Ranma 1/2: Toraware no Hanayome

~ RANMA 1/2 2 ~

NCS/Masaya / Tenky

CD-ROM

1991

I've watched some Ranma here and there, but I'm by no means a big fan of it. Still, I absolutely love this game, as it's far more entertaining than anything I've ever seen in the anime. If you like the show at all, then you must get this CD; and if you're thinking about trying some digital comics, this is a great place to start.

It kicks off with one of my favorite Duo openings, a cool montage featuring amusing skits and impressive character images...

...and then the comic proper begins. It's very accessible and extremely easy to play regardless of whether or not you know any Japanese, and if you're at all familiar with the show, you'll be able to get plenty out of the story. The graphics are great and there are lots of funny moments.

In fact, the comedy here is often more effective than the hijinks that typically take place in the anime. Take an in-game incident involving Ranma's rival, Ryouga, for instance. The poor lad somehow always ends up getting lost in the show, which is funny for about... an episode or so. Of course, they had to do something with that character trait in the game, as there isn't much to The Eternal Lost Boy otherwise.

But instead of taking the anime's usual route of having him appear on the scene wondering where he is and how he ended up there, they came up with a fresh, funny idea for having him lose his way. During a quiz contest to determine who wins vacation tickets, Ryouga thinks of the correct answer to the deciding question and needs only take a few steps forward to submit his answer and be on his way to paradise. Sadly, the unfortunate fellow somehow manages to get lost as he's taking those few steps. He ends up running off into the distance, still mad with excitement and under the delusion that he's about to be crowned victor, as everyone else stands there wondering what the fuck just happened.

The game's script contains plenty such moments that are not only funny, but inventive as well. But, in a wise move, the writers opted not to ride the jokes all adventure long. Things get a bit stranger and darker later in the drama... even Shadowgate-esque for a stretch!

This is a digital comic of the highest quality, one of the best of the best, but I do I have a couple very minor complaints. There's an unnecessary maze sequence near the end, and there are menu-driven fight scenes that are mostly entertaining but can get tedious at times.

So it's not quite the perfect comic, but it's pretty darn close!