After a long wait, the highly anticipated "Ranma 1/2" remake landed on Netflix this month, bringing this classic anime to a new generation of fans. It's the second seminal work from legendary manga artist Rumiko Takahashi to get the reboot treatment recently, following in the footsteps of the successful "Urusei Yatsura" series revival that wrapped up over the summer.
With MAPPA, the animation studio behind "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Chainsaw Man," at the helm and most of the voice cast from the original show returning, this beloved gender-bending romantic comedy is finally getting the revival it deserves. (Its two previous anime adaptations in the late '80s and early '90s ended before the manga did.)
It’s been nearly 30 years since Ranma Saotome graced our screens, but "Ranma‘s" story was remarkably progressive for its time, so it still feels fresh even now. This new adaptation promises to introduce viewers to one of the most hilarious and notoriously convoluted romantic comedy casts in history. So if you're wondering whether you should catch "Ranma 1/2" on Netflix, here's why it's definitely worth adding to your watch list this weekend.
'Ranma 1/2' is light-hearted fun
"Ranma 1/2" follows Ranma Saotome, a brash teenage martial artist who, after an unplanned dip in a Chinese hot spring, becomes cursed to transform into a female version of himself whenever he gets splashed with cold water, while hot water changes him back to a boy.
Hijinks ensue. Since this is a rom-com, a lot of them revolve around Ranma attracting suitors of both genders. Throwing another wrinkle into the mix, thanks to a long-standing agreement between their fathers Ranma has already been betrothed to his short-tempered, man-hating classmate Akane. And he picks up engagements like Pokemon cards as the series goes on.
It's all very goofy, packed with lots of puns and slapstick humor interspersed with frenetic and colorful martial arts fight scenes. The series piles on character after character for Ranma to navigate, all with a winking, slyly queer approach to romance that was truly ahead of its time. Between the show's setting — "somewhere in Tokyo in the '80s" — retro art style, and vibrant, infectious color palette, MAPPA makes it clear this is a loving homage to the original story even as it throws in a few new original characters to shake things up.
If you enjoy light-hearted animes with plenty of action, then "Ranma 1/2" should be your next watch on Netflix. The first season will have 12 episodes in total, with new episodes rolling out each Saturday until December 21.
Need more streaming recommendations? Check out these 9 must-watch new anime series of the year so far or the 7 best anime shows on Netflix with over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Stream "Ranma 1/2" on Netflix now.
