Sometimes what you need is a fluffy bit of entertainment which is nestled gently in the center of the Venn diagram of “comedy,” “action,” and “romance.” A boy, a girl, some rivals, some martial arts… what could go wrong?

For starters, the boy’s not always a boy…

What is it?

Ranma ½ is, for our purposes, a long-running anime series based on a long-running manga series from back in the 1980s.

What kind of story is it?

You could say that it’s the story of two young people who are facing the prospect of an arranged marriage while also facing the fury of all the people who have strong opinions about who, or if, each of them should marry.

You could say that it’s the story of how adding “martial arts” to (nearly) every possible human activity exacts a costly material toll on a town’s infrastructure and inhabitants.

You could say that it’s the story of a bevy of young people and how they deal with their particular shape-changing curses.

I mean, you could say a lot of things, including any of the above options, and it might apply to this show. There’s a lot going on here, most of it ridiculous.

Why do you like it?

At its best, Ranma ½  is a genuine delight. The fights are usually clever, the comedy generally lands punchlines well, and at least in the earlier stretches the “curse” element is imaginatively handled.

What might one not like about it?

There comes a point, and this point arrives at different episodes for different people, where “enough” becomes “too much.” A cast of a dozen becomes a cast of several dozens becomes a cast of nearly a hundred. It’s not like the show starts out owing any allegiance to sanity, sure. But you will probably get worn out eventually.

Let’s be clear: You should enjoy the show while you can. You should also feel no guilt whatsoever about bailing when you feel the exasperation setting in.

Other thoughts about it?

You expect in a show like this that the male lead is going to be the best, toughest, fighter to be found anywhere. What you might not expect is that his intended/arranged bride is among the stronger martial artists in the show. While trying to directly compare any two characters in this show is a waste of energy (remembering that the Rule of Funny and the Rule of Cool are a factor in any engagement), Akane Tendo is certainly no slouch.

Where can I watch it?

This one isn’t at any of the usual expected places. Viz has Ranma ½ on tap for your viewing enjoyment, however.