More than three decades following the conclusion of the original anime, Ranma ½, a Japanese anime series adapted from the manga of the same name, is finally getting a full-blown remake by Netflix. Though a new take on the series was announced this summer, with Netflix offering renders of new character designs, fans did have to wait for a while before the official trailer for the remake dropped. The new show is scheduled to premiere on October 5 in the US and October 6 in select Asian countries. Here’s everything we know about the remake.
Ranma ½ began its life as a manga series written and illustrated by the legendary Rumiko Takahashi. It was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday, running from August 1987 to March 1996, with its chapters later collected in 38 tankobon volumes. Its story revolves around a teenage boy, Ranma Saotome, who has been trained in martial arts since early childhood. However, during one of his training sessions, Ranma fell into a cursed Chinese spring, which gave him the ability to instantly turn into a girl whenever he’s splashed with cold water.
Though he can revert the effects of the curse by touching hot water and reverting to a boy, Ranma seeks a way to lift the curse. His surroundings, mainly his friends, enemies, and many fiancees, constantly hinder and interfere with his plans. This is the main ingredient of Ranma ½’s comedic formula since Ranma doesn’t shy away from willfully turning into a girl to advance his goals. The series is filled with interesting and quirky characters, such as Genma, whose personalities often drive most of the stories in the manga and the original anime.
For those who aren’t familiar with the original work, Genma is actually Ranma’s father, but when Ranma fell into a cursed spring in which a girl drowned — causing his transformation into a girl — Genma fell into a spring of a drowned panda. You guessed it, Genma turns into a panda under the same conditions of hot and cold water. And though he’s depicted as somewhat cowardly, selfish, and opportunistic, his dynamic with Ranma is not just comical of itself but central to the entire series’ humor.
The manga was later adapted into two anime series produced by Studio Deen — known for producing the fourth and final season of The Seven Deadly Sins anime — but the first iteration was canceled due to low ratings. The series was then reworked, and by most of the same staff nonetheless, and retitled into Ranma ½ Nettohen and was given a different timeslot. It ran for 143 episodes until 1992 and mostly adhered to the source material, apart from Ranma keeping his transformation abilities a secret from his fellow students.
The second series was a massive hit, and the fans are now eagerly anticipating the return of their favorite characters done with modern animation. However, there are some questions about more risqué elements of the show and how such things will be handled. Ranma ½ remake is the freshest resurgence of adaptions of Takahashi’s work, with Yahahime and Urusei being released in 2020 and 2022, respectively. Honestly, the Ranma ½ has been long overdue for a remake, especially considering just how popular the manga and the second series were.
From what we know so far, Studio MAPPA — known for Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Attack on Titan — is handling the remake animation. Judging by the trailer, they appear to be making minor changes to the iconic series. Apart from updating the animation, it would appear that the main events of the show will remain unchanged, though it’s not known whether or not the pacing of Ranma ½ will remain the same or if MAPPA is looking to tighten things up.
It’s also worth noting that the original voice talent from the 1989 series is returning to reprise their roles for the remake that will still feature the same iconic mixture of slapstick, action, and arguing — all of which have remained the same. So, it’s safe to say that the upcoming Ranma ½ remake wears a new suit but still tells the good old jokes. There are, however, things that the recently released trailer didn’t show and that mostly relate to some of the characters from the series, such as Shampoo, Ryoga, Kuno, and Dr. Tofu.
Admittedly, the return of Shampoo and Ryoga has been confirmed, and Kuno has been seen in the promotional material. However, Dr. Tofu still hasn’t shown up. While it’s unlikely that MAPPA will cut him out, the fans are interested in his potential appearance in the series. The trailer also does a very good job of selling the series not just to potential fans but also to long-time Ranma ½ fans, indicating that MAPPA knows what they’re doing and the materials they’re working with.
Without any official confirmation, all the information listed in this article remains speculation at best. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait long for Ranma ½ to drop and bring all the slapstick and action to our small screens.