Rumiko Takahashi --- The Godmother of this forum

[llj]

Greg--Jughead is basically non-sexual. He doesn't have a girl nor does he want one, unless you count Big Ethel.

Heero--Quite frankly, I have no interest in the ending of Ranma. I stopped reading/watching the series when I felt that she had wrung as many situations as she could out of the original concept, and IN MY MIND they characters will continue to do what they do for all eternity. I can see why people might be frustrated for sticking out that long and getting an ending like THAT, but then I'd have to ask why you guys even stuck it out that long to begin with.

[Heero]

I can see why people might be frustrated for sticking out that long and getting an ending like THAT, but then I'd have to ask why you guys even stuck it out that long to begin with.

For me, length is not an issue. (still reading One Piece which is well over 60 volumes, and followed various other series through 30+, personal favorite "Oh My Goddess" is over 40 vols and still going) Plus Ranma was in that time before a "pattern" was established. One could accept that Urusei Yatsura has an "open" ending because Ataru really IS that kind of guy, but Ranma (and Inu Yasha, and maybe others) SHOULD be different. I admit, I didn't read much of Inu Yasha and only got through 2 (or so) volumes of Rinne, but I did get invested in Ranma and wanted to see that one through to the end. I've only heard about the ending of Inu Yasha, and just assume how Rinne ended. (or will end?)

[PinkAppleJam]

Yeah Takahashi was a maaassive influence on me and my art! Fire Tripper and Ranma ep 1 was my first introduction (they were sent to me on a VHS tape from my first anime penpal in '94) and I took it from there. I'd seen the art from the SNES/SFC game in a UK magazine, promptly started copying it as it was the most "anime-looking" thing I'd ever seen and I needed to know how to draw like this!

Back issues of Ranma, Lum and even floppies of Ikkoku followed, even though I wasn't really mature enough to get Ikkoku I stuck with it and it followed me through University times.

I too was very disappointed and bored with Inu Yasha, exactly as has been mentioned as soon as the Shikon Jewel was smashed into shards, I thought "I just do not have the MONEY to continue to follow this". Rin-Ne was OK but I couldn't read the bi-lingual release as the UK was blocked from the Viz site. I got GNs 1 + 2 but didn't read more than once.

While Ranma was amazing and easy to follow at the time, as much as I love the series it hasn't stayed with me like UY or Ikkoku. Ikkoku is my fave series because of it's wholly conclusive and satisfying ending; Lum is a great character and a real icon - trying to be both a modern and traditional wife at the same time, dealing with crazy stuff happening and not being afraid to 'lose it' once in a while.

Despite Takahashi's flaws as "an amazing mangaka" in 2014, she is a staple of the 90's fandom completely. She has accomplished a ridiculous amount and as a female comic artist, was/is a very positive and massive influence on myself and many other people

[greg]

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".

Oh gosh, THIS is what I am talking about! As soon as I discovered this, I gave up on the series. The series lost much appeal to me. Heck, even the series finale to Lost has more resolution than Ranma 1/2 did. My friend, who was a huge Takahashi fan, told me about this. He said that it was tatamount to a big middle finger to the fans, like one big (I'll just quote him) cocktease. He says now that he will never bother with another of her series again, because she can't ever finish a series. I assume MI had an actual resolution. It's not fair.

Now, I still want to someday eventually read to the end of the series someday. As with many others, I enjoyed the manga more than the anime. But I dumped my entire collection, up to about volume 25, at the used bookstore before moving to Japan. I'd only read up to volume 18 or 19. My interest didn't exactly vanish, but it plummeted to the point to where I did not feel that it was worthwhile to bring them with me across the ocean.

[Net-Lex]

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".

I'm of the camp that prefers storytelling which leaves things up to reader. So in this case, I actually find Takahashi-san's approach rather clever (if not a bit sadistic )--show the supposed, by-the-numbers ending (which could very well come to fruition [again, leaving it up to reader]), then withdraw it. It's rather poetic actually--like Ranma, the readers doesn't quite know if they're coming-or-going.

