‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024’ can you believe it?!! As a child, I fondly remember tuning in to the Animax channel to watch my favorite anime series. One show, in particular, featured a unique concept where a character could transform from a boy to a girl and back by being splashed with hot or cold water. Unfortunately, the series ceased airing for unknown reasons, much like the highly popular Slam Dunk anime of that time.
However, I’m thrilled to learn that Netflix is reviving this classic anime, and the prospect of reconnecting with it is evoking a wave of nostalgia. Readers might have guessed it by now, Ranma ½ is returning and this time as ‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024’! Netflix is reviving not only a classic but also a nostalgia for many. Like the revival of Rurouni Kenshin, jaw-dropping news of the One Piece remake this is another joyful happening.
After a long time span of 32 years, we are getting a remake of Ranma 1/2. This time the show is getting redesigned with a new dazzling art style and also with new renders of characters. On August 27, 2024, Netflix released a trailer showcasing a new look of the classic old-school anime with the news that they will start streaming ‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake’ on October 5, 2024. A huge news for 90’s anime fans.
MAPPA Animating The Netflix Revival
Studio MAPPA is leading the project after getting huge success from Attack on Titan, reiterating that the studio is doing some promising work in tandem with the recent hits. The latest series is part of a rising trend in adapting the creations of Takahashi. ‘The Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake’ series from MAPPA follows the recent Yashahime, a sequel spin-off to InuYasha released in 2020, and 2022’s Urusei Yatsura by David Productions.
Ranma 1/2, a highly successful manga selling over 55 million copies, has long been anticipated for a remake. Since its debut in 1987, it has made a significant impact, inspiring creators such as Bryan Lee O’Malley of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Makoto Shinkai of Your Name. Now, after a long wait of three decades, it is being revived as ‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024’.
Ranma 1/2 Story
In the story, we follow the journey of Ranma Saotome, a teenager with an extensive background in martial arts training since a young age. During a training expedition to the Bayankala Mountain Range in the Qinghai Province of China, a fateful incident occurs when Ranma and his father Genma fall into cursed springs at Jusenkyo. This accident results in Ranma being inflicted with a curse – he transforms into a girl when exposed to cold water, and reverts to his original form as a boy when doused with hot water.
Throughout the series, Ranma navigates the challenge of finding a way to remove the curse, all while contending with the interference of friends, adversaries, and numerous fiancées. His love life is a complex web of relationships, that includes an arranged marriage decided by his father to one of Soun Tendo’s three daughters.
The youngest daughter, Akane Tendo, holds a strong aversion to boys, leading her sisters to believe that a partner who shifts between being a boy and a girl would be the ideal match for her. Now that makes for a thrilling comedy. This series provides a captivating blend of classic martial arts anime and romantic comedy, offering a unique and engaging narrative.
Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024 Release Date
MAPPA has confirmed the release date for the highly anticipated ‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024’. Fans can look forward to catching the premiere on Saturday, October 5 at 12:55 am local time on Nippon Television in Japan. Additionally, the show will be available for global audiences on Netflix immediately after its initial broadcast.
Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024 Cast
The Japanese voice cast for ‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024’ consists of several talented actors reprising their iconic roles from the 1990s anime. Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara, and Noriko Hidaka return to voice the characters of male Ranma, female Ranma, and Akane, respectively. Additionally, Minami Takayama reprises her role as Nabiki Tendō, while Kikuko Inoue and Kōichi Yamadera return as Kasumi Tendō and Ryōga Hibiki.
Rei Sakuma also joins the returning voices to once again voice the character Shampoo. Newcomers include Akio Ōtsuka, who takes on the role of Sōun Tendō, replacing Ryunosuke Ohbayashi. Chō steps in as the new voice of Genma Saotome, while the previous voice actor for Genma, Kenichi Ogata, transitions to the role of the narrator for the new show, following the passing of the original narrator, Tadashi Nakamura.
Modern Look Of A Timeless Classic
The animation by MAPPA in ‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024’ promises to impress with its stylish, expressive choreography and acting, while still maintaining the iconic blend of slapstick, action, and humor from the original series. Many gags in the new trailer closely resemble those from the original, such as Ranma and Akane’s first meeting in the bath, where Akane discovers Ranma’s ability to transform.
Additionally, it seems that MAPPA is enhancing the comedic elements in the action scenes, especially the slapstick humor that defines the series. Notably, the animators have put extra effort into one of the initial fights of the series: Ranma fighting her panda father in the street. The sequence is visually impressive, featuring vibrant colors and bright purple outlines for the characters, rather than the usual black.
Can Netflix Do Justice With This Remake?
Looking at the trailer, ‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024’ still looks like the original manga and the previous classic. The story seems to remain the same so we could hope that Netflix might not bring any major changes to the storyline though some characters were missing from the trailer.
Obviously, they cannot fit everybody in a short trailer so I hope the fear some fans are getting that they won’t appear in the remake might be not true. Fans are really excited for ‘Netflix Ranma 1/2 Remake 2024’ to air. And why won’t they be? Netflix just gave them a totally unexpected surprise. So, let’s hope for the best and wait a little more to get our hands on the remake of our nostalgia!
