I'm terrible at writing calls to action in videos!! Anyway, in my absence from UA-cam, I started livestreaming...which means I've been doing that for over a year without promoting it much here (I'm a disaster). Got this video done under the wire as always, but even so, happy pride!! Livestreams happen here: www.twitch.tv/mathwiz97x
Beautiful sentiments about being yourself. I watched this series when I was in high school and it was a ton of fun. I think what stuck with me the most are the times Ranma embraces genders. It is easier to embrace your gender when you feel like you can express and externalize what you feel inside. When look and feel female it is easier to embrace your female gender identity as Ranma does wearing dresses, being shorter, and allowing femininity to be expressed. I might not know much on the subject and many might say i'm wrong, but, I think when Ranma feels like a woman she it and when Ranma wants to be a man, he it. It is quite possible that going to Jusenkyo just allowed Ranma to be more comfortable expressing his felinity and be able to, well, feel like a woman.
I think you misunderstand that gender statement at 6:55. Trans meaning in transition. A mix between female an male traits. Its more strait forward. He is a male or a female.
The first half is funnier than the second for me...just the timing of certain jokes and whatnot was on point. Felt like in the second half the series was more focused on being weird and quirky, not that there still weren't good episodes in there too.
@@MathWizHQ oddly enough was in the middle of my watch when this video released and just so happened to be close to the episode you highlighted in the video. series still has me in shackles so imma still binge for a while
Super glad you're in a place where you can put out wonderful videos like this again!!! Thanks for sharing a li'l piece of your journey with Ranma and with yourself, and happy pride :)
Rumiko kept writing transness when poking at gender. Ryuunosuke from Urusei Yatsura is so trans. Plus the energy from Ataru. Also, Konatsu in the Ranma manga. She’s so precious.
@@kostajovanovic3711 Ataru is revealed to practice using Japanese ‘feminine speech’ with unusual determination (that his classmates make note of), dresses as a girl a few times in the anime, shows no real interest in turning back into a boy in the arc where he’s turned into a girl (and dodge’s Lum’s question when she asks if he’s glad to be a boy again at the end), and uses another alien technology to turn into a girl three different times. (And, I think there’s other [smaller] things, but that’s what I can remember at the moment.)
I'd never expected to see a video talking about Ranma 1/2 and how this anime changed someone. I thought i was the one that this happened... I'm really happy with this. I literally accepted myself when i saw Ranma 1/2 and coincidentally, the 49th episode that was talked about in this video is my favorite. Before watching this anime, I intended to never leave the ''cage'' until i saw this anime and i accepted more myself and, currently i'm still struggling about this, but i can say that today i'm more satisfied than in 2018. Thank you for making this video. And yes, my nick Ukyo is from Ranma 1/2 too. Oh, by the way, thank you for the subtitles! I'm actually a deaf, so it helped me a lot
I'm trying to get in the habit of subtitling scripted videos like this. Haven't gone back to add them to older videos yet because it can be a tedious process, but hopefully I can get more of them done in the future.
Love the video and glad I could help with some small part of it! You always excel when it comes to articulating your connection to a particular series.
I love this series. Both Urusei yatsura and Ranma 1/2 were ahead of their time. Hopefuly Urusei Yatsura remake captures charm of the original and it leads to Ranma1/2 remake.
Way to make me laugh and then cry in the span of just 16 mins. It felt like a whole year ago when I started seeing your tweets and streams talking about Ranma and I'm so happy to have been there, and now seeing the results in this video. 😊 Good luck in the next project!
Ranma’s my all-time favorite anime, and my second-favorite manga. If Urusei Yatsura 2022 does well, who knows? I don’t care what form it takes, even if it’s a new manga handed off to someone other than Takahashi, I just want new, GOOD Ranma.
from the future and it was fantastic. urusei yatsura was my first anime and I enjoyed the reboot a lot. it would be awesome to see ranma 1/2 or maison ikkoku remade.
started watching the netflix remake and im fucking obsessed. im a trans girl who has recently been trying to understand my own gender fluidity and its been so fun to watch a protagonists with such fluid and queer gender
As a cishet man from the South (le gasp), I loved Ranma as a teen. Sure I liked the fan service, but what sticks with me now in my 30's is that I also loved how it helped affirm my own not super traditional way I relate to my masculinity, question gender norms, and I think in retrospect it helped me understand and accept trans people.
I can't describe how relatable this video is. I'm a transgender man myself, that experience of dissociation, something that once helped me to dissociate myself from my body turning into harming me at the end, was something very prevalent in my life. I felt like I wasn't man enough to be a man and didn't know what to do with myself stuck in this state of "I am a man, but never enough of one." Also that last that was like it hits you on the head and it all comes together was very similar to me. It felt like up until the point I finally admitted I was a man, I lived my life in a daze, that that person was someone completely foreign to me and couldn't see myself as such.
I hesitate to use the term 'filler' in an episodic comedy series like Ranma 1/2, but would note that 'Ranma's Declaration of Womanhood' is an original story created for the anime so any interpretation is probably going to reflect the screenwriters' thoughts more than those of the mangaka, Rumiko Takahashi. Beyond that, I don't really think Ranma can be considered a 'statement' on anything, but rather an exploration of gender roles in Japan during the 1980. Which is to say that, to me, it feels more as if it's asking questions than looking for answers.
Yeah, I kinda avoided referring to Takahashi specifically in this video since my experience was more with the anime than the manga, and sometimes videos like this can give too much credit to just the original mangaka, but in that case specifically I knew the episode was anime original, I just didn't say so in the video itself. I think that's a good way to view the series as well, it gave me a lot to think about from various angles and perspectives.
4:41 Ranma 1/2 is just a series of people in different situations ignoring Ranma's boundaries and consent and then he getting blamed for it. Truly the most accurate allegory for the life of a trans woman
I have such a weird experience with Ranma, I'm a trans girl and I've never fully watched this series, however, when I was a kid I remember watching some episodes on tv and... I was so obsessed. I wanted to be Ranma sooo bad. But my parents didn't allow me to watch it anymore since they thought I'd become gay-er since I basically told them when I was 5 that I wanted to be a girl. After years of self transphobia I started avoiding the series since "I was not gay and not trans at all" and now I've remembered this anime and I wanna watch it fully and read the manga. Loved your video ♥
I used to really love watching this show, frustrating as it was at times. I got introduced to it through random DVDs when I waaay young to be watching it! A few years later, I decided to check out the rest of it... then I got to the Happosai episodes and couldn't get through them. After watching this video I'm tempted to try again. I've gone from starting it as a child, to continuing it as a teen. So yeah, let's finish this thing as an adult!
Wo thanks for making it. I love your style of making essays. They almost always come up as fairly deep without being philosophically condensing, and I can really appreciate it!
Still a good Anime no doubt one of the best on it's era, Ranma turning into a girl was a funny thing to see, even as a female, he would still behave as a guy and that's what makes it even funnier pure comedy
What a lovely and wholesome video. I was hooked by everything ranma related, but I really loved this video by the end after hearing what you shared about your own life struggles with depression. It really can make such a huge difference to remember that it's ok to not be okay and that life can be excruciating at times. Maybe I projected myself here but amyhow, just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your work and your words.
Oh my god, i loved Ranma growing up in the 90's. It did awaken a few things in me as a kid, but later grew out of. I kinda want to rewatch to see if it holds up as i remember it, as that was a very different time.
Ranma 1/2 is one of my favorites of all time. This was a great video. Bonsai Pop also has a great video essay about Ranma as well, I highly recommend it.
