We already knew it. In fact, we were all expecting it, and many of us were quite impatient, I must add, but besides being VERY confirmed, we now have a couple of very pleasant surprises, I must say.
What are we talking about? The “Ranma 1/2” Remake, of course! We knew it would arrive in the near future, but it has taken us all by surprise when its official networks released the first trailer for the project! And as if that wasn’t enough, it will also reach us much sooner than we could have expected, premiering in Japan this VERY upcoming October 5th of this year, via the Netflix platform!
Voices and Production
This new anime adaptation of the classic manga by Rumiko Takahashi, “Ranma 1/2,” which has caused great excitement in its huge fan community, is led by MAPPA studios (Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Attack on Titan: The Final Season), and it has been confirmed that the original voice cast from the series will return to bring this remake to life:
- Megumi Hayashibara as Ranma Saotome (female).
- Kappei Yamaguchi as Ranma Saotome (male).
- Noriko Hidaka as Akane Tendo.
- Kouichi Yamadera as Ryouga Hibike.
- Rei Sakuma as Shampoo.
- Minami Takayama as Nabiki Tendo.
- Kikuko Inoue as Kasumi Tendo.
- Akio Ootsuka as Soun Tendo.
- Choo as Genma Saotome.
- Kenichi Ogata as the Narrator.
And forming the production team, we have some names very well known to all:
- Kounosuke Uda (ONE PIECE, Lovely★Complex, DAYS) is in charge of directing the anime at MAPPA studios.
- Kimiko Ueno (Little Witch Academia, Dungeon Meshi, Carole & Tuesday) is responsible for writing and supervising the scripts.
- Hiromi Taniguchi (PSYCHO-PASS, Deca-Dence, Youjo Senki) is in charge of character design and animation direction.
- Kaoru Wada (Inuyasha, Princess Tutu, Hanyou no Yashahime) is in charge of the soundtrack composition.
It is worth noting that, at the moment, it is unknown if the premiere of the new “Ranma 1/2” anime on the Netflix platform will be worldwide, so we will have to wait for new updates on which platform it will be legally streamed. Additionally, the opening of an official website for the new “Ranma 1/2” anime was also announced, where the first visual image of this series, eagerly awaited by the audience that grew up with this series, was presented:
Rumiko Takahashi began publishing the manga through the Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine by Shogakukan in August 1987 and finished it in March 1996, compiling the work into a total of thirty-eight volumes. The work was adapted into anime in April 1989 by Studio Deen, followed by a new adaptation of 143 episodes in October 1989, produced by the same studio. Interestingly, recently, “Urusei Yatsura,” another of Rumiko Takahashi‘s works, also had a new anime adaptation forty years after its original broadcast.
Synopsis
“Ranma 1/2” is a series that mixes martial arts and romantic comedy, revolving around Ranma Saotome, a young martial arts expert who, due to an accident at a cursed training site in China called Jusenkyo, suffers a peculiar curse: whenever he is splashed with cold water, he transforms into a woman. To revert the transformation, he needs to be exposed to hot water. This condition introduces numerous comedic and romantic entanglements throughout the series, especially when his father engages him to Akane Tendo, a girl who initially hates boys.
Throughout the series, Ranma‘s attempts to find a cure for his curse lead him to confront and collaborate with a variety of quirky characters, each with their own peculiarities and martial arts skills. The relationships among the characters are complex and a source of many subplots, including several suitors for both the male and female forms of Ranma, creating a continuous environment of comedy and drama.
The series is well known for its focus on situational comedy, misunderstandings, and light-hearted humor related to Ranma’s gender identity transformations, which are explored in creative and humorous ways. Besides the manga series and anime episodes, “Ranma 1/2” was also adapted into OVA and movies, further expanding the world and stories of these beloved characters.
We are sure you have everything you need to be as excited as we are about this imminent return, not as such, but in the form of a “remake,” but it is a return after all, which includes the original voices! That’s a lot! And now, how about you head over to the comments and let us know your opinion on this excellent news? You know, we’ll be reading! 🙂
Images Source: MAPPA Official YouTube CHANNEL, Ranma 1/2 Remake Official Website, Ranma 1/2 Remake X (Twitter) Official Account
