Ranma 1/2 (2024) Episode 1 [First Impression]

Eva’s First Impression

Nothing quite meeting a potential fiancé off the shoulder of a giant panda!

Let me begin with I’m largely unfamiliar with Ranma 1/2. I‘ve watched a couple of episodes years back when I first started watching anime (been too long ago to remember), but I know for certain I never finished watching the show (not even sure if it was even fully fan-subbed back then), nor have I ever read the manga. So I’m pretty much going into this completely blind.

The story starts off with Tendo Dojo’s three daughters Kasumi (19), Nabiki (17) and Akane (16), learning their dad and his best friend (Genma Saotome) had decided their son (Ranma Satome) and one of Tendo’s daughters would be enaged with each other to  family’s dojo. But none of them (their father included) have ever met Ranma before– that is until today. It left them (understandably) very confused when Ranma and his father arrived as a girl and a giant panda of all things.

It was more or less decided that Akane would be the best one to match with Ranma since they are the same age However Akane hates boys. She cannot stand them, and her pride will not tolerate losing to one either. That’s why she was initially a good sport about being bested by Ranma when they had sparred while he had still be in his girl form. And talk about kicking things off on the wrong foot, with Akane discovering he’s actually originally a boy when they see each other exposed in the baths, not once, but twice. For better or for worse, as Ranma says, he isn’t really fazed about seeing a women’s naked body since he’s used to seeing his own alter form. So that’s the main reason why he doesn’t get as flustered about it when he’s in his female form. However it’s a different story when he’s a guy, because he was equally as mortified as Akane was when she had walked in on him in the nude.

So what in the world happened that caused a father and son to be transformed into a girl and giant panda?

Well frankly speaking, Ranma’s dad Genma kind of responsible for getting them into the situation in the first place. Not only could he not read Chinese, but he chose to ignore the guide trying to warn them about the cursed springs. But even if he did understand him, I suspect they would’ve ignored him anyhow. I don’t really blame Ranma as much, as he was mostly just following his dad’s instructions as he had been doing the entire trip. And besides, even if he had chosen to abide the guide’s warning, I suspect his dad probably would’ve chucked him into one of the cursed springs anyways. The only difference that may have been Ranma being the only one to be cursed instead.

However even after Genma had turned into a panda, despite Ranma showing an alarmed reaction, Genma didn’t stop to think about why his son was responding that way. He was too focused on their training, and in consequence of that he only realized he had been turned into a panda after he sent Ranma flying into The Spring of Drown Girl, and saw him emerge transformed into a girl.

So for the past two weeks, these two been coping with that curse with no certainty of whether there’s any way to reclaim normalcy again (especially when their guide had warned them they would be doomed). While they aren’t cursed into their alter forms all the time, there’s a specific condition that causes them to change, and that is coming into contact with certain water temperature. Doused in cold water, they transform, with hot, they are a normal again. At least does make it a little more convenient to work around since the two will not have to worry about transforming as much when caught in the rain.

As for Ranma, we actually didn’t really learn too much about him today. What we did see was that he’s a bit as foolish as his father when it comes to passion for training, but perhaps is quicker up on the uptake when somethings’ amiss, such as recognizing immediately he had been transformed into a girl. He seems like the friendly type, as he did enjoy sparring with Akane, and anxious about the truth inevitably coming out– especially after hearing how she never wants to be beaten by a boy, and the fact she hates them.

That said, he too was not a fan of the arranged marriage plan. He wants no part of it, and he was raising quite a ruckus on the street and he and his dad were duking it out as a girl fighting against a giant panda. And now he’s even less interested now given the tension that has developed between them, but it’ll be fun to see how the two come around.

Overall, I really enjoyed the premiere, it was a lot of fun! I like watching old-school titles, and seeing them get a remake is no exception. I’m not sure how many episodes (or seasons) are planned for this one though, as the original adaption (aired back in 1981!!!!) was 143 episodes. Needless to say, I think this might be a show I’d enjoy covering, so I plan to give it up to three episodes to see if my interest holds!

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