> even if they do enjoy having an international fan base. On this ML many 
> people complain about how the anime version of Ranma 1/2 sucks and that they 
> change to much from the manga. This might be true but by our standards 
> but we seem to forget that the Ranma 1/2 anime lasted for 140 plus TV 
> episodes, 3 movies, and several OAVs so the production company behind 
> the anime must have been doing something right at least in Japan. 

If you want to compare length of runs, the manga kept going well
after the anime ended. (The TV series ends at about volume 20
of the manga, and the manga ran to 38 volumes.)

So by your logic, the manga must have been doing something righter ;)

In _my_ opinion the length of run has more to do with the economics
of different media than artistic factors alone.

I wouldn't say that all of the anime "sucks"; there's a wide range
of quality in the anime, and a considerable range as to the degree
to which it differs from the manga.

The point about what is "canon" is not about artistic quality, as such,
it's about what's the definitive interpretation of the Ranmaverse,
for purposes of debate (e.g. discussing questions like
is "Ryouga stronger than Ranma?"). 

Issues of quality help explain our desire to stick with the author's 
orginal work. 

But putting that aside for the moment, are there places where you
think the anime is superior to the manga in some artistic sense
like, say, characterization?

--
    Albert Lunde                      Albert-Lunde@nwu.edu