Is Ranma 1/2's reboot worth watching?

Important takeaways

  • The Ranma 1/2 reboot stays true to the original series with the same voice cast and art style.
  • The reboot of MAPPA ensures higher animation quality and a more accurate manga adaptation.
  • The 2024 remake cuts down on filler, providing a more cohesive plot and improved pacing.



A classic anime is coming back, in more ways than one. Ranma 1/2 was an anime made by Studio Deen from 1989 to 1992, adapted from a manga written by the same author as Inuyasha. With only 161 episodes of slice-of-life shonen fantasy coming out in those three years, the anime has been overshadowed over time by longer-running contenders such as Naruto, Dragon Balland One Piece, leaves Ranma 1/2 establishing its status as an underrated gem for classic anime enthusiasts. But the last anime season, though a reboot of Ranma 1/2 has dropped and continues to air to this day.

Restart always begs 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 picked up popularity in recent years as retro anime enthusiasts have discovered and recommended, Ranma 1/2 online in countless “obscure” anime lists, and the original is currently available to stream on Hulu and Netflix, so why even check out the reboot?


Family

Preview Fall 2024: Ranma ½

Ranma ½ returns with classic martial arts comedy, gender-bending mayhem, and the hilarious adventures of Ranma and friends.

What has anime changed (so far?)

The confusing history of Ranma 1/2's anime, and how the reboot handles the source material

Akane and Ranma Ranma 1/2 2024
© 高橋留美子・小学館/「らんま1/2」载件公司

Before we talk about the new anime, we need to clear the air about the confusing history of the first attempt to adapt Rumiko Takahashi's manga. The original Ranma 1/2 aired for one season, 18 episodes, in a primetime 7:00 PM television block on Japanese television. However, other anime airing at the time were more popular, leading to very few viewings for the anime and the series' eventual cancellation. But the show rebooted immediately within the same year, under the name Ranma 1/2 Nattohen, below it 17:00 Friday timeslot, which had significantly less competition at the time. The reboot just picked up where the original left off, with the same cast, and found much greater success with these changes.

“If Kasumi isn't back by noon, we'll have to eat Akane's cooking. And if we do, man oh man, we'll wish we were lost at sea!”


However, the new series plans to keep Ranma 1/2 name, even once adjust the contents of Ranma 1/2 Nattohen. That's because they intend to adapt the series as originally intended, while staying true to the manga. So far, the new reboot has changed very little from the original anime; they've even retained the same 1980s anime art style as the original, albeit with a glossy look and a more cohesive color palette. They have also brought back the original star-studded voice cast as the original anime adaptation. So far only changes seem to be cutting a few minor filler scenes here and there to keep the pace consistent.

If it's the same, why look at the new one?

Valid point, but here's why you should watch the reboot

Ranma One and a Half Anime opening


Part of the story of Ranma 1/2 Nattohen is what was required to continue running in its new, less desirable timeslot. The original anime had to cut its budget and wanted to keep the same cast. This meant that the animation was sacrificed to keep the anime on budget. You can tell when Ranma 1/2 becomes Ranma 1/2 Nattohen based on animation quality alone; it's less detailed and everything from the coloring, to the shading, to the backgrounds are all visually similar. While the budget was mostly cut, the biggest impact on this is the animation, which is normally one of the drivers of an anime's quality.

This reboot will not suffer the same fate. Besides the fact that this new reboot is directed by Mappa, who are known for Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuri on the ice, Chainsaw manand Cake Guruamong dozens of other anime famous for their visuals. They are known for some of the most popular anime in current anime history, while maintaining the same level of quality. To see the whole Ranma 1/2 Saga in 2024 quality animation is worth watching alone. We also get improvements in modern sound design and recording quality, making the anime that much more enjoyable to watch.


Another reason to watch? Much of the anime-specific filler is cut. A major problem with the original anime, although it leads to the anime's more light-hearted appeal compared 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 Ranma 1/2 was submitted, but it still holds the anime back a bit. Most of this anime-specific filler seems to be cut out 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 that major events are much closer together and resolved in a more reasonable amount of time than in the classic anime.


While only time will tell how Ranma 1/2 reboot goes, at this point it may be about to be next Fruit basketif this reboot continues to play its cards like it has been for the last anime season.

You can watch 2024 Ranma 1/2 Reboot on Netflix.

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