Ranma 1/2

Publisher
VIZ
Country of origin
Japan
Length
30 +
Year
1987

Ranma 1/2 Volumes 3 + 4

By Joseph (Joe) Wood
9th Jun 05

Rumiko Takahasi’s popular martial arts comedy Ranma ½ continues to deliver the punches and the laughs as it hits its third and fourth volumes. Be warned that this review may contain spoilers for the past volumes.

Ranma ½ Vol. 3

The third volume takes of where the second ended, with Akane having to challenge to marital artist ice skaters to win Akane’s pet piglet P-Chan. However both Ryoga and Ranma are fighting for the right to be Akane’s partner in the match, as both have good reasons to defeat the frosty pair. Then Ranma’s female form must face an old enemy, an Amazon princess, Shampoo, who must kill Ranma to rectify her defeat, by Amazon law, when Ranma was in his female form. Of course things get worse when she finds out Ranma is really male and according to the same laws must marry him instead, giving Ranma a second fiancé (and not another that he really wants either, but then ask him and he doesn’t want the first one either).

Ranma ½ volume three has one slight drawback in that it only contains two stories, one being the conclusion of the ice skater match and the second being the arrival of Shampoo. This is disappointing when most of the other volumes have far more in them.

Ranma ½ Vol. 4 – (Note: This does contain some specific spoilers for Volume three)

In an effort to defeat Ranma, and win Akane’s heart Kuno hires the help of Gosunkgui (who also has a crush on Akane himself) to find Ranma’s weakness. The task proves mighty difficult, but it is apparent Ranma does have a weakness and both friends and enemies begin to take great interest in what it could be, unaware that Ranma’s weakness has a devastating effect. After this Shampoo returns this time with a new secret weapon for tackling Ranma and with her grandma Cologne in tow. Cologne also tries to “convince” Ranma to marry Shampoo, add to this Mousse a master of the swan style martial arts, who’s in love with Shampoo and wants Ranma out of the way certainly doesn’t make things easy for our hero.

Volume four of Ranma ½ is fully packed with several stories that are bound to make you be on the edge of your seat and laugh at the same time. This volume also ends on the most dramatic cliff-hanger used in the series so far, as well as adding several new reoccurring characters to the cast.

-- Joseph (Joe) Wood 9th Jun 05