Netflix Lands Exclusive Streaming Rights To Hottest 90s Anime Remake Of The Year
Rumiko Takahashi, author of the Ranma ½ manga, previously revealed a couple of weeks ago that her seminal manga series was getting a new anime adaptation. Now, an array of details about the adaptation have been revealed in a live stream on X, including where you’ll be able to watch the new adaptation if you live in the US. Outside of Japan, Netflix has nabbed the exclusive streaming rights to the series, which will hit the streamer after the episodes broadcast.
The news that Ranma ½ would be streaming on Netflix also coincided with a trailer drop that shows off the brand-new animation, which looks pretty great. We also learned that the anime series is set to premiere on October 5, so we won’t have too long to wait. The live stream revealed that ano will perform the opening theme song for the anime and that MAPPA is handling animation with Konosuke Uda directing.
Ranma ½ tells the story of Ranma Saotome, a martial arts expert who is cursed to turn into a girl when exposed to cold water and back to a boy when exposed to hot water.
The Ranma ½ stream also came with the announcement that Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara, and Noriko Hidaka are returning to reprise their roles as male Ranma, female Ranma, and Akane Tendo, respectively. Quite a few other voice actors are returning from the original 1989 adaptation, so fans of that series can look forward to hearing some familiar voices. The creative team for the new adaptation is rounded out by Kimiko Ueno, who is handling the scripts, and Hiromi Taniguchi, who is in charge of designing the characters.
Ranma ½ tells the story of Ranma Saotome, a martial arts expert who is cursed to turn into a girl when exposed to cold water and back to a boy when exposed to hot water. Ranma is on a mission to end his curse but runs into plenty of problems along the way. The anime (and manga it is based on) is a mixture of comedy and martial arts action and is notable for becoming one of the first anime to gain popularity in the United States.
Nabbing the exclusive US streaming rights to the new Ranma ½ anime adaptation is also a pretty significant win for Netflix…
The original Ranma ½ series was animated by Studio DEEN and ran for seven seasons before being followed up by three theatrical movies and 12 OVAs. At this point, the anime might seem a little dated to modern fans, so a brand-new adaptation with modern animation could bring a new wave of fans to this classic series. It worked for Takahashi’s recently rebooted Urusei Yatsura, so it should work for one of her most popular and iconic manga adaptations.
Nabbing the exclusive US streaming rights to the new Ranma ½ anime adaptation is also a pretty significant win for Netflix, which has fully leaned into anime after a string of recent successes.
The original Ranma ½ series was animated by Studio DEEN and ran for seven seasons before being followed up by three theatrical movies and 12 OVAs.
The streaming giant managed to pull off the impossible by releasing a live-action anime adaptation of One Piece that was wildly successful and pleased fans of the One Piece manga and anime. Along with getting the streaming rights to Ranma ½ and making a live-action One Piece adaptation, Netflix currently has a new reboot of the One Piece anime in development that will feature modern animation.
