The second promotional video for the completely new anime adaptation of Takahashi Rumiko's smash hit manga "Ranma 1/2" has been released on YouTube. The video features the opening theme "Kokkonkkyun" sung by ano, and features familiar characters such as Hibiki Ryoga, Shampoo, and Kuno Tatewaki. You can also hear Saotome Ranma's popular line from the original work, "You're cute when you smile." The series was broadcast as a TV anime from 1989 to 1992, and this will be the first time it has been adapted into a TV anime in about 32 years.
It was also announced that the talk show for the "Special Advance Screening & Talk Show" to be held on October 3rd will be live-streamed for free on the anime's official Twitter account.
"Ranma 1/2" was serialized in the manga magazine "Weekly Shonen Sunday" (Shogakukan) from 1987 to 1996 by Takahashi, who is also known for "Urusei Yatsura" and "Maison Ikkoku." The story depicts the hectic daily life of high school martial artist Saotome Ranma, who turns into a woman when splashed with water, and his fiancee Tendo Akane. While training in the indiscriminate fighting style with his father Genma, Ranma develops a unique condition in which he turns into a woman when splashed with water and reverts to a man when splashed with hot water in China. When Ranma returns to Japan, he and Genma's best friend Tendo Soun stay with them, and by chance become engaged to Soun's daughter, Akane.
In addition to the theatrical anime, an OVA (original video animation) was also produced. The TV anime aired on Fuji TV and other stations from 1989 to 1992, and a live-action TV drama starring Aragaki Yui, Kaku Kento, and Natsuna was broadcast in December 2011, which also attracted attention.
The new anime will feature the same voice actors as Yamaguchi Kappei as Saotome Ranma, Hayashibara Megumi as Ranma, and Hidaka Noriko as Tendo Akane. It will be directed by Uda Konosuke, who has worked on "One Piece," among others, and the anime will be produced by MAPPA, which has worked on "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Chainsaw Man." It will be broadcast on Nippon TV every Saturday at 12:55 a.m. starting October 5th.
◇Cast (titles omitted)
Ranma Saotome: Kappei Yamaguchi▽Ranma: Megumi Hayashibara▽Akane Tendo: Noriko Hidaka▽Nabiki Tendo: Minami Takayama▽Kasumi Tendo: Kikuko Inoue▽Soun Tendo: Akio Otsuka▽Genma Saotome: Cho▽Ryoga Hibiki: Kouichi Yamadera▽Shampoo: Rei Sakuma▽Tateto Kuno: Tomokazu Sugita▽Kodachi Kuno: Ayane Sakura▽Kono Tofu: Toshiyuki Morikawa▽Tei Sanzenin: Mamoru Miyano▽Azusa Shiratori: Aoi Yuki▽Narration: Kenichi Ogata
