Ranma ½ episode 1 review: An excellent first episode for a classic series

Modified Oct 07, 2024 08:30 GMT

Ranma ½ episode 1 review and all the details about it (Image via MAPPA).

Ranma ½ episode 1 debuted on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at 12:55 am JST. The first episode of this Studio MAPPA production represents the comeback of this legendary Rumiko Takahashi series and begins the story of Ranma Saotome's arranged marriage with Akane Tendo and the former's curse of turning into a girl when touched by cold water.

This Ranma ½ episode 1 review focuses on analyzing the anime’s storyline, production quality, casting choices, and other elements. The goal is to assess the series' quality and whether it does justice to Takahashi's manga and the inevitable comparisons with the anime adaptation of the 80s.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers and reflects the author’s opinions.

Reviewing Ranma ½ episode 1: Evaluating the return of this classic comedy anime

Ranma ½ episode 1: A brief synopsis

Akane and female Ranma fighting (Image via MAPPA).

Ranma ½ episode 1 begins with Soun Tendo, the head of the Tendo family, receiving a letter from Genma Saotome saying that Ranma is going to visit them. This introduces the man's three daughters, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane, with the latter shown to be a capable and athletic martial artist with a dislike of men.

Soun also reveals he set up an arranged marriage with Genma's son with one of them.

The audience is introduced to Ranma, who is seen fighting a giant panda on the streets, although she is ultimately taken down by the latter after an impressive showing. They arrive at the Tendo household and she is properly introduced to them, much to the disappointment of Soun and the shock of the three sisters.

After a friendly sparring match between Akane and Ranma, they both have an embarrassing moment where they see each other naked, and turns out that the latter is a young boy.

Genma Saotome, back in his human form, reveals they were cursed by hot springs and now they turn into a panda and woman, respectively, when touched by hot water and go back to normal with cold one. However, Akane and Ranma's arranged marriage is decided, much to their annoyance.

Narrative review of Ranma ½ episode 1: A great adaptation for an iconic beginning

Ranma ½ episode 1 had the tremendous challenge of adapting one of the most popular 80s manga and anime and MAPPA Studio did a solid job, storytelling-wise. From the moment the Tendo family is introduced, viewers can pick up different information about the three sisters, particularly Akane, and Ranma through visual storytelling.

Much like in author Rumiko Takahashi's manga, it establishes from the get-go the mystery of Ranma being described as a young man in Genma's letter and then being introduced as a girl.

It shows Akane's dislike of men and the rocky start to their relationship because of the misunderstanding of seeing each other naked, with this conflict being a major source for short stories in the series.

The opening scene of Ranma fighting with his father Genma as a father also establishes the fantastical and comedic nature of the series, similar to another Takahashi series that recently got a remake, Urusei Yatsura.

By the time the episode ends, the characters have been introduced, the conflict is set, and the dynamic between Akane and Ranma has been established.

Ranma ½ episode 1 arc episode 1: Reviewing the production, animation, soundtracks, and voice acting

Akane being friendly to female Ranma (Image via MAPPA).

It is also worth pointing out that Ranma ½ episode 1 saw the return of the classic voice cast from the 80s, with Kappei Yamaguchi returning as Ranma Saotome and Megumi Hayashibara voicing the female Ranma, alongside Noriko Hidaka as Akane Tendo.

That has been a welcomed decision by the fandom as these voice actors have a lot of experience with these characters and that was shown in this episode, displaying charisma and personality.

The soundtrack was simple, not dominating any scene but rather adding to the lighthearted tone of the story and not being present for the few serious scenes. This is coupled with a smooth production as every scene flows with ease, making it a comfortable watch for first-time viewers.

Naturally, Studio MAPPA has built a reputation for being an organization that delivers great animation and did not disappoint with this one.

The battle sequences that Ranma has with Genma and Akane are short but fluid with dynamic choreographies, adding a few extra scenes here and there across Ranma ½ episode 1 to elevate what is already a strong story.

Final thoughts

Male Ranma in the anime (Image via MAPPA).

Ranma ½ episode 1 serves as a solid introduction to the overarching premise of the series and provides a great presentation of the character's personalities and goals in the story. Studio MAPPA also delivers a respectful adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's work and adds a few more scenes, as shown in the battle sequences.

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Edited by Abhimanyu Sharma