Ranma: And I'm a girl!
Sōun: Why didn't you go into the springs that would turn you back while you were there?
[crickets chirp]
Akane: You guys are idiots!
Ranma ½: The Abridged Chronicles is an Abridged Series created by EliteslayerX and ZomgRuler, working together under the title of Zomg-Elite Productions. Like other Abridged Series, it's an Affectionate Parody and Gag Dub of the Ranma ½ Animated Adaptation, taking one or two episodes and condensing it into about five minutes.
The series was first posted in August 2008, and has since released several episodes and a handful of specials. Given the comedic nature of the original series, much of The Abridged Chronicles is spent lampshading the more ridiculous aspects of it, including the Fanservice. Especially the Fanservice.
The cast consists of several other fans who auditioned for certain roles, due to a large amount of female characters with male creators. There are also occasional guest appearances from interested fans, but very few get a chance. However, the amount of actors each needing to record and send in lines, as well as the creator's lives getting in the way of making new episodes, have contributed to a Schedule Slip.
Not to be confused with any other Abridged Series of Ranma ½ on YouTube; this one uses the word "Chronicle" instead of "Series" because "it sounds cooler".
There is not yet any web page for it, but it does have a Facebook fan page here.
You can also watch the episodes here
Ranma ½: The Abridged Chronicles provides examples of:
- Abridged Series: But if you needed to be told, you probably haven't been paying attention.
- All Just a Dream: The ending to "Akane's Dreamland."
- Ambiguously Gay: Ranma is a girl half the time, so he's probably gay half the time.Ranma: Hey Akane, what are the chances of me being gay?
Akane: Same chances as someone putting butter on bread. - Battle Butler: Episode 10.Ranma: What kind of butlers are you!?
Butler: The awesome kind. - Belligerent Sexual Tension: Well, it IS the abridging of a Takahashi series.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Often times lampshaded and punished.
- Calling Your Attacks: Although so far, the only attacks named are "Sexy Attack" (which is really more of a description, considering who's using it), "Akane Smash," and "Boot to the Head".
- The Cameo: The one-year special episode featured cameos from several other abridgers and voice actors, including LittleKuriboh and Brad Swaile.
- Dramatic Thunder: First with Kunō, then with Ranma, who says that he makes it look good.
- Ending Theme: Various Songs and Artists from pop culture have been used in the series thus far. Song from artists such as "Weird Al" Yankovic, Avenue Q, and even The Blanks' cover of The Beatles "Eight Days a Week" have been used on the show.
- Everything Talks: Episode 3 featured a talking bucket of water, although it was just the narrator speaking to Kunō through the bucket.
- Evil Old Folks: Every old person shown so far is part of an organization of senior citizens seeking world domination. It has yet to be seen if Happōsai and Cologne are among them.
- Fanservice: Occasionally lampshaded.
- Harem Genre: The harem only started to grow, but let's face it, this is Ranma ½, of course there'll be one. Given Ranma's complaints in some episodes, it's likely to become an Unwanted Harem.Ranma: Please don't tell me she's going to join my harem...
- Important Haircut: As with the original, Akane. The episode around it was even called "The Haircut Episode! Now We're Just Wasting Time"
- Interactive Narrator: The narrator in episode 1 was fired by Ranma, and replaced by a new one in episode 2. The new one will occasionally speak to (and argue with) the characters at the start of the episode.
- Jerkass: Pretty much everyone at one point or another
- Knuckle Cracking: Ryoga, with walnuts... which happened to be the only food he had on him.
- Larynx Dissonance: Female Ranma and Akane, along with random minor female characters, are voiced by men. Several important female characters, however, are in fact voiced by women.
- Left the Background Music On: Used with Doctor Tōfū whenever Kasumi is present.
- Martial Arts and Crafts: Logically enough, considering the source material. Lampshaded with a generous helping of foreshadowing.Akane: Rhythmic Gymnastics Martial Arts? That's the dumbest thing I ever heard of. What's next? Martial Arts Tea Ceremonies? Martial Arts Figure Skating?
- Ms. Fanservice: Girl-type Ranma, usually lampshaded. No word on whether Shampoo will also fit this trope.
- Noblewoman's Laugh: Kodachi. The rest of the characters tend to find it annoying.
- No Sense of Direction: Gee, maybe Ryōga? No matter how you abridge it, he still gets lost.Ryōga: North? That's up, right?
- Oh God, with the Verbing!:Ryōga: Oy, with the boobs, and the shirt, and the woah!
- Once per Episode: Several gags, appearing usually once per episode and including, most noticeably Genma doing something in panda form, accompanied by huge yellow letters exclaiming something. See the entry for more.
- Running Gag: There are several, although technically it's more of a repetition of jokes disguised as running gags. The creators themselves admit it.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Said by Akane in episode 7. Ranma agreed.
- Self-Deprecating Humor: The first half of the one-year special consisted of the characters pointing out the series' flaws. This did, however, lead up to a promise of improvements to come.
- Something about a Rose: Kodachi. Also a brief appearance by Aki Izayoi, who accuses the former of stealing her black rose motif, prompting Kodachi to quote the trope's alternate title:Kodachi: Suck my rose, bitch, I had it first.
- Small Name, Big Ego: Kunō, all the way.
- Theme Song: With only a few exceptions, one of Akane's character songs, "Yasashi ii ko ni Narenai" (a.k.a. "Ranma no Baka") is used.
- Wandering Jew: Ryōga, but that's actually just because he won't stop and ask for directions. While normally that would be just a extreme case of No Sense of Direction,
Word of God states that one of the reasons they made Ryōga Jewish was because his constantly getting lost makes for a good reference to the Wandering Jew. - Will They or Won't They?: "Quit wasting our precious screentime with your will they/won't they antics!"
