Panda Surprise!

 Whenever you find yourself enjoying something you've categorically put down your entire life, you always feel like an asshole. I know because I just finished reading the Volume 1 of 

Ranma 1/2 and it was awesome. 

 I've pretty much insisted that I hate manga as long as I can remember. Turns out, that's pretty easy to do when you've never read any (For the record, Miyazaki films do not count, as they are essential hipster art-house, just sayin'). I may have watched Sailor Moon a few times, but was pretty much the extent of my exposure until very recently...

I'm not necessarily eating all of my words. It's not as if I suddenly want to start running around in a pleated micro mini and knee socks giggling like a maniac, but I must admit Ranma 1/2 is undeniably entertaining. It's funny, the timing is great, the characters are incredibly endearing, and that just in the english version. 

 I can only imagine how much latent cuteness is lost in translation. I've heard people say that  German is a language meant for giving orders. I can only assume Japanese is a language created for the sole purpose of saying adorable things. What other culture has such an undying fascination with cute stuff? See: Hello Kitty, Asimo, Sushi, Pokemon. Ranma 1/2 is packed full of situations that are embarrassing in the cutest way possible. The main character involuntarily, yet quite comically, shifts from handsome young man to pig-tail sporting Lolita with just a splash of water. Also- the dad turns into a panda. Nothing is cuter then a panda. Obviously chaos ensues. But really cute chaos.

I can illustrate my "thesis" with two links, parts of an episode of the "Ranma 1/2" animated series. 

The first one is in Japanese with English subtitles. Tell me this isn't the cutest shit you've ever seen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMut0S93rRM

This one is the next part of the same epidsode, except it's been dubbed over by terrible English speaking actors. Boo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6a8ULj7W8M&feature=related

 

                                                                      I rest my case.