Netflix has announced the signing of an agreement with the renowned Japanese studio MAPPA to produce exclusive original anime content for its platform. This move marks a significant milestone, as both companies are committed to creating entirely new stories, starting with projects like the film Maboroshi. This aligns with Netflix’s growing strategy to diversify its anime catalog, which has been expanding through collaborations with various Japanese animation studios. A historic agreement for both parties Although Netflix has not yet reached the massive premiere levels of Crunchyroll, it has managed to position itself as […]
Netflix has announced the signing of an agreement with the renowned Japanese studio MAPPA to produce exclusive original anime content for its platform. This move marks a significant milestone, as both companies are committed to creating entirely new stories, starting with projects like the film Maboroshi. This aligns with Netflix’s growing strategy to diversify its anime catalog, which has been expanding through collaborations with various Japanese animation studios.
A historic agreement for both parties
Although Netflix has not yet reached the massive premiere levels of Crunchyroll, it has managed to position itself as a relevant competitor in the anime market. With the addition of studios like Colorido, Ponoc, and Wit Studio, the streaming service has been able to offer exclusive titles, including Dorohedoro and Ranma 1/2. The recent addition of MAPPA, known for hits like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, promises to take Netflix’s catalog to a new level of quality and appeal for anime fans.
An interesting fact is that more than half of Netflix users watch anime, and this number has tripled in the last five years, demonstrating a growing demand that Netflix seeks to capitalize on. MAPPA is also adopting an unusual approach that allows them to maintain their economic independence by investing in their own productions, a model that has recently succeeded with Chainsaw Man.
For the moment, the company has not revealed new original projects, although it continues to work on new seasons of popular animes like Jujutsu Kaisen and Hells Paradise. Only in the last two years, MAPPA has released three original animes: Bucchigiri?!, Zenshuu, and Lazarus, which suggests they may be brewing more news. Anime fans should stay tuned for future announcements, as original content will be available exclusively on Netflix.
Originally, Rumiko Takahashi just wanted to write a martial arts manga. Moreover, she wanted to create a series in which all aspects of daily life were somehow connected to the practice of it… And after creating Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, she decided it was time to feature a man as the protagonist. There was just one problem: what if her female readers abandoned her? What if she didn’t know how to write men? Immediately, the solution came to her mind: the man could turn into a woman every now and then. Thus, Ranma 1/2 was born, which began to be published […]
Originally, Rumiko Takahashi just wanted to write a martial arts manga. Moreover, she wanted to create a series where all aspects of daily life were somehow connected to the practice of it… And after creating Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku, she decided it was time to feature a man as the protagonist. There was just one problem: what if her female readers abandoned her? What if she didn’t know how to write male characters? Immediately, the solution came to her mind: the man could turn into a woman every now and then. Thus, Ranma 1/2 was born, which began publication on August 19, 1987, and still continues to provide entertainment, almost 40 years later. That’s quite something!
Life is tough and you have to fight
If Ranma 1/2 were made now, there is no doubt that it would have a swarm of people behind it complaining about being “inclusive.” However, the author has stated on more than one occasion that she was not pursuing any kind of social agenda but simply wanted to create a fun series for women and children (although, curiously, we all ended up enjoying it equally). However, there is a question that every otaku has asked at some point, and that in Japan they are too modest to ask directly: What would happen if Ranma, turned into a girl, got pregnant?
There are theories of all kinds, from those who say she should stay as a girl for nine months to avoid losing the baby to those who believe she would evaporate the moment she became a boy, or that somehow she would continue. Everyone has their own fetishes. However, what not many know is that Takahashi herself already answered the question. That said, if you were expecting something definitive that would change your understanding of the work, you are in for a deep, profound disappointment.
Although some say it was a public interview, that is not true: the author, as a good Japanese person, would never respond to an otaku nonsense like this precisely because she knows she has a reputation to uphold. Tracing its origin, the famous phrase was said to her at a private dinner during the San Diego Comic-Con in 1993… to her anime translator from that time! This, Trish Ledoux, who later also adapted Inu Yasha and Video Girl Ai, shared her experience with the mangaka in Animerica magazine.
