The (attempted) quick version: 16 year old martial artist Ranma Saotome is betrothed in a pre-arranged marriage to one of the three Tendo sisters, cheerfully oblivious Kasumi, deadpan snarker Nabiki, and martial artist Akane (the youngest). It's decided for him that Akane is the correct choice, and the audience agrees, but Ranma has less interest in girls than he does in removing the curse which transforms his body into that of a young girl who drowned over a thousand years ago, hence the title's '1/2' (you'll give up questioning it once the breasts start making appearances). The matter becomes more complicated once other females show up demanding that Ranma choose them for his bride, including spatula virtuoso Ukyou, Chinese Amazon Shampoo, and rich psycho Kodachi. Akane gets a couple of suitors herself. And stuff happens.
Ranma is to anime what Star Trek (the original) is to science fiction. There were better things that came before and after, but it's a series that still holds up on its own in spite, or because, of its flaws. See, when American students went over to Japan on the exchange program to learn about Japanese business techniques, instead of bringing back marketable strategies they crammed their suitcases full of anime; Akira, Dirty Pair, Outlaw Star, and all the violent porn they could get their grubby hands on. Ranma became the breakout star.
I recently (as of this morning) discovered this: Nightmare! Incense of Deep Sleep on Youtube, which was a 2008 special created for the 50th anniversary of Shonen Sunday, a Japanese manga magazine. Back in the nineties when I was into Ranma, I was really into Ranma. Then I guess I grew up or something, and Ranma went back into mental storage. But when I watched Nightmare, I felt a recharged fascination for the world Takahashi created.
So that got me thinking, if there were to be a reboot (and there's not, in case you think I actually know something) and the professional company in charge of said reboot happened to stumble across one of the Weird Al album reviews on this blog and thought "I bet this guy would have some ideas worth hearing about Ranma", what would I tell them over the seafood dinner on the private yacht that would inevitably follow? It never hurts to be prepared, so here's what I think I might say.
The humor needs to be more character driven. Takahashi's manga excelled at screwball hijinks, and some of that carried over effectively into the anime, but a lot of it didn't. The manga is hyperactive, which works for the medium. The anime was inconsistent in it's pacing, and I'm not talking about the natural oscillation of a story arc. A lot of times the show would slow when it needed to speed up and vice versa. It certainly doesn't need to match the manga's pacing because it's a lot easier to lose the audience. And it was the slower moments in the early seasons that created a sense of pathos that the manga never really had.
In fact, I thought the first two seasons were very good, and some of the early episodes of season three. But then the show became, and felt, episodic. The characters stopped developing. The "Will they or won't they?" became a rhetorical question, and literally nothing felt like it was being accomplished until the OVA era. And that frustration I felt over the characters I had grown to love was exactly why I'd moved on from them. But then I saw Nightmare, and I was reminded of why I'd loved the characters in the first place.
Here then is a list of the top nine character changes I would make if I were in charge of the reboot.
9. Nabiki
Who she is:
Nabiki is the middle child in the Tendo dojo, (owned by Soun Tendo) where Ranma and his father Genma are staying and freeloading. Nabiki is a year ahead of Ranma and Akane and usually watched the action from afar with amused condescension. She'll go where the action is where there's a bit of money to be made off the misfortune of others.
The problem:
Nabiki has no apparent martial arts ability, which means she's going to be stuck on the sidelines until the story requires someone to happen to have the problem solving object, which she always produces with a price tag. It's a single joke that wastes a really interesting character.
The solution:
Have Nabiki tell the story. The story is clearly Ranma's but Akane typically gets forced into the POV position for the audience, which means her effect on the story is limited and her appearances wherever the action happens to be taking place feel contrived. Nabiki would be perfect for this position. She already magically shows up on a dime, and as a storyteller her MST riffing would be most effective.
8. Ranma
Well...you know...the main character. The 16 year old boy of action who doesn't have time for romantic nonsense, even though he seems to attract it from four sources.
The problem:
It's not so much with who he is as it is with what's done with him. There's a point fairly early on where Ranma begins having Bugs Bunny's batting average, and that's when he stops being sympathetic. Ranma always wins. His fight with Mousse in season two is probably the last time there's any real tension, and that's only if you're rooting for Mousse.
