‘Ranma 1/2’ Reboot Reveals Trailer, Cast List & Japanese Premiere Date

Get your water buckets ready: The updated anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi’s beloved manga Ranma 1/2 is ready to spring into gender-swapping action this fall. Produced by Shogakukan Shueisha Productions with animation by MAPPA (Vinland Saga, The God of High School), the martial arts rom-com will premiere October 5 on Nippon TV, streaming exclusively on Netflix Japan immediately following the broadcast debut. The announcements were made on the show’s official X feed.

Synopsis: Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendō, the third daughter of the Tendō dojo, are engaged for an arranged marriage. However, Ranma has a problem … While training in China, he fell into the springs of Jusenkyo and cursed to turn into a woman when splashed with cold water (and back into a man with hot water). This is the beginning of a slapstick martial arts romantic comedy starring Ranma, Akane, and a cast of unique characters!

The new series is directed by Kōnosuke Uda (One Piece, The File of Young Kindaichi) and written by Kimiko Ueno (Delicious in Dungeon, Carole & Tuesday). The creative team also features character designer and chief animation director Hiromi Taniguchi (FLCL Alternative, Jellyfish Restaurant); animation directors Takeshi Yoshioka, Yoshiko Saito & Nao Otsu; art director Chihiro Okawa; and composer Kaoru Wada (Inuyasha, Ninja Scroll).

The Japanese voice cast is led by Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara and Noriko Hidaka, reprising their roles from the 1990s anime as male Ranma, female Ramna and Akane, respectively. They are joined by other returning voices including Minami Takayama as Nabiki Tendō, Kikuko Inoue as Kasumi Tendō, Kōichi Yamadera as Ryōga Hibiki and Rei Sakuma as Shampoo.

Newcomers include Akio Ōtsuka as Sōun Tendō, replacing Ryunosuke Ohbayashi and Chō as Genma Saotome; the previous voice of Genma, Kenichi Ogata, serves as narrator for the new show, stepping in for the late Tadashi Nakamura.

Published in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1987 to 1996, Takahashi’s Ranma 1/2 is one of the best-selling manga series of all time with about 55 million copies sold (per Magmix, 2021). VIZ Media publishes the manga in North America. The first Ranma 1/2 anime series and its reworked follow up Ranma 1/2 Nettōhen were produced by Studio Deen, and aired 1989 and 1989-92, respectively. Deen also produced a series of theatrical movies through the early ’90s and 11 OVAs for home video.

Takahashi is also the creator of the hit Urusei Yatsura franchise, which got its own anime update in 2022 and launched it fourth and final cour in April of this year.

[Sources: Ranma 1/2 Anime Official X, Anime News Network]