For example, she asked him if Ranma was an idiot (“Ranma is not bad, he just lacks delicacy”), which couples would end up together in the end (“In my opinion, the only real couple is Ranma and Akane”) and, finally… What would happen if Ranma got pregnant. The answer is what you might imagine: “I don’t want to think about it, and you shouldn’t either”. For years, Takahashi has had a way to respond to all her annoying fans: basically, with a textbook “What are you talking about?” After all, her manga wasn’t about that, but about romantic entanglements.
During that 1993, Takahashi drew, signed, thanked, answered in broken English, and announced that she would love to return to Comic-Con (although it can’t be said that she actually did, to be honest). Ranma 1/2 ended its run in 1996, and since then it has remained in the hearts of fans. So much so that even now its remake on Netflix is one of the most popular on the platform. As for the author, she continues to write and draw manga at 67 years old, and it doesn’t seem like Mao, her current work, will be the last. After all, we all want her to live forever.
The second season of the acclaimed remake of the anime ‘Ranma 1/2’ is scheduled to premiere on October 4 and will be available weekly on Netflix, with dubbing in several languages available from the day of release. Life is tough and you have to fight Fans of Rumiko Takahashi will once again enjoy the adventures of Ranma and Akane, with the arrival of new characters like Mousse and Ukyo Kuonji, which promises to intensify the plot. This second season is expected to adapt between 30 and 40 chapters of the manga, according to the previews and trailers presented, which have generated […]
The second season of the acclaimed remake of the anime ‘Ranma 1/2’ is scheduled to premiere on October 4 and will be available weekly on Netflix, with dubbing in several languages available from the day of release.
Life is tough and you have to fight
Followers of Rumiko Takahashi will once again enjoy the adventures of Ranma and Akane, with the arrival of new characters like Mousse and Ukyo Kuonji, which promises to intensify the plot. This second season is expected to adapt between 30 and 40 chapters of the manga, according to the previews and trailers presented, which have generated excitement among fans.
The remake of ‘Ranma 1/2’ has been well received by critics, who highlight a more faithful approach to the original material compared to the original series. Despite controversies over certain censorships, the first previews of the new season are promising, suggesting that MAPPA has found an appropriate balance, although we will have to wait for its release.
This new anime season is shaping up to be powerful, alongside the return of other popular series like ‘One-Punch Man’, ‘Boku no Hero Academia’, and ‘Spy x Family’. This could contribute to the success of ‘Ranma 1/2’, and if so, it is likely that MAPPA will confirm a third season. The lightness of this anime could serve as a refreshing contrast to the more intense works currently airing.
Each season comes with a new batch of premieres of new Japanese animation series. That’s the thing about anime: if you want something new, you have to wait three months for it to happen. But we are at that moment, and the fall season comes with a couple of very important premieres, a potential hidden gem, an absolute disaster, and some things worth keeping in mind. Because a season full of new releases is coming, and we won’t let you miss it. That said, we also have to clarify that we are not going to talk about any series […]
Each season comes with a new batch of premieres of new Japanese animation series. That’s the thing about anime: if you want something new, you have to wait three months for it to happen. But we are at that moment, and the fall season comes with a couple of very important premieres, a potential hidden gem, an absolute disaster, and some things worth keeping in mind. A season full of novelties is coming, and we won’t let you miss it.
To clarify, we are not going to talk about any series that is not premiering for the first time now. If you follow Blue Lock, Bleach, One Piece, Re:Zero, or Dragon Ball, you already know their merits and why you should continue watching them. Here, we will focus on the new releases and discover what they have to offer us.
If there has been a manga that has caused a sensation in recent months it is Dandadan. Written and illustrated by Hiroshi Seko, the premise is that a girl who believes in spirits but not in UFOs, and a boy who believes in UFOs but not in spirits, come together to fight against all kinds of supernatural threats, with hilarious results. And of course there are certain spicy touches, a comedy of errors, and a budding romance that could not be missing.