The solution:
He needs to get his ass kicked once in a while. It may be a case of introducing a reoccurring character that Ranma simply can't defeat in a fair fight. The hero has to lose a few times, you know?
7. Happosai
Happosai is the founder of the "Anything-Goes School" of martial arts, which Ranma and Akane are both studying. He's also the elder and grandmaster, which means Soun and Genma both have to demonstrate respect to him. He's also an imp-sized pervert who spends the bulk of his time stealing women's undergarments.
The problem:
As I said, he's an imp-sized pervert who spends the bulk of his time stealing women's undergarments. Takahashi herself has said that Happosai is one of her favorite characters, and I guess I get it from a writer's point of view. It's always helpful to have a character that can shake things up at any moment. But this character is so utterly unlikable and unredeemable that I would go so far as to say that his introduction is Ranma's jump-the-shark moment.
The solution:
Screw him. I really can't think of any reason this character is in the show except to get girl-type Ranma's shirt off, and boy-type Ranma never has a problem finding an excuse himself. If the fans absolutely demand him, shame them first and then put him in only when it's necessary.
6. Kuno/Ryoga/Shampoo
Tatewaki Kuno is the kendo team captain and the school bully who Ranma defeats early on, and then again every other episode (usually with a single punch). Ryoga is Ranma's childhood frenemy who suffers from a condition that keeps him from ever being able to follow directions, thus making him perpetually lost. Shampoo is the strongest warrior of an Amazon tribe who was defeated in combat by Ranma (accidentally), and by law now has to marry him.
The problem:
Again, nothing is really wrong with the characters, just the over-reliance on certain aspects. Kuno is a semi-formidable opponent at first but then stops being any kind of threat. Ryoga can still give Ranma a good pounding but he has a one-sided love for Akane that he never reveals to her. He's also cursed to turn into a pig when splashed with cold water and Akane thinks said pig is her stray pet; which means Ryoga's sometimes sleeping with Akane and she doesn't know it. These elements get old fast. With Shampoo, it's a case of an undeserved amount of screen time purely on the grounds of her being the fan favorite character.
The solution:
Two things. One, plan the overarching story arc's endgame and make these characters' appearances count for more than throwaway jokes (and remember that Shampoo is on Ukyou's level, not Akane's). Two, develop these characters. Let them explore other interpersonal relationships with characters other than the two leads. What is Kuno took Ryoga under his wing just to humiliate Ranma? Does Shampoo ever feel homesick for her Amazon tribe? There are some wonderful possibilities.
5. Mousse
Mousse is the Chinese master of hidden weapons. Unlike the rest of the periphery cast, Mousse's affections are not aimed at the central couple but Shampoo, making him a wild card when used correctly. He's been in love with her since they were three years old, but she rejected his marriage proposal. When they were three. But it hasn't stopped him from trying to change her mind. He seems to think that by defeating Ranma, Shampoo will finally accept him as a suitor. Mousse is also comedically blind without his glasses.
The problem:
See, when he doesn't wear his glasses he always winds up talking to the wrong person or thing. So that's funny! Get it? Even on the eighty-third delivery! That NEVER gets old!!! But really, we've got bigger issues here. Mousse is the poster child for unrequited love. Shampoo rejects him. She tells him to go home. She beats the shit out of him and he still won't let it go. That type of humor was barely passable in the nineties. It doesn't work anymore. We can spend all night discussing whether Mousse is a stalker or Shampoo is an abusive tyrant, but the bottom line is that this doesn't work as humorous anymore.
The solution:
Mousse is still a great character. Whereas Ranma and Ryoga have a brotherly love for each other that neither will admit to, Mousse could actually make a great best friend to Ranma if the writers would allow it. We have to smooth some things out. It has to be made clear to the audience (and to Mousse as well) that Shampoo really does love him, but she's choosing the honor of her tribe over her personal feelings. And that has to be an ongoing argument between them about which is more important. Otherwise, the subplot is just too sad.