[Heero]

Not to derail, but the thinking back of comparisons to other (non-anime) shows in this thread reminded me of a really off-beat (but strangely intriguing) theory about Gilligan's Island. A long time back I heard that there's a theory about Gilligan's Island being a representation of Hell, with the character being the 7 deadly sins:
Mr. Howell (Greed), Mrs. Howell (Sloth), Ginger (Lust), Mary Anne (Envy), Professor (Pride), Skipper (Gluttony & Wrath).
Which of course leaves Gilligan... the theory being Gilligan was the Devil, dressed in red and always keeping the rest of them on the island through his "mistakes". I don't think that was an intentional idea of the writers, but it really just makes for an amusing interpretation IMO. One could probably make some interesting interpretations of Takahashi works if you really wanted to try.

[greg]

Wow, that is some deep analysis of such a show! It does make sense, if you think of it.

So I was just thinking... The only other thing I don't like about Takahashi is her use of small, annoying-as-hell characters, such as Ten in UY and Happousai in Ranma. There's an even smaller character in IY, IIRC. He's a tick or some sort of blood-sucking insect. I never saw it much to really get annoyed though. However, it's not like annoying characters are specific to Takahashi's titles. Recently, my wife and I were annoyed to no-end with that clingy, desparate, pathological liar wench in Yawara. Plus the cat girl in Escaflowne was also obnoxious.

[Net-Lex]

The only other thing I don't like about Takahashi is her use of small, annoying-as-hell characters, such as Ten in UY and Happousai in Ranma. There's an even smaller character in IY, IIRC. He's a tick or some sort of blood-sucking insect. I never saw it much to really get annoyed though. However, it's not like annoying characters are specific to Takahashi's titles. Recently, my wife and I were annoyed to no-end with that clingy, desparate, pathological liar wench in Yawara. Plus the cat girl in Escaflowne was also obnoxious.

Conversely, I feel Takahashi-san's side-kick characters are some the most hilarious in manga (particularly Happousai).
I do agree, however, with your sentiment on that cat-girl in Escaflowne. Moreover, I found the character-design quite...'un-cute'.

[usamimi]

I guess the ending of Ranma wasn't really a "deal breaker" for me, because on the whole, I enjoyed the series and the characters a lot. There's been plenty of shows/manga out there that had really poor or "non" endings, for various reasons...sometimes, if it's a long-running series with stories and characters I care about, I can overlook it. Ranma's definitely wasn't the worst, though I can totally understand when people got mad or disappointed in it (because honestly I did at the time, too).

[Drew_Sutton]

I think I was more obsessed over the ending of Ranma 1/2 when I first got into the series. After being heavily involved with it for a couple years, it ended up getting spoiled to me. Whatever. It wasn't until I first heard the sitcom comparison that I started to look at Urusei and Ranma in different lights and enjoyed them more. I think she writes different endings for different audiences though - her shonen sitcoms have fairly open interpretations in their endings but her seinen stuff, particularly Maison Ikkoku and 1-pound no Fukuin (The One Pound Gospel) both had definitive endings (MI I know, 1 Pound as best I can remember).

Even despite the premise of an ending, to me, UY and Ranma (and even MI to an extent) are shows that I pull out every so often, check in with what's going on and after a couple of hours, I check back out.

I'm the iconoclast in the room. I really don't care much for Rumiko Takahashi.

You know, I don't think this is a bad thing at all. Nor do I think it is bad, especially for us who are fans to take that criticism you may have as to why you don't like her work in stride. I consider her one of my most favorite mangaka (tied with Adachi Mitsuru) but even I will admit some short comings that are kind of annoying. Like people mentioned about giving the idea of what an ending to Ranma 1/2 would look like, then switching it out. Or that due to her getting side tracked, it was nearly 20 years for her to finish One Pound Gospel. And I think a lot of this thread has been just that.

Out of politeness I won't go into the seeming odd clueless subtext of Ranma fandom other than how annoyingly vocal they were back in the day.

Actually, I would welcome this, if not here, then in another thread. While I was certainly a Takahashi fan at those times, my fandom was limited to my immediate circle of friends, the one or two conventions I had been to then but very little on the 'net. I'd be very interested in a veteran's perspective on that.