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A classic anime is coming back, in more ways than one.Ranma 1/2was ananimemade by Studio Deen from 1989 to 1992, adapted from a manga written by the same author asInuyasha. With just 161 episodes of a slice-of-life shonen fantasy coming out over those three years, the anime has been overshadowed over time due to longer-running contenders likeNaruto,Dragon Ball, andOne Piece,leavingRanma 1/2to create its status as an underrated gem for classic anime enthusiasts. But last anime season, however, a reboot ofRanma 1/2has dropped and is continuing to air to this day.
Reboots always beg to ask; is it worth watching, or should I watch (or rewatch) the original again? Many reboots often fail to capture the magic of the original series after all. The original series has already been picking up popularity over the past few years as retro anime enthusiasts have discovered, and recommended,Ranma 1/2online in countless “obscure” anime lists, and the original is currently available to stream on Hulu and Netflix, so why even check out the reboot?
What Has The Anime Changed (So Far?)
The Confusing History of Ranma 1/2’s Anime, And How The Reboot Handles The Source Material
Before we talk about thenew anime, we need to clear the air on the confusing history of the first attempt at adapting Rumiko Takahashi’s manga. The originalRanma 1/2aired for 1 season, 18 episodes, in a prime time 7:00PM television block on Japanese television. However, other anime airing at the time were more popular,leading to very few viewsfor the anime and the eventual cancelation of the series. However, the show was immediately rebooted within the same year, under the nameRanma 1/2 Nattohen, during the5:00 PM Friday timeslot, which had significantly less competition at the time. The reboot just continued where the original left off, with the same cast, and found much more success with these changes.
“If Kasumi isn’t back by dinnertime, we’re gonna have to eat Akane’s cooking. And if we do that, man oh man, we’re gonna wish we were lost at sea!”
The new series, however, plans to keep theRanma 1/2name, even once adapting the contents ofRanma 1/2 Nattohen. This is because they intend to adapt the series as originally intended,while remaining faithful to the manga. So far the new reboot has changed very little from the original anime; they’ve even maintained the same 1980s anime art style as the original, albeit with a shiner look and a more cohesive color palette. They’ve also brought back the original star-studded voice-acting cast as the original anime adaptation. So far only changes seem to be cutting a few smaller filler scenes here and there to keep the pacing consistent.
If It’s The Same, Why Watch The New One?
Valid Point, But Here Is Why You Should Watch The Reboot
Part of the history ofRanma 1/2 Nattohenis what it took to keep running in their new, less desirable time slot. The original anime had to cut its budget and wanted to keep the same cast. This meant the animation was sacrificed to keep the anime within budget. You can tell whenRanma 1/2becomesRanma 1/2 Nattohenbased on the animation quality alone; it is less detailed and everything from the coloring, to the shading, to the backgrounds all tanked visually. While the budget for most things were cut back,the biggest impact to this is the animation, which is normally one of the driving forces of an anime’s quality.
This reboot isn’t going to suffer that same fate. Besides the fact this new reboot is helmed by Mappa, who are known forAttack on Titan,Jujutsu Kaisen,Yuri on Ice,Chainsaw Man, andKakegurui,among dozens of other animepraised for their visuals. They are known for some of the most popular anime in current anime history, while maintaining the same level of quality. Getting to see the wholeRanma 1/2saga in 2024 quality animation is worth the watch alone. We also get the improvements of modern sound design and recording quality, which make the anime that much more enjoyable to watch.
Another reason to watch? A lot of the anime-specific filler is cut down. A major problem with the original anime, while it leads to the anime’s more light-hearted appeal in comparison to the manga, is the plotless and time-consuming filler that takes up the anime’s runtime. This was incredibly common with anime of the time thatRanma 1/2aired in, but itstill holds the anime backever so slightly. Most of this anime-specific filler seems to be cut in this 2024 reboot, which leads to two things; a more accurate adaptation of the manga, and fitting more plot into each episode. This means major events are much closer together, and solved in a more reasonable time than in the classic anime.
While only time will tell how theRanma 1/2reboot goes, at this point in time, it may be on its way to becoming the nextFruit’s Basket, if this reboot continues to play it’s cards as it has been over the past anime season.
Ranma 1/2
Cast
In this comedic series, martial artist Ranma Saotome navigates life with a unique predicament: he transforms into a girl when splashed with cold water. His engagement to Akane Tendo adds further complexity, as they encounter numerous challenges within familial and martial arts dynamics.
