Review of Ranma Movie 1: Big Trouble In Nekonron, China

Introduction

`Ranma` is one of Japan`s most endeared mangas (Rumiko Takahashi) selling by the bucket load throughout Japan, and exported around the globe in both comic-book formats and numerous anime spin-offs.

This feature-length outing (well, 75 minutes at any rate) will delight fans but quite conceivably confound the uninitiated.

Though it offers up an eighties bubblegum pop soundtrack with menu to match, the movie proper kicks off with a strange dwarf-like creature, dressed in super-hero mask and tights, looking like an ancient and demented Rugrat, stealing panties and bras off clothes lines.

This turns out to be none other than Ranma`s Grandpa (hey - that rhymes) Happosai who goes too far when he tries to steal Ranma`s fiancé Akane`s panties.

Ranma decides to chase the masked marauder through the streets of Furinkan, meeting up with most of the key characters along the way. This frenetic chase scene is the perfect way to meet the crowd.

First up is Ranma himself - a teenage artist who has little respect for his parents and spends most the time trying to get one up on his fiancé Akane. Ranma is also pretty unique in that he turns into a female whenever he`s splashed with cold water. That`s well worth noting as this happens without fanfare and can be highly confusing if you were unaware of the fact.

Akane is a constant nag, despite the fact that she is engaged to Ranma. Theirs is the archetypal love-hate relationship, a whole lot of yin and yang!

Shampoo is a Chinese warrior who has a crush on Ranma - and changes into a white cat when splashed with water.

Ryoga is one of Ranma`s best buddies who always gets lost somewhere along the way. Oh - and he fancies Akane who doesn`t realise that he is, in fact, her black pet pig when (you guessed it) he`s splashed with cold water.

The crazy chase goes on for the better part of 15 minutes before we notice that a weird looking black cloud is following the pack. This turns out to be an elephant (no surprise there then) that has an intense hatred of the knicker-pinching Happosai. It turns out that the owner of this flying elephant is a young girl called Lychee who is now the possessor of a part of a magical scroll that Happosai tricked her Grandmother into accepting as payment for a meal in her restaurant.
Happosai had claimed that the scroll would bring a handsome prince to the owner - though it hadn`t worked.

She throws her half of the scroll away which is caught by Akane. Then Prince Kirin turns up in a giant airship with the other half of the scroll and sets about capturing Akane in his giant nets.

That means Ranma has to swing into action and go to her rescue, travelling to China to save his bride to be.

Video

I`ve been so spoilt of late with near perfect transfers of digitally mastered and originated material (Gungrave, Haibane Renmei etc) that this proved to be a slightly disappointing return to the anime transfer of old. The picture never quite sharpens and the colours remain un-saturated, and less satisfying than you might like. Pumping up the chroma on your set may compensate a little but brings up visual noise too. Having said this (unkindly perhaps) it`s worth remembering that this is no new kid on the block - and is probably just showing its age when compared to the wonderful digital mastering that we`re all getting to used to on anime releases.

This may be a `movie` but it`s in 4:3 - probably its original aspect ratio when the movie was pre-destined for broadcast rather than a theatrical release.

Audio

Though you can listen to the original Japanese (with subtitles), I took the lazy man approach and listened to the dub which was pretty effective with a nice range of character voices, all close-mike recorded, giving the DVD a strange detached feeling in common with most dubbed anime. Expect a lot of shouting and effects!

Features

You`ll sigh with relief when you discover that this set comes with character profiles. Unless you`re already an informed fan, without them you`ll really struggle to make head or tail of the movie. I`d recommend using these as a quick `catch up` before you play the film.

You also get the original Japanese ending and a handful of sketches of key characters. Finally, there are a few trailers - namely for Chobits, Trigun and Haibane Renmei.

Conclusion

This crazy and confusing alternative reality really is a lot of fun if you`re prepared to suspend disbelief and reason and just go with the flow.

With all the key characters changing gender or even species when splashed with water (without explanation or ceremony), it may be worth checking out the character profiles before you start to give yourself a fighting chance of following the action.

It certainly makes for a diverting 75 minutes though with a picture of less than sparkling quality, and so much else now on offer out there (Haibane Renmei, Read or Die, Gungrave etc) I think this one should be reserved for fans of the manga only.