This is an anime where a guy can transform into a girl just by pouring cold water on himself. There are many more strange events, such as others also turning into animals. The anime is called Ranma 1/2, and it has a completely different theme where people can transform into something else. Not only that, you will also get the chance to see some martial arts. There’s action, romance, and comedy involved. The love angle is not solid yet, but hopefully, it will be in season 2. I was getting bored and out of ideas about what to review, then Ranma season 2’s announcement came into my feed, and I thought I should review season 1. This is one of my favorite anime. It’s an old one, but trust me, the new version on Netflix looks much better than before.

Plot Summary

The story is about a boy whose name is Ranma Saotome, and he’s a martial artist. He and his father went to China for a training trip to get stronger. The place where they were training was a spring, and they fell into the water. After getting up, Ranma turned into a red-haired girl and his father turned into a panda. Later, they discovered that if cold water is poured on them, they will transform, and with hot water, they will return to their original forms. Ranma's father, Genma, had already engaged his son to his friend’s daughter, but Ranma was totally unaware of it.

Genma forcefully took Ranma to Japan, where they visited the Tendo Dojo. There, he was arranged to marry Akane Tendo, the youngest daughter of Soun Tendo. Unfortunately, Akane and Ranma’s personalities are different, and they both disliked each other from the start. Akane sees Ranma as an arrogant guy who is insensitive, while Ranma sees Akane as a stubborn girl who is quick-tempered. Throughout the anime, Ranma faces many martial arts challenges and eccentric rivals, such as Ryoga Hibiki aka Shampoo, who also fell into the cursed springs — Ryoga turns into a pig — along with many other characters who have issues with Ranma and Akane.

Review

I have watched the old version, which was released in 1989, and I watched it around 2010—maybe, I don’t exactly remember. I used to watch anime on television at that time, even though I could not understand them, but it was so funny that I could already guess what was happening in the story. I was really young when I started watching anime. Anyway, Ranma 1/2 has always been my favorite because of its incredibly funny storyline. My favorite character has always been Ranma because he’s courageous and bold. The new Ranma released in 2024 was really good. Nothing changed at all; only the graphics and coloring are different, which is really good.

https://youtu.be/V77a7NUof4I?si=MDdm8rhmK1px73d8

Here is the trailer so that you can have the bare minimum knowledge about what I am talking about. Even the soundtrack is giving me goosebumps—I don’t know how people can not know about this anime. It’s a legendary anime. I can guarantee that this anime will make anyone laugh because it has genuine comedy scenes. If you’re wondering about the romance, there’s none right now in season 1. But I am hoping that season 2 will have some romance. I really like love triangle-type stories, and I have personally gone through it, so I know how it feels. So, I really admire the character of Shampoo; he is really an amazing character to have around as a support character. But I wish something would have changed, though it can’t happen because the protagonist is Ranma.
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If I have to choose between the original and the remake, then I will choose the original, but the remake is not that bad. Personally, I am going to give the anime a 9 out of 10 because it does recapture the original anime and manga. I have found only one issue, which is the voice actors. They sound a bit weird because I watched the original anime, and the dubbed voice actors were definitely amazing before! I hope I will grow to like the new voice actors, as they also deserve a chance. But the voice acting is not that bad at all. I hope the anime will get much better in the second season so that I can give it a 10 out of 10. Anyway, there is enough comedy to gradually grab the attention of the audience. I hope to get the chance to review the second season as soon as it gets released.

My final thoughts are that if you’re looking for something fun to watch with a bit of romance, then this anime is the best choice for you.

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