Being adapted by Science Haru, the result is exactly what one would expect: a true marvel. Perfectly capturing the tone of the original series and elevating it in some cases, we’re talking about a more than likely new Dungeon Meshi. And like that one, Dandadan is also available on Netflix, so you have no excuse to miss it.
Uzumaki—Available on Max
We are not going to beat around the bush. Uzumaki is an absolute disaster with some even worse precedents. While this disaster is particularly public, there have been much greater disasters in the history of the medium. In fact, this is only of medium level. Even if the second episode is disappointing, it is still somewhat acceptable. And that doesn’t take away from what we already know. Its first episode is absolutely excellent.
Will this end up being the extremely faithful adaptation of Junji Ito that many fans dreamed of? Absolutely not. Even if they have already confirmed that the original director will return for the fourth and final episode, the damage is already done. This doesn’t mean we won’t have, at the very least, a superb first chapter and a potentially great final chapter. Or at least one that saves the day. As for what happens in between, well. It could be better, no doubt. But let’s not pretend it’s the worst thing ever done in the medium.
Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii—Available on Crunchyroll
If there is a series with the potential to become a sleeper hit this season, it is Yakuza Fiancé: Raise wa Tanin ga Ii. And it won’t be because the premise lacks potential. The daughter of a yakuza clan leader is unwillingly betrothed to the heir of another yakuza clan to strengthen their ties. He is a manipulative, deceitful womanizer who will threaten to sell her into prostitution if she is of no use to him. And her? She would be willing to rip out a kidney just to owe him nothing. And that’s just the beginning of her story.
From there, in addition to a twist that is absolutely impossible to foresee, an incredible romantic drama is built that revolves around the criminal world without ever abandoning a certain comedic tone. All of this is accompanied by the idiosyncratic character design of its author, Asuka Konishi, very well translated into animation, making this adaptation a potentially excellent series.
Ranma 1/2 (2024)—Available on Netflix
Let’s lay our cards on the table: we believe that Ranma 1/2 does not need a remake of any kind. Re-airing Ranma 1/2 is what Ranma 1/2 needs. And this remake hasn’t made us think any differently. However, if there is going to be a remake of the series that attracts a different audience who might not necessarily be drawn to it, we won’t complain if it’s like this: one that is extremely faithful, capturing the visual codes of its author, but bringing them to the present through the guidelines of other recent series that have been adapted from the same.
Because this remake is unnecessary, like all remakes that don’t have an artistic attempt beyond bringing a work to the present. But it does precisely that very well. Bringing Ranma 1/2 to the present. Perhaps it doesn’t have such good shot composition and the color grading doesn’t always stand out for its finesse, but it’s almost as good as the original. Do we recommend watching it over the original? Oh, no. Rush to see the original if you can. But if not? This remake of Ranma 1/2 is the second best way to watch Ranma 1/2.
Ranma 1/2, el clásico del anime, tendrá un remake por parte de Ranma y, entre las novedades, está que… ¿vuelven sus dobladores de voz originales?
Among the animes of the childhood of a whole generation, we can mention a good handful. Dragon Ball, Naruto, Growing Up, Knights of the Zodiac. We could go on for a while, because anime has been with us for decades, but we probably missed one. Even if we all remember it. Because Ranma 1/2 was a very popular anime that, in addition, is now going to have a remake.
With a release date set for October 5th, the animation will be done by the studio Mappa. With a trailer already announced, the trailer seems to be very faithful to the official series, although with some differences. The colors are closer to a pastel color palette, the composition is less interesting, and to the surprise of most, the voice actors for Ranma and Akane remain the same.
For those who are not familiar with the series, Ranma 1/2 is based on Ranma Saotome, a teenager who transforms into a girl when exposed to cold water, and reverts back to his male form when exposed to hot water. This leads to a romantic comedy, filled with complications, as Ranma has a fundamental issue: he is as indecisive as he is completely unable to prevent everyone around him from falling in love with him. Or from confronting anyone who presents themselves as a rival.
Fun and very sweet, Ranma 1/2 is a classic. That’s why this remake is highly anticipated. And we should keep an eye on it.
