Ranma 1/2, created by Rumiko Takahashi, is great Anime. The characters are engaging and have depth, the stories are amusing and creative, and the voices are uniquely appropriate to the characters. You won't find the blood and gratuitous violence that you find in most Anime (whether you think that's good or bad is up to you...), but you will find fresh, innovative storytelling that is visually appealing and just fun. It doesn't contain the secrets to the Universe, though you will find many Zen parables sprinkled throughout, but it does have snappy comebacks, liberated women, and a Shakespeare-spouting antagonist (Tatewaki Kuno).
Ranma 1/2 centers around the life of Ranma Saotome and his reluctant fiancee, Akane Tendo. Around them are a host of regulars, including rivals for the love of both Akane (such as Ryoga, my hero) and Ranma (such as Shampoo, a Chinese Amazon). No, it isn't deep literature, angst-ridden, or violent, nor is it earth-shaking philosophy, but it is fun, and the characters are engaging.
The storyline develops via video and comic and can be confusing, due to the sheer amount of characters present. However, many pages on the web have character listings that will help you follow the action and remember origins. I have listed some of the best below.
General Information Links
From these links, you can generally find more if you don't see what you're looking for.
Ranma 1/2 Library really is a "total information page." This page has pictures and dossiers of each of the characters, major or minor, synopses of all episodes with availability listings, sounds, and much more. This page is the reason why my little page here has so little on it--everything has already been done!
Viz Communications is the company behind Ranma. They have goodies here, as well as updates about when new episodes will be available in the States.
All 10 volumes of the graphic novel are available via Amazon.com at a slight discount. Amazon.com also has the *ScreenSaver*, several of the manga videos, the OAVs, and the episodes.
AnimeNation carries a staggering array of Anime merchandise, including magazines, videos, T-shirts, and more.
Joy's Japanimation has Ranma videos, toys, and more. They also carry stuff from most other Anime titles known to man.
Vidconn.com has videos from Ranma and other Anime titles.
