What do you think?
Rate this book
Ranma ½ 2-in-1 #4
Ranma 1/2 (2-in-1 Edition), Vol. 4: Includes Volumes 7 & 8
One day, teenaged martial artist Ranma Saotome went on a training mission with his father and ended up taking a dive into some cursed springs at a legendary training ground in China. Now, every time he’s splashed with cold water, he changes into a girl. His father, Genma, changes into a panda! What’s a half-guy, half-girl to do? Find out what fueled the worldwide manga boom in beloved creator Rumiko Takahashi’s (InuYasha, Urusei Yatsura, RIN-NE) smash hit of martial arts mayhem, presented remastered and unflipped for the first time.
Back when Ranma’s and Akane’s fathers were young martial artists, they learned the secrets of Anything-Goes Martial Arts from one of the greatest masters of all time. Unfortunately, he’s also someone they would do just about anything to get away from, and the entire Tendo household is about to find out why. Followed by a stirring rendition of Romeo and Juliet…and Juliet…and Romeo…
Back when Ranma’s and Akane’s fathers were young martial artists, they learned the secrets of Anything-Goes Martial Arts from one of the greatest masters of all time. Unfortunately, he’s also someone they would do just about anything to get away from, and the entire Tendo household is about to find out why. Followed by a stirring rendition of Romeo and Juliet…and Juliet…and Romeo…
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
44 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
About the author
Rumiko Takahashi
1,580 books2,126 followersRumiko Takahashi (高橋留美子) was born in Niigata, Japan. She is not only one of the richest women in Japan but also one of the top paid manga artists. She is also the most successful female comic artist in history. She has been writing manga non-stop for 31 years.
Rumiko Takahashi is one of the wealthiest women in Japan. The manga she creates (and its anime adaptations) are very popular in the United States and Europe where they have been released as both manga and anime in English translation. Her works are relatively famous worldwide, and many of her series were some of the forerunners of early English language manga to be released in the nineties. Takahashi is also the best selling female comics artist in history; well over 100 million copies of her various works have been sold.
Though she was said to occasionally doodle in the margins of her papers while attending Niigata Chūō High School, Takahashi's interest in manga did not come until later. During her college years, she enrolled in Gekiga Sonjuku, a manga school founded by Kazuo Koike, mangaka of Crying Freeman and Lone Wolf and Cub. Under his guidance Rumiko Takahashi began to publish her first doujinshi creations in 1975, such as Bye-Bye Road and Star of Futile Dust. Kozue Koike often urged his students to create well-thought out, interesting characters, and this influence would greatly impact Rumiko Takahashi's works throughout her career.
Career and major works:
Takahashi's professional career began in 1978. Her first published story was Those Selfish Aliens, a comedic science fiction story. During the same year, she published Time Warp Trouble, Shake Your Buddha, and the Golden Gods of Poverty in Shōnen Sunday, which would remain the home to most of her major works for the next twenty years. Later that year, Rumiko attempted her first full-length series, Urusei Yatsura. Though it had a rocky start due to publishing difficulties, Urusei Yatsura would become one of the most beloved anime and manga comedies in Japan.
In 1980, Rumiko Takahashi found her niche and began to publish with regularity. At this time she started her second major series, Maison Ikkoku, in Big Comic Spirits. Written for an older audience, Maison Ikkoku is often considered to be one of the all-time best romance manga. Takahashi managed to work on Maison Ikkoku on and off simultaneously with Urusei Yatsura. She concluded both series in 1987, with Urusei Yatsura ending at 34 volumes, and Maison Ikkoku being 15.
During the 1980s, Takahashi became a prolific writer of short story manga, which is surprising considering the massive lengths of most of her works. Her stories The Laughing Target, Maris the Chojo, and Fire Tripper all were adapted into original video animations (OVAs). In 1984, after the end of Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, Takahashi took a different approach to storytelling and began the dark, macabre Mermaid Saga. This series of short segments was published sporadically until 1994, with the final story being Mermaid's Mask. Many fans contend that this work remains unfinished by Takahashi, since the final story does not end on a conclusive note.
