City Hunter
Another series that may have contributed to the term is "City Hunter". One of the lead characters in "City Hunter"—Kaori—makes extensive use of the "transdimensional hammers" as they are sometimes called, as they are one of the two main running gags in the series; the other is the extreme lecherousness of the other main character—Ryo—which almost invariably leads to the use of said hammers. The "City Hunter" hammers also require more explaining in terms of storage, as they are often considerably larger than the characters themselves, and thus more likely to inspire questions like, "Where did she get that from!?" At the very least, "City Hunter" predates "Ranma ½" by two years, and already had an extensive fanbase.