Ranma 1/2, or Ranma "Nibun no ichi" (literally meaning "one-half") was created by manga author/artist Rumiko Takahashi, who was then at the time still riding the success of her previous series, Lum: Urusei Yatsura. In September of 1987, Ranma 1/2 began appearing in the Japanese magazine Shounen Sunday, and it was a hit with her old and soon-to-be new fans. The series ran for 38 volumes of manga, and ended in February of 1996.

Here is a documented interview with Takahashi taken several months after the series ended.

Here is another documented interview with Takahashi taken from the pages of the Ranma 1/2 Memorial Art Book.

The series itself is still being translated into English and some other languages, and it has been estimated that the series will be fully translated by Viz by the early part of the new century, probably around 2005-2007. Currently we are not even 1/3 done with the series in terms of translation.

The concept is simple: A young man (Ranma) and his father visit a cursed ground of springs to improve their martial arts. As they train, both are cursed with forms which they turn into when doused with cold water. Hot water can reverse the effect, but only until the next time cold water touches them. Ranma, for instance, is himself cursed with the ability to turn into a very attractive red-headed girl. Add this situation to the fact that Ranma's father and his friend have decided to make a marriage engagement between their two families. The series follows the comedic situations Ranma falls into in his unique situation, coupling that with the romantic developments between him, his fiancee Akane, and also of the characters around them. The end result is a romantic comedy/drama that has, in this writer's opinion, surpassed all expectations and grown to high notoriety.

Below is a short abridged version of the very first story in the first volume of the work. Those new to the series may read it to get aquainted with the series before actually finding some of the material.

It all begins when Soun Tendo calls in his three daughters Kasumi, Nabiki, Akane to tell them something very important. An old friend of his, Genma Saotome, is coming from a 10-year long training trip in China along with his son, Ranma. Soun tells his daughters the reason for their coming. "If one of you three girls were to marry Ranma and carry on this dojo, the Anything-Goes School of Martial Arts' future would be guaranteed." Kasumi and Nabiki are intrigued by the prospect of having an innazuke, or fiancee, but tomboyish Akane isn't. "We've never even met him!" she complains. "That's a problem easily solved" replies Soun.

Soon there are visitors at the Tendo Dojo, but not those that the Tendos are expecting!Instead of the father and son they thought would show up, a panda carrying a protesting red-haired girl come bursting through the doors. There is an even bigger shock for the Tendos when they find out that the girl is Ranma Saotome!

While Soun is recovering from the initial shock (he had fainted at finding out Ranma is a girl) Akane invites Ranma to have a "little match" in the training hall. In the match Akane attacks relentlessly, but is unable to hit the more skilled Ranma, who keeps dodging out of the way. The match continues until Ranma flips over Akane and lands her only attack, a tap on the shoulder - "beating" Akane. A defeated Akane realizes that Ranma is no ordinary girl.

This fact is made glaringly clear in a very short time. Kasumi insists that Ranma take a hot bath to get refreshed and then sends Akane to do so as well. Little did Akane know that a boy would be waiting in the bathtub instead of a girl!

After much fuss made by Akane about a "pervert in the bathtub", the aforementioned boy appears before the entire family. "I'm Ranma Saotome," he says sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout this."

Genma tells the Tendo family the story of their curse.

It so happens that near the end of their decade-long training mission, Genma took Ranma to China to train at a place called Jusenkyo. Genma assumed this was a training ground, even though he doesn't speak a word of Chinese!

The place consists of numerous springs, and, unbeknowest to Genma and Ranma at the time, falling into a spring gives you a curse which turns you into whatever drowned there when you are hit with cold water. Hot water reverses the effect, but only until cold water hits you the next time...

Genma and Ranma each knock the other into a spring while training. Genma happens to fall in the spring called Shonmaoniichuan, or the Spring of Drowned Panda. Ranma, shocked, at seeing a panda assuming a karate stance, is knocked into Nyannichuan, or the Spring of Drowned Girl. Now, whenever Genma or Ranma is splashed with even the tiniest bit of cold water, they assume their cursed Jusenkyo forms, only temporarily reversible with hot water. This explains how Ranma-kun(boy-type) and Ranma-chan (girl type) are actually the same person.

Soun, a little surprised at this "problem" of Ranma's, but relieved that it "isn't so bad", now brings up the question of which of his three daughters should become Ranma-kun's fiancee - Kasumi, 19, Nabiki, 17, or Akane, 16. Immediately Kasumi and Nabiki nominate Akane for the honor. "You hate boys, right?" says Nabiki. "Well, you're in luck Akane," Kasumi says cheerfully "Ranma's half-girl." Of course Akane disagrees to the whole arrangement, and begins arguing with Ranma, calling him a pervert. Ranma complains that he doesn't need a fiancee and needs to find a cure. "They're already the perfect couple." laugh Genma and Soun. The argument ends with Ranma remarking that in his girl-form he's even "better built" than Akane, who promptly picks the table up and smashes it on Ranma. A perfect start to a perfect relationship.

The next day a reluctant Akane accompanies Ranma to their high school Furinkan high......and that's where the trouble really begins....

That's basically how the TV series and Graphic Novel collection started the Ranma 1/2 saga. There are many ways that the story is developed, and certain characters enter from Ranma's past and some meet him or Akane in the present...each character has his/her own connection to Ranma or Akane. This is one of the reasons why I like the series so much - it's because of the number of possibilities you can have...^_^.