Another short work left untouched is One-Pound Gospel, which, like Mermaid Saga, was published erratically. The last story to be drawn was published in 2001, however just recently she wrote one final chapter concluding the series
Later in 1987, Takahashi began her third major series, Ranma ½. Following the late 80s and early 90s trend of shōnen martial arts manga, Ranma ½ features a gender-bending twist. The series continued for nearly a decade until 1996, when it ended at 38 volumes. Ranma ½ is one of Rumiko Takahashi's most popular series with the Western world.
During the later half of the 1990s, Rumiko Takahashi continued with short stories and her installments of Mermaid Saga and One-Pound Gospel until beginning her fourth major work, InuYasha. While Ran
Rumiko Takahashi is one of the wealthiest women in Japan. The manga she creates (and its anime adaptations) are very popular in the United States and Europe where they have been released as both manga and anime in English translation. Her works are relatively famous worldwide, and many of her series were some of the forerunners of early English language manga to be released in the nineties. Takahashi is also the best selling female comics artist in history; well over 100 million copies of her various works have been sold.
Though she was said to occasionally doodle in the margins of her papers while attending Niigata Chūō High School, Takahashi's interest in manga did not come until later. During her college years, she enrolled in Gekiga Sonjuku, a manga school founded by Kazuo Koike, mangaka of Crying Freeman and Lone Wolf and Cub. Under his guidance Rumiko Takahashi began to publish her first doujinshi creations in 1975, such as Bye-Bye Road and Star of Futile Dust. Kozue Koike often urged his students to create well-thought out, interesting characters, and this influence would greatly impact Rumiko Takahashi's works throughout her career.
Career and major works:
Takahashi's professional career began in 1978. Her first published story was Those Selfish Aliens, a comedic science fiction story. During the same year, she published Time Warp Trouble, Shake Your Buddha, and the Golden Gods of Poverty in Shōnen Sunday, which would remain the home to most of her major works for the next twenty years. Later that year, Rumiko attempted her first full-length series, Urusei Yatsura. Though it had a rocky start due to publishing difficulties, Urusei Yatsura would become one of the most beloved anime and manga comedies in Japan.
In 1980, Rumiko Takahashi found her niche and began to publish with regularity. At this time she started her second major series, Maison Ikkoku, in Big Comic Spirits. Written for an older audience, Maison Ikkoku is often considered to be one of the all-time best romance manga. Takahashi managed to work on Maison Ikkoku on and off simultaneously with Urusei Yatsura. She concluded both series in 1987, with Urusei Yatsura ending at 34 volumes, and Maison Ikkoku being 15.
During the 1980s, Takahashi became a prolific writer of short story manga, which is surprising considering the massive lengths of most of her works. Her stories The Laughing Target, Maris the Chojo, and Fire Tripper all were adapted into original video animations (OVAs). In 1984, after the end of Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, Takahashi took a different approach to storytelling and began the dark, macabre Mermaid Saga. This series of short segments was published sporadically until 1994, with the final story being Mermaid's Mask. Many fans contend that this work remains unfinished by Takahashi, since the final story does not end on a conclusive note.
Another short work left untouched is One-Pound Gospel, which, like Mermaid Saga, was published erratically. The last story to be drawn was published in 2001, however just recently she wrote one final chapter concluding the series
Later in 1987, Takahashi began her third major series, Ranma ½. Following the late 80s and early 90s trend of shōnen martial arts manga, Ranma ½ features a gender-bending twist. The series continued for nearly a decade until 1996, when it ended at 38 volumes. Ranma ½ is one of Rumiko Takahashi's most popular series with the Western world.
During the later half of the 1990s, Rumiko Takahashi continued with short stories and her installments of Mermaid Saga and One-Pound Gospel until beginning her fourth major work, InuYasha. While Ran
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
May 28, 2022
Happosai is the most unnecessary character.
May 6, 2017
Still enjoyable and fun, though I don't really appreciate the addition of the "pervy old man" character. I never understood the appeal of that archetype, but I chalk it up to this manga being almost thirty years old.
