Ask John: How Much Ranma 1/2 is There?

Question:
I was wondering how much Ranma is there? I was thinking about buying the series but want to know how long it is.

Answer:
There has been a great deal of confusion about the total amount of Ranma animation partially because it has taken Viz Communications nearly a decade to release 3/4 of the series in a heavily “Americanized” format. The Ranma TV series premiered on Japanese television on April 15, 1989 and broadcast 18 episodes before taking a month long break and changing its name to “Ranma 1/2 Nettohen” then continuing on for another 143 continuous episodes, ending on episode 161 broadcast on September 25, 1992. At the peak of Ranma’s popularity, two music video OAVs titled Ranma 1/2 Nettou Utagassen, were released in November 1990. The following year, the first Ranma theatrical movie hit Japanese theaters.

Chugoku Nekonron Daikessen! Okite Yaburi no Gekito Hen (Decisive Battle in Nekonron, China! A Battle to Defy the Rules) premiered in Japanese theaters on February 11, 1991. Movie 2: Kessen Tougenkyou! Hanayome o Torimodose!! (Decisive Battle in Tougenkyou! Bring Back the Brides!!) premiered in Japan on January 8, 1992. The 30 minute long movie 3: Cho-Musabetsu Kessen! Ranma Team vs Densetsu no Houou (Great Indeterminable Decisive Extended Battle of the Century: Ranma Team vs The Legendary Phoenix) was released theatrically on August 20, 1994, as part of one of Toei’s seasonal film triple-plays that also included the Ghost Sweeper Mikami movie and Heisei Dog Stories: Bow.

Immediately following the end of the TV series came the “Batoru Kaiibai 29 Hitou Korinai Yatsura” (Huge Battle! 29 Unteachable Fools) OAV that summarized the major martial arts battles of the TV series, and the “Tendou-ke No Oyobidenai Yatsura” (Tendo Family’s Acquaintances) OAV that summarized the major events of the Ranma TV series from Nabiki’s point of view.

Beginning on October 21, 1993, the Ranma animation was revived with the first of 6 new OAV episodes released through August 19, 1994. This original OAV series was followed by the two episode “Yomigaeru Kioku” (Reawakening Memories) OAV series released on December 16, 1994 and February 17, 1995, and then followed by the 3 episode Ranma 1/2 Super OAV series released on September 9, 1995 through January 19, 1996. The Ranma home video releases are rounded out by Ranma TV Titles, a collection of all the opening and ending animation clips from the TV series, and Ranma DoCo Music Video, which compiled all of the opening and ending animation clips from the various OAVs.

Unfortunately, the Ranma animation has been excessively “Americanized” for its Western release, making it extremely difficult for American fans to watch the series as its Japanese creators intended it to be seen. Besides arbitrarily creating American “seasons” for Ranma with names including “Anything Goes School of Martial Arts,” “Hard Battle” and “Martial Mayhem,” which did not exist in the original Japanese version, the American release of Ranma has also re-titled nearly all of the Japanese episodes, sometimes with names completely different than the original Japanese titles, released the third theatrical motion picture in America labeled as a direct to home video OAV, and worst of all, released the TV episodes in a virtually arbitrary sequence out of their proper Japanese episode order with incorrect opening and ending animation credits attached to some of the episodes.