Buying/watching Ranma for the first time?

[Njr Scrawl]

With the releasing of cheap Ranma 1/2 sets, I'm buying & watching this series completely for the very first time!

So far I've seen 1 of the 2 movies, & am going through TV season 1. Season sets 2 & 3 pre-ordered.

Is anyone else buying & watching Ranma 1st time ever, or am I the only noob on this forum? :)

[aku.chan]

You're not the only noob, I just finished off season one for the first time yesterday.

[ZenAmako]

I remember when the show was just a rumor on rec.arts.anime. :sd:

Don't feel bad if you're a Ranma newbie. The show's popularity peaked some time ago; since then, it's been slowly fading into obscurity. There was a time when just about every fan had seen it, but now I meet people who have never even heard of it. It might even be cool to like it again. :P (For a while, it was the gateway anime for a lot of newbies.)

Anyway, I recommend the first 18 episodes and the OVAs. The movies are pretty much indistinguishable to me (although I do remember the second one for the crazy amount of fan service). After the first season, the TV series would focus more on the battles.

[Keith Palmer]

I suppose I got into anime long enough ago that I heard plenty about Ranma, but it was apparently so popular that my university's anime club never showed any of it beyond an OVA or two... although I did figure out who its characters were and such. (As far as its being popular, I noticed a lot of fanfics written about it.)

I decided to get the bargain rerelease of the first TV season, and cracked it open a little while ago. (I tried the somewhat odd experiment of alternating episodes of it and Fruits Basket, as I'd heard there were odd similarities between them. The first taste's been enjoyable enough, although I'm not quite sure if I'll get more of it, my backlog being what it is...

[LenMiyata]

Grumble Grumble Grumble

Keep in mind that historically, the first season of Ranma 1/2 was canceled prematurely during its first season due to poor ratings, and was revised for the second season onward. Having seen the first season thin pack, I'm also waiting for the 2nd season thin pack to find out why this is considered the breakout series for voice actress Megumi Hayashibara...

[Isuzu Inugami]

Grumble Grumble Grumble

Having seen the first season thin pack, I'm also waiting for the 2nd season thin pack to find out why this is considered the breakout series for voice actress Megumi Hayashibara...

Wasn't it just that it was her first big role? (Was it her first big role? :sd: ) In any case, female Ranma is a great comic role to showcase the manic intensity of her voice (and that two-toned shout/scream she can do.)

[ADC]

In fact, I'm going through the first half of the TV series for the first time. I watched season 6 as it first dropped on DVD, then stopped after a couple of discs into season 7 because I had other things occupying my time. Now that the season sets are (comparatvely) dirt cheap, I'm going for it.

I understand that season 3 should be right in my wheelhouse, as I'm rather a fan of Ukyô. (Of course, I prefer Shampoo and Kodachi to the default female lead character, but I pull for Ukyô at all times.)

[Suwako Moriya]

My first experience with Ranma was long ago by the way of VHS tapes. Random episodes of the TV series, OVAs, and Movies. To be honest I never finished the series and let's just say I probably never will.

[Legion]

I've seen most of the first season, a handful of the second season and most of the OVAs. However, this viewing was about 7-8 years ago and the episodes were on used-up blank tapes (they were the dubbed version). A lot of detail could not be seen (including Shampoo's rack in one of the OVA's! :cry:) I don't really remember much of it, so when I start watching the thinpak set, I'll basically consider it my first viewing.

[ricecooker]

For a while, it was the gateway anime for a lot of newbies.

It was certainly one of the gateway titles for me many years ago. I completed the series when the 7th season was released in boxset format and it was overall a mixed bag of good and awful episodes. Good to see Viz revive it for a cheaper release in compact size.

[EmperorBrandon]

I have never seen Ranma 1/2 apart from two random episodes (one for anime club Christmas episodes, and another one in a intersession class I took). Cheaper sets make it more tempting to try, but I'm still not sure if I want to or not.

[CGord]

I've watched the 1st season & began the 2nd, but lost interest. My kids (& my youngest especially) love it.