Ranma 1/2 - Episodes 8 & 9

This story arc is definitely one of my favorites in the early episodes of the series – right where I think the show really hits its stride. It has all the hallmarks: some kind of fighting form of something that isn't and shouldn't be a martial art, larger-than-life personalities, hilarious misunderstandings, Ranma and Ryoga bickering like an old married couple, and Ranma and Akane awkwardly navigating their feelings for each other.

This time, the bizarre "martial art" revolves around figure skating – which, in real life, would quickly end with someone bleeding on the ice because, have you any idea how sharp those skates are?

The story begins with Akane accidentally leaving P-chan, her little companion, behind on the ice. While she's away, he's "rescued" by Azusa Shiratori – and immediately given a new name: Charlotte. Azusa wants to take him home, but her plans are nearly thwarted by her figure skating partner, Mikado Sanzenin.

When Ranma subsequently throws a fish cake at him for trying to kiss Akane, things escalate between Ranma and Mikado as well. Now, Ranma and Akane are facing off against Azusa and Mikado – the problem being that while Akane is quite comfortable on the ice, Ranma moves with the grace of a wobbly toddler.

Two things particularly delighted me about this arc: First, as mentioned, it's one of my favorites from the series before the introduction of my favorite character – and we still have a while to go before we see them. Second, Azusa and Sanzenin are voiced by Aoi Yuuki and Mamoru Miyano – two of the funniest voice actors in Japan right now.

Lately, we've been hearing Yuuki more in her harsher, almost gremlin-like mode – as characters like Maomao or with her boyish voice. Of course, as Azusa, she switches to a much more feminine tone, much more in the style of an "Ojousama" than I would have expected from the high-pitched sounds. Miyano, on the other hand, embodies a multitude of characters, but always remains himself.

As Sanzenin, he is hilarious, effortlessly switching between a smooth, charming demeanor and an annoyed, almost whispering delivery.

I also want to highlight the sound design of the figure skating scenes: Each character feels comfortable in skates differently, and together with the truly hilarious animation of Ranma and Ryoga both awkwardly floundering on the non-slip ice surface, it shows how much care was put into the acoustic implementation of the skates. Sanzenin, Azusa, and Akane glide across the ice as experienced skaters, accompanied by a continuous whooshing sound.

Ranma, who has practiced a bit but is still clearly unsure, makes a choppy sound as he slides forward one foot at a time. Ryoga, on the other hand – as a guy who relies on brute force – stomps and clomps around.

Sanzenin is, in a sense, cut from the same cloth as Kuno – albeit as a different kind of threat. He's a shameless womanizer who sees himself as God's gift to women: handsome, talented, and a true charmer. He kisses every girl he finds cute, assuming they'll be grateful for his attention. Judging by his popularity among his female classmates, he often hits the mark, but neither Akane nor Ranma are interested in his advances.

As with Kuno, Takahashi uses comedy to highlight the interplay of masculinity, femininity, and sexual assault – because Sanzenin's penchant for kissing without consent is, quite simply, assault.

Akane reacts with anger, saying that if Ranma hadn't thrown that fish cake at him, she would have given him a good beating. After all, she's used to unwanted advances from men and has plenty of ways to defend herself.

Ranma, on the other hand, isn't so familiar with it. He's still getting used to being perceived as a woman – even if he's starting to use it to his advantage in certain situations. So, when Sanzenin bursts in, Ranma doesn't quite know how to assess and evade the situation – and gets kissed.

This is extremely humiliating. He runs away crying, only to be mocked by his father and the Tendo family. There's a lot to interpret in this – especially considering that no one takes it seriously after it turns out that it was another boy who "forced" the kiss. Sanzenin, on the other hand, interprets Ranma's tearful flight as shyness, although Ranma clearly rejects that.

How many men commit assault without even realizing it because they were never properly taught what consent means? The assumption that everything is a "yes" because they can't imagine that a girl might say "no" – that's how Sanzenin thinks, while Azusa has long recognized that the girls simply hate him.

A minor frustration: As in the rhythmic gymnastics arc, Akane is once again pushed into the background. Which is a shame, because she was really good!

I know Ryoga and Ranma are hilarious together, and the sight of Ryoga in his little "Charlotte" collar will always make me laugh, but Akane really deserved a win here.

It's one of the few opportunities where she's stronger than those around her – but unfortunately, that triumph is taken away from her again because the physical comedy potential of Ryoga and Ranma's clumsiness overshadows the opportunity for some really good, skating-based action. Unfortunately, that's not going to change anytime soon – or maybe ever.

Even if Akane doesn't get the chance to really shine, this is undoubtedly one of the best story arcs the early volumes of Ranma ½ have to offer.