Ranma ½ - Random Rhapsody, Vol. 2:
The Way We’re Not (2001)
Review by Dindrane
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Junji Nishimura
Written by Trish Ledoux and Terry Klassen, based upon the manga by Rumiko Takahashi
Cinematography by Mitsunobu Yoshida
Produced by Fuji TV and Kitty Film

Dindrane's Anime Warnings:

• No Respect for Ryoga
• Weird Hawaiian Principal
• Dashed Hopes

Rating: 13+

Anamorphic: N/A; appears in its original 1.33:1 format

My Advice: Buy it.

Three new Ranma ½ episodes are here to soothe your comedy cravings. In the first episode, “The Secret Don of Furinkan High,” Ranma grows tired of the official school store’s habit of always being out of what he needs. Going in search of an alternate, he finds a secret second school store, and a strange old man who has some quarrel with President Kuno. The second episode, “Back to the Way We Were...Please!” promises a possible end to their various curses. A traveling peddler has sold them three packets of magical powder, one of which supposedly will transform them back to their solidly human male forms forever. Or so they think. In the last episode of the disc, Genma names Ryoga the new heir of the Anything Goes School of Martial Arts...but why? This may spell the end of Akane and Ranma’s engagement, but it may mean an whole new engagement for Akane and Ryoga...

Yes, this series can be quite silly at times...but that’s part of its charm. Ranma never takes itself too seriously, and here is another disc of proof that Takahashi can be as whimsical and charming as she likes all while providing action and solid characterization.

The features are nonexistent on this volume. Whereas it is nice to have three episodes per disc, given that many titles now provide viewers with four or more with regularity and given the immense popularity of Takahashi’s work, it would have been nice to have had something to go with these discs, if only a gallery of cels from the animation or some design sketches.

The audio and video quality are fine, commensurate with the quality of the other discs in the series. There were a few flickers and fuzzy areas on the video, possibly from problems with the original film, but not enough that we should be screaming for digital restoration. Most viewers won’t even notice unless they’re just looking for something wrong. The audio plays fine in both languages, and the voice actors know their roles and play them to the hilt.

I have to say that this might be one of the weakest Ranma disks ever, but the thing about this series is that even these episodes are comparatively better than most other shows on a good day. This disc's contents are still funny, clever, and endearing, so don’t let the relatively few problems bother you. This is a venerable series that has proven over and over why it is so very popular—it combines interesting, well-developed characters with attractive artwork and fun storylines. Don’t expect any heavy commentary, but it’s not quite as brain-dead as you might assume. Takahashi has a brain after all, and she assumes you do, too, but that doesn’t mean entertainment should be work. And that’s what Ranma ½ always is -- entertaining.