I love the Phoenix Mountain storyline, but it's the sort of love one has for a partner that frequently comes home drunk at 2 a.m., without their keys so they kick down the door, puke on the furniture, and then pass out in the bathtub while waving around a broken bottle and making incoherent threats. See, it's not that the story isn't appropriately dramatic, nor that the Phoenix themselves aren't really neat, nor that Saffron and Kiima aren't awesome-looking, or that the fights aren't great, but... there's a few problems.

Perhaps chiefly is the fact that absolutely nothing in the story is explained. We find out the origin of the mysterious magic of Jyusenkyou... only to find out its origin is another mysterious magic place (with giant taps of unbreakable material, powerful killing magic, amazing superweapons, et cetera) for which there is no explanation whatsoever. Saffron is so insanely overpowered compared to everything else in Ranma 1/2 that he almost belongs in another series, and there's no explanation for him either, or his odd ritual to grow into adulthood, or how often he needs to do it. For what purpose the Phoenix disguise themselves as humans and spy on people? Who knows! Any peek at all into their society? Of course not!

Geez, we don't even get to see the Shampoo/Kiima fight. No, one headlock when they're both distracted does not count.

But hey, Saffy is still cool. And he still incinerates three mountains in a single shot while using a "fraction" of his power. And that shot is still called Entire Empire Instant Annihilation Blast, which is still the coolest special attack name ever. And Indian food is still fricking awesome. So hey, it's certainly not all bad.

Phoenix Tribe Pictures

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