Hey, I'm really glad you're back. And congrats on your transition. I'm cis, but really enjoy trans representation in media and this stuck out to me and helps me see Ranma in a whole new light and despite the constant switching, I never really saw it that kind of narrative so this was refreshing. There's a lot I just frankly hate about myself and I wish there was something that I could pinpoint to say "if I fix that, I'll be better" seeing the type of media that expresses freedom of being who you really are is almost inspiring. Maybe one day I'll find the part of myself that's in desperate need of change, but for now, trans representation and shounen power ups are as close as I got eheh. Either way great vid
>There's a lot I just frankly hate about myself and I wish there was something that I could pinpoint to say "if I fix that, I'll be better" >Maybe one day I'll find the part of myself that's in desperate need of change, Wow, you're just like me before I transitioned... 👀🥚
Ranma 1/2 was on tv in Latin America, in kids channels. I feel there was a surprisingly degree of not caring too much. But I'm sure a lot of kids were thinking "oh, I would just stay full time in girl mode", not really realizing what they were thinking. I don't know if it helped them or hurt them in the long run.
Oh yeah, I'm from Argentina and I remember watching Ranma ½ on a TV literally called Magic Kids, and the show itself aired in the afternoons. I think everybody considered it a kids show, there was even merchandise aimed at kids like coloring books. To be fair, some of the more risqué scenes were cut in the Neutral Spanish dub, but the localization itself was pretty faithful Now that Ranma ½ is being remade, people here in Latin America are getting hyped, since Ranma ½ is still very popular, but it seems there's a bit of controversy due to the fact that Ranma and Ranko (female Ranma) have new voices in the Neutral Spanish dub, despite that their original VAs, Carlos Hugo Hidalgo and Irma Carmona, were hoping to reprise their roles, though it seems it has to do with the fact that the 2 don't get along with the new series' dub voice director Interestingly, Ranma and Ranko new voices are LGBT+ people, Ranma's new VA, Elliott Leguizamo, is openly gay, and I think Ranko's new VA, Alicia Velez, identifies as non-binary, and I think Alicia has a girlfriend. I think they sound fine, though I'd have preferred the original voices
The reason i watched ranma was bc its funny, some badass fights with some really cool martial arts AND HE GETS GF'S LIKE NOTHING 😂. Everytime i watch ranma i am laughing, wishing i could fight like that and its INSANLY MOTIVATION to train. Love it.
Ranma 1/2 was the very first anime I ever watch and the first one to help me discover who I truly was as a person at the age of 4yrs, that alone is the reason why i hold a special place in my heart for this series ^^
Of course is not perfect and there’s moments that raise a lot of questions but I still appreciated what it did for me during my childhood and even now as a transwoman.
glad to see you back!! i watched most of ur videos somewhat recently and u always bring up nuanced interpretations n meanings for things that i never even would have thought of, this video included n they rly all just speak 2 me in a way few things can. hope ur journey continues to go well, as u certainly have helped me along mine
Ranma is my favorite anime of all time :) I first watched it back in 93 when the Super Nintendo released a Ranma game. While it wasn't the greatest game I had an asian friend that saw me play it and then showed me the actual anime in a import store in China Town . Totally was hooked after :) Thanks for making this :) Edit: While the beauty is to take something and relate to it in a way you want. Rumiko T. made this in a time of (and kinda still till this day in Japan) a very Male dominating atmosphere. Especially in the Manga/anime scene. That is why she is the Queen of Manga till this day. She exploited/parodied the stereotypes through the show Ranma kinda like how Stan Lee broke down the race barrier of black and whites through his comics. Also there is an actual Ranma 1/2 restaurant "Ranma 1/2' Café" in Japan (more locations now too) where you can order all the food you see on the show and has Ranma episodes running on the walls :)
Ranma ½ was the first anime I discovered on the Internet. Back when 4kids was chopping up One Piece like a 2$ steak, I had a feeling that there were episodes I was missing. And when I went looking, I found the English subtitled version of One Piece, but also Ranma. And while I'm not trans myself, it really helped me start defining what "masculinity" means to me, in a world that is otherwise full of toxic male role-models.
As a transman who watched Ranma during childhood before I even knew I was trans, I hope my 2cents will be appreciated here. While I enjoyed hearing your perspective and adore that you and im sure plenty of other trans, nonbinanry, and genderqueer people can see themselves in Ranma 1/2 and enjoy how much it plays with gender and how inherently queer it is as a show for its cheeky playtime with gender roles; I was really disappointed in that you didn't mention or talk about the opposing, or more hurtful, or even transphobic insinuations the narration often makes within the show, but especially within' "Ranma's Declaration of Womanhood." Throughought the show Ranma, regardless of form, continues to identify and act like a man regardless of what form he takes-- And as a transman, that's been my experience my whole childhood. Being female sexed and always being perceived as a woman no matter how much you act and identify otherwise, only for your words to fall on society's deaf ears. To transmen, this is exactly what we experienced our whole lives, and even after transitioniing, continue to experience. But it doesn't even end there; Ranma gets very cheeky with what he can get away with as a girl, and as queer people I think we all love that. It def sends the messsage about how queer and how trans ranma really is that, despite still identifying as a man, he kind of doesn't mind playing the role sometimes or being cheeky or playing with presentation; Especially when he knows he can get away with it socially. Is this not the androgynous wet dream?? Anyway I got carried away but the point I really wanna get to aka transphobia in the narration of the womanhood episode is such that, it was kind of fucked to watch a character who has so solidly identified as a man for the entirety of the show, rain or shine, boobs or no boobs, suddenly throw that out the window once he'd gotten amnesia. I know that for some, gender is fluid, and thats all well and good and Valid-- But for Ranma, it wasn't. He could enjoy his femininity, sure, but ultimately he still identified as a man, did he not? To have the narration suggest that all it would take to change that is some amnesia and social expectations feels.. Gross and invalidating. Especially as a transperson. Obviously all experiences are different and valid, but for a lot of us, is the struggle not that we know who are inside, and that that person inside does not change regardless of how much the outside does, or what the outside world expects?? We hurt and starve and kill ourselves trying to fit into society's pre-determined gender roles for us, and we experience pain and discomfort and the most shitty things trying to fit into it, even though we ultimately never can. Because it's not who we are. But Ranma's Declaration of Womanhood flies in the face of all that. For me, it's a spit in the face to the concept of transgender people. As if all of us could just accept our birth-sex gender roles as fact if we just convinced ourselves further of it, or got a little amnesia, even though gender dysphoria is a real physical manifestation in the brain you can see on CT Scans. That single episode, for me, hurt to watch. A lot. It's hard to look at that episode and see someone transgender, for me. That singular episode throws the concept of Ranma being transgender into question for me too, because the narration there is so painfully heteronormative and ignorant to trans people existing as anything other than a joke. Which, yknow, makes sense considering it's country of origin and airing time. Even today Japan doesn't have like, a lot of positive depiction of trans characters, though some are starting to come through in their own ways and I really do love that-- but it's a very recent thing. Idk, I hope you as another trans person will appreciate my perspective in the way that I appreciate yours. Either way I think you're right about Ranma, both the show itself and the character, being kind of inherently genderqueer as an end product. But I also think you do a disservice to it, and to those of us hurt by it, when you disregard the more transphobic implications the show had as well. Good luck with your transition, Im still happy that it can impact people positively despite some of the impacts it had on me. EDIT: Actually no yknow what I have more to say. I understand and I really am glad that Ranma impacted you in a positive way but I think it's a little tone deaf to look at a show about a man, struggling to present as a man after Being Cursed With A Womans Body , and say "Yep thats a transwoman" and not a transman???? He is, at BEST, genderfluid/Nonbinary, but don't erase his gender and his masculinity. If you understand how meaningful it is to you to have a story about someone AMAB being given an easy and convenient opportunity to explore femininity, then you can also be empathetic and considerate enough to understand that for the transmen on the opposite side of the spectrum, that we are also watching a show about a man cursed to be a woman, without his consent, and actively fighting to correct his literal body to be that of a mans once more. Heck, thats not even like, subjective interpretation: He's a young man who's been cursed by the Spring of Drowned Girl to switch sexes whenever he's exposed to cold water: That's the literal plot of the show! Every season Ranma makes efforts not to accept himself as a woman, but to return to being 100% himself as a man. Feeling as though he, at the very end of the show, cannot even face his mother while still being cursed. If that isn't the clearest example of gender dysphoria, of someone struggling with not wanting to be a woman, then what is??? Respectfully, don't erase that.
