Recently, a new trailer of what will be seen in the remake of the old, but acclaimed and beloved manga and anime series, Ranma 1/2, was released, but fans quickly noticed a striking aspect that sparked controversy. This arose due to how the female version of the protagonist changes genders with a pink-magenta hair color, instead of the “traditional” red that the vast majority of fans remember him by, thus generating rejection by a part of the public.
The controversial change in the remake of Ranma 1/2
There is still some time before the release of the long-awaited remake of the legendary Ranma 1/2 series on October 6, and its recent trailer has already generated some discomfort among some of its not very patient fans. The truth is that the alter ego of the protagonist and his red hair are an iconic image of the anime’s history and something that is closely linked to the character, so this change made several people shout out loud.
In the different social networks, those who echoed this event mentioned how there are already several changes made in the remake that goes against what Ranma really tried to show in the beginning and an adjustment to something as iconic as the hair of the protagonist was unacceptable. But the reality that this replacement is not at all casual, accidental or something done by the governing body to give her a new, more current look, is that there is a background with this hair color.
The mangaka responsible for bringing the iconic series to the world, the famous Rumiko Takahashi, tried different shades of hair for the first covers drawn in color of the series: first with a dark shade like black, then red hair, pink-magenta and even tried with blue. Later, and with the final adaptation to anime, the well-known Studio Deen opted for red hair, establishing it as the predominant image in Ranma’s design.
Not only this, at the time the mangaka had more problems to deal with, such as making sure that both versions, male and female, had different seiyuus corresponding to the gender, as opposed to the original proposals that the female version was dubbed by the same male actor, but giving it a tone as if it were a woman. In addition, the red hair is an option she herself frequently tried out in the years before the series first aired, nor was it an issue that concerned her to any great extent.
So, canonically speaking, there is no definitive version of Ranma’s female hair in the original manga. This is why MAPPA’s choice to go for pink-magenta is as valid and acceptable as any other and a subtle way to distinguish itself from an original and historical work that, to this day, is still fully valid in the community of otaku and nostalgic fans.
For those who do not know, Ranma 1/2 is a manga series written and illustrated by the talented Rumiko Takahashi that was originally published in the Shuukan Shounen Sunday magazine of the Shougakukan publishing house in 1987, compiling a total of 38 volumes in tankoubon format. It has been adapted into an anime series in 1989 with some 161 episodes by Studio Deen, then a total of 13 episodes plus movies. Currently, a remake is in the works by studio MAPPA with a streaming license on Netflix for October 6, 2024.
The story follows Ranma Saotome, a young martial artist who, due to an accident during training in China, acquires a peculiar curse: every time he gets wet with cold water, he transforms into a girl, and returns to his original form in the same way, but with hot water. Ranma lives with his father, who also suffers a similar curse that turns him into a panda, both move to the Tendo dojo, where he is betrothed to Akane Tendo, the owner’s youngest daughter. Throughout the series, Ranma and Akane develop a complicated and comical relationship, while facing various challenges and rivals both in the martial arts arena and in their personal lives.
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