Ranma 1/2 (1992)

[らんま1/2]

Volume 19

Author/Artist: Rumiko Takahashi
Publisher: Shounen Sunday Comics

Synopsis:
Kunou suffers from amnesia after practicing a new technique. Ukyou quits her job after her secret recipe turns out to be a failure. Happousai returns to Japan. Gosunkugi tries to use paper charms to get Akane to go on a date with him. Happousai tries to feed Ranma medicine that will make him subservient.

Story/Characters:
The watermelon story is a so-so beach episode that works if you like the antics of Kunou with onna Ranma. The highlight for me is the Ukyou story (unsurprisingly). Say what you will about me, but I adore seeing her play the role of the traditional Japanese housewife with Ranma. Yes, she's a little underhanded, but so is Ranma in his own incompetent way. We then have three one-shots, two of them Happousai stories. Ugh. We only got eight chapters without that creepy old bugger. The Gosunkugi story was pretty amusing, though.

Art:
The sight of Ukyou in a kappougi is a thing of beauty. That is all.

Conclusion:
I've said before that non-Happousai chapters have to work hard to offset the ones he's in and this volume does it. I love the Ukyou story here, like the Gosunkugi one-shot, and mildly enjoyed the beach episode. The Happousai chapters I could do without, but they're not bad enough to detract from what I like about this volume.

Rating:
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