Ranma 1/2 Makes a Much-Needed Change for Its Next Big Character

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Ranma 1/2 Episode #10The next big character in Ranma 1/2 has officially arrived in the remake and it has already received a much-needed change. The long-awaited remake of Rumiko Takahashi's iconic manga is sailing through the original story now with Ranma, Ryoga and Akane's battle against martial arts skaters Azusa and Mikado officially concluded. However, episode 10 of the remake gave fans a taste of what's to come with the introduction of the series' next major supporting character. Shampoo.

For the most part, Shampoo is the same as always in the manga and anime. She is introduced as a Chinese Amazon who was defeated by the girl Ranma in battle. Not knowing about the curse, this leads Shampoo to try and hunt her down and kill her for defeating her after she gave him the Kiss of Death. Then, when Ranma defeats her again in boy form, she kisses him on the lips, beginning her story to marry him. However, there is one small detail that changes Shampoo for the better: its English translations show that She no longer speaks very bad Japanese.

Shampoo's slight shift in language changes one of its most problematic features

She no longer feels like a blatant stereotype

Language is an important way to show who a character is when their native language doesn't match the primary language spoken in a story. However, if handled the wrong way, this can make the character seem like a stereotype. This was an issue that was incredibly prevalent in the original anime adaptation of Ranma 1/2as Shampoo proved almost unintelligible, given how broken his speech was. It made her seem like an offensive stereotype for some fans. However, by cleaning up many of her translations, it fixes one of the most frustrating parts of her character while also maintaining what made her a fan favorite in the first place as it allows newcomers to focus on who she is as a character.

However, what's interesting about this new version of Shampoo is how it's still a homage to how she was in both the manga and the original anime. After all, she was hunting Ranma during his journey in China after he fell into the Jusenkyo Springs and was cursed. So, she didn't have much time to learn Japanese and travel around the country to find him. This is shown with her occasionally having a failure every now and then, with one of the most notable examples being her threatening Akane with “You hide Ranma too and I'll kill you.” There are still some grammatical errors in his dialogue, but it is not exaggerated to the point of being offensive.

Shampoo's new direction proves it's okay for remakes to make changes

Sometimes changes are necessary

One of the best things about the remake of Ranma 1/2 it's how faithful it stayed to Rumiko Takahashi's original manga. It completely avoided including filler arcs from the original anime, making it arguably a better adaptation than the 80s and 90s series. Still, that doesn't mean the manga itself isn't without flaws. Shampoo in particular, while it has fans, has drawn criticism from readers over the years for its portrayal. It's true that it was created in the late 80s, so the culture was different then; but the use of distorted language was considered a deal breaker for some fans.

Tweaking this a bit for the remake to make it less campy, Shampoo seems more like a character than in the original manga and anime. It's a phenomenal example of how remakes can not only reintroduce familiar stories to new audiences, but also improve what may not have worked at the time. There's no denying that some fans will oppose the change, but it's such a subtle detail in the remake that viewers are unlikely to notice until it's pointed out to them.

Shampoo still has some baggage that the remake must deal with wisely

The way she spoke wasn't the only problem for some fans

While it's admirable to see the remake take small steps to improve how Shampoo communicates with Ranma and other characters, she still has a long way to go to prove herself to newcomers. In addition to the use of broken language, Shampoo has also attracted criticism for the way it behaves. She has been described as excessively violent and manipulative to the point where she is seen as an unpleasant character. While she absolutely has her fans, this has drawn the ire of other viewers, making her one of the most confusing characters on the series.

It will be interesting to see how the remake approaches Shampoo as she is explored in future episodes. She's far from the most problematic character in the series, but she has enough backstory to make her fans either love or hate her. Still, this much-needed change in Shampoo's language usage is a welcome addition to the Ranma 1/2 remake, and it paints a bright future for her as she makes her long-awaited debut.