by With the re-animation of Ranma 1/2 on the horizon, the anticipation among fans in their 40s and above, who fondly remember the original and the 1980s anime version from their childhood, is palpable. But what’s truly intriguing is how this excitement will be mirrored in the younger generation and how this ‘Heisei version’ will differ from its predecessor. As we await the announcement of the voice actors in mid-July, let’s delve into the fans’ thoughts.
‘Freelance writer, Hiroki Muto’ Neighborhood, is excited by the announcement of a new Ranma 1/2 anime production. It has been announced that the manga Ranma 1/2 (serialized from 1987 to 1996), initially written by Rumiko Takahashi, will be re-animated. Not only is the original popular, but the anime version that aired from 1989 to 1992 is also prevalent.
It is a legendary manga that Japan is proud of. Published in more than 20 countries, it is supported worldwide. Despite being a work from over 30 years ago, fans are overjoyed to hear that an entirely new anime will be produced. This shows that it is a work that has been loved for so long. I have all the manga volumes.
The ‘Ranma generation,’ who enjoyed watching manga and anime as children, is now in their 40s, 50s, and at least 30s. Understandably, this demographic will be happy with the re-animation, but how are people in their teens and 20s who need to become more familiar with the original work or the anime from back then taking it? I want to introduce the reactions by age group.
Generation Z, those in their teens and twenties unfamiliar with the Heisei version, became fans of Ranma for unexpected reasons. Firstly, many former fans in their 30s and 50s showed overwhelming enthusiasm for the re-animation.
They have either hope, anxiety, or both, but in either case, the absolute value of their emotions is considerable. More on this later. Among those in their teens and twenties, awareness of the work Ranma 1/2 is low, and many young people can be found lamenting that “no one around me knows Ranma.”
However, these young people had some opportunity to learn about Ranma, and while it would be endless to list all the ways they knew about it, here are some examples:・Recommended by my father or mother ・Read the book at home (from my mother’s library) when I was in kindergarten ・Became interested in the work after seeing people overseas cosplaying as characters from “Ranma” ・Watched a re-broadcast on Kids Station as a child ・Being a fan of Takahashi Rumiko, I also read “Ranma” from way back The 1989 Heisei version of the anime has been repeatedly re-broadcast on Kids Station and local stations, so the age range of fans since then is broad, from their teens to their 30s.
In addition to individual works, there are many fans of the manga artist Takahashi Rumiko herself. Takahashi Rumiko has been serializing her works in “Weekly Shonen Sunday” almost since the old days. She is currently serializing her work “MAO,” so the number of new Takahashi Rumiko fans constantly increases.
