Ranma 1/2 - Outta Control - The Complete Fourth Season Boxed Set

But the better moments in this collection are still great fun. In episodes 15 and 16, a Martial Arts Calligraphy master leaves Ryoga with a pattern on his stomach that looks like Betty Boop's face. This story reveals the grudging affection Ranma and Ryoga share, despite their ongoing rivalry. (Only the perpetually lost Ryoga could dramatically bid everyone farewell--then set off on a loop trail.) Happosai's incurable fetish for girls' underwear severs the student-teacher bond in episode 10 and blights the old lecher's nascent romance with a pretty preschool teacher in episode 13. (Unrated; suitable for ages 12 and older: slapstick violence, nudity, mildly risqué humor) --Charles Solomon

Product Description
In ranma 1/2 outta control the fourth season of adventures based on the comics of rumiko takahashi were introduced to ranmas high school principal the infamous gambling king ranmas mom an all-ryoga episode and more. Studio: Viz Media Llc Release Date: 12/10/2002 Run time: 600 minutes Rating: Nr

Voice Acting: I'd really like to know where the voice actor for Ranma that I fell in love with the first season went. If I knew I'd beg him to reprise the role, because the current American voice actor rubbs me the wrong way.

General Content: I had high expectations. I thought maybe we'd meet Ranma's mother. They teased us but didn't deliver. There was very little Shampoo, always a mistake. She's one of the more interesting sympathetic characters and she was wasted this season.

Overall: This is one season that I don't think I would have missed if I'd skipped it entirely. More of the same, little development beyond where the characters already were. Buy it if you love Ranma, but try not to be disappointed.


Not as good as Hard Battle   December 31, 2002
M. Hammond (San Diego, CA United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

but better than what I've seen of the 1st season. Hard Battle had some great eps(particularly the ep where Ranma becomes a girl mentally as well as physically) so it's a hard act to follow, but most long-running series hit a rut or two. I actually prefer the new English male Ranma voice actor, but then I love him as Inu-Yasha also(So Viz is following Japan using the same voice actor for both roles). I understand where those who don't like the change are coming from--I always check both vocal tracks & often prefer the Japanese actors. Heaven knows DBZ's changed enough actors & I know we'll be hearing a new Excel on the 4th Volume of Excel Saga(When my daughter complains about the prospect, I point out there've been 3 English Sailor Moon actresses & 3 Son Goku in DBZ, not counting DB)
I don't care for Principal Kuno, although my daughter loved his bits(she also loves Happosai...).The new teacher ep was interesting & the Ranma-gets-weak set is good. I've read 13 of the graphic novels so I know much of it's from the manga, but a few details were changed such as in the manga Principal Kuno offering the get-out-of-haircut-card to whoever located his long-lost son who is quickly revealed as Tatewaki Kuno. The game show ep was much better in the manga--the anime maybe is more like tv game shows, but the manga had a running sub-plot that the people running the contest didn't want anyone to win because they couldn't really afford the prize & the contests were less annoying. Had they followed the manga closer this probably would have been a better season.


What on earth was Viz thinking?!   December 16, 2002
R. McAdams (CA, USA)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

I *LOVE* the Ranma 1/2 series, it is the series that officially launched me into the rabid ranks of the otaku (otaku = "fan-boys" for all you non-animé-watching heathen out there).

The reason I am rating this set with 4 stars instead of my standard 5 for anything Ranma, isn't because of the quality of the animé. The reason is that Viz CHANGED the male Ranma voice actor for the English dub! I could *NOT* believe they did this. I have yet to be able to find out how and why this happened. If the original voice actor walked out for whatever reason, then I guess Viz can be excused. But if this was a case of egos or salaries interfering with a great product, then everyone at Viz should hang their heads in shame.

Over-all though, you can just switch to the subtitled mode anyway (which I have now discovered I prefer over dubbed anyway) and there is no change. The stories are great, and the animation, music and most especially the jokes are all great.