In 1987 onward, mangaka Rumiko Takahashi struck gold and crossed beyond the apex of fame with her monthly manga series Ranma 1/2. It’s essentially a romantic comedy featuring a guy who turns into a girl by getting doused in cold water (and transforms back with hot water), who also is forcefully engaged to a hot-headed tomboy girl named Akane, with both of them getting pursued romantically by all sorts of crazy people who also know dangerous martial arts and techniques. And some of them having their own curses to bear. It’s 38 volumes of hijinxes, shonen and harem anime tropes aplenty, and it’s a riot to read through to the point that it received its own anime series and films.

What the latter adaptation lacked was an ending, which is I believe what this year’s 2024 adaptation might rectify if it hits well with today’s anime-watching audiences. And so far after a couple of episodes, I can safely say this Mappa-produced anime delivers.

Kung Fu And Panda

The first season of Ranma 1/2 (2024) is about a boy named Ranma Saotome who is betrothed to a girl named Akane Tendo against their will. That’s because the Saotome family and Tendo family wish to unite to become one giant martial arts dojo powerhouse. The problem? Ranma is afflicted with a curse from his training in China where he transforms into a girl if he gets hit with cold water. Hot water turns him back into a man. His dad Genma has a similar curse but he transforms into a panda. In fact, the manga’s running joke is where the curse comes from: a mystical hot springs in China which Genma thought would be a great place to train his son in fighting. This means the two will be waylaid by other victims of the hot springs, from a stone-hard warrior to a China girl martial artist with equally funny curses. Also, Ranma and Akane has to go to a school where they’re also being pursued by crazy students with exceptional fighting styles and want to hook up with either one of them. As a cherry on top of this brawl-laden sundae, Ranma and Akane hate each other tsundere-style.

So yeah, they’ll eventually be fond of each other throughout the course of the series while wacky martial arts comedy and fanservice adds fuel to the fire. And it’s the kind that will burn bright thanks to the studio on task with this remake. Studio Mappa did an outstanding joke sticking true to the Rumiko Takahashi manga while also making everything move well. The fight scenes are also given a huge upgrade from the TV series and even the OVA movies in the 80s and 90s. Newcomers will enjoy the zaniness and humour from each of these battles between Ranma, Akane, and their thirsty suitors, while old-school anime fans will completely appreciate the care and love given to the battles they loved in the earlier chapters of the manga. From the appearance of kendo-wielding poetry-spouting Tatewaki Kuno to the ice-skating battle with the Golden Pair, there is no shortage of madcap scenarios our highschool heroes will be thrown into.

What really caught my attention with the remake is the plethora of nods to the manga and the print style in the show’s transitions. The remake looks brand new and fit for 2024, but it throws in a few mono-colour portions and dotted colouring for style’s sake, and it really works in matching the tone and bright palette of the show. Veterans may need to get used to the character’s “new” look here as it’s attempting to be almost one-to-one to the manga, but Studio Mappa really hit it out of the ballpark with the overall look, animation and everything in-between. Plus, some of the episodes come with their own plot overview in cute vignettes.

Props also goes to the production house for getting the old Japanese voice actors back to reprise their roles from the anime. Everybody from Kappei Yamaguchi’s Ranma to Noriko Hidaka’s Akane have the same energy, zest, and charisma from their past 80s performances. And you should never doubt the VO work and consistency of veteran Megumi Hayashibara who reprises her iconic role as female Ranma.

That being said, if you’re not a fan of a martial arts comedy anime that’s full-on with its fanservice and its pretty old-school structure of storytelling, you may not be on-board this adaptation. This is a faithful retelling of the original manga, possibly with little to no deviation and no filler episodes to pad the show out.

Just like that Talking Heads song, it’s the same as it ever was. And that’s A-OK by me, because I really do need a good dose of funny-time anime to go alongside zanier fares like Dandadan, but with a more late 80s type of structure in its tale and slew of errors at the heroes’ expense. From the pop art manga stylings throwback to the well-animated fight scenes, Studio Mappa already went above and beyond in making this remake of the classic harem martial arts series approachable, smooth, and possibly more focused than the original TV series. True, it’s just a remake that’s going by the books, but said book is the benchmark of martial arts comedy and harem anime nonsense. Don’t expect anything groundbreaking, but do expect to laugh out loud and appreciate the slapstick, fanservice, and fighting bits.

Final Score: 80/100

Sub or Dub?

We would definitely pick the Japanese VO with English subtitles for this watch, since the remake features the old cast coming back again to reprise their roles. And nobody can beat seiyuu legend Megumi Hayashibara at her own game.

That said though, the English dub cast aren’t slouches. Veterans like Fred Tatasciore and Stephanie Sheh already put in helluva work with Genma and Nabiki Tendo respectively, while David Errigo Jr. and Valreia Rodriguez do great work as the power couple Ranma and Akane. The biggest highlight is Suzie Yeung as female Ranma; her energy and vocals are unmatched and arguably on par with Megumi Hayashibara’s.

Long story short, we have FFVII Rebirth’s Yuffie, Overwatch’s Soldier 76, and Like A Dragon’s Ichiban Kasuga all in one anime series voicing their darndest. So don’t sleep on the English dub!