Editing Ranma ½ (section)

=== First and second anime series ===
{{Main|List of Ranma ½ episodes}}

An [[anime]] television series was created by [[Studio Deen]] and aired weekly between April 15, 1989, and September 16, 1989, on [[Fuji Television|Fuji TV]] for 18 episodes, before being canceled due to low ratings. The series was then reworked by most of the same staff, retitled {{Nihongo||らんま {{sfrac|1|2}} 熱闘編|Ranma ½ Nettōhen}} and launched in a different time slot, running for 143 episodes from October 20, 1989, to September 25, 1992. The anime stays true to the original manga but does differ by keeping Ranma's gender transformation a secret from the high school students, at least throughout most of its length. It also does not introduce [[Hikaru Gosunkugi]] until very late in the series, instead, [[Sasuke Sarugakure]], the diminutive ninja retainer of the Kuno family fills a number of Gosunkugi's roles in early storylines but is a major character in his own right. The anime also alters the placement of many story arcs and contains numerous original episodes and characters not adapted from the manga.

Viz Media licensed both anime series in 1993, making ''Ranma ½'' one of the first anime titles licensed by Viz. The English dub produced for the series was recorded by [[Ocean Productions|The Ocean Group]] in [[Vancouver, British Columbia]]. They released the series on VHS from their own ''Viz Video'' label, and on DVD a few years later in association with [[Geneon USA|Pioneer Home Entertainment]]. Their releases collected both anime series as one, separated episodes into what they call "seasons", and changed the ordering of many of the episodes. Viz themselves re-released it on DVD in 2007 using their own DVD production company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JVT28G/|title=Ranma 1/2: Season One: The Digital Dojo; TV Anime Season 1 DVD Box Set|website=[[Amazon.com]]|access-date=February 17, 2013|archive-date=April 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412122147/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JVT28G/|url-status=live}}</ref> At [[Otakon]] 2013, Viz announced that they re-acquired the TV series for [[Blu-ray]] and DVD release in 2014. The show is streamed on their anime channel service [[Neon Alley]] since Autumn 2013.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hodgkins|first=Crystalyn|date=August 10, 2013|title=Viz Media to Release Ranma Anime on BD/DVD|work=[[Anime News Network]]|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-08-10/viz-media-to-release-ranma-anime-on-bd/dvd|access-date=August 10, 2013|archive-date=September 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220906150554/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-08-10/viz-media-to-release-ranma-anime-on-bd/dvd|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2020, [[Toonami]] co-creator Jason DeMarco revealed that he had previously tried to get ''Ranma ½'' aired on the American TV programming block, but "it's something we never were able to figure out, because, frankly, there's too much nudity".<ref>{{cite news|last=Inoa|first=Christopher|date=September 28, 2020|title=The Fairy Tale of Inuyasha: 20 Years Later|work=[[Anime News Network]]|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-09-28/the-fairy-tale-of-inuyasha-20-years-later/.164481|access-date=February 7, 2021|archive-date=December 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208202107/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2020-09-28/the-fairy-tale-of-inuyasha-20-years-later/.164481|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Madman Entertainment]] licensed some of the series for release in [[Australasia]], although their rights expired after releasing only the first four "seasons" as one series.<ref name="Madseason1">{{cite web|url=http://www.mania.com/ranma-12-tv-season-1-collection_article_78225.html|title=Ranma 1/2 TV Season 1 Collection|website=Mania.com|access-date=February 17, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216190226/http://www.mania.com/ranma-12-tv-season-1-collection_article_78225.html|archive-date=December 16, 2014}}</ref><ref name="madseason4">{{cite news|last=Hayward|first=Jon|date=October 2, 2006|title=Madman Panel – Complete Report|work=[[Anime News Network]]|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2006/madman-panel-complete-report|access-date=February 17, 2013|archive-date=October 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221002144509/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/convention/2006/madman-panel-complete-report|url-status=live}}</ref>

The original (1989–1992) anime adapts 56% of the manga, or 229 chapters, 22 volumes out of the 38.