Rumiko Takahashi --- The Godmother of this forum

[Net-Lex]

Our beloved Takahashi-san seems to have alienated many a long-time fan with all the above mentioned. However, does she still have the ability to draw in new audiences?
Given her longevity, I would have to assume--yes. (If only to repeat the vicious circle of creating more disgruntle fans )

[Heero]

I have to agree with greg. The big issue with Takahashi stuff is that you are given a setup that leads you to expect some sort of resolution, and that resolution NEVER comes. The reason I prefer manga over most American comics is that manga DOES end. There's LOTS of superhero books that SHOULD have ended ages ago, but they keep going and the writers talk about how they need to "modernize" the characters. Why not just: WRITE NEW CHARACTERS. (because its hard to "sell" people on a new character) @_@

But seriously, I agree that Takahashi's style is both distinctive and pleasant (I bought the first volume of Rinne simply because I do like her efforts). But the woman really should have the decency to end some of those stories after teasing people for YEARS. I mean, I get that it works to keep it episodic, and truly, as long as you can keep pulling money, why NOT milk that cow. But if you KNOW you are ending the thing (as she did at the end of Ranma), it's kind of a middle finger (IMO) to setup something like the "wedding" and then basically pull a "haha, just kidding" ending because: "that's just how Ranma goes".

[usamimi]

I love old-school Rumiko Takahashi works...I'll even admit that I really liked Inuyasha when it first started out, because the manga had some actual horror-manga elements to it at first. As it progressed, however, it turned into another sort of typical long-running shounen story, which was a bit disappointing...though most of the characters were interesting and likeable. I'm just getting WAY too old to even attempt to be invested in 200+ episode shows and 30+ volumes of manga where almost every episode or chapter follows the same formula. (At least with UY and Ranma they're whacky and silly, so you don't mind if it's a little episodic.) I read the first few chapters of Rinne when Viz had it free online and I just felt bored...it seemed like a mashup of a bunch of tired shounen tropes all stuffed into one story. I just couldn't muster the enthusiasm to read any more of it. :/ But it's like you said--not every author's work can stand up, and many do reach an apex. I think Takahashi's best work was in the 80s and 90s. I think it's great she's still putting out stuff, but she's probably thinking about what young fans of today want, and I might not want the same things as they do. xD

Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, and Ranma are my top favorite things of hers, though I love her Rumic World short stories and her older short series no one seems to like anymore (like the Mermaid Saga or One Pound Gospel). Lum is one of my favorite characters too because she's just adorable, but Kyoko from MI is another one of my favorites because I kind of relate to her a lot. MI is a series that I liked ok when I was younger, but as I get older I find I love it more and more. It really is a fantastic series, and I kinda wish it got more love...I think it gets overlooked a lot because it's not as fantastical as her other popular works, which is a shame. I think it would have the potential to do really well if re-released now, since younger anime fans seem to be all over series about hapless guys trying to get the girl they like.

[llj]

You are right, and I am perfectly fine with that. It's just that if she ends the series, shouldn't there just be an actual ending? Inu Yasha had its ending set forth in the first episode or so: their objective was to collect all of the shards of that jewel thingy. With Ranma, will they get married or not? With the Simpsons, there really is no objective implied whatsoever. .

Don't confuse objective with series setup. Sometimes you throw up a concept to create situations, not to "solve" the concept. I mean, look at Archie--the "objective" is that Archie must in theory choose between Betty or Veronica. Of course, by now, people have accepted that there will NEVER be a resolution to that question. I think Ranma fits that formula. And what about the granddaddy of all sitcoms--Gilligan's Island? You guys know they never got off the island at the end, right?

Now, InuYasha is a lot more tightly plotted and "dramatic" so I totally agree that a resolution for that series must be more satisfying than a sitcom like Ranma. Sitcoms are inherently about wringing repetitive scenarios out of their original setup, not "solving" the setup. My opinion, of course.

The thing with most of Takahashi's work is that they aren't meant to be marathoned. They're meant to be picked up on occasion, get a quick laugh, then put down to go on with your life. You're not really meant to sit down for hours and pore through hundreds of pages in sequence like they're some gigantic epic. It's very clear this is what she's going for. Her storytelling style has been honed for maximum coherence. She doesn't do potentially confusing and crazy page layouts and she doesn't have a particularly eccentric or detailed art style. This means she was always aiming more towards a casual, mainstream readership rather than a hardcore fanbase.

Now, I'm not a huge Takahashi fan because I'm a little more hardcore than what she's going for, but I respect her process and what she does, I can see she actually does VERY well, and she's almost the ONLY manga artist out there that isn't going for a niche audience every time she creates a manga. Her technical chops as a comic artist would serve her well in any country, because of her firm grasp on visual simplicity and clarity. She absolutely deserves her reputation internationally, IMO.

[usamimi]

The thing with most of Takahashi's work is that they aren't meant to be marathoned. They're meant to be picked up on occasion, get a quick laugh, then put down to go on with your life. You're not really meant to sit down for hours and pore through hundreds of pages in sequence like they're some gigantic epic. It's very clear this is what she's going for. Her storytelling style has been honed for maximum coherence.

I would agree with this. Takahashi's from the age before being able to watch an entire anime series all in one sitting. At most, you could get like a couple of eps of UY or MI or Ranma on a VHS back in the day. Even with UY, I can only really sit through maybe 1 or 2 DVDs before my mind starts wandering and I take a break. Her work is best taken in small chunks over long periods of time. I don't think she ever got out of that way of thinking when it comes to writing/set up. Which isn't necessarily BAD. I love the episodic nature of UY and early Ranma because it works with the sitcom-y feel, like you said.

