1996
January
January 3rdRanma 1/2 Chapter 401
As Ranma tries to turn off the spout that is feeding warm water to Saffron during his transformation he discovers the Kinjakan's counter weapon- the Gekkaja. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
Kyoko Otonashi Best Selection
A "best of" album on CD for Maison Ikkoku was released today. Highly recommended if you haven't gotten any of the previous albums. Source: Life at Maison Ikkoku
January 17th
Ranma 1/2 Chapter 402
Ranma battles against Shampoo who is threatening to kill the minature Akane. Ranma has no choice but to outsmart Shampoo who decides she will kill Ranma after having one last, sweet memory with him. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
January 18th
Ranma 1/2 Volume 36
Ranma 1/2 volume 36 is in stores today. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
January 19th
The Two Akanes, "Ranma Look at Me!"
After Ranma breaks a haunted doll, the toy switches souls with Akane, trapping her in a doll body while trying to take its revenge against Ranma by any means necessary, including seduction. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
January 20th
New Short Story Previewed - Living Room Love Song
Takahashi-sensei's newest short story, 茶の間のラブソング (Cha no ma no rabusongu/Living Room Love Song) was announced for the next issue of Big Comic Original, to be released on February 5th. Source: Rumic Theater
January 24th
Ranma 1/2 Chapter 403
Mousse agonizes over whether to break Shampoo's egg and allow her to imprint upon him. Deep inside the cavern Saffron is starting to hatch from his egg three days earlier than scheduled. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
January 31st
Ranma 1/2 Chapter 404
Ranma battles again Saffron using the power of the Gekkaja while Shampoo, now freed from Kiema's control, wants revenge against the the bird woman for enslaving her. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
Ranma 1/2 Volume 36 Sales
For the month of January 1996, the bestselling manga volumes in Japan as compiled by Books Nippan, Japan.
- 3x3 Eyes #21
- Baby & Me (赤ちゃんと僕) #12
- Ushio & Tora (うしおととら) #27
- Detective Conan (名探偵コナン) #9
- Maple Senki (もみじ戦記) #3
- GS Mikami (GS美神 極楽大作戦!!) #21
- Princess Kaguya (輝夜姫) #5
- Level-C #3
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン) #2
- Dokaben Professional Baseball (ドカベン プロ野球編) #2
- Ranma 1/2 (らんま 1/2) #36
Top 10 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of January 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by Capital City Distribution, Inc.
- Ranma 1/2 Anything-Goes Martial Arts: Tough Cookies
- Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie
- Ranma 1/2 Collector's Edition: The OVAs Vol. 2
- La Blue Girl Vol. 3
- Devil Hunter Yohko: Special Edition
- F3 Part 2
- New Cutey Honey Vol. 4
- New Angel 3
- Magical Twilight 3
- Angel Cop Vol. 6
February
February 5th
Living Room Love Song
Takahashi-sensei explores the complexities with long lasting love in her new short story, Living Room Love Song. Tadakoro loses his wife on their anniversary, but is surprised at the realization that he hasn't cried after her death. When his wife's ghost returns months later to upend his life, will Tadakoro finally be able to move on?
Source: Rumic Theater
February 7th
Ranma 1/2 Chapter 405
Akane throws her dehydrated doll body in front of Ranma to protect him from Saffron's firey attacks. Realizing he has the icy Kinjakan Ranma begins to tear up the ground in a spiral pattern.
Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
February 14th
Ranma 1/2 Chapter 406
Saffron uses his ultimate attack, the Instant Annilation of All Mortals Blast, against Ranma as the two duke it out in the midst of a firey vortex. Ryoga tries to help Ranma as best he can from the ground but when Saffron fires another white-hot molten blast at Ranma, it's Akane that throws herself in front to protect Ranma.
Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
February 21st
Ranma 1/2 Chapter 407
The dramatic finale of Ranma 1/2 is here this week. We bid our bittersweet farewell to Takahashi-sensei's fantastic series and check in on the wedding of Ranma and Akane!
Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
February 28th
Top 10 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of February 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by Capital City Distribution, Inc.
- Ranma 1/2 OVA: One Grew Over the Kuno's Nest
- Ogre Slayer Vol. 2 Grim Fairy Tales
- Macross Plus Vol. 4
- Angel of Darkness 3
- Gunsmith Cats (Dubbed)
- An Elven Bride
- Gunsmith Cats (Subtitled)
- Blue Seed Vol. 1
- Demon Beast Invasion 3
- Bounty Dog
The Legacy of Ranma 1/2
With the conclusion of Ranma 1/2, Shonen Sunday is publishing a series of "Memorial" articles documenting interesting tidbits from the series. Source: Shonen Sunday 1996 Vol. 13
March
March 31stTop 10 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of March 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by Capital City Distribution, Inc.