I thought I had done a good enough job of reinforcing Ranma's maleness in how I referred to him outside of my own personal connections to the material, but I can also understand the ways in which I overlooked that perspective in favor of my own biased transfem perspective. I could've and maybe should've done more to represent that transmasc reading which is also very key to the material. Cause yeah, some of what you said here are thoughts I've also had about the series, like Ranma being a trans man, but then some of it is stuff I hadn't considered before. Clearly that blind spot got the better of me on this subject, because what I thought was making mention of other perspectives ended up being more dismissive than I meant it to be. Or maybe I, as a trans woman, undervalued how much that transmasc reading was worth dwelling on? Like, I could've still focused on my personal thoughts, but I should've done more to show that there's more to be said than just transfem stuff. Maybe I came off as more dismissive towards claims of transphobia than I meant to as well. I guess my intent was to highlight how both good and bad elements can exist simultaneously without one needing to overpower the other, but maybe I was guilty of the same thing I was trying to not do. Thank you for taking the time to write this out. I get nervous talking about queer stuff in videos for reasons like this, like I'm worried my words will somehow end up doing more harm than good, but I'm trying to do better and work on any mistakes when I inevitably make them. I'll keep this in mind for the future.
Sorry to be late. Some people see ranma as a transfem because throughout the series he slowly becomes more comfortable being a female. He starts using it to his advantage for things that he sees as non-masculine things. He eventually stops looking for the cure or trying to go back to China for a cure, and is only reminded that he can be cured, and that he can stop being a woman when somebody mentions it, and he turns hostile when somebody asks if he really wants to be all male because he sees it as an attack of how his father taught him being a man was. He has a very hostile image of what being manly is. He is grown up being told by his dad what he sees being a man is. His dad told ranma that being a woman is weak and bad. ranma eventually sees himself using it to his advantage to be faster, more carefree, nicer. His dad wanted his son to become what he saw as manly things because he made a contract with his wife saying that they will both commit sepuku if he isn't manly enough, so he can take his child to train to inherit the dojo. His dad tells ranma that he has to be man amongst men, while saying very hostile stereotypes about men and women for 12 years, and never stays in the same place for more then 1 year for 12 years of his childhood. Ranma eventually stops caring about inheriting the dojo after the womanhood EP. People see the ep. As when he gets hit in the head he forgets his preconceived notions of men and reverts to stereotypical womanly things, because that is all that he knows of at the time, and in the series he says that being a woman is better because you can have more fun. He sees eating ice creme as a feminine thing so when he eats or wants to be carefree he turns into a woman so he can do more of what he wants. People see ranma as a trans woman because he seems a lot happier as a woman either it's because of what his dad told him what being a man is and ranma feels like he is stuck only doing what his dad told him as a guy, or genually enjoys being a woman. The show is more trying to say that there's no true way to be a man, or a woman, and it's what you want to do that makes the person. So either he enjoys being a girl so he can remove his preconceived notions of what being a man does and how they act, or he genuinely enjoys being a woman. I hope that I made it more clear. It's more him trying to get rid of child trauma of being told what being a man is and that men can't be happy and must always get hurt. And ranma sees being a woman as being happy, carefree, and can do what ever they want, but when he's a male he says bad things about women that his dad told him, and it takes living with women, and a longterm place to meet people, to slowly unravel his misogyny, and misandry. I know this is two years later and you could think differently about the show or forgotten it by now, but I just wanted to clear up on what the show is about. The femininity is more of an excuse to be himself, so he is 99% assuredly a man that got a new view away from what his dad taught him.
many guys can understand Ranma, just imagine being a man and forcibly transform into a girl with cold water can really demoralize you, especially when you are proud of being a man. Me as a man would never feel comfortable in a body of a woman, so definitely can understand Ranma's struggle dealing with this, and add it up with all the romantic triangles involved, it can drive any man insane lol
Glad to see you back in action. I sort of don’t agree with the idea that it’s transphobic to be shocked or surprised about someone effectively tricking you into believing a false identity I agree that it would be transphobic to equate the secret they’ve been keeping to something harmful to others in any capacity But initially being shocked and or angry because someone lied or tricked you is in no way transphobic or discriminatory
Ranma1/2 is the best anime I have ever watched. I can’t stop watching it, and I watch it every day for 1 hour. I almost down my knees to Ranma and Ryoga. What’s the reason? Because I really love it.❤
I'll go ahead and share some of my experiences with being trans as well. I've always connected with girls more and would use them to represent me online. I always had girls as my icons or characters when possible. I went through a lot of questioning as a teenager, both with my gender and sexuality. I just never had a safe spot to really work through this and when I tried I was pushed back or rejected. A few years ago though I watched Adachi and Shimamura and something finally clicked. Something I couldn't avoid anymore. I am a woman, and at that a lesbian. Adachi out of every single character I ever connected with fully pushed me into a corner. I had no reason to connect with her so strongly. Her character or sexual struggle. The only answer was to finally accept myself. Though that took a bit more time and reading the novels, but regardless. I loved hearing you talk about how Ranma connected with you and helped push you into a good direction, even if only a bit.
It's been so long I forgot I was subscribed to you. I'm so fucking happy to see this though, and I'm glad you're starting to come to terms with yourself
Randomly started watching this anime around 2020, and it seriously became one of my favorite anime. There’s something about the world of Ranma 1/2 and the characters I enjoy, Ranma, Ryoga, Kuno, Shampoo, Genma, hell, even Akane.
I really appreciate all the heart and vulnerability you put into your videos. Ranma 1/2 has been on my 'to watch' list for awhile and because of your video I will make sure that its the next anime I watch. Thank you for all that you do
"Sure I'll be Ranma, but at least I'll actually get to be me" :') Really excellent video! I loved hearing your perspective on such *gender* series. I don't remember how or where, but I remember catching an episode of two on tv while channel surfing and I found the antics fun and goofy! To this day I really love the series' design and general aesthetic, some of those outfits are just killer! However, I only caught a couple of episodes because my mother walked into the room and saw her young son was watching "filth". Whether people or not people want to accept it, Ranma is inherently a transgressive piece of work (pun intended). Like all other art, in it's existence and effort to share some sort of idea, it lives in the realm of the political. Even if the intention of the work was to be strictly feminist in nature, i.e. showing that female Ranma is just as capable as male Ranma, the exploration of gender is radical! I can't help but view this series and the broader themes it plays with in a social logical lens. Two things come to mind, first being "Onnagata". Onnagata were actors that played female kabuki roles so intensely they would "live as women". As far as I know, and can tell, that is the primeval origins of a broadly accepted form of trans identity in Japan. That's why the idea of a man becoming a woman, even in body, is a much more common and accepted idea. So say for us in the "west", that idea still plays as extremely transgressive. The second idea that comes to mind is Japan's Bill 156, "Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of Youths", which has been hitting queer (specifically BL) manga hard. The Bill seeks to aid the development of the Japanese youth by keeping them away from media that can hurt their growth, just so happens that content tends to be queer. That content is then given their highest possible age rating and they must be sold in special sections of store than basically sell only sexually explicit materials. Yet, Ranma seemingly has escaped the purview of the Bill's wrath. It will be interesting to see how and what happens to the series with it's new found popularity. It's sad to think about how a series from the 80s may be too progressive for the modern age. By the way, I got that Onnagata info from a free thesis paper called "LESBIANS AND TRANSGENDERS IN JAPANESE MEDIA" by Regina Caldart. I gave it a quick read and I'm sure you'd enjoy it! Once again amazing video, don't listen to people that are putting you down, you're awesome! I always learn something new when I watch your stuff lol.
