The second season of the all-new anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi's hit manga "Ranma 1/2" will begin airing on Nippon Television every Saturday at 12:55 AM starting October 4th. Ranma 1/2, a hugely popular work by Takahashi, also known for works such as "Urusei Yatsura Yatsura" and "Maison Ikkoku," was serialized in the manga magazine "Weekly Shonen Sunday" (Shogakukan) from 1987 to 1996. A television anime adaptation also aired from 1989 to 1992, and the first season of this all-new anime, the first in over 30 years, aired from October to December 2024. The fact that Ranma Saotome Kappei Yamaguchi Megumi Hayashibara , who plays Ranma, and Noriko Hidaka , who plays Akane Akane Tendo , are reprising their roles has also been a hot topic. In anticipation of the second season's broadcast, we spoke to Hayashibara and Hidaka about the new series while looking back on the recording sessions from over 30 years ago.
◇The recordings back then were so much fun
--As this is the first TV anime in over 30 years, it seems that many fans have had their memories of that time brought back to them.
Hidaka-san, you must be very happy.
When I hear that Hayashibara-san was reminded of that time, I feel happy that I was able to contribute to that. The world shown in the new anime not only reminds us of "Ranma 1/2," but also of the lives of those people at the time, which is a wonderful synergistic effect. Everyone sees the same images in "Ranma 1/2," but I think there are tens of thousands of different images that each person sees in their mind. I feel there is potential for a revival.
-What does the series "Ranma 1/2" mean to you two?
Hayashibara: My first anime was Takahashi-sensei's " Maison Ikkoku," and I was still in training school and a nursing student. After that, I played the heroine in "Mashin Hero Wataru," and "Ranma 1/2" came out right after that, so I was still a rookie. I'm older than you, but it was the era when Koichi Yamadera and the others were being called young actors, and we were all rookies on the same level, with Nonko (Hidaka) being a little older than me. During "Ranma 1/2," I had been a main regular in one or two shows, but it was a time when I didn't know what would happen after that. I may have started off with a bang, but I hadn't even gotten that far yet. It's a funny story now, but the letters I received at my agency were almost all slanderous. I was a rookie, after all. They were all asking me, "Who are you?" Maybe it was a good thing there wasn't the internet back then. If it were now, I'd probably be heartbroken, but I guess it would have been the same for me (laughs).
Hidaka-san, that's how much fans of the original work cared about me. I also received many letters during the time of "Touch." I made my debut as a voice actor in "Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross" and went on to appear in "Touch," "Ninja Warrior Hiei," and "The Three Musketeers." However, as a newcomer among my seniors, I felt like I was holding them back. "Ranma 1/2" was made by the younger generation working together, with Megu and Katsuhira being newcomers, and it felt like I had a younger sister and brother, so I had to lead them. I was in my 20s at the time and was struggling. I was so focused on myself that I couldn't appreciate or appreciate the wonderful environment I was blessed with. But it was fun. Of course there were the voice recordings, but there were also events and character songs, and it was just so much fun. I've always wanted to relive those fond memories. More than anything, I'm happy to be able to experience that joy at this age. I'm truly grateful.
Hayashibara: Everyone says it's a reward in life.
It's rare to see so many members of Hidaka's generation gathered together in one place in any other anime.
Hayashibara-san makes me laugh when a kid who didn't know about the time says, "The voice actor for Detective Conan also appears in Ranma 1/2" (laughs).
Hidaka: That's right (laughs). Like Megu, many of the members of "Ranma 1/2" have appeared in "Detective Conan," so it ended up being like a "Ranma 1/2" reunion. I was jealous, but then I was able to appear in it from 2012, and I was kind of satisfied. I never thought I'd be able to meet everyone again in "Ranma 1/2."
◇Unleashed with the new release!
-What was your impression of Hayashibara at the time, Hidaka-san?
Hidaka: She had a strong belief in what she believed in, and felt a sense of mission to express herself well. I'm sure she was overwhelmed. But she seemed like a determined newcomer. She was focused. When I was a newcomer, I used to look around too much.
It was because of Hayashibara that she was able to take care of the new recruits.
Katsuhira was sitting next to Hidaka-san, and he was a similar type to me, nervous and looking around a lot, so our eyes met many times. Megu was brave, but I was worried about Katsuhira, so I watched him. However, when I asked Megu about it again, she said, "He was really nervous," so you never know until you talk to him.
Hayashibara-san , I myself have been receiving direction since the first episode, and I was told to sound manly yet feminine, to make my voice as cute as possible, but also to be dignified... I didn't know how to act, so when I tried to muffle my voice a little and sound boyish, I was told "that's not it," and I didn't have the balls to respond to that. I was told to "steal more from Katsuhira," so I looked at Katsuhira as if I was trying to make a hole in him.
Two Hidakas played one character.
When Hayashibara- san and Katsuhira acted differently in the test and the actual performance, I might have asked them "Why?" and cornered them (laughs). We clashed with each other, and after a few months, Katsuhira's Ranma had become part of me as a sound and a system. I was able to start the new work in that state from the first episode, so I was able to act with freedom! We are fundamentally aware of each other, but the lines came to me without having to hyper-concentrate. So it felt like I was liberated.
Hidaka-san , back in the day, both Katsuhira and Megu were newcomers and just naturally. I debuted in my teens, so I somehow got used to the feeling that there were customers in the audience, and even at events I was like an honor student and had a certain way of being, but Katsuhira and Megu were just naturally. I was a little envious of them in some ways. Before an event, I once tied Megu's hair up, but she ended up sleeping with it down (laughs).
Hayashibara-san, that was really rude. I deeply regret it. I've learned a lot as an adult (laughs).
Hidaka: That feeling was fresh to me. The two of them started to look more and more adorable. They were funny, and I loved them. They're now grown-up adults, and more reliable than I am. But even so, when I find a little gap that reminds me of the past, I feel incredibly happy.
Hayashibara-san has a lot of weaknesses. There's a huge difference between what she can do and what she can't do. People who understand that are friendly with her (laughs).
Hidaka: Back in the day, there were no cell phones or email, so if we wanted to talk privately, we would call home, and that's how we developed our relationship, so I think in a way it was quite intense.
--The new second season will begin airing.
Hidaka-san: There was the first season, and I think the second season came after the engine had warmed up. With each recording, I remembered the old feelings, and although I wasn't trying to replicate my old acting, it became easier for me to play a pure high school student.
That's right, Hayashibara-san . It's not that I haven't played some intense roles recently, but Ranma bumps into walls, falls into water, and runs around screaming, so it's been a while since I've played such a high-tension role. Rather than the physical question of whether I could produce a voice, I wondered if I could pull Ranma up without the kind of tension I'd feel looking down on him. But in the first episode, I got irritated when I saw the panda, felt rough when I heard Nabiki's voice, and fell in love with Akane's voice...all of the imagery I had of myself was blown away in an instant. It's hard to explain, but it's like we get together for the first time in a while, have a drink, and get excited talking about our school days, and scenes and emotions I'd never remembered before are brought back to life. It was an incredible experience, like the power of the images, the power of my voice, and my past experiences all mashed together and came out like a bazooka through my vocal cords.
"Ranma 1/2" is a legendary work. The new work, revived in the Reiwa era, is also a major attraction thanks to the even more powerful performances of the voice actors. We hope you will enjoy the performances of Hayashibara, Hidaka, and other stellar voice actors.
*The "taka" in Noriko Hidaka's name is pronounced "hashigo-daka."
