Digital Dojo

This article lists the episodes of the original Ranma ½ anime series, released by Viz as the first season of Ranma ½ or "Digital Dojo".

It began airing on April 15, 1989 and concluded on September 16, 1989. The series was initially cancelled after its conclusion in September, but was brought back in October of the same year as the longer running Ranma ½ Nettōhen (らんま½ 熱闘編).

Viz originally released the episodes as Ranma 1/2: The TV Series, but later titled them Digital Dojo.

Plot Summary
Ranma Saotome, along with his father, Genma, arrive at the Tendo Dojo, which belongs to Genma's old friend Soun. Though much to the confusion of Soun and his three daughters, caring Kasumi, greedy Nabiki and tomboyish Akane, when the Saotomes arrive, Ranma is in the form of a woman, while Genma has turned into a panda bear. Though Akane, who claims to completely despise men, tries to befriend the girl Ranma at first, she gets the shock of her life later that night when she goes to take a hot bath, and sees Ranma transformed into the man that he's supposed to be. Genma then reveals that he and Ranma both suffer from curses which were given to them when they fell into the cursed springs of Jusenkyo, which makes them change into a girl and panda when they touch cold water, and changes them back when they touch hot water. Following the explanation, Ranma and Akane are forced into an arranged marriage by their fathers so that they can inherit the dojo, though neither Ranma or Akane are happy about it, especially since the confusion surrounding the curse led to them both seeing each other naked. The next day Ranma has to go Furinkan High School, along with Akane and Nabiki. While at the School Ranma develops a rivalry with Upperclassman Kuno, who eventually falls in love with the cursed form of Ranma. However, Kuno doesn't realise that Ranma and his "pigtailed girl" are the same person.

Akane then injures her father, Soun, and promises never to hurt anything again. She then quickly breaks this promise by damaging Ranma's neck, which is quickly fixed by Dt. Tofu. Meanwhile, the boys at Furinkan High School stop fighting for Akane's love and Akane realises that her other sister, Kasumi, is in love with Dr. Tofu (who Akane has always had a secret crush on). Akane then becomes depressed and Ranma decides to go on a date with her in an attempt to cheer her up. An old rival of Ranma, Ryoga Hibiki, then arrives in Furinkan and challenges Ranma over a piece of bread that Ranma took from Ryoga a few years ago. The two end up fighting and, despite the best efforts of the Chemistry Club, Ranma wins but Akane's hair end's up being cut.

Home Video Releases

 * Dub VHS
 * Sub VHS
 * Dub VHS Boxset
 * DVD Boxset

Trivia

 * In Enter Shampoo, the Gung-Ho Girl! I Put My Life in Your Hands there is a "flashback" to the episode The Abduction of P-Chan, which would not air until the start of the next season (Anything-Goes Martial Arts). This is due to there being several kidnappings and murders in Japan at the time, resulting in the episode being removed from airing.


 * In the opening theme animation, several characters from the series appear but their hair colors differ from how they appear in the series itself, such as Shampoo having green hair instead of blue and Kodachi Kuno's hair being several shades lighter.
 * In the penultimate scene of the opening there are also a few characters who do not appear in the season at all, namely Azusa Shiratori, Mikado Sanzenin and Cologne.