I just found your channel after doing some research on the wondering son. i’m grateful to have found it. existence is a lot. Thank you for your content and sharing your experience
Hope things get better for you. For what its worth, I subbed and liked, and I hope you dont give up. Ranma changed a lot for me too. Made me question myself in many ways. I first discovered it when I was 11 or 12. My dad got me a ''manga lot'' from ebay, basically where people dump a whole bunch of volumes at once. He found it was made by Rumiko, and she made Inuyasha which I loved at the time. And bam, from that moment on its one of my most cherished series of all times. Its a magical series that is precious to me.
Eeeeh you're back. I just went through a marathon of your old videos like a month ago. Happy to see something from you outside the podcast I'll see this one later but just wanted to leave good wishes here
I don't think that episode with Ranma being hyper feminine was transphobic. I wouldn't consider it that. On the other hand I'm not trans, so I can't tell if otherwise I would be offended or not. But as I see it, all of the cast rejects Ranmas strong femininity not only because he's actually a guy, but because he isn't himself at all. I think this episode really needs to be looked at thru the lense of its context. Ranma is someone who is competitive, loves good action, and is mostly comfortable in his masculinity and he is not afraid to show himself as masculine even when he is a girl. That is what truly is breaking the gender roles here: that no matter what his body looks like, his personality stays the same. I don't think the casts wants him to act "like a guy" again, because he is a guy, but rather they are so concerned because they want *him* to be *himself* . They are looking for the *individual* , that has disappeared with his unexpected amnesia, which had forced a change of character upon him. In the context of this episode, he is literally not himself because he hit his head and has got some sort of literal physical damage from it.
I've been meaning to revisit and watch this series again, but work, other media, being tired and depressed... i've just found that I watch anime a lot less. But this reminded me of how I adore this show and should at least check it out again. I'm glad you're doing okay.
The thing i got from ranma as a 7 year old asian male back in the 90s was this. Gender overall doesn't define you. You should be accepted for who you are and your actions. Im comfortable being me as a male but can try and understand struggles and help others on their own journeys.
I havent looked at your channel in what ithink is 3+ years and im just happy youtube recommended this video to me, its very valuable to have these personal expiriences of people dealing with being queer as a fellow queer person.
I've recently been binge-watching Ranma 1/2 and I love it so much. The fact that he is more enduring and stronger in boy mode yet faster and more agile in girl mode is interesting to me too. I hear there is a remake or the like in the works for a new Ranma. I'm eager to see how that one is too. To those in the LGBTQ+, we are all different and meant to be so. Be proud of the fact that you are NOT a carbon copy of anyone. There's no mold for you so be different...you are not alone. The Native American tribes had 5 genders before British settlers: Male, Female, Male Two-Souls (guy that is more like a girl), Female Two-Souls (girl that is more like a guy), and trans. Not all tribes practiced this but I am a Male Two-Souls. I'm a bit of both. This isn't a new thing.
Ranma 1/2 is arguably Rumiko Takahashi's best work and your thoughts on all of that you shared aren't dissimilar. Saying that, you are Unconditionally Loved for You. So continue to be You!
I found Ranma 1/2 in early childhood (somewhere between 5 and 7). It has always stuck in my head. I wanted to have fallen into the cursed spring, but at the same time, have it be permanent. But as my brain had already categorized it as fiction, I never really thought about it. Then society happened and I became really uncomfortable with the idea of transness (even if I didn't have the language, mainly because all the trans people I saw were in terms of "haha, look at this 'man'", which really internalized transphobia in me to the point I really tried to distance myself from the idea). But it still always was there, the thought that I wanted to be a girl/woman. But, poor (undiagnosed) autistic me was like that can't happen, so I will be a boy, or at least be apathetic towards it. That was at least until I was actually able to get past my internal biases and actually think about it. And now, I am here. On HRT for a little over a year (as of this writing). Still trying to deal with the executive dysfunction that seems to prevent me from doing voice training. (Though the dysphoria about it keeps growing.) But I am overall happier. And Ranma 1/2 will always be a core memory in my mind. And something I will always look back fondly on.😊 And to those who resonate with my story, you can do it. I started my journey at 28, and there are people who have started later than me. All it takes is a small step to start accepting who you are. I know the world is currently scary, but know that you are not alone. And if you don't feel safe, maybe reach out to some people online to discuss. There is always community somewhere. (Sorry if that is a bit too optimistic. I know that it can be extremely unsafe for some people. If you need to protect yourself, do that first. And if you want to explore things more, there are lots of people online that are willing to share their stories. There are also people that are willing to listen.)
Also add in the fact the lane keeps ryoga (P-chan) as a pet and has no idea that it's him. And then throw in the fact that ranma keeps using this fact to blackmail and taunt ryoga. Ryoga is my favourite character
Just FYI, that one episode according to the writer is about the actual spirit of the original drowned girl taking overly temporarily while Ranma is comatose. (There’s another episode where one of the cursed girls acts like an animal for a bit after getting hit in the head). So your right to call them a her, it’s just not Ranma, it’s basically a ghost using…well actually that is her body so she didn’t really steal it
![[Ep1-15] Reincarnated Into an Anime World With JoJo's 'The World' Power!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nHKj5EC0PaI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm terrible at writing calls to action in videos!! Anyway, in my absence from UA-cam, I started livestreaming...which means I've been doing that for over a year without promoting it much here (I'm a disaster). Got this video done under the wire as always, but even so, happy pride!! Livestreams happen here: www.twitch.tv/mathwiz97x
Hxh is gonna be back ye
Beautiful sentiments about being yourself. I watched this series when I was in high school and it was a ton of fun. I think what stuck with me the most are the times Ranma embraces genders. It is easier to embrace your gender when you feel like you can express and externalize what you feel inside. When look and feel female it is easier to embrace your female gender identity as Ranma does wearing dresses, being shorter, and allowing femininity to be expressed. I might not know much on the subject and many might say i'm wrong, but, I think when Ranma feels like a woman she it and when Ranma wants to be a man, he it. It is quite possible that going to Jusenkyo just allowed Ranma to be more comfortable expressing his felinity and be able to, well, feel like a woman.
I think you misunderstand that gender statement at 6:55. Trans meaning in transition. A mix between female an male traits. Its more strait forward. He is a male or a female.
the REAL reason to watch Ranma 1/2 is because it's funny as fuck
The first half is funnier than the second for me...just the timing of certain jokes and whatnot was on point. Felt like in the second half the series was more focused on being weird and quirky, not that there still weren't good episodes in there too.
@@MathWizHQ oddly enough was in the middle of my watch when this video released and just so happened to be close to the episode you highlighted in the video. series still has me in shackles so imma still binge for a while
Facts
Super glad you're in a place where you can put out wonderful videos like this again!!! Thanks for sharing a li'l piece of your journey with Ranma and with yourself, and happy pride :)
Ayyyy she back!!!! 🥳🥳
Ranma 1/2 is so goddang influential it doesn't get anywhere the credit it deserves
not gonna lie, you have been one of the creators this last year-ish where I watch one of your videos and think "I want to make something like that"
that is too true its such a good gender bender anime are there any others like it you would suggest
Rumiko kept writing transness when poking at gender. Ryuunosuke from Urusei Yatsura is so trans. Plus the energy from Ataru. Also, Konatsu in the Ranma manga. She’s so precious.
Also, not Rumiko, but I also think Hibari is delightful. Even if her series is… very dated in some ways.
Can you elaborate on Ataru, seems it is going to be an interesting read?
