"I want to finish Ranma 1/2! The director and MAPPA CEO talk about their thoughts on the new work [AFA SG 24 Report]
Translation by: Dylan Acres
"AFA SG 2024" was held in Singapore for three days beginning November 29, 2024. On the day stage on December 1, Ranma 1/2 director Konosuke Uda and MAPPA representative Manabu Otsuka took to the stage to talk about the production. [1]Anime Festival Asia Singapore 2024 (hereinafter referred to as "AFA SG 2024"), one of the largest pop culture events in Southeast Asia, will be held at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre in Singapore from November 29 to December 1, 2024.
On the third day of AFA SG 2024, December 1st, the day stage featured director Konosuke Uda from the fall 2024 anime series Ranma 1/2, and MAPPA's president and CEO Manabu Otsuka, who is in charge of the animation production for this work. They spoke about their thoughts on the production and their outlook for the future.
Re-create "Ranma" with the technology we have today
Ranma 1/2 is a fighting love comedy that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Sunday from issue 36 in 1987 to issue 12 in 1996 by Rumiko Takahashi, who is also known for Urusei Yatsura, Maison Ikkoku, Inuyasha, RINNE, and MAO," and is still immensely popular today. It was previously made into a TV anime series under the titles Ranma 1/2 and Ranma 1/2 Nettohen in 1989, and was also made into theatrical anime and a series of OVA.
The big difference between this "completely new anime" Ranma 1/2 and the 1989 version of Ranma 1/2 is that it can now be viewed all over the world via video streaming services immediately after it is broadcast on terrestrial television.
Regarding the reaction since the series began streaming, President Otsuka said he feels that viewers from various countries are enjoying the show, commenting, "It's a strange feeling that a Japanese story from the 1980s is being watched by the whole world in this way. However, it's not that people are just focusing on that, but rather I feel that they are naturally accepting the world view and setting of the time."
When asked why he decided to make an anime adaptation at this time, he said, "It has a wonderful original story and a fantastic anime was made in the past, so I thought that making it again with the technology we have now and having people all over the world watch it again would be a great introduction for people who don't know Ranma yet, so I made it." He smiled and said that the work has the feeling that "good things" will always be "good" regardless of time or country, and said, "I think it's so good that I think someone will probably make it into an anime again in 30 years' time."
I want to depict the final chapter of the original story in the anime
The director for this series had to be someone who knew the history of anime up to that point, including Ranma 1/2, and was also able to accept and incorporate new creativity. That's why they chose Konosuke Uda, a creator with over 30 years of industry experience who has served as the series director and movie director of One Piece. [2]
Director Uda, who was a big fan of Urusei Yatsura, said that when he first received the offer, "I never dreamed that I would be doing Ranma, and that at the same time, he also felt a strong desire to revive Ranma 1/2 in the modern era. He also revealed that he had been working on the production with the goal of "making a work that everyone can simply enjoy, where no one gets hurt or dies," and "finishing a work that both old and new fans can enjoy."
As for future goals, he pointed out that the manga for Ranma 1/2 was still being serialized when the 1989 version was being produced, and therefore the anime had never been animated to its conclusion. He revealed, "We haven't decided what the future holds, but the staff and everyone involved would like to see it through to the final episode of the original (to complete the entire manga as an anime) ." He then asked the audience, "You really want to see it all the way to the final episode, don't you?", which drew huge cheers.
In response, President Otsuka said, "I don't have the power to make that decision," and added, "Delivering episodes that have not yet been filmed is a major goal for the company, including the creative team."
The cast reunites! More nervous than nostalgic...
The cast of this film, which was created with a strong desire to see it through to the end, is almost the same as it was 35 years ago. At the time, the Japanese version was broadcast in Singapore, so the voices of the Japanese cast are familiar to Singaporeans. Director Uda decided to keep cast changes to a minimum, as he did not want to destroy the character images that have become ingrained in fans around the world. [3]
"We're using the word remake for convenience, but in fact, we're really thinking of this as a new work," said the director. The production team, as well as the cast, are acting and voicing as if it were a new work. The dubbing studio, where familiar members reunited, had a friendly atmosphere, but there were also some tense moments.
Kappei Yamaguchi, who plays Ranma Saotome, was particularly nervous during the recording of the first episode, and the director himself said to him, "Your voice is stiff." He also shared an episode that shows how the new Ranma 1/2 is being produced with such high intensity and quality because the production team is so serious that even the veterans are nervous. [4]
The stage also screened a video of romantic scenes from Ranma 1/2 and there was time for interaction with fans in the venue, leading to a harmonious atmosphere throughout the event.
Finally, President Otsuka expressed his gratitude, saying, "We would like to continue working hard together to convey the voices of all of you who enjoy Ranma in Singapore to the production staff and to make Ranma a work that can be made for a long time." Director Uda said, "When I come to a venue like this, I am very happy to realize that Ranma has fans all over the world. I will take this feeling of happiness back to Japan and use it as new motivation to work hard again," and left the venue with a smile.
Footnotes
- [1] Konosuke Uda was previously interviewed in DaVinci magazine as the Ranma 1/2 remake began airing.
- [2] Uda directed One Piece from 1999 to 2006 as well as the fourth and seventh films in the series.
- [3] Some actors from the original series have passed away (Hiromi Tsuru, Hirotaka Suzuoki, Ichiro Nagai and Miyoko Aso), others have retired (Saeko Shimazu) and others have returned but in smaller roles (Kenichi Ogata).
- [4] Kappei Yamaguchi and Noriko Hidaka discuss what they bring to the 2024 adaptation of the series and both comment on how fortunate they are to be able to play Ranma and Akane once more in this interview.
Anime! Anime!
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