- Ranma 1/2 Anything-Goes Martial Arts: Ranma and Juliet
- Ranma 1/2 the Movie: Big Trouble in Nekonron, China (Subtitled)
- Please Save My Earth Vol. 1
- La Blue Girl 4
- F3 Part 3
- New Angel 4
- Macross Plus Vol. 4
- Iria: Zeiram the Animation Vol. 1
- Roujin-Z
- Ariel
April
April 4thOne-Pound Gospel Chapter 24
Kosaku meets Kana, a woman who shares his love of all things edible. Could Angela really be jealous? Source: The Ring & the Rosary
April 11th
One-Pound Gospel Chapter 25
Kana has moved in with Kosaku and Angela tells Kosaku she'll never see him again. But it turns out that Kana's ex-boyfriend is Kosaku's next opponent! Source: The Ring & the Rosary
April 18th
Ranma 1/2 Volume 37
Ranma 1/2 volume 37 is in stores today. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
One-Pound Gospel Chapter 26
Yashamaru is enraged that his ex-girlfriend Kana is living with Kosaku and vows to pummel him in the ring as payback. Source: The Ring & the Rosary
April 25th
One-Pound Gospel Chapter 27
Kosaku injures himself trying to chase after Angela while Kana decides to go back to Yashamaru right before the big match. Source: The Ring & the Rosary
April 30th
Top 10 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of March 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by Capital City Distribution, Inc.
- Ghost in the Shell (Dubbed)
- Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle: Ukyo Can Cook
- Ghost in the Shell (Subtitled)
- Maison Ikkoku: Welcome to Maison Ikkoku
- Ranma 1/2 the Movie 2: Nihao My Concubine
- Violence Jack Vol. 1
- Demon Beast Invasion Vol. 4
- Roujin-Z
- Blue Seed Vol. 2
- Megami Paradise
May
May 2ndOne-Pound Gospel Chapter 28
Kosaku versus Yashamaru! With Kana back with Yashamaru, will Angela be ready to forgive Kosaku? Source: The Ring & the Rosary
May 18th
Ranma 1/2 Volume 38
The epic conclusion toRanma 1/2, volume 38, is in stores today. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
May 27th
Ranma 1/2 Memorial Book Published
Ranma 1/2 Memorial Book is in stores today. The art book is a collection of color illustrations from 1987 to 1996 along with a number of new full-color illustrations as well. The book contains a new interview with Takahashi-sensei and various articles about the series. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
May 30th
Top 10 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of March 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by Capital City Distribution, Inc.
- Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle: Dim Sum Darling
- La Blue Girl 6
- Ranma 1/2 Anything-Goes Martial Arts: Darling Charlotte (Subtitled)
- Please Save My Earth Vol. 2
- Iria: Zeiram the Animation Vol. 2
- Big Wars
- Elven Bride 2
- Galaxy Fraulein Yuna
- Oh! My Goddess!: Moonlight & Cherry Blossoms (Dubbed)
- Oh! My Goddess!: Midsummer Night's Dream (Dubbed)
May 31st
Ranma 1/2 Volume 38 Sales
For the week of May 31, 1996 the bestselling manga volumes in Japan as compiled by Books Nippan, Japan.
- Bastard!! (BASTARD!! -暗黒の破壊神-) #17
- 3x3 Eyes #22
- Ushio & Tora (うしおととら) #27
- Ranma 1/2 (らんま 1/2) #38
- RG Veda (聖伝-RG VEDA-) #10
- Dokaben: Professional Baseball (ドカベン プロ野球編) #6
- Neon Genesis Evangelion (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン) #6
- Ja Ja Uma Grooming Up! (じゃじゃ馬グルーミン★UP!) #6
- Shura no Mon (修羅の門) #27
- Initial D (頭文字 D) #3
June
June 30thTop 10 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of June 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by Capital City Distribution, Inc.
- Ranma 1/2 OVA: Faster, Kasumi! Kill! Kill!
- Maison Ikkoku: Ronin Blues
- Ranma 1/2 Anything-Goes Martial Arts: It's Fast or It's Free (Subtitled)
- Countdown Continued
- Slayers Vol. 1 (Subtitled)
- Blue Seed Vol. 3 (Subtitled)
- First Loves 2
- Slayers Vol. 1 (Dubbed)
- Blue Seed Vol. 3 (Dubbed)
- Urotsuki Doji III: Return of the Overfiend
July
July 5thOne-Pound Gospel Volume 3
One-Pound Gospel volume 3 is in stores today. Source: The Ring & the Rosary
July 30th
Top 10 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of July 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by Capital City Distribution, Inc.
- Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle: Dharma Chameleon
- Ranma 1/2 Anything-Goes Martial Arts: Cat-fu Fighting (Subtitled)
- Please Save My Earth Vol. 3
- Gunsmith Cats Vol. 2 (Dubbed)
- Battle Skipper Vol. 1
- Iria: Zeiram the Animation Vol. 3
- Gunsmith Cats Vol. 2 (Subtitled)
- Demon Beast Invasion Vol. 5
- Golden Boy
- Battle Royal High School
July 31st
Top 10 Best Selling Manga in Japan
For the month of July 1993, the bestselling manga volumes in Japan as compiled by Books Nippan, Japan.
