Welcome back to Rising Sun! Today’s post is #10, so we have a classic of a series ready for discussion today!

When anime was first being distributed on American TV, it was mostly edited to appeal to American sensitivities. Case in point, early Americanized episodes of Dragon Ball Z had dialogue along the lines of “I’m gonna blast you into another dimension!” So when Ranma 1/2 (pronounced Ranma One-Half) was released in America uncut (exclusively on video if I may add), anime fans flocked to it and still fondly remember it to this day.

Ranma 1/2 is a martial arts/romantic comedy hybrid series about 16-year-old Ranma Saotome. Ranma’s a martial artist who just got back from a training trip to China with his father Genma, and is unwillingly engaged to Akane Tendo of the Tendo School. The two don’t get along well for numerous reasons, and one other small factor. Thanks to a incident in China, Ranma is cursed to transform into a girl every time he’s splashed with cold water.

What makes Ranma 1/2 fun is the characters. Each of the major players in the series has some unique character traits that affects their relationship with the others. As previously mentioned, Akane dislikes the idea of marrying, but that’s because kendo student Tatewaki Kuno has already given Akane enough boy problems to last a lifetime. Ranma has his unwanted suitors too, among them Kuno, Chinese Amazon girl Shampoo, okonomiyaki cook Ukyo and nutty gymnast Kodachi. Ranma also has his rivalries too, as he frequently gets into fights with the directionally clueless Ryoga Hibiki (as frequently as they meet).

Another part of the show’s charm is the soundtrack. It has a Chinese feel that fits the show very well, and sometimes elevates the humor in the scenes. For example, one episode depicts a ninja in a poorly-done Akane disguise. It’s funny enough, but the soundtrack makes you fall down laughing.

I should warn that Ranma 1/2 is NOT a kids’ show by American standards. There is explicit content, but that’s not the bulk of the series, and the Japanese have different standards for family friendly shows anyway. But if you’re willing to overlook it, and want a martial arts show with some good jokes and ridiculous characters, Ranma 1/2 on Hulu and DVD is perfect for you.