Series synopsis
Ranma ½, also known as らんま1/2 is a Japanese comedy action & adventure animation sci-fi & fantasy television series that premiered on Fuji TV on April 15, 1989. It ended on September 25, 1992. It stars Kappei Yamaguchi and Megumi Hayashibara.
Ranma Saotome, a teenage martial artist, and his father Genma travel to the 'cursed training ground' of Jusenkyo in China. There, despite the warnings of the Chinese guard, they fall into the cursed springs. From now on, whenever Ranma is doused in cold water, he turns into a girl and a cute, well-built redhead at that. Hot water changes him back into a man again, but only until the next time. To make matters worse, his father engages him to Akane Tendo, a girl who hates boys.
Premise
Ranma Saotome, a teenage martial artist, and his father Genma travel to the 'cursed training ground' of Jusenkyo in China. There, despite the warnings of the Chinese guard, they fall into the cursed springs. From now on, whenever Ranma is doused in cold water, he turns into a girl and a cute, well-built redhead at that. Hot water changes him back into a man again, but only until the next time. To make matters worse, his father engages him to Akane Tendo, a girl who hates boys.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Kappei Yamaguchi as Ranma Saotome ♂ (voice)
- Megumi Hayashibara as Ranma Saotome ♀ (voice)
Guest cast
- Kikuko Inoue as Kasumi Tendo (voice)
- Minami Takayama as Nabiki Tendo (voice)
- Ryusuke Ohbayashi as Soun Tendo (voice)
- Noriko Hidaka as Akane Tendo (voice)
- Yuji Mitsuya as Dr. Tofu Ono (voice)
- Hirotaka Suzuoki as Tatewaki Kuno (voice)
- Koichi Yamadera as Ryoga Hibiki (voice)
- Reiko Suzuki as Auntie (voice)
- Hiroko Maruyama as Old woman (voice)
- Toshiko Sawada as Mrs. Ogane (voice)
- Saeko Shimazu as Kodachi Kuno (voice)
- Satoko Yasunaga as Referee (voice)
Episodes
This series spans 8 seasons with 177 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 0 | 16 | November 7, 1990 | July 31, 2008 |
| Season 1 | 161 | April 15, 1989 | September 25, 1992 |
| Season 2 | 0 | October 20, 1989 | April 13, 1990 |
| Season 3 | 0 | April 20, 1990 | November 9, 1990 |
| Season 4 | 0 | October 5, 1990 | April 5, 1991 |
| Season 5 | 0 | April 5, 1991 | September 20, 1991 |
| Season 6 | 0 | September 27, 1991 | April 3, 1992 |
| Season 7 | 0 | April 10, 1992 | September 25, 1992 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Hot Song Contest (1) A music OVA series never released outside of Japan featuring the main Ranma 1/2 characters. They appear to be having a music contest at a local TV station. As everybody knows, these characters can't get along for more than three minutes and hilarity and hijinks ensue. |
November 7, 1990 |
| 2 |
Hot Song Contest (2) A music OVA series never released outside of Japan featuring the main Ranma 1/2 characters. They appear to be having a music contest at a local TV station. As everybody knows, these characters can't get along for more than three minutes and hilarity and hijinks ensue. |
November 21, 1990 |
| 3 |
Tendo Family's Annoying Acquaintances This special features a Nabiki narrated review of the series where she discusses various characters that the Tendo family has had to tolerate spliced with new animation of her hanging around the house. |
August 30, 1992 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Here's Ranma Soun Tendo gets quite a surprise when the son of his friend Genma Saotome that he's arranged for one of his daughters to marry turns out to be a girl... |
April 15, 1989 |
| 2 |
School is No Place for Horsing Around Attending his first day at Furinkan High, Ranma encounters Akane's many would-be suitors. |
April 21, 1989 |
| 3 |
A Sudden Storm of Love Not realizing that Ranma and 'the pigtailed girl' are the same, Kuno is furious that he let the "cretin" slip away. His attention soon shifts to the red-haired one though, when she bests him in combat. |
April 29, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Clash of the Delivery Girls! The Martial Arts Takeout Race Who would sell his only son for a bowl of rice, a fish and some pickles? Genma Saotome, that's who! And now, the wealthy resturant owner has come to collect, demanding Ranma marry his daughter unless Akane can beat her in the ancient art of Martial Arts Takeout Delivery... |
October 20, 1989 |
| 2 |