- Baby & Me (赤ちゃんと僕) #14
- Detective Conan/Case Closed (名探偵コナン) #11
- The Case Files of Young Kindaichi (金田一少年の事件簿) #19
- The Ping Pong Club (行け!稲中卓球部) #10
- Kenshin Hiden
- One-Pound Gospel (1ポンドの福音) #3
- Basara (バサラ) #16
- Ghost Sweeper Mikami (GS美神 極楽大作戦!!) #22
- Neon Genesis Evangelion Film Book (新世紀エヴァンゲリオン) #8
- Houkago no Shokuinshitsu (放課後の職員室) #2
August
September
September 1stAnne of Green Gables Comments
In the newly published book, Anne of Green Gables (Tokuma Anime Picture Book) (赤毛のアン (徳間アニメ絵本)), Rumiko Takahashi comments on the 1979 anime from Isao Takahata. A translation is at the link below. Source: Rumic World
September 30th
Top 5 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of September 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by both Diamond and Capital City Distribution, Inc.
- Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle: Once Upon a Time in Jusenkyo
- Dragon Ball Vol. 1: Secret of the Dragon Ball
- Dragon Ball Vol. 2: The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi
- Dragon Ball the Movie: Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Ranma 1/2 Anything-Goes Martial Arts: Cold Competition (Subtitled)
October
October 31stTop 5 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of October 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by both Diamond Distribution Company..
- Urotsuki Doji IV Video Set
- Patlabor: The Mobile Police, The Original Series Collector's Set
- Sanctuary OVA
- Maison Ikkoku: Soichiro's Shadow
- My My Mai Vol. 1
November
November 12thWooden Carrying Box Special Selection
An unusual new release, a Cat Cafe food delievery case that is bundled with a CD of songs sung by Rei Sakuma (Shampoo) along with a song by Yuko Kobayashi and Yuko Mito (Lin-Lin and Ran-Ran). Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
November 13th
Inuyasha Chapter 1
Kagome Higurashi, a girl from present day Tokyo travels back in time through a well and encounters a demon boy pinned to a tree named Inuyasha as well as Kaede, an elderly village miko. Source: The Inuyasha Companion
November 20th
Inuyasha Chapter 2
Inuyasha slays Mistress Centipede and confides that Kagome reminds him of the girl that bound him to the tree 50 years ago, Kikyo. Now he wants the Shikon Jewel for himself. Source: The Inuyasha Companion
November 27th
Inuyasha Chapter 3
Inuyasha attemps to attack Kagome for the Shikon Jewel and has a set of prayer beads placed around his neck to subjugate him everytime Kagome yells "sit!" Source: The Inuyasha Companion
November 29th
Rumiko Takahashi Interviewed
In a small pamphlet to promote new Shonen Sunday and Young Sunday series, Rumiko Takahashi speaks about her new series, Inuyasha where she reveals some plans for the future. Source: Comics Sunday Vol. 8
November 30th
Top 5 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of November 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by both Diamond Distribution Company..
- Ranma 1/2 Hard Battle: Pretty Womanhood
- Maison Ikkoku: Ronin Blues (Subtitled)
- Twin Angels Vol. 1
- Neon Genesis Evangelion - Genesis 0:2 (Subtitled)
- Neon Genesis Evangelion - Genesis 0:2 (Dubbed)
December
December 4thInuyasha Chapter 4
A crow demon captures the Shikon Jewl after Inuyasha saves Kagome from a group of bandits. Source: The Inuyasha Companion
December 6th
Ranma 1/2 Battle Renaissance
It has been a few years since the last Ranma 1/2 fighting game, and we move into the world of polygons with today's release for the Playstation. The game's cast includes Ranma, Akane, Genma, Shampoo, Ryoga, Tatewaki, Ryu Kumon, and Happosai with Rouge as the boss character. Source: Ranma 1/2 Perfect Edition
December 11th
Inuyasha Chapter 5
As the crow demon escapes Kagome is forced to shoot it with an arrow, which shatters the Shikon Jewel. Now she and Inuyasha must travel in search of the shards to make the jewel whole again. Source: The Inuyasha Companion
December 24th
Inuyasha Chapter 6
A Tuesday release this week, likely because of Christmas. Kaede is attacked by a village girl who is being controlled like a puppet. Kagome and Inuyasha have to stop bickering long enough to realize there is a new threat, the puppeteer is Yura of the Hair. Source: The Inuyasha Companion
December 31st
Top 5 Best Selling Anime in America
For the month of December 1996, the bestselling animated videos as compiled by both Diamond Distribution Company..
- Armored Trooper Votoms Stage 2 Box Set
- Ranma 1/2 Anything-Goes Martial Arts: Fowl Play (Subtitled)
- Maison Ikkoku: Playing Doubles
- Battle Angel
- My My Mai Vol. 2