November 2, 2021
Things may have settled down in terms of introducing suitors for Ranma and Akane, but the ones they already have are more than enough. After a madcap delivery race, Genma and Soun’s master, Happosai, makes an appearance and if anything in this series shows its age it’s this guy. Or the gender stereotypes.
There are some good stories here - the comedy and ridiculous back and forth between the characters can carry just about anything, but the delivery race is a ton of fun as deadly techniques are put into action. If one other story wasn’t here and wasn’t incredible, it would be the stand-out.
The incredibly useless Kuno, who likes girl-Ranma or Akane best depending on which way the wind is blowing, ends up as the race finish line in one of the sweatiest jokes that also sees his sizeable ego waiting for one of the two to just show up and be his lover.
By far my biggest laugh in this omnibus is Kuno showing up at the Tendo breakfast table, then being landed on my Ranma, who is himself landed on by Genma. The energy in this series just does not stop and it’s better for it.
After this, Happosai shows up and, boy, does he ruin a good hundred pages. Of all the things to be left in the past, this panty thieving pedophile was definitely the one and he’s just the worst. My tolerance for such characters is very, very low (I think I have been able to put up with Tenchi’s dad?) and I do not care for him at all.
Luckily he fades into the background later on, though he comes roaring back for a story where Ryoga and Ranma become convinced there’s a drowned man spring underneath the girls’ locker room, which is so insane and sees Ranma get into so much trouble that Takahashi nearly pulls it off.
Much better is the Romeo and Juliet story, which is pretty much the high point of the volume, minus one very sketchy chloroform joke (yikes). The premise, that the drama club who wins an upcoming competition will get to go to China, just leads to absolute mayhem. Shout-out to one hilarious two-page spread of several drama clubs, including one guy who is dressed like Jesus and running along tied to a cross.
This several chapters long arc is basically aan excuse for four guys to wail on one another over Akane and it goes wall-to-wall with the slapstick. It’s got the frenetic energy that really defines a good Ranma story, but it also has a very sweet (and very rare) moment of sentiment at the end from Ranma (the audience undercutting this with their ‘OOH’ is perfect).
Regrettably it leads to the most chauvinistic attitudes of the book too. I know reading Ranma with a modern lens is going to lead to these sorts of disclaimers, but the book really sells Akane short.
It gives her guff for being too violent and also for not being feminine enough, neither of which are fair appraisals. She gets her vengeance enough that it’s tolerable, but she ends up needing rescue more than she should, given her skill set.
These are not deep characters, but they are fun ones, mostly. Genma and Soun deciding to be meddling fathers pushing Ranma and Akane together gets a lot of mileage and gives them something to do, although Genma is amazing in his own right.
Not that plot progression means much in a series like this, but I also like when Ranma and Akane have the occasional real moment showing how much they care underneath all the behaving like garbage to one another.
3 stars - the bloom came off the rose with this one; Happosai is an awful, archaic stereotype with no redeeming qualities and I’m pretty sure my enjoyment of subsequent volumes will be directly correlated with how much he appears in them. Which is too bad; that Romeo & Juliet staging is the best use of THAT trope that I’ve ever seen.
There are some good stories here - the comedy and ridiculous back and forth between the characters can carry just about anything, but the delivery race is a ton of fun as deadly techniques are put into action. If one other story wasn’t here and wasn’t incredible, it would be the stand-out.
The incredibly useless Kuno, who likes girl-Ranma or Akane best depending on which way the wind is blowing, ends up as the race finish line in one of the sweatiest jokes that also sees his sizeable ego waiting for one of the two to just show up and be his lover.
By far my biggest laugh in this omnibus is Kuno showing up at the Tendo breakfast table, then being landed on my Ranma, who is himself landed on by Genma. The energy in this series just does not stop and it’s better for it.
After this, Happosai shows up and, boy, does he ruin a good hundred pages. Of all the things to be left in the past, this panty thieving pedophile was definitely the one and he’s just the worst. My tolerance for such characters is very, very low (I think I have been able to put up with Tenchi’s dad?) and I do not care for him at all.
