by An old man character who is confused with his blatant sexual harassment behavior
The currently airing anime series “Ranma 1/2” (season 2) has teased the appearance of Soun and Genma’s master, Happosai, in episode 18, “The Return of Evil.” Scene cuts have also been released, sparking speculation among fans about how he will be portrayed. In fact, the character Happosai has sparked much concern since the new anime series was announced.
Rumiko Takahashi’s classic manga, “Ranma 1/2,” is a battle-love comedy centered around Ranma Saotome, a high school martial artist who turns into a woman when splashed with water, and his fiancée, Akane Tendo. It was first adapted into an anime in 1989 and gained popularity, but social sensibilities have changed since then.
In fact, a similar debate arose regarding the reanimation of Takahashi’s work, “Urusei Yatsura,” over whether the protagonist, Ataru Moroboshi, behaved toward women in line with modern sensibilities. However, Happosai, who appears in “Ranma 1/2,” is a character with a far more intense and perverted nature than Ataru. Happosai is an extremely elderly man, 118 years old, and the founder of the “indiscriminate fighting style” used by Ranma, possessing some of the strongest abilities in the series.
However, he is also a habitual offender of sexual harassment, theft, and eating and drinking without paying. His behavior was so bad that his disciples, Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo, sealed him in a cave. After a lightning strike broke his seal, Happosai repeatedly engaged in various problematic behaviors, including sexual harassment, peeping, and underwear theft.
The sexual harassment of the female Ranma was particularly direct. It included scenes that raised concerns that they might be considered problematic in today’s society, such as using a technique called “Hinryoku Kyoudatsu Kyū” to weaken Ranma so that he could no longer resist, and then sexually harassing him.
Did the original author also recognize it as “no good”?
In fact, author Takahashi himself stated on his official Twitter account, “He’s strong when he gets serious, but he’s no good as a person. I had no intention of writing a beautiful master-disciple relationship.” He explained his intention behind the character’s design: “Ranma is a girl, so the annoying people who get involved with her are good and lewd.”
When the production of a new Ranma 1/2 anime was announced, social media users expressed concerns that the character’s portrayal would be “milder,” that he would lose his identity as a perverted old man, and even that his very existence would be erased.
Furthermore, a glimpse of Happosai in the opening video of the second season hinted at his “appearance in this season.” With Ichiro Nagai, who played Happosai in the original anime, having passed away, there was much speculation about who would be the new voice actor. In this production, Kazuhiko Inoue, known for his voice acting for Shiro Yamaoka in “Oishinbo” and Jerid Messa in “Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam,” will voice Happosai.
While Happosai’s problematic behavior is evident, he also plays a vital role in the story, catalyzing Ranma’s mastery of the special move “Hiryu Shotenha.” Many fans are eagerly awaiting the broadcast of Episode 18, which will see how Happosai, who has such a significant presence in the series, will be portrayed in the Reiwa era.
Episode 18 (the sixth episode of Season 2) of the anime “Ranma 1/2,” featuring Happosai, is scheduled to air on Nippon Television at 1:00 AM on Saturday, November 8th, and will be broadcast nationwide. It will also be available on Netflix and other platforms immediately after broadcast.