@@kostajovanovic3711 Ataru is revealed to practice using Japanese ‘feminine speech’ with unusual determination (that his classmates make note of), dresses as a girl a few times in the anime, shows no real interest in turning back into a boy in the arc where he’s turned into a girl (and dodge’s Lum’s question when she asks if he’s glad to be a boy again at the end), and uses another alien technology to turn into a girl three different times. (And, I think there’s other [smaller] things, but that’s what I can remember at the moment.)
He always kissing my boy mendou 😂 v@@fernbedek6302
@@fernbedek6302so a pervert.
I'd never expected to see a video talking about Ranma 1/2 and how this anime changed someone. I thought i was the one that this happened... I'm really happy with this.
I literally accepted myself when i saw Ranma 1/2 and coincidentally, the 49th episode that was talked about in this video is my favorite. Before watching this anime, I intended to never leave the ''cage'' until i saw this anime and i accepted more myself and, currently i'm still struggling about this, but i can say that today i'm more satisfied than in 2018.
Thank you for making this video. And yes, my nick Ukyo is from Ranma 1/2 too. Oh, by the way, thank you for the subtitles! I'm actually a deaf, so it helped me a lot
I'm trying to get in the habit of subtitling scripted videos like this. Haven't gone back to add them to older videos yet because it can be a tedious process, but hopefully I can get more of them done in the future.
Love the video and glad I could help with some small part of it! You always excel when it comes to articulating your connection to a particular series.
I love this series. Both Urusei yatsura and Ranma 1/2 were ahead of their time. Hopefuly Urusei Yatsura remake captures charm of the original and it leads to Ranma1/2 remake.
Me too I'm currently on the 3rd season right now. Both it and Urusai yatsura along with Maison Ikkuko are my favorites
You might be happy then!
Have I got news for you!
Way to make me laugh and then cry in the span of just 16 mins. It felt like a whole year ago when I started seeing your tweets and streams talking about Ranma and I'm so happy to have been there, and now seeing the results in this video. 😊 Good luck in the next project!
Ranma’s my all-time favorite anime, and my second-favorite manga. If Urusei Yatsura 2022 does well, who knows? I don’t care what form it takes, even if it’s a new manga handed off to someone other than Takahashi, I just want new, GOOD Ranma.
me too I want see better animation and some story arcs from the Manga brought to life that weren't in the original anime series run
@@YoursTrulyThe1Pony Hit me up with Herb, Ryu Kumon, and the last arc and I would be able to die happy. God, I'd love to see those animated.
@@Drekal684 I mean personally I'd love in the reboot if in the end there is them reconciling into a polycule.
It’s possible, the year before Inuyasha came back. So Ranma might be next
from the future and it was fantastic. urusei yatsura was my first anime and I enjoyed the reboot a lot. it would be awesome to see ranma 1/2 or maison ikkoku remade.
your voice sounds so beautiful! ranma is such an underrated anime, it was my first anime ever and it shaped me as a person
"I hit my head and now I'm a woman" . . . Not too far away from some of my own regenerations.
Might actually use that to explain the vibe, tbh.
Real glad to have you back around here friend! Your voice was one we sorely missed.
started watching the netflix remake and im fucking obsessed. im a trans girl who has recently been trying to understand my own gender fluidity and its been so fun to watch a protagonists with such fluid and queer gender
As a cishet man from the South (le gasp), I loved Ranma as a teen. Sure I liked the fan service, but what sticks with me now in my 30's is that I also loved how it helped affirm my own not super traditional way I relate to my masculinity, question gender norms, and I think in retrospect it helped me understand and accept trans people.
I can't describe how relatable this video is. I'm a transgender man myself, that experience of dissociation, something that once helped me to dissociate myself from my body turning into harming me at the end, was something very prevalent in my life. I felt like I wasn't man enough to be a man and didn't know what to do with myself stuck in this state of "I am a man, but never enough of one." Also that last that was like it hits you on the head and it all comes together was very similar to me. It felt like up until the point I finally admitted I was a man, I lived my life in a daze, that that person was someone completely foreign to me and couldn't see myself as such.
Nice ragebait. You can now go and find a life worth living
queer perspectives on ranma are one of my favorite things in the wider anime fandom great vid 🏳️⚧️🙏
I hesitate to use the term 'filler' in an episodic comedy series like Ranma 1/2, but would note that 'Ranma's Declaration of Womanhood' is an original story created for the anime so any interpretation is probably going to reflect the screenwriters' thoughts more than those of the mangaka, Rumiko Takahashi.
Beyond that, I don't really think Ranma can be considered a 'statement' on anything, but rather an exploration of gender roles in Japan during the 1980. Which is to say that, to me, it feels more as if it's asking questions than looking for answers.
Yeah, I kinda avoided referring to Takahashi specifically in this video since my experience was more with the anime than the manga, and sometimes videos like this can give too much credit to just the original mangaka, but in that case specifically I knew the episode was anime original, I just didn't say so in the video itself.
I think that's a good way to view the series as well, it gave me a lot to think about from various angles and perspectives.
i love this video and i love you, keep up the good work
4:41 Ranma 1/2 is just a series of people in different situations ignoring Ranma's boundaries and consent and then he getting blamed for it.
Truly the most accurate allegory for the life of a trans woman
She's like me frfr 🏳️⚧️
Fantastic
Ranma 1/2 reportedly in the works of remake.
I have such a weird experience with Ranma, I'm a trans girl and I've never fully watched this series, however, when I was a kid I remember watching some episodes on tv and... I was so obsessed. I wanted to be Ranma sooo bad. But my parents didn't allow me to watch it anymore since they thought I'd become gay-er since I basically told them when I was 5 that I wanted to be a girl.
After years of self transphobia I started avoiding the series since "I was not gay and not trans at all" and now I've remembered this anime and I wanna watch it fully and read the manga. Loved your video ♥
Awesome video
I used to really love watching this show, frustrating as it was at times. I got introduced to it through random DVDs when I waaay young to be watching it! A few years later, I decided to check out the rest of it... then I got to the Happosai episodes and couldn't get through them.
After watching this video I'm tempted to try again. I've gone from starting it as a child, to continuing it as a teen. So yeah, let's finish this thing as an adult!
SAME! Fuck that guy and who ever inspired that character!
I NEED an episode guide with Happosai absent episodes!
Wo thanks for making it. I love your style of making essays. They almost always come up as fairly deep without being philosophically condensing, and I can really appreciate it!
Still a good Anime no doubt one of the best on it's era, Ranma turning into a girl was a funny thing to see, even as a female, he would still behave as a guy and that's what makes it even funnier pure comedy
i was hoping to find a video exactly like that lol
What a lovely and wholesome video. I was hooked by everything ranma related, but I really loved this video by the end after hearing what you shared about your own life struggles with depression.
It really can make such a huge difference to remember that it's ok to not be okay and that life can be excruciating at times.
Maybe I projected myself here but amyhow, just wanted to let you know that I appreciate your work and your words.
Oh my god, i loved Ranma growing up in the 90's. It did awaken a few things in me as a kid, but later grew out of. I kinda want to rewatch to see if it holds up as i remember it, as that was a very different time.
Ranma 1/2 is one of my favorites of all time. This was a great video. Bonsai Pop also has a great video essay about Ranma as well, I highly recommend it.
Did you know that ranma 1/2 is getting a remake!!!
ITSSS HEREEEEE
Hey, I'm really glad you're back. And congrats on your transition. I'm cis, but really enjoy trans representation in media and this stuck out to me and helps me see Ranma in a whole new light and despite the constant switching, I never really saw it that kind of narrative so this was refreshing.
There's a lot I just frankly hate about myself and I wish there was something that I could pinpoint to say "if I fix that, I'll be better" seeing the type of media that expresses freedom of being who you really are is almost inspiring. Maybe one day I'll find the part of myself that's in desperate need of change, but for now, trans representation and shounen power ups are as close as I got eheh.
