Tuesday, 31 July 2007

Ranma 1/2 (らんま½)

I suppose Ranma ½ is definitely a familiar manga to most us. Thinking back to the time of holding this fun loving manga in hand and laughing till I fall flat sure brings back lots fond memories for me (though I really can't read or unserstand most of the content) . Started from all the way back to the year of 1987–1996 by Rumiko Takahashi (高橋 留美子), I was still a little brat who was too poor to buy any of Ranma's stuff….sob…sad….. But who would had thought that after so many years later (2007), I was able to get my hands on these beautifully craved figurines of Ranma ½ by chance, during a clearance sale….ah…my childhood memories….in a clearance sale….

The missing piece of this set of 5, is actually one that has Ranma(Male) walking on the fence with Akane along side on the ground. It's a scene that depicts the usual quiet moment that Ranma and Akane have when they are either on their way home or to school...


Ranma ½ (らんま½: ,Ranma nibun-no-ichi) is a comedy manga and anime series created by Rumiko Takahashi. The story revolves around a 16-year old boy named Saotome Ranma(早乙女 乱馬, Saotome Ranma) who was trained in martial arts. As a result of a freak accident during a training journey with his father to the Jusenkyo Springs, life for Ranma is never to be the same anymore. While sparing with his father, he fell into one of the cursed spring pools and is cursed to become a girl when cold water is splashed onto him, but fortunately with another splash of hot water will change him back into a boy again.






天道 あかね(Tendō Akane) & 早乙女 玄馬(Saotome Genma) & Ranma(Male)

Akane (16yrs old) is a rather insecure, awkward and sensitive girl with a hot temper but she has a big heart which somehow overrules all her 'shortcomings'. After her first encounter with the male version of Ranma in a form of a naked stranger in the bathroom and becoming further upset by his acid tongue insults, the engagement between them isn't off to a good start. Akane often feels inferior to Kasumi (oldest sister) in beauty and feminine pursuits, to Ranma and his other fiancées (Shampoo, Kuonji Ukyō, Kunō Kodachi) in cooking, martial arts ability or gymnastics, and to other students in swimming. Ranma has frequently, belittles her lack of success, or calls her ugly, over muscled, unfeminine and tomboyish (which she agrees with, but has a complex feeling about them) something which she often gets upset over with. Still regardless of the insensitiveness of Ranma, Akane has consistently risked herself to help or save Ranma, something which won the heart of Ranma….

Genma is Ranma's insensitive, selfish and greedy father. He took Ranma to Jusenkyo without even checking out the background of the cursed place beforehand. Like Ranma, he had also become the victim of the cursed spring. His curse causes him to turn into a panda with a splash of water. True to his nature, he doesn't have much trouble with the curse, due to the fact that he can get away from his troubles in his panda form. One thing which Genma fear most in his life is to face up to his wife, Nodka (早乙女 のどか, Saotome Nodoka). The reason for his fear is that Genma had made a contract with her to raise Ranma as "man amongst men", and if he failed, they would both commit Seppuku. However, because Ranma's curse, which makes him a woman half the time, they spent most of her appearances hiding from her as Ranko Tendo and her pet, Mr. Panda.



響 良牙(Hibiki Ryōga) & Ranma (Female)
Ryoga has known Ranma as for all his life and has always deemed Ranma as his ultimate rival in martial. He is known for his poor sense of direction, thus losing his way is a common feat for him. Ryoga spends his time wandering through the wilderness, training and amassing new techniques to hopping to defeat Ranma one day that is if he can ever find old his friend. Just like Ranma, Ryoga fell into one of the Jusenkyo spring too during one of his training but unfortunately it was due to being 'kicked' by a totally oblivious female Ranma. Thus he is cursed to change into a small piglet. He makes his way to Japan to seek Ranma out for revenge and by chance gets to know Akane. Not realising that the piglet which Ranma is fighting with is actually Ryoga, Akane 'adopted' the piglet and named him "P-chan". On normal day without the fighting, he's usually a shy, humble and polite teenager, especially when around women. Even though he sees Ranma as his ultimate rival, at times he will still risk his life to help Ranma, but the competition between the two will likely persist forever. Ryoga spends his time wandering through the wilderness, training and amassing new techniques to exceed Ranma — if he can ever find his friend and nemesis.



Shampoo (珊璞: Shān Pú) & Ranma(Male)

Shampoo is an Amazon from an isolated village of china who has come to Japan to kill the female version of Ranma. The reason is simply because Ranma had defeated her in an annual Amazon martial contest. The main intention for Ranma to participate in the competition was so he and Genma (Ranma's father, 早乙女 玄馬, Saotome Genma) could eat the prize, which was a fully stocked banquet table. Shampoo gave Ranma the "Kiss of Death", a promise to track Ranma down and eventually kill her - until she realized Ranma was actually a boy. According to the Amazon law, Shampoo must now marry Ranma instead. She returns home to be re-trained at Jusenkyo by her great-grandmother Cologne (可崘, Koron), but she too fell into one of the cursed springs and is cursed to turn into a cat with a splash of water— the one thing which Ranma fears most.



天道 かすみ(Tendō Kasumi) & Ranma(Female)

Kasumi is the eldest of the Tendo girls. She spends her days by cooking, cleaning and helping her family, making sure the Tendo household is well look after. Thus, she's like the family's substitute "matriarch" ever since her mother's untimely death. Even when the Saotomes (Ranma & Genma) moved in with the family, she gracefully takes on the responsibility to care for their needs too. Sweet, innocent, caring, self-sacrificing, she seems unaffected by the lunacy that is surrounding her. Dr. Tofu (小乃東風, Ono Tōfū), who is the resident chiropractor and well-liked by the residents of Furinkan. He is also a martial artist, though never seen practicing. He is madly in love with Kasumi and becomes quite dangerous (albeit unintentionally so) when she is around. In these instances, he becomes an incompetent fool, sometimes harming his patients. Sadly, Kasumi seems totally unaware of his affection for her….

To be con't....
Yien

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