Ranma 1/2’s new anime has great respect for the old version and high quality (with a comparison table of old and new voice actors).
The anime “Ranma 1/2” that started airing in the fall of 2024 is a re-animation after 35 years.
It’s become a splendid work that even those who haven’t seen the original can fully enjoy, so I wanted to introduce it.
The Voice Cast is Amazing: Comparison of Main Character Voice Actors in the Old and New Versions
In this re-animation, they have carried over as much as possible the voice cast from the “Ranma 1/2” anime from about 35 years ago.
The replacement voice actors are also incredibly famous.
You can feel the respect for the original work.
Even just casually watching, you hear only familiar voices.
It’s a work you can enjoy just for that.
| Character | Voice Actor in Old Version | Voice Actor in New Version | Representative Works of New Voice Actor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranma Saotome (Male)(早乙女乱馬(男)) | Kappei Yamaguchi(山口勝平) | Kappei Yamaguchi(山口勝平) | “Detective Conan” (Shinichi Kudo, Kaito Kid), “Inuyasha” (Inuyasha), “ONE PIECE” (Usopp) |
| Ranma Saotome (Female)(早乙女乱馬(女)) | Megumi Hayashibara(林原めぐみ) | Megumi Hayashibara(林原めぐみ) | “Neon Genesis Evangelion” (Rei Ayanami), “Pokémon” (Jessie), “Detective Conan” (Ai Haibara / Shiho Miyano) |
| Genma Saotome(早乙女玄馬) | Kenichi Ogata(緒方賢一) | Cho(チョー) | “Inai Inai Baa!” (Wanwan), “ONE PIECE” (Brook) |
| Akane Tendo(天道あかね) | Noriko Hidaka(日髙のり子) | Noriko Hidaka(日髙のり子) | Representative works: “Touch” (Minami Asakura), “My Neighbor Totoro” (Satsuki Kusakabe) |
| Nabiki Tendo(天道なびき) | Minami Takayama(高山みなみ) | Minami Takayama(高山みなみ) | “Kiki’s Delivery Service” (Kiki, Ursula), “Detective Conan” (Conan Edogawa) |
| Kasumi Tendo(天道かすみ) | Kikuko Inoue(井上喜久子) | Kikuko Inoue(井上喜久子) | “Oh My Goddess!” (Belldandy), “Shimajiro” (Mother), “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” (Lust) |
| Soun Tendo(天道早雲) | Ryusuke Ohbayashi(大林隆介) | Akio Otsuka(大塚明夫) | “Metal Gear Solid” (Solid Snake), “Moomin” (Moominpappa), “Porco Rosso” (Mr. Curtis) |
| Tatewaki Kuno(九能帯刀) | Hirotaka Suzuoki(鈴置洋孝), Koji Tsujitani(辻谷耕史) | Tomokazu Sugita(杉田智和) | “Gintama” (Gintoki Sakata), “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya” (Kyon) |
| Kodachi Kuno(九能小太刀) | Saeko Shimazu(島津冴子) | Ayane Sakura(佐倉綾音) | “My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU” (Iroha Isshiki), “The Quintessential Quintuplets” (Yotsuba Nakano) |
| Shampoo(シャンプー) | Rei Sakuma(佐久間レイ) | Rei Sakuma(佐久間レイ) | “Anpanman” (Batako-san, Mimi-sensei), “Hamtaro” (Mafura-chan) |
| Ryoga Hibiki(響良牙) | Kōichi Yamadera(山寺宏一) | Kōichi Yamadera(山寺宏一) | “Neon Genesis Evangelion” (Ryōji Kaji), “Cowboy Bebop” (Spike Spiegel), “Anpanman” (Cheese the Dog) |
| Konatsu(小乃東風) | Yūji Mitsuya(三ツ矢雄二) | Toshiyuki Morikawa(森川智之) | “SLAM DUNK” (Yohei Mito), “Crayon Shin-chan” (Hiroshi Nohara), “Naruto Shippuden” (Minato Namikaze) |
| Mikado Sanzenin(三千院帝) | Kazuhiko Inoue(井上和彦) | Mamoru Miyano(宮野真守) | “Demon Slayer” (Doma), “DEATH NOTE” (Light Yagami) |
| Azusa Shiratori(白鳥あずさ) | Naoko Matsui(松井菜桜子) | Aoi Yuki(悠木碧) | “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” (Madoka Kaname), “Saga of Tanya the Evil” (Tanya Degurechaff) |
By the way, Kenichi Ogata(緒方賢一), who played Genma Saotome(早乙女玄馬) in the old version, serves as the narrator in the new version.
The Timeless World of Rumiko Takahashi(高橋留美子) is Amazing Even Now
The original manga was serialized from 1987 to 1996.
It’s a work from 37 years ago, but the content is simply fascinating.
The intense characters continuously cause trouble without giving you a chance to get bored.
The characters are also charming, and you don’t feel any staleness in the work.
The Animation Quality is Excellent
As you can tell from the voice cast, a lot of effort has been put into this work.
Also, from watching up to episode 2, the animation is very good.
The production company is MAPPA, known for “Attack on Titan,” “Jujutsu Kaisen,” and “Chainsaw Man.” There are many battle scenes, and the characters move vigorously while maintaining high quality.
There were times when people said, “MAPPA is taking on too much work,” but I hope they can keep up this pace.
The Retro Feel of the ’80s is Nostalgic
The OP Also Has Nostalgic Elements
©Rumiko Takahashi・Shogakukan/”Ranma 1/2″ Production Committee
In the old “Ranma 1/2,” the “Yappappa Yappappa Ii Shan Ten” is nostalgic, but this time the opening song is sung by the much-talked-about Ano-chan (anoちゃん).
