The amazing storyline of Ranma 1/2 is truely one of a kind. It is about a guy named Ranma Saotome who by some freak accident turns into a girl when he gets wet with cold water. To return to his guy form, he needs to get doused with hot water.

The story begins when Ranma and his father, Genma, went to China in training. It was during this training that Ranma accidentally fell into the "spring of drowned girl" at the cursed springs of Jusenko. Because of this he becomes the beautiful but deadly Ranma-chan (female Ranma). Genma too fell into one of the springs, "the spring of drowned panda", which now turns him into a huge panda. After this incident they headed into Japan so that Genma could "hook-up" Ranma with one of the Soun Tendo's girls. It was then decided that Ranma was to be engaged to Akane because she was like a "tomboy" and since Ranma was half female, there would not be any problem. Now this was a huge problem for the two who hated each others guts. But after some time feelings between the two emerged although both of them tried hard to hide it.

Adding to the confusion or entertainment to this story are some of Ranma's friends or should we say enemies. There is Ryoga, the hopelessly lost (he has no sense of direction what-so-ever), long time rival of Ranma. He too was drowned in the springs so now he turns into a pig who Akane calls P-chan. Then there is also Shampoo, the amazon woman from China who defeated both Ranma's in battle, who now has to marry the male and kill the female Ranma. Shampoo turns into a cat because of the cursed springs. Others are Mousse- Shampoo's suitor who turns into a duck, Nabiki and Kasumi who are Akane's sisters, Happosai- the teacher of Genma and Soun who loved to steal women's underwear, Ukyo, Cologne, Dr. Tofu, the Kuno's, etc. etc. etc.