Ranma ½, Vol. 1

Ramna is a teenage boy who is betrothed to a girl, but the girl is a tomboy who harbors a hatred for boys. During a magical incident, Ramna transformed into a girl when water hit him. His dad had a similar experience, but he turned into a panda when he got wet. As all this is going on, another guy has a crush on Ramna’s fiancée and challenges him to a duel. While fighting with the nemesis, Ramna gets wet, becomes a girl, and now the nemesis is in love with him (as the girl).

It is a super strange martial arts fantasy with a love triangle at its core.

Having a nostalgic feeling, I ordered it from the library to reread. Although I found it entertaining, I couldn’t help but cringe whenever the characters insulted someone by comparing them to a girl. While Akane is an exceptional fighter and can hold her own, she does this as well. I never finished this series, but I plan to read it now to see if I ever addressed this misogyny. Because Ranma occasionally turns into a girl, the series has plenty of opportunity to address the blatant sexism it displays.

Despite its problematic issues, I will admit it’s a fun read with an interesting plot and great artwork. I give it a three out of five. Hopefully Takahashi will address the sexism in later volumes. It will be interesting to see if she creates a more balanced story. I’m still looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Ramna is a teenage boy who is betrothed to a girl, but the girl is a tomboy who harbors a hatred for boys. During a magical incident, Ramna transformed into a girl when water hit him. His dad had a similar experience, but he turned into a panda when he got wet. As all this is going on, another guy has a crush on Ramna’s fiancée and challenges him to a duel. While fighting with the nemesis, Ramna gets wet, becomes a girl, and now the nemesis is in love with him (as the girl).

It is a super strange martial arts fantasy with a love triangle at its core.

Having a nostalgic feeling, I ordered it from the library to reread. Although I found it entertaining, I couldn’t help but cringe whenever the characters insulted someone by comparing them to a girl. While Akane is an exceptional fighter and can hold her own, she does this as well. I never finished this series, but I plan to read it now to see if I ever addressed this misogyny. Because Ranma occasionally turns into a girl, the series has plenty of opportunity to address the blatant sexism it displays.

Despite its problematic issues, I will admit it’s a fun read with an interesting plot and great artwork. I give it a three out of five. Hopefully Takahashi will address the sexism in later volumes. It will be interesting to see if she creates a more balanced story. I’m still looking forward to reading the rest of the series.