Viz Acquires Worldwide Merchandise Rights Outside of Asia for Ranma 1/2

ANN's coverage of Anime NYC 2024 sponsored by Yen Press and Ize Press!

Viz Media announced during its panel and world premiere screening for the new anime of Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma 1/2 manga at Anime NYC on Saturday that it has acquired the merchandising rights for the new anime worldwide outside of Asia. Viz Media and Hot Topic are partnering to release a new line of apparel — including T-shirts, hoodies, pins, drinkware, throws, and posters — that will launch this fall.

Viz and Hot Topic screened the official world premiere of the first episode at the event.

© 高橋留美子・小学館／「らんま1/2」製作委員会

The anime will premiere nationwide in Japan on October 5 on the NTV channel at 24:55 JST (effectively, October 6 at 12:55 a.m. JST). The anime will exclusively stream on Netflix after its broadcast.

Kappei Yamaguchi, Megumi Hayashibara, and Noriko Hidaka are reprising their roles as (male) Ranma Saotome, (female) Ranma, and Akane Tendō, respectively. Kōichi Yamadera is returning as Ryōga Hibiki, and Rei Sakuma is reprising her role as Shampoo. Minami Takayama and Kikuko Inoue are reprising their roles from the previous anime as Nabiki Tendō and Kasumi Tendō, respectively. Akio Ōtsuka will play the role of Sōun Tendō in the new anime, replacing Ryunosuke Ohbayashi. Chō will play the role of Genma Saotome in place of Kenichi Ogata, who will be the new anime's narrator, replacing the late Tadashi Nakamura.

Kōnosuke Uda (One Piece: Dead End film, DAYS) is directing the new series at MAPPA. Kimiko Ueno (Delicious in Dungeon, Astro Note) is in charge of series scripts, and Hiromi Taniguchi (Kurage no Shokudō) is designing the characters. Ano will perform the anime's opening theme song.

Twelve episodes of the new anime were leaked.

Takahashi debuted the manga in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine in August 1987, and ended it in March 1996. The series had 38 compiled book volumes.

The manga inspired the Ranma 1/2 television anime series in April 1989. The anime continued into the Ranma ½: Nettō-hen series in October 1989, and it ran until September 1992. The franchise also inspired two movies, a theatrical anime, and OVAs, with the final OVA episode shipping in January 1996. The Ranma ½: Nightmare! Incense of Spring Sleep special anime launched in September 2008. The series inspired a live-action television special in December 2011.

Viz Media released the original anime on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc. The company also published the manga.

Update: Removed apparel images per Viz Media's request.

Source: Email correspondence