4. Ukyou
Out of all of Ranma's suitors (dressors?) Ukyou is the one who has as much claim to Ranma as Akane does, possibly more so. Ukyou's father arranged a marriage between Ukyou and Ranma through Genma, putting up the family's okonomiyaki cart as a dowry. Genma accepted and made off with the cart, leaving Ukyou behind, thus ruining her for marriage.
The problem:
Ukyou came to the party late. Out of all the 'suitor' characters she was the last to be introduced, a full season and a half after Shampoo had dug her cat claws into the fan base. It left her relegated to a supporting supporting player in other people's stories. She's also one of the most grounded characters in the series, for which there was little room once the level of ridiculousness had been established.
The solution:
It's a reboot, so we're reintroducing characters. Ukyou needs to be there from the beginning. As the series stands now, Akane begins her arc with a crush on Dr. Tofu (another character that becomes useless by the end of the first season). Transfer that to Ukyou, for when she's still posing as a boy (don't ask. It's already too complicated). With Akane being the boy-hater that she is, Ukyou would be the only 'boy' she feels is at all relatable. Then when it's revealed Ukyou is in fact a girl, and the deception directly involves Ranma, Akane's constant anger toward him would be a bit more founded.
3. Akane
Who do you think? The core of Ranma 1/2 is the relationship between Ranma and Akane. Of course they never actually get together, so if you're rooting for them you'll have to be satisfied with the fleeting moments where they almost admit to having feelings for each other and then pull away.
The problem:
Aside from the tediousness? Much of the time Akane doesn't even need to be in the story. And when she is there she always winds up taking a backseat to Ranma. And as much as I hate to say it, Ranma seems to have more chemistry with Ukyou.
The solution:
Akane needs to have her own life. Play up the friendship between her and Ukyou. Give Akane some martial arts action that Ranma doesn't have to bail her out on. With Nabiki running POV, make it as much Akane's journey as it is Ranma's. And just maybe try out the Akane/Ryoga pairing for a bit, at least giving it a chance to fail on its own.
2. Kodachi
The Black Rose. Kuno's baby sister. The rising star of rhythmic gymnastics with a pet alligator and a banshee cackle that echoes through the swirl of petals she leaves behind. Kodachi is in an extreme state of id. She doesn't take words for an answer, or actions. This self-proclaimed petite flower is purely in the now, where even hypocrisy can't reach. She's the storm, the typhoon, the fires of hell itself. She may have spent some time in Arkham.
The problem:
Not a damn thing.
The solution:
There's an untapped potential with Mistress Kuno that begs *strike that* demands to be explored. Exhibit A: When Shampoo, and to a lesser degree Ukyou, get too close to Ranma, Akane beats up Ranma. When Kodachi gets too close, Akane takes on Kodachi. Why the difference? Exhibit B: Kodachi is the only character Ranma is actually afraid of. So if she's so easily defeated, why is she still a threat? Well, I have a modest suggestion. As disinterested as Ranma is in girls, I think there should be some base-level attraction that he has towards 'the wrong girl' that even he doesn't understand. The series should never go full on M rating, but as in control as Ranma always is it would make complete sense that some unconscious part of him would experience a little sadomasochistic intrigue with the nutcase. And Akane would recognize it.
1. The Girl
We don't know. We only know what she looks like and that she drowned a century ago.
The problem:
Nothing really, aside from an awesome window of opportunity.
The solution:
Open the freaking window, man. If a curse can tie you as far back to the past as that, then something's got to be able to bring it into the present. One potential story arc is if somebody else falls into that same spring and takes a different kind of advantage of an alter-ego. Imagine what kind of crap Ranma could get blamed for. But much more interesting is if the consciousness of the girl who drowned began reawakening in Ranma's mind. What kind of person is she? What caused her to drown? Is there something she still wants in this world that Ranma can complete? What kind of opinions might she have about the guy who is now hosting her form? This would have to be a down-the-road story arc once some of the other plot threads were wearing thin, but it could really lead to an amazing journey.
Call me, Takahashi. I'm in it for the pure joy and I'm dirt cheap.
Addendum 12/27/2016: Strangely enough, this continues to be my most popular blog. I have no idea who my audience is, but I'd love a comment from you; just letting me know who you are and how you made your way to my page. Cheers! -Sean
No comments:
Post a Comment