Splash Ranma Saotome with cold water and he turns into a girl. Pour hot water on her and he is a boy again. That one ridiculous idea powered nine years of manga, a long-running anime, films, games and, in 2024, a brand-new adaptation. Ranma ½ is Rumiko Takahashi at her most chaotic and most fun.

Ranma ½ is the third most stocked manga in our shop, with Viz's graphic novels sitting alongside the 1990s comic-book Parts. Here is our guide to the series, its history and the volumes worth seeking out. You can browse our Ranma ½ books as you go.

Where Ranma ½ came from

Fresh from Urusei Yatsura and in the middle of Maison Ikkoku, Takahashi launched Ranma ½ in Weekly Shōnen Sunday in 1987. It combined her talent for comedy with something new: martial arts action. The series ran until 1996 and filled 38 volumes, becoming one of the defining manga of its era and one of the first to build a large fan base in the West.

The story: engaged to a stranger, cursed to switch

Ranma and his father Genma fell into cursed springs at a training ground in China called Jusenkyo. Ranma now turns into a girl when splashed with cold water, and Genma turns into a giant panda. They arrive in Tokyo at the Tendo family dojo, where Ranma learns his father has arranged for him to marry one of the Tendo daughters, the hot-tempered Akane.

From there, the cast grows and grows. Rivals, suitors and martial artists arrive with their own curses and ridiculous fighting styles, from martial arts tea ceremony to rhythmic gymnastics combat. Under the slapstick sits a sweet and stubborn love story between two people who would rather die than admit they like each other.

From page to screen: the Ranma ½ anime

Studio Deen began a long TV anime in 1989, followed by OVAs and films. The classic anime expanded and rearranged the manga, added original episodes and never adapted the ending, which is one reason many fans treat the manga as the definitive version.

In 2024, MAPPA launched a brand-new adaptation that returns to the beginning and follows the manga much more closely, with modern colour and animation. It introduced Ranma to a whole new generation of viewers on Netflix, and many of them have since come looking for the original books.

Rumiko Takahashi's comic timing

Ranma ½ shows off Takahashi's gift for building a huge ensemble cast where everyone wants something different. Characters have running gags that last for years, and the series is happy to spend a whole chapter on a cursed pair of underwear or a duel over a bowl of ramen. Compare it with her gentler Maison Ikkoku to see her range.

Why Ranma ½ still matters

For many Western fans in the early 1990s, Ranma ½ was a gateway into manga and anime. Its gender-swapping premise was playful and ahead of its time, and its mix of romance and martial arts comedy shaped a whole wave of later series. The 2024 remake proves the jokes still land.

Where to start reading Ranma ½

Start with Ranma ½ Vol. 1, which introduces Ranma, Akane and the curse. If you love older formats, the Viz comic-book Parts are a fun way to collect it, and we have several on our shelves right now.

Ranma ½ manga & anime timeline

Key characters in Ranma ½

Curiosities collectors should know

Ranma ½ volumes worth knowing

• Vol. 1

  Ranma ½ Vol. 1

  1995 · Viz Media

  Ranma and Genma arrive at the Tendo dojo and the curse is revealed. Pure fun from the first page.

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• Vol. 4

  Ranma ½ Vol. 4

  1996 · Viz Media

  The rivals start piling up, setting the pattern of chaos that defines the series.

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• Vol. 12

  Ranma ½ Vol. 12

  1999 · Viz Media

  A mid-series favourite, full of the strange martial arts duels that made the series famous.

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• Vol. 21

  Ranma ½ Vol. 21

  2003 · Viz Media

  Later Viz graphic novels like this one become harder to find, so they are worth grabbing when you see them.

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Ranma ½ covers through the years

A look at the covers across the English-language run. Tap a cover to find it in our shop.

Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Vol. 3 Vol. 4 Vol. 5 Vol. 6 Vol. 7 Vol. 8 Vol. 9 Vol. 10 Vol. 11 Vol. 12 Vol. 13 Vol. 14 Vol. 15 Vol. 16 Vol. 17 Vol. 18 Vol. 19 Vol. 20 Vol. 21

Ranma ½ on our shelves right now

Here are some of the volumes we currently have in stock. Every copy is checked and graded before it is listed.

Vol. 1 Vol. 10 Vol. 1 Vol. 11 Vol. 21 Vol. 22

You can also browse every Ranma ½ book we stock.

Frequently asked questions about Ranma ½

Condition grades on our listings follow our comic & book condition guide. Have Ranma ½ books of your own you would like to sell? Email us at contact@siomiccomics.com. Ranma ½ and all related characters are trademarks of Rumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan. Cover images are shown for reference.