Ranma 1/2 - Episode 4: "The Suitor"

Ladies and gentlemen, and non-binary friends, I am thrilled to introduce you to the potential next big thing in Blorbo fandom culture: Ryoga Hibiki. At first glance, you might not see it, but this boy exudes the kind of dripping-wet cat energy that Tumblr girls adore. Just you wait.

But first, let's get to the important stuff: The episode opens with another "Meet Ranma Saotome" segment, this time styled like a 2D pixel fighting game.

I can only imagine this is a reference to Ranma ½: Hard Battle – that SNES fighting game that I've never actually played, but whose trailer I've seen countless times because, back in the VHS era, you had no choice but to wade through the trailers to get to the actual content.

MAPPA has added a lot of stylistic quirks and twists to this new anime, and while most of them feel like unnecessary additions, this one was a delightful surprise. It felt like they were paying tribute to a part of the series' past, rather than just including it because they could.

The real star of the episode, however, is Ryoga – Ranma's greatest rival... at least, when he can actually find his way to Nerima. The poor guy has pathologically bad sense of direction, as evidenced by the fact that he ends up in Shikoku and Hokkaido on his way to Nerima. He's come to challenge Ranma to a fight, and he's furious. Why?

After Ranma takes a moment to remember Ryoga's name, he really has to work to understand why Ryoga is planning to "ruin his happiness" in the first place.

While the Japanese original features Kouichi Yamadera returning as Ryoga – as with most of the Japanese cast – the English dub gets a new voice for Ryoga: Damien Haas, best known as the English voice of Laios in Delicious in Dungeon.

I have to say, even as someone who clings to the old dub, Haas was a perfect choice. He's already proven himself to be a talented actor, and he embodies Ryoga with a similar quality to what Michael Donovan did before – balancing the over-the-top nature of the role without sliding into the hammy acting of old dubs.

Ranma isn't exactly the brightest, which includes a complete lack of emotional intelligence. We see it in the way he teases Akane and then complains that she's always starting fights. And now we see it in his assumption that Ryoga is so murderously angry with him because of a bread-related argument at the school they once attended together.

It's not really his fault – sixteen-year-old boys tend to be insensitive in the best of circumstances, and Genma basically raised him in the wild. Besides, Ryoga isn't exactly forthcoming about what's going on – I don't want to spoil it for the newbies, but there are some hints if you look closely. Did you notice how he's using his umbrella to ward off the mist? Hmmm…

Ryoga is also the first character to introduce semi-fantastical elements to the series' martial arts. So far, Ranma has fought Akane, Genma, and Kuno; while all of those fights featured superhuman agility and/or strength, their weapons and techniques were relatively grounded in reality.

Ryoga, on the other hand, throws razor-sharp bandanas through the air like boomerangs and wields a super-heavy umbrella that he swings with one hand. It's a cleverly staged fight that impressively combines both weight and lightness, demonstrating the power of both boys.

Once again, I'm unsure what purpose Ichiro is supposed to serve – that radio club member who shows up to commentate on the fights. The visual storytelling is so strong that he feels completely redundant. Did Tomokazu Seki really want to give him a role and therefore invent one for him? Did they not think that modern viewers could follow the action even without a narrator?

If anyone reading this has the opportunity to ask someone who worked on this show – please do. I'm dying to find out.

Ryoga is understandably shocked when he learns about Ranma's "boobs in the face" curse, but for some reason – ahem, ahem – Ranma's whining about his fate only makes him angrier. He's so consumed by rage that he doesn't care about collateral damage: he throws his bandanas around so carelessly that they nearly hit passersby, and when Akane goes to fetch hot water, she's almost ripped to shreds.

Ranma saves her, but then his damn habit of covering up his awkward feelings with rudeness rears its ugly head again, and he yells at her for interfering. I don't doubt that there's an element of fear involved, too; Akane is strong, but she's a normal girl who hasn't spent most of her life on a training journey. Even if she puts the male half of the student body in their place every morning, she's no match for Ryoga – especially when he's so determined to kill Ranma that he doesn't care who gets hurt in the process.

And ultimately, it is Akane who gets hurt, as a bandana zips through the air and cuts off her ponytail.

Ranma ½ – Episode 4 is now available on Netflix.