Ranma 1/2 (1991)

[らんま1/2]

Volume 16

Author/Artist: Rumiko Takahashi
Publisher: Shounen Sunday Comics

Synopsis:
Ranma, Akane, Ryouga, Ukyou, Shampoo and Mousse visit an athletic onsen for a couple's race with a trip to China as the prize. Ranma undergoes brutal training for a Martial Arts Dining challenge.

Story/Characters:
The athletic onsen story is one of my favorites. You get six of the main characters together for a big showdown with shifting alliances and amusing situations. This isn't the first time we've seen Ukyou and Ryouga collaborate, but for people who thought pairing the spares with them would be a good idea, this story provides a lot of fuel for their ship. (The haunted cave is another, even though it was written specifically to sink the Ryouga/Ukyou ship.) The Martial Arts Dining story is another "Martial Arts X" story, but I feel like it takes the concept from the Martial Arts Tea Ceremony story and improves on it.

Art:
As always, the art continues to please the eye (and not just because an extended onsen story). The Martial Arts Dining story features some impressively pimped out dresses (and cute maid outfits, though not so cute on Soun) that are offset by the truly ghastly design of Picolet's oversized mouth.

Conclusion:
The amazing onsen story gets high marks in my book and the first part of the Martial Arts Dining story is one of the better takes on the common formula. This is one volume in particular I'm glad to have in my collection.

Rating:
Own It