Takahashi's strength lies in her use of fun, creative plot devices, and her knack for writing stories with characters that appeal to both men and women. What she lacks in "epicness", she makes up for in vivid imagination and heart, in my opinion.

[Net-Lex]

I'm going on a bit of a rant here--but, if you accept the notion that creativity comes out of adversity, then, Japanese women are among best manga-ka out there.
Not only has Takahashi-san created some of the most iconic characters and addictive stories out there, but, in fact, the longest running animated television series in the world was created by Machiko Hasegawa--that being Sazae-san.
This post is not meant to prove that Takahashi-san deserves the title of 'Greatest Ever', it's just to put into perspective her accomplishments in face of the adversity that women go through, especially in Japan, to accomplish anything of merit (much less internationally, besides becoming a porn-star or having been married to John Lennon]).
By the way, how many women have had such a splash on the American comix scene?

[usamimi]

Yeah! I love that one of the most well-known and top-ranking mangaka in Japan in a woman. There's some very talented women in comics in America, but none have the same level of notability that Takahashi has reached, sadly.

[llj]

By the way, how many women have had such a splash on the American comix scene?

Yeah, not as much. I think Lynn Johnston of For Better or For Worse would probably be the most well known name. Though there are a lot of female webcomics artists who are gaining some measure of widespread fame today.

[greg]

I'm glad Ben mentioned Lupin. Lupin is like a franchise that has had many people's hands on it. The premise of the show isn't "Will Lupin ever marry Fujiko?" because it is obvious that this will never happen, and nobody really cares about that much anyway. Doraemon has been going on forever, and we don't need to see if Nobita will ever eventually marry Shizuka. It doesn't matter. With Detective Boy Conan, we may never see him return to his adult body. They're still milking that franchise. Let it be.

But with Ranma, it is set forth that Ranma and Akane will have an arranged marriage. Ranma doesn't exist without Takahashi. Is she continuing to make new Ranma stories? No. Does she have a reputation for ever returning to a former series? No. So maybe just let us have an ending?

But if you KNOW you are ending the thing (as she did at the end of Ranma), it's kind of a middle finger (IMO) to setup something like the "wedding" and then basically pull a "haha, just kidding" ending because: "that's just how Ranma goes".

I couldn't have said it better!

Don't confuse objective with series setup. Sometimes you throw up a concept to create situations, not to "solve" the concept. I mean, look at Archie--the "objective" is that Archie must in theory choose between Betty or Veronica. Of course, by now, people have accepted that there will NEVER be a resolution to that question. I think Ranma fits that formula. And what about the granddaddy of all sitcoms--Gilligan's Island? You guys know they never got off the island at the end, right?

Wait... I always thought that Betty was Jughead's girl and Veronica was Archie's girl. Those two pairs always seemed to be presented to me growing up. As for Gilligan's Island, they actually were rescued eventually, but they went back to make the island a resort. The big question is: is the Gilligan's Planet cartoon considered canon?

Lupin will likely go on forever. I'm okay with that. It changes hands quite often. The X-Men baton will always be passed on, although to me X-Men = Chris Clairemont (and a few others). For Takahashi though, nobody else is doing her works. Only she can.

Anyhow, me mentioning this isn't the result of a major gripe of mine. I have no real nerdrage towards her. (My nerdrage focuses on George Lucas and JJ Abrams. "LEAVE BRITNEY...I MEAN, STAR WARS ALONE!) I just think it would be a little nice to see some closure. We got endings for sitcoms like Family Ties and Seinfeld. Is it too much to ask for?

[Heero]

Don't confuse objective with series setup. Sometimes you throw up a concept to create situations, not to "solve" the concept. I mean, look at Archie--the "objective" is that Archie must in theory choose between Betty or Veronica. Of course, by now, people have accepted that there will NEVER be a resolution to that question. I think Ranma fits that formula. And what about the granddaddy of all sitcoms--Gilligan's Island? You guys know they never got off the island at the end, right?

Just so we're clear, I want to point out two things about the final chapter of Ranma 1/2. In the final chapter there is a wedding planned for the two primaries. They're both dressed in their finery and have everything setup for that. Takahashi ALSO went to the trouble of making up a "cure" for Ranma's boy/girl problem which is set and waiting for him right after he gets married so everything can be tied up in a neat bow. She actually goes to the trouble to draw and EXPLAIN both of the above resolutions (note, this is the KNOWN final chapter and comes after more than 35 volumes of manga). When the chapter is finished NEITHER of those two points comes to the prepared conclusion. BOTH items are promptly discarded by events of the chapter reverting to "status quo".

Now, again, I'll totally grant for any random chapter in the middle, this would be fine. If there was a chapter AFTER that chapter I'd even call that the "logical" or "expected" outcome. But this is the FINAL chapter of the manga. THAT is how she CHOSE to end her manga. I grant that the series runs on "romantic tension" and a bunch of series go to crap once you put the primaries together, but I don't see any reason why you wouldn't END the story with a resolution on that point. (and it's just a jerk move to dangle the "remove water change curse" thing in there for good measure)

Seriously, most shoujo "romance" manga end with the "wedding" or the primaries professing their love or whatever. How many people would be very irate if those stories just ended with "I still pine for him, maybe he loves me, one day that you'll never read about, maybe that will come to fruition".