Product Description

Includes 12 original video episodes. Romance, comedy, martial arts mayhem, multiple personality changes, devilish dolls, haunted caves, magical phoenixes, evil ogres, legendary monsters and more! Special features include: Bilingual (English & Japanese), English Subtitles, Scene Access, Character Profiles & Info, Music Videos, and Trailer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37656 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-01-28
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Dubbed in: English
• Running time: 375 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
Since its debut in the manga weekly "Shônen Sunday Comics" in 1988 and as an anime series a year later, Rumiko Takahashi's gender-bending comedy Ranma 1/2 has been a popular favorite in both Japan and the United States. The first OAV episodes make it easy to understand why: the stories blend outrageous physical comedy, absurd situations, and likable, obtuse characters with just enough sentiment to keep the humor from becoming mean-spirited. Ryota Yamaguchi's screenplays push the nutty situations to the maximum, and director Junji Nishimura keeps the action moving. School blowhard Kuno hatches a phoenix that looks more like an outsized marshmallow Easter chick than the noble bird of legend: it imprints on Ranma, causing no end of trouble. An enchanted brooch produces 180-degree revolutions in the emotions of Shampoo, the Chinese girl. When she wears the pin right-side up, she chases Ranma harder than ever; when she wears it upside-down, she detests him with equal fervor. A demon escapes after 300 years of imprisonment and possesses members of the cast: Ranma and Ryoga use their martial arts skills to bombard the monster with charms that would recapture it--if they had spelled the magic formula correctly. The filmmakers balance these absurdities with gentle moments that anchor the character relationships. When Akane knits a scarf for Ranma in "Tendo Family Christmas," it looks like it's been attacked by a flock of voracious moths. He happily dons it and hands her a gift he bought with money borrowed from her venal sister Nabiki. Not realizing that Akane's spirit has been trapped in an enchanted doll, Ranma holds it and reflects on the things that make her attractive to him. The warm moments play against the exaggerated slapstick--when Akane punches Ranma, he literally goes flying--and vice versa. Ranma fans will want this three-disc set in their libraries; newcomers will find it an excellent introduction to one of the best-loved anime series of all time. Not rated; suitable for ages 12 and up: minor nudity and cartoon violence. --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Reawakening Memories
In 1995, I took a job grading standardized tests while working on my degree. My first assignment was grading essays written by 11th graders in Oklahoma. And while many of the essays were dreadfully composed, one student in particular wrote an excellent essay on Japanese Anime. At that time, I had searched for animation that matched the humor, edge, and wit of the classic Warner Brothers' cartoons, and had met with little success. In this essay I graded, this student used Ranma ½ to illustrate the best characteristics of Anime - bilingual puns, hilarious situations, and subjects that certainly would not qualify as politically correct. Shortly after the essay, I sampled many of the various Anime and Manga distributed by VIZ, and to my disappointment, found much of this genre poorly written and poorly animated.

I found Ranma ½, however, an exception to the mediocrity that plagues so much Anime and American animation today. And in my opinion, this collection of stories is of better quality than the television series or feature-length movies. Without exception, the animation of the OAV series surpasses that of the television series and compares favorably with the two theatrical releases. I also find that the pacing of the OAV episodes is better than both theatrical releases. In the OAV series, the timing of the gags is impeccable, the characters are well developed, and the satire, while sometimes gentle, is often razor sharp. And if you investigate the stories more closely, you will find that Rumiko Takahashi has a knack for retelling Japanese myths and legends in hilarious ways, often turning your every expectation on its head (Reawakening Memories, Hell Hath No Fury, and One Grew Over the Kuno's Nest). And, when you compare the quality, length, and cost of the OAV series on DVD to that of the movies, the OAV series is the one to buy.

Finally, should the student who introduced me to this amazing series read this review, thank you.

Ranma fan? You must have it....
If you are buting this DVD set it means you actually know Ranma's history, so I'm reviewing just the DVD presentation. The case is very original, all three DVDs come together, the box unfolds and shows the DVDs. It has a space for a booklet, but there is only a sheet with the episodes list, I think they should make a booklet or something. The DVD menus are fine, easy to use, maybe more colors in the menus were needed, but it's ok. The last DVD has all the op. and ending from the original japansese edition without credits, so, you get the RANMA DOCO LD for free. It has the transcription of the Animericca interview to Rumiko Takahashi, and other goodies. The subtitles are just too yellow for my taste, but you get used to them. By the other side, the subtitles are very close to the original japanese meaning. For example, in An Akane to Remember (OVA Special) Ranma says in english (dub): "There's something you don't know: Akane is mine!", but in japanese he actually said something different... and the subtitles are according to that. So, I suggest you to buy this DVDs if you are a Ranma fan, the price is just great, and you'll be very happy with them.

Great dvd set for any anime collection..
Well, since Ranma is an older series and most likely anyone buying the dvd set will probably know the general plot to Ranma, I won't go into a synopsis on the OAV series in this set. I'll comment instead on the presentation. First off, the box is encased in a plastic see-thru slip cover ala Fushigi Yuugi. It even opens up ala Fushigi Yuugi. There are pictues of Ranma, Genma, Shampoo, Moose, and Ranma's mom?(Or Akane's) in the inside covers. The disc hub is unfortunately that ungiving, unmoving hard hub that feels like you can split a disc while removing them. Be careful with the discs while doing so. Also, included in a side pocket to the sleeve is a sheet detailing the episodes in order along with a general synopsis of the story. Picture quality in this set is great. Crystal clear although I did find one minor picture glitch in my first disc. Subtitles are done in yellow with black background which is a bit harsh on the eyes. The subtitles also seem to shimmer a bit. I find it's a little bit annoying, but liveable. Still, despite some minor quips, the set is worth its price if you're a Ranma fan.