You Really Do Hate Cats! When Ranma opens a package from Shampoo, his major weakness is revealed - he's terrified of cats, something Sasuke, Kuno's loyal ninja servant, intends to exploit to the fullest. |
November 3, 1989 |
| 3 |
This Ol' Gal's the Leader of the Amazon Tribe! A strange old woman seeks out Ranma, testing his skills while calling him 'future son-in-law'. |
November 10, 1989 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Ranma Gains Yet Another Suitor Akane is shocked when she witnesses Genma getting attacked by a stranger referring to him as father, wanting revenge for being abandoned. Who is this Ukyo? |
April 20, 1990 |
| 2 |
Ryoga & Akane: 2-Gether, 4-Ever Ukyo tries to set Akane and Ryoga up on a date, hoping to get Ranma for herself. Ranma, however, intends to do his best to ruin it... |
April 27, 1990 |
| 3 |
Sneeze Me, Squeeze Me, Please Me! Shampoo's Recipe For Disaster Caring and gentle as ever, Shampoo brings Ranma a lunch with a little 'extra spices', causing Ranma to get an irresistible urge to hug anyone who sneezes. |
May 4, 1990 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
The Return Of The Hawai'ian Headmaster From Hell The Principal is back to Furinkan high! He has been studying education in America, but appears to have learned some odd lessons and seems insane. He starts a dress code change, requiring buzz cuts for boys and bowl cuts for girls, unless the students can find a very specific coconut that allows them to "get out of rules free". |
October 5, 1990 |
| 2 |
Enter Kuno, The Night-Prowling Knight When Tatewaki Kuno accepts the Principal's offer to become his moral-enforcement officer, he turns to the one teacher who can possibly make him good enough to beat Ranma Saotome; the dread Happosai! |
October 12, 1990 |
| 3 |
Ranma Gets Weak! (1) When Ranma's continued defiance of his perverse reign becomes more than the malevolent Happosai can stand, he punishes his reluctant pupil... by stealing away all his strength! |
October 19, 1990 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Gimme That Pigtail (1) Pigtails are being cut off by small, strange people. Ranma is hiding something related a Dragon Whisker? What is happening? |
April 5, 1991 |
| 2 |
When A Guy's Pride And Joy Is Gone (2) With the secret of his Dragon's Whisker pigtail tie revealed, Ranma must fight against not only the Niku-men, but also Genma and Happosai. |
April 12, 1991 |
| 3 |
Ryoga's Proposal hen Ryoga rescues the ghost cat Maomolin, the feline phantom decides to repay Ryoga's kindness... by possessing Ryoga and proposing to Akane on Ryoga's behalf. |
April 26, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Dear Daddy... Love, Kodachi! Kodachi learns that her long-lost father has returned and is living as the principal of Furinkan High School, leading to a heartfelt reunion. Which Tatewaki is less than happy about. |
September 27, 1991 |
| 2 |
Enter Gosunkugi, The New Rival!? An occult otaku, the nerdy yet sinister Gosunkugi, arrives as a transferee to Furinkan High School, where he develops a crush on Akane and a vendetta against Ranma. |
October 4, 1991 |
| 3 |
Ranma's Calligraphy Challenge Insulted when a travelling master of Martial Arts Calligraphy declares him too unskilled to fight, Ranma determines to face him in battle. |
October 11, 1991 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Tatewaki Kuno, Substitute Principal Principal Kuno elects Tatewaki Kuno to be the substitute principal as a test of leadership while he is away on vacation. Kuno virtuously enforces strict laws on school grounds, issuing penalties to those who disobey these laws. |
April 10, 1992 |
| 2 |
Ranma's Greatest Challenge!? Ranma Saotome prepares to conquer the Ogre Festival of the Dark, a tournament resembling that of kick the can, in which Happosai personally trains him for this special event. The anything-goes martial arts career is on the line as Ranma does his best not to forfeit. However, he is unaware what will be revealed if he were to succeed. |
April 17, 1992 |
| 3 |
Nihao! Jusenkyo Guide When the Jusenkyo Guide arrives in Nerima looking for a once-in-a-thousand-years Japanese outlet of Jusenkyo, the cursed residents of the ward see the chance to be rid of their Jusenkyo curses at last. |
April 24, 1992 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | Fuji TV |
|---|---|
| First aired | April 15, 1989 |
| Last aired | September 25, 1992 |
| Runtime | 25 minutes |
| Status | Ended |