Luckily he fades into the background later on, though he comes roaring back for a story where Ryoga and Ranma become convinced there’s a drowned man spring underneath the girls’ locker room, which is so insane and sees Ranma get into so much trouble that Takahashi nearly pulls it off.
Much better is the Romeo and Juliet story, which is pretty much the high point of the volume, minus one very sketchy chloroform joke (yikes). The premise, that the drama club who wins an upcoming competition will get to go to China, just leads to absolute mayhem. Shout-out to one hilarious two-page spread of several drama clubs, including one guy who is dressed like Jesus and running along tied to a cross.
This several chapters long arc is basically aan excuse for four guys to wail on one another over Akane and it goes wall-to-wall with the slapstick. It’s got the frenetic energy that really defines a good Ranma story, but it also has a very sweet (and very rare) moment of sentiment at the end from Ranma (the audience undercutting this with their ‘OOH’ is perfect).
Regrettably it leads to the most chauvinistic attitudes of the book too. I know reading Ranma with a modern lens is going to lead to these sorts of disclaimers, but the book really sells Akane short.
It gives her guff for being too violent and also for not being feminine enough, neither of which are fair appraisals. She gets her vengeance enough that it’s tolerable, but she ends up needing rescue more than she should, given her skill set.
These are not deep characters, but they are fun ones, mostly. Genma and Soun deciding to be meddling fathers pushing Ranma and Akane together gets a lot of mileage and gives them something to do, although Genma is amazing in his own right.
Not that plot progression means much in a series like this, but I also like when Ranma and Akane have the occasional real moment showing how much they care underneath all the behaving like garbage to one another.
3 stars - the bloom came off the rose with this one; Happosai is an awful, archaic stereotype with no redeeming qualities and I’m pretty sure my enjoyment of subsequent volumes will be directly correlated with how much he appears in them. Which is too bad; that Romeo & Juliet staging is the best use of THAT trope that I’ve ever seen.
July 20, 2021
I don't have too much to share on the topic of this particular omnibus volume, but I have to be honest: I rated it low because I'd forgotten about the character of Happosai entirely, and he's introduced here. I was mildly amused in an uncomfortable way as a teenager when he first came into the story but now I'm just not amused at all. He's easily one of the reasons I wouldn't readily recommend most manga and anime readers today even try Ranma 1/2, because while the "perverted old man" is a long-running gag in a lot of older titles, I still don't like how he is handled here. To say nothing of the fact he can easily make people uncomfortable, and it's expounded by how uncomfortable he makes the other characters. He's honestly not really necessary and I didn't enjoy this volume as much.
November 6, 2024
The lecherous old man character suuucks. But this book is still super cute. I really prefer Takahashi's 80's & 90's art style to how it looks nowadays
June 1, 2024
This volume starts out with a blast, involving an absolutely wild segment involving a food delivery race. In the second half of the book, there are also some memorable storylines, such as an ill-fated production of Romeo and Juliet. There's a good deal of excellence overall, but the reading experience does take a nosedive with the introduction of the lecherous Happosai. While Takahashi at least portrays him as a villain without any redeeming qualities, there are plenty of other ways in which she could have gone in creating a new antagonist. So, while this volume does feature some fresh storylines that retain the spark of fun from the earlier volumes, it also regrettably shows its age in places as well.
June 2, 2018
the cast continues to expand with the perviest dirty old man alive: Happosai
There's also Shampoo trolling for dates with "Instant Spring of Drowned Man" packets, Anything Goes Martial Arts delivery girl contest, bath-house shenanigans, endless pervy panty moments (if there's Happosai, there are lacy things involved somehow)....
This volume also holds a personal favorite story: Ranma & Juliet (and forever crying the gorgeous chapter art is black/white, while back an eternity ago in Weekly Shōnen Sunday it was done in beautiful watercolors
There's also Shampoo trolling for dates with "Instant Spring of Drowned Man" packets, Anything Goes Martial Arts delivery girl contest, bath-house shenanigans, endless pervy panty moments (if there's Happosai, there are lacy things involved somehow)....
