If you haven’t heard, animation studio MAPPA (the same studio that gave us Jujutsu Kaisen) just released a trailer for their upcoming project, an anime remake of Rumiko Takahashi’s martial arts comedy, Ranma ½. Reboots are a steady trend that might become another fatigue for viewers, but don’t worry, Ranma ½ deserves its remake, as the original anime didn’t align with the manga’s conclusion. It’s an opportunity for Ranma ½ to gain new fans and bring back fans of the original show. The remake will premiere on October 5, 2024.
Ranma ½ Trailer
Ranma Saotome is a teenage martial artist who, along with a father who causes more than enough trouble for the poor kid, travels away from home to perfect his fighting skills in 13 years. When he comes upon China’s mysterious cursed training ground full of small, problematic springs called Jusenkyo, Ranma falls into the spring of the “drowned girl,” so named after a young girl who, 1500 years ago, fell in and died, forever cursing the spring. And now, after falling into the spring, Ranma has suddenly turned into a girl. The only way to revert into a boy is to pour hot water on himself, but if cold water touches him, Ranma turns back into a girl — hence the ½.
His father, unfortunately, also falls into a spring called the “drowned panda,” turning into an enormous panda that can only growl. The curse leads to hilarious hijinks as Ranma tries to lift his curse, all while dealing with a feisty fiancé, Akane Tendo (who he comes to love later on), multiple adversaries caused by Ranma’s father’s carelessness — the same carelessness that gets Ranma reluctantly engaged to multiple girls (because, anime) — as well as dealing with many suitors obsessively chasing after Ranma’s affection while he’s in his girl form. It’s an entertaining mess, and I hope this version of the anime closely follows the source material.
Original Voice Actors Returning
Another exciting bit of news is that most, if not all, of the original voice actors will be returning to reprise their roles according to Crunchyroll.
- Ranma Saotome: Yamaguchi Kappei
- Ranma (female version): Hayashibara Megumi
- Akane Tendo: Hidaka Noriko Nabiki
- Genma Saotome: Cho
- Nabiki Tendo: Takayama Minami
- Kasumi Tendo: Inoue Kikuko
- Soun Tendo: Otsuka Akio
- Ryoga Hibiki: Yamadera Kouichi
- Shampoo: Sakuma Rei
- Narration: Ogata Kenichi
Having the original cast gives this remake a sense of nostalgia for older fans as if no time had passed since 1992, when the show premiered. Judging by the trailer, the anime will still have the original’s spark and comedic wit that Rumiko Takahashi cultivated into a cult classic.
From notable anime, like Inuyasha and Urusei Yatsura (which also received a reboot in 2022), Rumiko Takahashi has nailed the art of storytelling, releasing amazing and popular works that made equally popular shows. Both series are worth checking out while we wait for Ranma ½ to be released later this year.
For more anime news, click here to read more about the funny action-packed comedy, Sakamoto Days!
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