Ranma ½: The hilarious shonen classic that time forgot

Long before Inuyasha captured a generation of fledgling anime nerds in the early 2000s, another insane, zany anime from the same creator took Japanese television by storm — and it’s one that deserves significantly more love. That classic is Ranma ½, a martial arts romantic comedy loaded with gender-bending shenanigans, whiplash-inducing physical comedy, and a surprisingly rich arc of character development.Premiering in 1989, the same year Dragon Ball Z first premiered, Ranma ½ received an anime adaptation that stretched 161 episodes, 12 OVAs, and 3 movies. Even with such a long-lasting run, the anime was never able to fully complete the adaptation of the original manga. The animation studio went bankrupt. Nevertheless, this underrated gem is well worth checking out — and even following through the manga if you’re looking for the complete tale.Here’s a look at what makes Ranma ½ one of the funniest and most unique anime ever made that so many fans today have unfortunately left behind.Ranma ½ centers on teenage martial artist Ranma Saotome, who is cursed while on an ill-fated training excursion to China. Now, each time he gets doused with cold water, he magically switches genders. Warm water is his kryptonite, as it completely turns him back. It’s hilarious, it’s slapstick, it’s zany, it sets up all of these great cringe-worthy moments.Ranma is now declared engaged to Akane Tendo, a rude, loud-mouthed, knife-throwing little hot-head who loathes men and runs away from home. They’re not given a choice but to end up living together, being trained together — and trying not to kill each other.This arrangement sets up a perpetual cycle of miscommunications, arguments and sexual tension. Imagine Inuyasha’s Kagome and Inuyasha — but with more fights and crazier turnarounds.Forget love at first sight. Ranma and Akane remain one of anime’s most beloved “enemies-to-lovers” couples. Initially, they are repulsed by one another. Ranma is arrogant and infuriating, Akane is hot-headed and headstrong. That’s what makes their relationship authentic.As their immature fighting grows into something more intense. It’s their mutual encouragement to improve, awareness of what they need to work on as individuals, and warmth toward each other that leads them to fall in love though they never vocalize it. It’s a coming-of-age comedy, a little bit of a slow burn, loaded with laugh-out-loud brawls, touching moments, and genuine character development.If you enjoyed the will-they-won’t-they dynamic of Inuyasha and Kagome, you’ll be even more entertained by the far messier (and more hilarious) iteration found in Ranma ½.In contrast to most contemporary anime that are so loaded with angst and heavy plots and just constant melodrama, Ranma ½ was a lot more disrespectful. With most episodes standalone or loosely connected, it makes for a fun show to binge in a more laid-back way.You can dive in, watch a couple episodes, and not be concerned that you’re lost on basic plot points. It’s ideal to view while preparing dinner, tidying up, or simply unwinding at the end of a long day. With more than 150 episodes, there’s no end of nerdy delight.In most cases of long-running anime, characters never grow up or change. That’s not true with Ranma ½ — both Ranma and Akane undergo significant character arcs as the series progresses.Ranma’s original mission in life was to prove he was the strongest fighter in the whole world. Yet as the series continues, Gumball starts to wonder why he has the compulsion to constantly be the greatest and gradually starts to embrace himself, profanity and all.Akane is introduced as a hot-headed girl who’s the first to throw down with anyone that gets on her nerves. As the series progresses, she does become more open-minded, more self-assured, and ultimately less emotionally volatile due in no small part to her tumultuous association with Ranma.Even the side characters—the rivals, the family members—are given lovely stories. Everybody’s weird in the best way, and the cast is unexpectedly one of the most fun elements that the series packs.While Ranma ½ was a big hit in Japan and helped introduce anime to Western audiences in the '90s and early 2000s, it’s been mostly forgotten today. That’s a shame, because it still holds up as a fun, unique, and heartfelt anime.The animation may be old-school, but the comedy, romance, and action are timeless. And with the rise of streaming and digital manga, there’s never been a better time to revisit (or discover) this classic.You can stream Ranma ½ on services like Hulu (US) or buy the full series digitally on Amazon. For the complete story, you can read the manga by Rumiko Takahashi (also the creator of Inuyasha) through Viz Media — available in print and digitally.