The all-new anime adaptation of ‘Ranma ½’ is set to air on NTV starting October 5 (Saturday), with exclusive streaming on Netflix immediately following the broadcast.
Based on Rumiko Takahashi’s original manga series serialized in Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1987 to 1996, ‘Ranma ½’ tells the story of Ranma Saotome, who, after intense martial arts training, develops a mysterious condition where he turns into a girl when splashed with cold water and reverts to a boy with hot water. The series, a martial arts romantic comedy, was first adapted into an anime in 1989 and later into a live-action drama in 2011, maintaining its immense popularity even nearly 30 years after the manga ended.
The new anime is produced by MAPPA, the studio behind hits like ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ and ‘Chainsaw Man.’ Directed by Kōnosuke Uda, with series composition by Kimiko Ueno and character design by Hiromi Taniguchi, the main staff list has also been revealed.
The cast for the characters has been announced, including Kappei Yamaguchi as Ranma Saotome, Megumi Hayashibara as female Ranma, and Noriko Hidaka as Akane Tendo. They have also provided comments on their roles.
Wow!!! What an incredible reward this is! To be able to work on Ranma ½ with this cast again is just amazing! Thank you so much to all the fans who have been waiting and to the staff who gave us this opportunity! I’ve been wanting to share my joy and gratitude as soon as possible, and now I can finally announce it!! Ranma is my roots! I will treasure every moment of playing Ranma, approaching it with the determination that my voice acting career will begin and end with Ranma!
— Kappei Yamaguchi (Voice of Ranma Saotome)
35 years ago, when the cast was announced and I was still a newcomer, I received fan letters saying things like ‘Who are you!’ and ‘Get off right now!’ After about three months of airing, I started getting lots of apology letters saying ‘You’re perfect for the role’ and ‘It’s really interesting.’ Now, with the era of social media, I’m sure there will be a lot of complaints and mixed opinions (laughs). But my inner red pigtails are saying, ‘Bring it on. I’ll smash it all to pieces!’ ‘Calm down, Ranma…’ The studio! It’s insanely fun.
— Megumi Hayashibara (Voice of Ranma)
I’m incredibly excited to be joining ‘Ranma ½’ again as Akane! It’s such a pleasure to announce this in the year that marks my 40th anniversary as a voice actor. As we’re creating this new series from episode one, I’ll do my best, alongside a cast that feels like family, to faithfully capture the charm of the original. Whether you’re a long-time fan of ‘Ranma ½’ or seeing it for the first time, please look forward to it!
— Noriko Hidaka (Voice of Akane)
The key visual featuring the main characters and the first promotional video (PV) for the new ‘Ranma ½’ anime have been released. The PV reveals both the visuals and character voices of the series. Most of the 10 voice actors announced are reprising their roles from the 1989 anime, providing a blend of freshness and nostalgia.
The opening theme song will be performed by ano. ano commented, “I’m honored to be responsible for the opening theme of a beloved series. I’m working on a song that fits the world of ‘Ranma ½,’ so please look forward to it!
Ranma ½

Title: Ranma ½
Introduction:
Ranma Saotome and Akane Tendo, the third daughter of the Tendo dojo, are betrothed by their parents. However, Ranma faces a peculiar problem: During his training in China, he fell into the legendary “Cursed Springs” and has developed a strange condition where he turns into a girl when splashed with cold water and reverts to a boy when doused with hot water. The chaotic martial arts romantic comedy unfolds as Ranma, Akane, and a cast of colorful characters navigate their way through this unusual situation.
Broadcast/Streaming Information:
The new series will premiere on October 5, 2024, airing every Saturday at 24:55 on NTV! It will be broadcast nationwide on the NTV network and will also be exclusively available on Netflix right after the broadcast.
Original Work:
Original Work by Rumiko Takahashi: Ranma ½ (Published by Shogakukan, “Shonen Sunday Comics”)
Staff:
- Director: Kōnosuke Uda
- Series Composition: Kimiko Ueno
- Character Design: Hiromi Taniguchi
- Chief Animation Directors: Hiromi Taniguchi, Tsuyoshi Yoshioka, Yoshiko Saito, Naoko Otsu
- Main Animators: Naoko Naito, Rie Aoki
- POP Artwork: Minami Kitamura
- Art Director: Chihiro Okawa
- Color Design: Yukiko Kakita
- Photography Director: Atsushi Kanou
- Editor: Keisuke Yanagi
- Sound Director: Kōnosuke Uda
- Sound Effects: Takuya Hasegawa
- Music Selection: Makiko Kayahara
- Sound Production: Dugout
- Music: Kaoru Wada
- Planning and Production: Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions
- Production: MAPPA
- Production Committee: Ranma ½ Production Committee
Cast:
- Ranma Saotome: Kappei Yamaguchi
- Ranma (Female): Megumi Hayashibara
- Akane Tendo: Noriko Hidaka
- Nabiki Tendo: Minami Takayama
- Kasumi Tendo: Kikuko Inoue
- Soun Tendo: Akio Otsuka
- Genma Saotome: Chō
- Ryoga Hibiki: Kōichi Yamadera
- Shampoo: Rei Sakuma
- Narration: Kenichi Ogata
Music:
- Opening Theme Artist: ano
Web:
- Official Website: https://ranma-pr.com/
- Official X: https://x.com/ranma_pr (Recommended Hashtag: #らんまアニメ)
- Official TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ranma_pr
Original Comics Information:
- Shonen Sunday Comics Special
- Ranma ½
- Volumes 1-20, available now!
- Author: Rumiko Takahashi
- Price: ¥1,045 each (tax included)
- Publisher: Shogakukan
- Shogakukan Product Page