Either way great vid
>There's a lot I just frankly hate about myself and I wish there was something that I could pinpoint to say "if I fix that, I'll be better"
>Maybe one day I'll find the part of myself that's in desperate need of change,
Wow, you're just like me before I transitioned... 👀🥚
Ranma 1/2 was on tv in Latin America, in kids channels.
I feel there was a surprisingly degree of not caring too much. But I'm sure a lot of kids were thinking "oh, I would just stay full time in girl mode", not really realizing what they were thinking. I don't know if it helped them or hurt them in the long run.
Oh yeah, I'm from Argentina and I remember watching Ranma ½ on a TV literally called Magic Kids, and the show itself aired in the afternoons. I think everybody considered it a kids show, there was even merchandise aimed at kids like coloring books. To be fair, some of the more risqué scenes were cut in the Neutral Spanish dub, but the localization itself was pretty faithful
Now that Ranma ½ is being remade, people here in Latin America are getting hyped, since Ranma ½ is still very popular, but it seems there's a bit of controversy due to the fact that Ranma and Ranko (female Ranma) have new voices in the Neutral Spanish dub, despite that their original VAs, Carlos Hugo Hidalgo and Irma Carmona, were hoping to reprise their roles, though it seems it has to do with the fact that the 2 don't get along with the new series' dub voice director
Interestingly, Ranma and Ranko new voices are LGBT+ people, Ranma's new VA, Elliott Leguizamo, is openly gay, and I think Ranko's new VA, Alicia Velez, identifies as non-binary, and I think Alicia has a girlfriend. I think they sound fine, though I'd have preferred the original voices
Great video, Ranma 1/2 is a great anime and i love it so much. And im happy to see videos like these!
Same! Needed this
Welcome back
Good shit
I saw ranma like 5 yeats ago, this video made me feel like rewatching it
The reason i watched ranma was bc its funny, some badass fights with some really cool martial arts AND HE GETS GF'S LIKE NOTHING 😂.
Everytime i watch ranma i am laughing, wishing i could fight like that and its INSANLY MOTIVATION to train. Love it.
YES! I have been waiting for this video since I saw you mention the idea on twitter. Congrats!
I’m so glad you’re back. I hope you’re doing well and that your journey go nowhere but at an upward trajectory! Happy pride month 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
What does Ranma call water?
Gender Fluid
Ranma was the first anime I really got into.
Ranma is one of 2 anime characters that is me.
Ranma 1/2 was the very first anime I ever watch and the first one to help me discover who I truly was as a person at the age of 4yrs, that alone is the reason why i hold a special place in my heart for this series ^^
Of course is not perfect and there’s moments that raise a lot of questions but I still appreciated what it did for me during my childhood and even now as a transwoman.
glad to see you back!! i watched most of ur videos somewhat recently and u always bring up nuanced interpretations n meanings for things that i never even would have thought of, this video included n they rly all just speak 2 me in a way few things can. hope ur journey continues to go well, as u certainly have helped me along mine
Ranma is my favorite anime of all time :) I first watched it back in 93 when the Super Nintendo released a Ranma game. While it wasn't the greatest game I had an asian friend that saw me play it and then showed me the actual anime in a import store in China Town . Totally was hooked after :)
Thanks for making this :)
Edit: While the beauty is to take something and relate to it in a way you want. Rumiko T. made this in a time of (and kinda still till this day in Japan) a very Male dominating atmosphere. Especially in the Manga/anime scene. That is why she is the Queen of Manga till this day. She exploited/parodied the stereotypes through the show Ranma kinda like how Stan Lee broke down the race barrier of black and whites through his comics. Also there is an actual Ranma 1/2 restaurant "Ranma 1/2' Café" in Japan (more locations now too) where you can order all the food you see on the show and has Ranma episodes running on the walls :)
If you take offense by ranma you really are against humanity
Nice to see that you're still alive.
Ranma ½ was the first anime I discovered on the Internet. Back when 4kids was chopping up One Piece like a 2$ steak, I had a feeling that there were episodes I was missing. And when I went looking, I found the English subtitled version of One Piece, but also Ranma. And while I'm not trans myself, it really helped me start defining what "masculinity" means to me, in a world that is otherwise full of toxic male role-models.
As a transman who watched Ranma during childhood before I even knew I was trans, I hope my 2cents will be appreciated here.
While I enjoyed hearing your perspective and adore that you and im sure plenty of other trans, nonbinanry, and genderqueer people can see themselves in Ranma 1/2 and enjoy how much it plays with gender and how inherently queer it is as a show for its cheeky playtime with gender roles; I was really disappointed in that you didn't mention or talk about the opposing, or more hurtful, or even transphobic insinuations the narration often makes within the show, but especially within' "Ranma's Declaration of Womanhood."
Throughought the show Ranma, regardless of form, continues to identify and act like a man regardless of what form he takes-- And as a transman, that's been my experience my whole childhood. Being female sexed and always being perceived as a woman no matter how much you act and identify otherwise, only for your words to fall on society's deaf ears. To transmen, this is exactly what we experienced our whole lives, and even after transitioniing, continue to experience. But it doesn't even end there; Ranma gets very cheeky with what he can get away with as a girl, and as queer people I think we all love that. It def sends the messsage about how queer and how trans ranma really is that, despite still identifying as a man, he kind of doesn't mind playing the role sometimes or being cheeky or playing with presentation; Especially when he knows he can get away with it socially. Is this not the androgynous wet dream??
Anyway I got carried away but the point I really wanna get to aka transphobia in the narration of the womanhood episode is such that, it was kind of fucked to watch a character who has so solidly identified as a man for the entirety of the show, rain or shine, boobs or no boobs, suddenly throw that out the window once he'd gotten amnesia. I know that for some, gender is fluid, and thats all well and good and Valid-- But for Ranma, it wasn't. He could enjoy his femininity, sure, but ultimately he still identified as a man, did he not? To have the narration suggest that all it would take to change that is some amnesia and social expectations feels.. Gross and invalidating. Especially as a transperson. Obviously all experiences are different and valid, but for a lot of us, is the struggle not that we know who are inside, and that that person inside does not change regardless of how much the outside does, or what the outside world expects?? We hurt and starve and kill ourselves trying to fit into society's pre-determined gender roles for us, and we experience pain and discomfort and the most shitty things trying to fit into it, even though we ultimately never can. Because it's not who we are.
But Ranma's Declaration of Womanhood flies in the face of all that. For me, it's a spit in the face to the concept of transgender people. As if all of us could just accept our birth-sex gender roles as fact if we just convinced ourselves further of it, or got a little amnesia, even though gender dysphoria is a real physical manifestation in the brain you can see on CT Scans. That single episode, for me, hurt to watch. A lot.
It's hard to look at that episode and see someone transgender, for me. That singular episode throws the concept of Ranma being transgender into question for me too, because the narration there is so painfully heteronormative and ignorant to trans people existing as anything other than a joke. Which, yknow, makes sense considering it's country of origin and airing time. Even today Japan doesn't have like, a lot of positive depiction of trans characters, though some are starting to come through in their own ways and I really do love that-- but it's a very recent thing.
Idk, I hope you as another trans person will appreciate my perspective in the way that I appreciate yours. Either way I think you're right about Ranma, both the show itself and the character, being kind of inherently genderqueer as an end product. But I also think you do a disservice to it, and to those of us hurt by it, when you disregard the more transphobic implications the show had as well.
Good luck with your transition, Im still happy that it can impact people positively despite some of the impacts it had on me.
EDIT: Actually no yknow what I have more to say.
I understand and I really am glad that Ranma impacted you in a positive way but I think it's a little tone deaf to look at a show about a man, struggling to present as a man after Being Cursed With A Womans Body , and say "Yep thats a transwoman" and not a transman???? He is, at BEST, genderfluid/Nonbinary, but don't erase his gender and his masculinity.