This volume also holds a personal favorite story: Ranma & Juliet (and forever crying the gorgeous chapter art is black/white, while back an eternity ago in Weekly Shōnen Sunday it was done in beautiful watercolors
July 13, 2024
God, I love tropes. I love tropes so much. But we need to leave perverted old masters in the past. Happosai makes me want to want to throw my phone across the room
November 26, 2024
Los capítulos de Romeo y Julieta!! ICÓNICO!!!
May 27, 2022
The wakening of a great and terrible evil
For those familiar with Ranma 1/2 characters this volume contains the arrival of Happosai who is Genma and Soun's old master and a notorious lech. Before now there was plenty of cross gender martial arts antics and the occasional bare breast instance but with this old man's addition to the roster poor Ranma and crew are going to have to worry about him and his obsession for the silk preciouses that he liberates in addition to the other random stuff that comes to town.
As a quick summary of what to expect within this omnibus you have a martial arts delivery race, the return of Happosai, Ranma's duel with the old lech, public bath antics with Happosai on the loose (after all he is only recently introduced so we need as much of him as possible right away), Ryoga returns to discover Happosai is an all new enemy to women so he must protect Akane, The freeing of silk darlings accompanied by the master's wrath, Ranma has a plan to get back at Happosai leading to withdrawals (which for reasons unknown did not affect him when he was trapped before), Genma and Soun have a plan to get Ranma and Akane together with a fake Dojo Destroyer story but tragedy strikes as Shampoo brings a possible solution to Ranma's girl problem, Akane finally gets a chance to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet after wanting the role for a long time however with all these Romeos competing for her lips you'll have to read what happens, and finally Ryoga discovers an old map with the location of a Japanese Spring of Drowned Man which could be the answer to Ranma and Ryoga's present cursed forms when they are hit by cold water but there is a snag as it is discovered the location of the spring on the map is under the girl's locker room.
For those familiar with Ranma 1/2 characters this volume contains the arrival of Happosai who is Genma and Soun's old master and a notorious lech. Before now there was plenty of cross gender martial arts antics and the occasional bare breast instance but with this old man's addition to the roster poor Ranma and crew are going to have to worry about him and his obsession for the silk preciouses that he liberates in addition to the other random stuff that comes to town.
As a quick summary of what to expect within this omnibus you have a martial arts delivery race, the return of Happosai, Ranma's duel with the old lech, public bath antics with Happosai on the loose (after all he is only recently introduced so we need as much of him as possible right away), Ryoga returns to discover Happosai is an all new enemy to women so he must protect Akane, The freeing of silk darlings accompanied by the master's wrath, Ranma has a plan to get back at Happosai leading to withdrawals (which for reasons unknown did not affect him when he was trapped before), Genma and Soun have a plan to get Ranma and Akane together with a fake Dojo Destroyer story but tragedy strikes as Shampoo brings a possible solution to Ranma's girl problem, Akane finally gets a chance to play Juliet in Romeo and Juliet after wanting the role for a long time however with all these Romeos competing for her lips you'll have to read what happens, and finally Ryoga discovers an old map with the location of a Japanese Spring of Drowned Man which could be the answer to Ranma and Ryoga's present cursed forms when they are hit by cold water but there is a snag as it is discovered the location of the spring on the map is under the girl's locker room.
February 26, 2025
Disparatada, un manga para reírse mucho. Y el tema del género es muy actual, jejeje
November 16, 2016
I love Ranma 1/2! Silly, funny, action-packed. It's all these and more. After reading a very dark, serious novel, this is the perfect tonic. I can't over-emphasise how much fun Ranma 1/2 books are to run and they always have me chuckling along. This volume starts with the "Miss Martial Arts Delivery Contest", then we have the introduction of a pervy old grandmaster with a fetish for stealing girls' underwear and a Martial Arts version of Romeo & Juliet with various male leads fighting over the role of Romeo, one of which become Juliet too! And those are just a few of the highlight! Sublimely ridiculous!
