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3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 On the questAug 06, 2005
By E. A Solinas
"ea_solinas"
Okay, sure, "Ranma 1/2" is technically a comedy series. Rumiko Takahashi wrote the sprawling martial-arts romance with plenty of jokes, goofy characters and misunderstandings.
But in the 22nd volume of this series, Takahashi showed us the darker side of the Ranma story. There are plenty of funny moments, but it also has a very powerful and impressive opponent, some harrowing fight scenes, and what seems to be the death of a major character.
Ranma finds his rivals Ryoga and Mousse, both savagely beaten by a pair of animalistic warriors. Ranma arrives just in time to see their cloaked leader mistreat Akane -- and during the fight, the dragon-woman Herb splashes Ranma with water. Herb is from the ancient Musk Dynasty, a tribe that took on the attributes of animals. And the water is from the Pail of Preservation -- and it locks Ranma in his female form.
Ranma can regain his male form, but only if he gets the Water Pot of Liberation, which Herb is also searching for. So Ranma, Ryoga and Mousse (who want the pot for themselves) set out to defeat Herb and her bodyguards. But Herb is a more lethal opponent than Ranma has ever faced before -- and his own attacks don't work, especially when Herb's startling secret is revealed...
Takahashi's more recent works -- such as the Inuyasha series -- rely more heavily on action and fantasy than the Ranma series did. And so the Musk Dynasty story seems almost like a warmup for Takahashi's later work, with its emphasis on gritty action, understated romance and lethal villains. Herb even looks a bit like her later villain Sesshomaru.
Okay, there's still plenty of humour, such as the Musk warriors who are obsessed with women and breasts, or the way that Ryoga and Mousse keep distracting them ("Look at HER boobs!"). But the climax of the story is completely devoid of humour. Ranma is beaten to a pulp and almost decapitated, while Mousse and Ryoga battle the superhuman Lime and Mint and are nearly sealed in their pig and duck forms.
Takahashi's artwork had also matured by this time -- it's very detailed, more lifelike and intricate, and there is a new maturity to the tempestuous Ranma/Akane attraction ("I guess... even if I can't be a man... I have to go back for her sake"). She had also mastered the art of the cliffhanger, since Ryoga seems to be dead near the end of one chapter.
Ranma and Company deal with a new and frightening enemy in the 22nd volume of this series. Darker, edgier, but still often funny.
4 of 5 found the following review helpful:
A must-read for Ranma fansMay 21, 2003
By Dana
This volume of Ranma 1/2 was well worth the wait. Although a little less comedy-based than some of the other, wackier novels, Volume 22 still produced a lot of laughs. Inside, three newcomers named Herb, Mint, and Lime (weird names, I know) take on Ranma, Mousse, and Ryoga (respectively). The only problem is that Herb, Mint, and Lime have some strange powers...nothing that even Ranma has seen before! And when Ranma gets splashed with some water that threatens to steal away his manhood forever, he, Ryoga, and Mousse have to follow the three intruders to Treasure Mountain, leading to a battle unmatched by anything we've seen before. Will Ranma win back his manhood? Or will he, for the first time, have to admit defeat? In this volume, Ranma and Akane finally seem to let their guards down and stop fighting, and some very touching material (though not quite enough) comes out here. If you love Ranma 1/2, definitely get this volume!
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Yay! finally! This is great!May 13, 2003
Ranma 1/2 vol. 22 is one of my favorites in the series! Although it has some material that "may be unsuitable for children"the story is touching and wonderful. When some of the last survivors from the Musk Dynasty arrive at the Neko Hanten and their leader, Herb gets in a fight with Ranma, Ranma gets splashed with some water which locks him in female form. Ryouga and Mousse want the water to keep them in their human form and the treesome go off to find the water, but Ranma thinks they are helping him find another pot of water which will allow him to be a guy again. Herb's henchmen Mint and Lime fight Mousse and Ryouga and Ryouga dies! What will happen in this action-packed and heartwarming edition!
Ranma vs. HerbMar 20, 2007
I am a 15 year old that likes manga. In the start of this volume, Mousse is trying to get a data from Shampoo but is attacked by a child that looks like a wolf(Mint) and pins him to a wall with Wolf Metor fang bullet. Akane is walking home and is attcked by a man who looks like a tiger(Lime)Ryoga walks by and hits Lime for being a prevert. Lime rams Ryoga's head into the ground and takes Akane with him. Lime meets up with Mint who is talking with Shampoo and go into the Cat Cafe and meet up with their master, Herb. Herb tosses Akane aside because they do not have time for trash, but Ranma catchs her. Ranma fights Herb but Shampoo's grandma tells not to. Herb easily takes down Ranma but with not first showing Hebs secret: He is a woman. Herb turns Ranma into his woman form, and splashes him with a speacil water. Later that night, Ranma finds out her can not trun back into a man. He then sets off, with Mousse and Ryoga, to find the Teapot, the only thing to change Ranma back to a man. Herb and Ranma fight their way to Treasure Mt. There they fight for the Teapot. This fight goes into volume 23.
Herb, Lime, and MintSep 24, 2004
By Kenshin
out of all the manga i have read and that is a lot(yes i have read the one's in Japanese as well) this one would have to be my personal fav. a great read for anybody with a sense of humor.
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