If you understand how meaningful it is to you to have a story about someone AMAB being given an easy and convenient opportunity to explore femininity, then you can also be empathetic and considerate enough to understand that for the transmen on the opposite side of the spectrum, that we are also watching a show about a man cursed to be a woman, without his consent, and actively fighting to correct his literal body to be that of a mans once more.
Heck, thats not even like, subjective interpretation: He's a young man who's been cursed by the Spring of Drowned Girl to switch sexes whenever he's exposed to cold water: That's the literal plot of the show! Every season Ranma makes efforts not to accept himself as a woman, but to return to being 100% himself as a man. Feeling as though he, at the very end of the show, cannot even face his mother while still being cursed. If that isn't the clearest example of gender dysphoria, of someone struggling with not wanting to be a woman, then what is??? Respectfully, don't erase that.
I thought I had done a good enough job of reinforcing Ranma's maleness in how I referred to him outside of my own personal connections to the material, but I can also understand the ways in which I overlooked that perspective in favor of my own biased transfem perspective. I could've and maybe should've done more to represent that transmasc reading which is also very key to the material. Cause yeah, some of what you said here are thoughts I've also had about the series, like Ranma being a trans man, but then some of it is stuff I hadn't considered before. Clearly that blind spot got the better of me on this subject, because what I thought was making mention of other perspectives ended up being more dismissive than I meant it to be. Or maybe I, as a trans woman, undervalued how much that transmasc reading was worth dwelling on? Like, I could've still focused on my personal thoughts, but I should've done more to show that there's more to be said than just transfem stuff.
Maybe I came off as more dismissive towards claims of transphobia than I meant to as well. I guess my intent was to highlight how both good and bad elements can exist simultaneously without one needing to overpower the other, but maybe I was guilty of the same thing I was trying to not do. Thank you for taking the time to write this out. I get nervous talking about queer stuff in videos for reasons like this, like I'm worried my words will somehow end up doing more harm than good, but I'm trying to do better and work on any mistakes when I inevitably make them. I'll keep this in mind for the future.
Sorry to be late. Some people see ranma as a transfem because throughout the series he slowly becomes more comfortable being a female. He starts using it to his advantage for things that he sees as non-masculine things. He eventually stops looking for the cure or trying to go back to China for a cure, and is only reminded that he can be cured, and that he can stop being a woman when somebody mentions it, and he turns hostile when somebody asks if he really wants to be all male because he sees it as an attack of how his father taught him being a man was. He has a very hostile image of what being manly is. He is grown up being told by his dad what he sees being a man is. His dad told ranma that being a woman is weak and bad.
ranma eventually sees himself using it to his advantage to be faster, more carefree, nicer. His dad wanted his son to become what he saw as manly things because he made a contract with his wife saying that they will both commit sepuku if he isn't manly enough, so he can take his child to train to inherit the dojo. His dad tells ranma that he has to be man amongst men, while saying very hostile stereotypes about men and women for 12 years, and never stays in the same place for more then 1 year for 12 years of his childhood. Ranma eventually stops caring about inheriting the dojo after the womanhood EP. People see the ep. As when he gets hit in the head he forgets his preconceived notions of men and reverts to stereotypical womanly things, because that is all that he knows of at the time, and in the series he says that being a woman is better because you can have more fun. He sees eating ice creme as a feminine thing so when he eats or wants to be carefree he turns into a woman so he can do more of what he wants.
People see ranma as a trans woman because he seems a lot happier as a woman either it's because of what his dad told him what being a man is and ranma feels like he is stuck only doing what his dad told him as a guy, or genually enjoys being a woman. The show is more trying to say that there's no true way to be a man, or a woman, and it's what you want to do that makes the person.
So either he enjoys being a girl so he can remove his preconceived notions of what being a man does and how they act, or he genuinely enjoys being a woman.
I hope that I made it more clear. It's more him trying to get rid of child trauma of being told what being a man is and that men can't be happy and must always get hurt. And ranma sees being a woman as being happy, carefree, and can do what ever they want, but when he's a male he says bad things about women that his dad told him, and it takes living with women, and a longterm place to meet people, to slowly unravel his misogyny, and misandry. I know this is two years later and you could think differently about the show or forgotten it by now, but I just wanted to clear up on what the show is about. The femininity is more of an excuse to be himself, so he is 99% assuredly a man that got a new view away from what his dad taught him.
many guys can understand Ranma, just imagine being a man and forcibly transform into a girl with cold water can really demoralize you, especially when you are proud of being a man. Me as a man would never feel comfortable in a body of a woman, so definitely can understand Ranma's struggle dealing with this, and add it up with all the romantic triangles involved, it can drive any man insane lol
I'm happy you're back :)
holy shit ur alive!!! im glad ur ok, happy pride and happy hrt too!
Glad to see you back in action.
I sort of don’t agree with the idea that it’s transphobic to be shocked or surprised about someone effectively tricking you into believing a false identity
I agree that it would be transphobic to equate the secret they’ve been keeping to something harmful to others in any capacity
But initially being shocked and or angry because someone lied or tricked you is in no way transphobic or discriminatory
ranma 1/2 at the same time makes me feel very much reafirmed and extremely disphoric at the same time
This is lovely video. I'm happy you came out that journey with a greater sense of self confidence.
Ranma1/2 is the best anime I have ever watched. I can’t stop watching it, and I watch it every day for 1 hour. I almost down my knees to Ranma and Ryoga. What’s the reason? Because I really love it.❤
Ur analysis was amazing
Woah you sound awesome as always
I'll go ahead and share some of my experiences with being trans as well. I've always connected with girls more and would use them to represent me online. I always had girls as my icons or characters when possible. I went through a lot of questioning as a teenager, both with my gender and sexuality. I just never had a safe spot to really work through this and when I tried I was pushed back or rejected. A few years ago though I watched Adachi and Shimamura and something finally clicked. Something I couldn't avoid anymore. I am a woman, and at that a lesbian. Adachi out of every single character I ever connected with fully pushed me into a corner. I had no reason to connect with her so strongly. Her character or sexual struggle. The only answer was to finally accept myself. Though that took a bit more time and reading the novels, but regardless. I loved hearing you talk about how Ranma connected with you and helped push you into a good direction, even if only a bit.
It's been so long I forgot I was subscribed to you. I'm so fucking happy to see this though, and I'm glad you're starting to come to terms with yourself
Randomly started watching this anime around 2020, and it seriously became one of my favorite anime. There’s something about the world of Ranma 1/2 and the characters I enjoy, Ranma, Ryoga, Kuno, Shampoo, Genma, hell, even Akane.
I really appreciate all the heart and vulnerability you put into your videos. Ranma 1/2 has been on my 'to watch' list for awhile and because of your video I will make sure that its the next anime I watch. Thank you for all that you do
what's crazy is as a life long fan of rumiko takashi this isn't even the best she has made despite being how amazing it is.
I disagree😂 Ranma is PEAK. Inuyasha is a close second
Not sure if my old comment's coming back, but this is great and you're great 💯
That was very wholesome. Thank you for that :)
"Sure I'll be Ranma, but at least I'll actually get to be me" :')
Really excellent video! I loved hearing your perspective on such *gender* series. I don't remember how or where, but I remember catching an episode of two on tv while channel surfing and I found the antics fun and goofy! To this day I really love the series' design and general aesthetic, some of those outfits are just killer! However, I only caught a couple of episodes because my mother walked into the room and saw her young son was watching "filth". Whether people or not people want to accept it, Ranma is inherently a transgressive piece of work (pun intended). Like all other art, in it's existence and effort to share some sort of idea, it lives in the realm of the political. Even if the intention of the work was to be strictly feminist in nature, i.e. showing that female Ranma is just as capable as male Ranma, the exploration of gender is radical! I can't help but view this series and the broader themes it plays with in a social logical lens.
