It has been revealed that Seki Tomokazu will play the original character Ichiro in the completely new anime adaptation of Takahashi Rumiko's hit manga Ranma 1/2. Ichiro is a member of the broadcasting club at Furinkan High School, and is known for his unique style of live commentary on games. Seki commented, "I'm in charge of live commentary for various games. The director asked me to add some ad-lib, so I enjoyed my performance to liven up the show. Please be sure to watch the broadcast."
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 follows 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, among others. While training in the indiscriminate fighting style with his father, Genma, Ranma becomes afflicted by a unique condition in the Chinese town of Jusenkyo, where he is training. Whenever he gets splashed with water, he turns into a woman, and when he gets splashed with hot water, he turns back into a man. When Ranma returns to Japan, he and his best friend, Tendo Soun, stay with them, and by chance become engaged to Soun's daughter, Akane.
In addition to the theatrical anime, an original video animation (OVA) was also produced. A TV anime aired on Fuji TV and other networks from 1989 to 1992, and a live-action TV drama starring Yui Aragaki, Kento Kaku, and Natsuna aired in December 2011, which also became a hot topic.
This new anime, the first in about 32 years, will feature the same voice actors as Yamaguchi Kappei as Saotome Ranma, Hayashibara Megumi as Ranma, and Hidaka Noriko as Tendo Akane. The series will be directed by Uda Konosuke, known for "One Piece," and the anime will be produced by MAPPA, known for "Jujutsu Kaisen" and "Chainsaw Man." It airs every Saturday at 12:55 a.m. on Nippon TV.
