Viz Media surprised people a lot this summer when they announced they’d be bringing out Ranma 1/2 on Blu-ray in the future, but it was a very welcome kind of surprise. While there’s no news on that front at the moment, it looks like Viz is trying to expand the reach of the Rumiko Takahashi property as the first four episodes of the anime series are now available on Hulu for streaming. The episodes are the original Japanese language with English subtitles.
To celebrate the return of Ranma 1/2, VIZ Media is planning a variety of booth activities and special programming scheduled for the 2013 New York Comic-Con, taking place October 10-13 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. More details will be announced shortly.
“A groundbreaking story with eccentric characters, martial arts mayhem, and quirky romantic subplots, RANMA ½ is a zany adventure that has thrilled generations of fans with its colorful mix of action, romance and screwball comedy,” says Leyla Aker, Vice President, Publishing. “We’re delighted to deliver this classic manga series to a new legion of North American fans this spring in 2-in-1 editions presented in right-to-left format for the first time.”
“RANMA ½ also introduced many influential artists to manga and anime fandom, and it remains a celebrated piece of the genre’s history,” adds Brian Ige, VIZ Media Vice President of Animation. “The addition of the anime series to our extensive digital catalog will present these acclaimed episodes in an entirely new way and allow fans to take advantage of the convenience and flexibility that VIZAnime and Neon Alley offer. Fans can also look forward to the hi-definition Blu-ray and DVD release this spring!”
Plot concept: It’s not easy being teenage martial-artist Ranma Saotome, but it’s even worse when your martial-artist father Genma takes you from home at an early age to go on a decade-long training mission. He doesn’t speak a word of Chinese, and yet he insists upon bringing you to the cursed training ground known as Jusenkyo, where falling into one of the many springs there instantly turns you into whoever – or whatever – drowned there last. And then, the two of you have a little accident… From now on, a splash of cold water will turn your father into a giant panda, while you…well, you turn into a red-haired (and problematically well-built) female version of yourself. Hot water will reverse the effect, but only until the next time. What’s a half-guy, half-girl to do?
