Is The Ranma 1/2 reboot worth watching?

Key insights

• The Ranma 1/2 reboot stays faithful to the original series with the same voice cast and art style.
• The reboot by MAPPA ensures higher animation quality and a more accurate manga adaptation.
• The 2024 remake reduces the amount of padding and provides a more cohesive plot and improved pacing.

A classic anime returns, in more ways than one. Ranma 1/2 was an anime by Studio Deen from 1989 to 1992, adapted from a manga by the same author as Inuyasha. Since only 161 episodes of a true-to-life Shonen fantasy were released in these three years, the anime was overshadowed over time by longer-running competitors Naruto, Dragon BallAnd One piece, leave Ranma 1/2 to create its status as an underrated gem for classic anime enthusiasts. But last anime season, although a reboot of Ranma 1/2 has been discontinued and continues to air today.

Reboots always require a question; Is it worth watching or should I rewatch (or rewatch) the original? Many reboots often fail to capture the magic of the original series. The original series has already gained popularity in recent years as retro anime enthusiasts have discovered and recommended it. Ranma 1/2 online in countless “obscure” anime lists, and the original is currently available to stream on Hulu and Netflix, so why even bother looking at the reboot?

What has the anime changed (so far)?

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

Before we talk about the new anime, we need to clear up the confusing history of the first attempt to adapt Rumiko Takahashi's manga. The original Ranma 1/2 aired for one season with 18 episodes in a prime time television block at 7:00 p.m. on Japanese television. However, other anime broadcasts were more popular at the time, which resulted in the anime receiving very few views and the series was eventually canceled. However, the show was relaunched under the name the same year Ranma 1/2 Nattohen, during the 5:00 p.m. Friday time slot, which had significantly less competition at that point. The reboot simply picked up where the original left off, with the same cast, and had much more success with these changes.

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

However, the new series plans to keep that Ranma 1/2 names, even if the content is adjusted once Ranma 1/2 Nattohen. This is because they intend to adapt the series as originally planned while remaining faithful to the manga. So far, little has changed from the original anime with the new reboot; They even retained the same 1980s anime art style as the original, albeit with a glossier look and more consistent color palette. They also brought back the original star-studded voice cast as the original anime adaptation. So far the only changes it seems to be making are a few smaller filler scenes being cut out here and there to keep the pace consistent.

If it's the same, why watch the new one?

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

Part of the history of Ranma 1/2 Nattohen was necessary to continue in their new, less desirable time slot. The original anime had to cut its budget and wanted to keep the cast. This meant that the animation was sacrificed in order to keep the anime within 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 is visually enhanced. While the budget has been cut for most things, this has had the biggest impact on the animation, which is usually one of the driving forces behind an anime's quality.

This reboot will not suffer the same fate. Apart from that, this new reboot will be directed by Mappa who is known for Attack on Titan, Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuri on ice, Chainsaw ManAnd Kakeguruiamong dozens of other animes that are praised for their visual design. They are known for some of the most popular anime in current anime history while maintaining the same level of quality. See the whole thing Ranma 1/2 The high-quality animation of the saga in 2024 alone is worth watching. We also benefit from the improvements in modern sound design and recording quality, which make watching the anime even more enjoyable.

Another reason to watch? A lot of the anime-specific filler has been cut. A major problem with the original anime, while the anime's more lighthearted appeal compared to the manga, is the plotless and time-consuming filler that takes up the anime's running time. This was incredibly common in anime back then Ranma 1/2 aired, but it still holds the anime back a bit. Most of this anime-specific filler appears to be axed in this 2024 reboot, which leads to two things; a more accurate adaptation of the manga and more plot into each episode. This means that important 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 The reboot is going, at this point it may be on its way to becoming the next one Fruit basketif this reboot continues to play its cards like it did in the previous anime season.

You can watch the Ranma 1/2 reboot on Netflix in 2024.