Two things come to mind, first being "Onnagata". Onnagata were actors that played female kabuki roles so intensely they would "live as women". As far as I know, and can tell, that is the primeval origins of a broadly accepted form of trans identity in Japan. That's why the idea of a man becoming a woman, even in body, is a much more common and accepted idea. So say for us in the "west", that idea still plays as extremely transgressive. The second idea that comes to mind is Japan's Bill 156, "Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance Regarding the Healthy Development of Youths", which has been hitting queer (specifically BL) manga hard. The Bill seeks to aid the development of the Japanese youth by keeping them away from media that can hurt their growth, just so happens that content tends to be queer. That content is then given their highest possible age rating and they must be sold in special sections of store than basically sell only sexually explicit materials. Yet, Ranma seemingly has escaped the purview of the Bill's wrath. It will be interesting to see how and what happens to the series with it's new found popularity. It's sad to think about how a series from the 80s may be too progressive for the modern age.
By the way, I got that Onnagata info from a free thesis paper called "LESBIANS AND TRANSGENDERS IN JAPANESE MEDIA" by Regina Caldart. I gave it a quick read and I'm sure you'd enjoy it! Once again amazing video, don't listen to people that are putting you down, you're awesome! I always learn something new when I watch your stuff lol.
Still my favorite anime series to this day. Not just Ranma but all the characters are so cool.
I just found your channel after doing some research on the wondering son. i’m grateful to have found it. existence is a lot. Thank you for your content and sharing your experience
Lovely video, sending good vibes
Back and better than ever. Glad to see you in a much better place. Beautiful video as always
Hope things get better for you. For what its worth, I subbed and liked, and I hope you dont give up. Ranma changed a lot for me too. Made me question myself in many ways. I first discovered it when I was 11 or 12. My dad got me a ''manga lot'' from ebay, basically where people dump a whole bunch of volumes at once. He found it was made by Rumiko, and she made Inuyasha which I loved at the time. And bam, from that moment on its one of my most cherished series of all times. Its a magical series that is precious to me.
good to see you are back keep it up i love your content and wish you all the best
Glad that you’re back 😁 thanks for the video
Eeeeh you're back. I just went through a marathon of your old videos like a month ago. Happy to see something from you outside the podcast
I'll see this one later but just wanted to leave good wishes here
I don't think that episode with Ranma being hyper feminine was transphobic. I wouldn't consider it that. On the other hand I'm not trans, so I can't tell if otherwise I would be offended or not.
But as I see it, all of the cast rejects Ranmas strong femininity not only because he's actually a guy, but because he isn't himself at all. I think this episode really needs to be looked at thru the lense of its context. Ranma is someone who is competitive, loves good action, and is mostly comfortable in his masculinity and he is not afraid to show himself as masculine even when he is a girl. That is what truly is breaking the gender roles here: that no matter what his body looks like, his personality stays the same.
I don't think the casts wants him to act "like a guy" again, because he is a guy, but rather they are so concerned because they want *him* to be *himself* . They are looking for the *individual* , that has disappeared with his unexpected amnesia, which had forced a change of character upon him. In the context of this episode, he is literally not himself because he hit his head and has got some sort of literal physical damage from it.
I was raised on ranma and it showed me about life in love, comedy and karate!!!
LETSGO I’ve been waiting for this vid for a while
a Mathwiz video? what year is it?!
great to see ur still kicking! :)
Glad it's back. Love the video
This was my first ever intro into anime and i'm glad it was
I've been meaning to revisit and watch this series again, but work, other media, being tired and depressed... i've just found that I watch anime a lot less. But this reminded me of how I adore this show and should at least check it out again. I'm glad you're doing okay.
Welcome back! Your voice work is good as well!
The thing i got from ranma as a 7 year old asian male back in the 90s was this. Gender overall doesn't define you. You should be accepted for who you are and your actions. Im comfortable being me as a male but can try and understand struggles and help others on their own journeys.
Still need to read the Manga
I would call the series peak but it is definitely enjoyable
What an inspiring essay and share, Mathwiz-sensei... arigatou for sharing ur own gender journey via Ranma 1/2!
You're beautiful!
Awesome to see you back 😁
I havent looked at your channel in what ithink is 3+ years and im just happy youtube recommended this video to me, its very valuable to have these personal expiriences of people dealing with being queer as a fellow queer person.
I've recently been binge-watching Ranma 1/2 and I love it so much. The fact that he is more enduring and stronger in boy mode yet faster and more agile in girl mode is interesting to me too. I hear there is a remake or the like in the works for a new Ranma. I'm eager to see how that one is too.
To those in the LGBTQ+, we are all different and meant to be so. Be proud of the fact that you are NOT a carbon copy of anyone. There's no mold for you so be different...you are not alone.
The Native American tribes had 5 genders before British settlers: Male, Female, Male Two-Souls (guy that is more like a girl), Female Two-Souls (girl that is more like a guy), and trans. Not all tribes practiced this but I am a Male Two-Souls. I'm a bit of both. This isn't a new thing.
I never thought this anime could create such profound thoughts. thank you, your video is a opening window.
Good to see you back
Ranma 1/2 is arguably Rumiko Takahashi's best work and your thoughts on all of that you shared aren't dissimilar. Saying that, you are Unconditionally Loved for You. So continue to be You!
Glad to see the video is back, hopefully it stays that way this time.
Welcome back
The legend has returned!
I found Ranma 1/2 in early childhood (somewhere between 5 and 7). It has always stuck in my head. I wanted to have fallen into the cursed spring, but at the same time, have it be permanent. But as my brain had already categorized it as fiction, I never really thought about it. Then society happened and I became really uncomfortable with the idea of transness (even if I didn't have the language, mainly because all the trans people I saw were in terms of "haha, look at this 'man'", which really internalized transphobia in me to the point I really tried to distance myself from the idea). But it still always was there, the thought that I wanted to be a girl/woman. But, poor (undiagnosed) autistic me was like that can't happen, so I will be a boy, or at least be apathetic towards it. That was at least until I was actually able to get past my internal biases and actually think about it. And now, I am here. On HRT for a little over a year (as of this writing). Still trying to deal with the executive dysfunction that seems to prevent me from doing voice training. (Though the dysphoria about it keeps growing.) But I am overall happier. And Ranma 1/2 will always be a core memory in my mind. And something I will always look back fondly on.😊
And to those who resonate with my story, you can do it. I started my journey at 28, and there are people who have started later than me. All it takes is a small step to start accepting who you are. I know the world is currently scary, but know that you are not alone. And if you don't feel safe, maybe reach out to some people online to discuss. There is always community somewhere.
(Sorry if that is a bit too optimistic. I know that it can be extremely unsafe for some people. If you need to protect yourself, do that first. And if you want to explore things more, there are lots of people online that are willing to share their stories. There are also people that are willing to listen.)
This is really good.
I'm definitely gonna check out Ranma 1/2 now.
I feel like a lot of us lack that confidence to be more assertive, to be out, to be ourselves.
it's a hard block a lot of us have to overcome.
Many Thanks for this video darling :3
Also add in the fact the lane keeps ryoga (P-chan) as a pet and has no idea that it's him.
And then throw in the fact that ranma keeps using this fact to blackmail and taunt ryoga.
Ryoga is my favourite character
Just FYI, that one episode according to the writer is about the actual spirit of the original drowned girl taking overly temporarily while Ranma is comatose. (There’s another episode where one of the cursed girls acts like an animal for a bit after getting hit in the head). So your right to call them a her, it’s just not Ranma, it’s basically a ghost using…well actually that is her body so she didn’t really steal it
glad to have you back buddy
also honestly bestest of luck in transitioning