November 8, 2022
Continues to showcase some lovely slapstick kung fu fight scene choreography, but this volume introduces happosai, who is horrible and ever-present throughout this volume.
Like Takahashi’s work is no stranger to fanservice but shoving in a lecherous old man character into the mix feels like the interference of an editor.
Like Takahashi’s work is no stranger to fanservice but shoving in a lecherous old man character into the mix feels like the interference of an editor.
July 6, 2021
Not bad, but it is a collection of some of the more mediocre Ranma arcs. Pair that with the first appearance of my least favorite character, Happosai, and I can’t give this more than three stars. It’s still Ranma 1/2 style fun, and enjoyable, but not the best Ranma has to offer.
September 26, 2021
there are a lot of annoying tropes and characters in this series so far. i’ll continue (at least for now) because i do like the two main characters and i want to see them end up together but that’s about it to be honest.
September 30, 2023
Well this is vol. 7 and 8 combined into a large edition as #4. I just read the volume before this and the joke of Ranma is starting to grow thin. There is an old man in this one who is lecherous and he is always chasing after the young girls and the whole issue Ranma is chasing after him to get him to stop. This story was getting tedious and monotonous.
It's the same types of stories, the joke is beginning to wear thin. I think I will eventually comes back to this story, it's so unique. I just need some time away from the story.
Oh, Akane and Ranma do have a kiss in this one. They are in Romeo and Juliet together and I think it's the best re-enactment of the play I've seen in a story. That part of the story had me laughing again. That was theatre gold.
It's the same types of stories, the joke is beginning to wear thin. I think I will eventually comes back to this story, it's so unique. I just need some time away from the story.
Oh, Akane and Ranma do have a kiss in this one. They are in Romeo and Juliet together and I think it's the best re-enactment of the play I've seen in a story. That part of the story had me laughing again. That was theatre gold.
October 15, 2024
The absurdity of this series and its pitch-perfectly timed comedy as well as my love for Rumiko Takahashi’s works and art keep me motivated to read this series to its end, but, man, I struggled a lot with two huge aspects of these two volumes. Happosai could die and I’d be happy, and the sexual harassment humor is dated as hell. I’m hoping the anime remake adaptation currently airing approaches these things very carefully and with a critical/revisionist eye, because, man…the blatant in-your-face sexual harassment cloaked as absurdist humor really dragged my enjoyment of these two volumes down. Also, I missed Shampoo in volume 8. I’d gladly replace all Happosai dedicated page-time with the icon that is Shampoo.
June 1, 2025
MY FAV VOLUME YETTTTTTTTTT I need this one in my hands. Most of these stories were really silly and most of the characters were soooooo cute I’m really happy with this
I fucking hate happosai and I wish he would die. If I wanted to read about a pervert mentor I’d just read Naruto.
I fucking hate happosai and I wish he would die. If I wanted to read about a pervert mentor I’d just read Naruto.
September 19, 2018
This volume was meh, because I do not like Ranma's and Akane's father's master. Stupid old perv.
August 14, 2021
God, this manga is funny. How the hell did she make this charming thing then nosedive into stupid stupid stupid Inuyasha?
November 17, 2022
Adventures are continue.
January 25, 2023
The icky old man is making it so hard to enjoy this
July 15, 2023
I had to read this one on the VIZ app because the physical copies are all in delayed production right now 😭 Ranma’s still great though. I like the Romeo and Juliet mini-story.
June 16, 2024
Me lo sigo pasando pipa con este manga. Pensaba que a estas alturas me iba a agotar tanta pelea, pero me lo sigo pasando bien.
August 1, 2024
Happosai fucking sucks. The rest of this volume has some fun stuff but I hate Happosai.
December 23, 2024
Read it sometime this month....
February 8, 2025
inshallah that old man will die
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2025
3.5
me and my homies hate happosai
me and my homies hate happosai
May 7, 2025
that perverted old man ruins everything he touches
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews