Ranma 1/2 – Episode 3: “Because He Likes Someone”
Rumiko Takahashi stated a long time ago in an interview that she didn't intend Ranma ½ to be a commentary on gender roles – and I believe her. Ranma changes gender because she wanted a male protagonist but was "worried about writing a male lead character." Nevertheless, all art is a negotiation between creator and observer, and whether intentional or not, she stumbled upon some fascinating, chaotic ideas about gender roles and relationships. That said, when the episode opens with Ranma having a nightmare where Kuno is being aggressive toward him, it stems from men's fears of being pursued and harassed in the same way women are.
Ranma feels uncomfortable when Kuno gets pushy with him because he's a boy, sees himself as such, and being treated like a girl causes him to feel dysphoric. But that's not the issue for the average male viewer; rather, the horror of the situation stems from the idea that it might be possible to be treated the way men treat women. This fear permeates the first half of the episode, where Kuno is utterly smitten with "the girl with the pigtail." At Nabiki's suggestion, he brings a plush panda to school to give to her via Ranma, becomes violently possessive at the thought of her and Ranma having a relationship, and carries photos of Ranma in girl form – topless – which he acquired from Nabiki and which distract Ranma in combat. Nothing Ranma says or does can convince Kuno that Ranma is neither interested nor a girl – even transforming right before Kuno's eyes. Though humorously staged, this is Ranma's first experience with how terrifying it can be to be a girl.
Not that this changes his behavior toward Akane: As soon as he knocks Kuno unconscious, he jokes about being sexier than her. He even complains to Dr. Tofu that she's the one constantly bullying him – which is, frankly, typical teenage behavior. The boy has zero social skills! Furthermore, he was raised in a highly masculine, hyper-competitive environment, so the only way he can connect with Akane is by comparing his appearance as a girl to hers, and as the vainest boy ever, he naturally considers himself more attractive.
The second half of the episode deals with Akane's crush on Tofu – a subplot that ultimately gains little significance, as Tofu completely disappears from the plot shortly thereafter. While Akane likes Tofu, he treats her like a little sister and is completely smitten with Kasumi, who remains utterly oblivious to it. Normally, Tofu is an excellent doctor, but he becomes dangerously infatuated whenever Kasumi is around. Akane is sad about it. The end. It's not particularly interesting.
I've really grown to love the new animation style. As mentioned earlier, in terms of comic-style timing and panel layouts, it's much closer to the manga than the previous version. Sometimes it almost feels like experiencing the manga in color and motion – and while I'm generally in favor of adaptations taking certain liberties, Takahashi's panel work is excellent, so I'm not complaining. The new animation team's use of expressive character portrayal, color, and light creates an excellent atmosphere – especially the deliberate use of light and shadow when Akane confronted Ranma about Tofu's crush, which was impressive. The fights so far have been fluid and well-choreographed, and I'm really looking forward to seeing some of the battles from the weaker seasons brought to life.
The new dub, on the other hand… I'm the one who switched to the Japanese audio track on my Blu-rays because I missed Sarah Strange's portrayal of Ranma and it felt odd to hear Richard Cox's voice – which made it difficult for me anyway. It's probably not ideal that the first dubbed episode I chose was heavily focused on Kuno, as I don't like his voice or his portrayal at all. The other voice performances are largely strong, especially those of David Errigo, Jr. and Suzie Yeung as Ranma, although some awkward phrasing in the script bothered me.
On the other hand, the subtitle script calls Kuno "Tatewaki" – and that's just wrong. In Japan, the surname comes first, so it's Kuno Tatewaki. The decision to refer to him only by his first name in the subtitles is irritating and unnecessarily confusing.
Ranma ½ – Episode 3 is now available on Netflix.