Few within the manga and anime industry would dispute the claim that Ranma 1/2 is one of the most influential series of all time. Makoto Shinkai said it was a key influence for his modern classic Your Name, for instance, though it’s not just influential within Japan—Bryan Lee O’Malley cited Ranma 1/2 as a key inspiration for Scott Pilgrim, too.
Long story short, Ranma 1/2 is both beloved and culturally important.
Rumiko Takashi’s manga, which ran from 1987 to 1996, has sold a whopping 55 million copies worldwide. There’s already been an anime adaptation: Studio Deen’s beloved, classic series ran from 1989 to 1992. But you might have noticed that it ended four years before the manga, which is where MAPPA’s remake comes in.
We’ve got a Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood situation on our hands. The intriguing difference is that the Ranma 1/2 shows were produced over 30 years apart. The manga ending of Ranma 1/2 has never been adapted into anime before.
So let’s dive into MAPPA’s remake of Ranma 1/2, your new old favorite queer anime.
Gender-bending excellence
For those unfamiliar with the premise of Ranma 1/2, it’s kind of awesome. In China, a teenage martial artist named Ranma Saotome receives a peculiar “curse”: when he’s exposed to cold water, he becomes female. Hot water transforms him back.
In other words, Ranma 1/2 is queer as hell. Over the course of the series, Ranma embraces their duality and begins using it to their advantage. Ranma even attracts suitors of both genders, which is especially notable because Ranma 1/2 is regarded as a “romantic comedy.” The series isn’t just legendary, it’s progressive. The 1989 anime was, in many ways, way ahead of its time.
In that sense, it’s kind of the perfect time to produce a Ranma 1/2 remake. God knows we’ll need something wholesome, funny, colorful, and reaffirming going into the fall.
Incidentally, the manga is by Rumiko Takashi, the same mind that also brought us Urusei Yatsura. Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, Urusei Yatsura also recently got a remake.
A proper nostalgia trip
Though Studio Deen is still around, Ranma 1/2 is being made by MAPPA this time. MAPPA’s quite well-known now, thanks to series like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man.
On the crew side of things, there are plenty of new voices—although they’re all anime veterans more than capable of giving Ranma 1/2 a classic feel. Director Konosuke Uda, for instance, directed the first 278 episodes of One Piece. The series composition (basically, the main writer with some extra production muscles) is courtesy of Kimiko Ueno, who just provided the same for Delicious in Dungeon. Kaoru Wada, who wrote music for shows like Inuyasha and Saint Seiya, will be composing music for the remake.
All the headlines are about the voice cast, however, because all the voices from the 1989 anime are returning to their roles. That’s wild! That means returns from both leads: Kappei Yamaguchi (Usopp from One Piece, L from Death Note) as male Ranma and Megumi Hayashibara (Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion) as female Ranma. Noriko Hidaka (Kikyo from Inuyasha, N from Death Note) will return as Akane Tendou, with Kikuko Inoe (I-No from Guilty Gear Strive) returning as Kasumi Tendou.
The only big roles with new voice actors are Ranma’s father Genma Saotome (now voiced by Cho, who plays Brook in One Piece), and Soun Tendou (Akio Otsuka, who plays Solid Snake in the Metal Gear Solid games). Funnily enough, the narrator will be played by Genma’s former voice actor, Kenichi Ogata.
When will Ranma 1/2 kick off?
Ranma 1/2 will be part of what’s already shaping up to be one banger of a fall anime season. It will join DAN DA DAN as part of Netflix’s fall roster. It currently seems like, internationally, Ranma 1/2 will be a Netflix exclusive.
The series will premiere in Japan on Sunday, October 6, 2024 at 12.55AM JST. That means that, for American audiences, weekly episodes will drop on Netflix on Saturday mornings every week, starting on October 5.
The original Ranma 1/2 is a series that I always wanted to watch, but never got around to. I am so deeply ready to seize this chance and finally experience a classic for the first time.
Published: Jul 18, 2024 06:32 am