‘Watched it as a teen 14 and now 34’: 30 years later, MAPPA is bringing the queerest anime classic back to life with a vengeance

MAPPA’s adaptation of Ranma 1/2 starts in a way which almost feels fourth-wall breaking. A man receives a letter, on which shaky handwriting merely informs him, “I’m bringing Ranma.” But that’s enough to make this grown man burst into tears. “I’ve waited so long for this day!” he chokes out between tears.

Ranma 1/2 fans surely feel the same. It’s been nearly 30 years since Ranma Saotome graced our screens. Studio Deen’s adaptation of Rumiko Takashi’s manga ran from 1989 to 1992. While much beloved and ridiculously influential (its legacy includes Your Name… and Scott Pilgrim), the manga outlasted Studio Deen’s anime, so Ranma‘s full story has never been adapted. Until, one hopes, now.

Ranma‘s story was incredibly progressive for its time, and it still feels fresh now. The story revolves around Ranma Saotome, who has been “cursed” to change into a girl whenever splashed over the head with cold water—and changes back to a boy with hot water. Notably, it’s a romantic comedy, with Ranma attracting suitors of both genders while contending with the relationship with their parent-ordered fiancée, Akane. One of the first things you learn about Akane is that she hates boys.

In other words: Ranma 1/2 is queer as hell. And I f**king loved the premiere.

Good vibes

We all have those legacy anime we never got around to watching: Gundam, all of Dragon Ball, what have you. The biggest one on my personal list was Ranma 1/2. So while I have mixed feelings about the recent trend within the anime world of re-making old series, I was thrilled to have this invitation to finally jump abroad the S.S. Ranma, as it were.

And dear reader, I cannot communicate to you how quickly I fell in love with this remake, which is airing exclusively on Netflix. MAPPA is known for gory, darker series like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, but don’t forget this is the same studio behind Yuri!!! on Ice, too (sigh). In other words, MAPPA can be cute and romantic, too—and Ranma needs both sides of MAPPA’s skillset to sell.

Assuming MAPPA doesn’t pull an Uzumaki here, it looks like they pulled it off. The first episode of the Ranma 1/2 reboot feels so kinetic, I’d believe Ranma and Akane could bounce right off the screen. The color palette is vibrant and infectious. Its humorous nature needs no extra time to settle in. The characters immediately come off as distinct and strong. In short: I’ve known Ranma for about 20 minutes, and already I love them.