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Following the recent release of Ranma 1/2 Big Trouble in Nekonron China, Rumiko Takahashi's epic kung-fu comedy gets another UK outing with this second, and final, feature length spin-off. This time round martial artists Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo, accompanied by a large supporting cast of regular characters, get shipwrecked on a tropical island. Everything isn't bad at first, with plenty of sunbathing going on (what better way for the animators to show off the female characters' breasts, which have magically grown in size since the last film), but soon the female characters begin to mysteriously disappear. The reason for these disappearances soon becomes clear - a Prince is searching for a bride and is kidnapping beautiful women so they can compete for the honour of marrying him. However, Ranma and the other male characters aren't having their love interests taken away from them without a fight and travel to the prince's island to rescue them. Things are spiced up further when it turns out that the Prince has access to magical water that will permanently turn whoever it touches into a man, something that Ranma - who is cursed to turn into a woman when doused with cold water - would really like some of... Those who have seen the first film may find the above familiar, and to be honest it must be said that the plot of both films effectively boils down to 'Akane gets kidnapped and Ranma must rescue her, cos he loves her really'. Where it differs is in the execution. Nihao My Concubine is a funnier film than Big Trouble in Nekonron China, this time round the focus is less on fighting and more on comedy. This makes the film highly entertaining to watch and there are some great moments throughout, and it is also good to see some of the main characters which were ignored in the other film get an outing. However, the problem that affected the first film raises its head again - fans of the franchise will get a lot more out of it than the uninitiated. Character biographies are included as an extra once more and those who have seen the first film will recognise most characters, but it does expect a level of familiarity that those who are new to the franchise won't have. As a fan I really enjoyed this film, it is great fun and fellow fans will enjoy seeing some sense of characters getting together after the trials and tribulations experienced in the manga. For those who are new to the series this isn't the best place to start from a character development point of view, but it does give a good impression of what the franchise is about. There is enjoyment to be had for all though, with a nice combination of action, romance and comedy underpinning an, admittedly unoriginal, but fun story. It won't win any awards for intelligent plot and deep philosophy but it is a nicely satisfying slice of an epic franchise that deserves more recognition in the UK. Extras: Not much, the usual art galleries and trailers, and the Character Profiles aren't anywhere near comprehensive enough for new viewers. Some of the profiles don't have pictures of the characters either, which is a really disappointing omission. Pretty average overall. Ratings Feature:
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