at the cursed springs of Jusenkyo and now chnage form whenever they are hit with cold water. As the youngest daughter Akane has problems with boys she is chosen to be Ranma's fiancee, regardless of what either she or Ranma think of the arrangement.

Ranma ½ is a martial arts romantic comedy, meaning that whether the story is about teenage love or kung fu beat downs ( and usually it's both at the same time) it's all laughs. What really makes this a great manga is the characters. They are a lovable bunch that play off each other well and have an almost bottomless source of quirks that keep the comedy fresh even after many volumes. Even though this is a title that doesn't run on fan service there is quite a bit of nudity so the younger and prudish readers should be warned ahead of time. This is a classic manga that I would recommend to almost anybody.