It’s “somewhere in Tokyo in the 80s” and sisters Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane hear some shocking news. Their father, the head of the family dojo, will marry one of them to his old friend Genma’s son, Ranma. The problem is that he’s never even seen Ranma and the girls are hesitant to take a proposal, especially the youngest, Akane, who cares only for training and despises boys. But this complicated situation is about to get more complex when a panda and a young woman arrive in the dojo, with the latter proving to be even Akane’s better at kung-fu. So wait, Ranma is a girl? Not so fast, as Akane is about to find out when she comes face-to-face (and naked body to naked body) with Ranma, who’s taken a dip in the bath, and hears the story of how father and son become panda and daughter.
If you haven’t heard, Rumiko Takahashi productions have been having a Renaissance lately, first with Urusei Yatsura receiving a full run and now a reboot of an even more popular series, Ranma 1/2. It’s a tricky thing, though, to bring an old classic back to life. Will it translate well for modern audiences? What changes do you make? And how much change is too much? Well, based on episode one, MAPPA has met the challenge, producing a slick, funny, charming episode that is firmly 1980s and 90s but totally accessible today with strong animation (and without going too bright, which I found to be a problem with Urusei Yatsura), surprisingly fun fight scenes, and a story that works in 2024 as much as in 1994. Ranma isn’t hapless (not totally), helping to make him a compelling lead, while Akane’s violent streak doesn’t overwhelm the inherent goodness in her, as shown upon her first meeting with the female Ranma, nor her inner strength. The two are already a dynamite combo, and the way they fight, get along (at first), and make eyes at each other (before glaring) creates a chemistry that immediately compels me to ship them. MAPPA not only knows what it’s doing with the animation part (and again, the fight scenes are powerful and fun, adding to the generally excellent animation work), but also in adapting the story to screen.
But it’s also what MAPPA chooses not to do that makes for a strong first episode. I haven’t read the original manga nor watched the anime, but based on my reading of Inuyasha and Maison Ikkoku, this adaptation seems to stay on the straight and narrow, which I think is very smart. You see it when treating the genderbending issue—in that, it’s not an issue at all. I’ve always wondered how this series treats Ranma’s changing from boy to girl and back again, and judging from episode one, it’s largely with either slapstick comedy or from an authentic perspective of a boy who doesn’t think of himself as a girl nor is having gender dysphoria; he’s just a boy in a girl’s body, a la Your Name. The result is fun capers, and I think there will be some tender moments too, rather than any type of serious dialogue about gender issues, which is better left for a more contemplative series. Also of note is how the show handles nudity, which is surely going to be a major part of the series. I expect heavier fanservice later, but it’s clear that the sexuality is “Rumiko Takahashi sexuality,” with a focus less on titillation and more on laughs. Akane and Ranma are both naked multiple times—so be warned—but their bodies are purposely drawn without detail in the nude form. I’m glad for that approach as it allows Ranma 1/2 to keep its “boy walks in on girl” (and visa-versa) jokes without turning the series down a road I don’t think it was meant to go. So bravo, MAPPA! It looks like you’re doing this right and maybe, just maybe, we have that rare reboot or remake that turns out to be a winner.
Ranma 1/2 can be streamed on Netflix.
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