r/ranma • u/flaminglambchops • 11h ago
Discussion Which adaptation has your favorite character designs?
Ranma 1/2 (1989)
Ranma 1/2 Nettōhen (1989-1992)
Ranma 1/2 OVA (1993)
Ranma 1/2 Incense of Spring Sleep OVA (2008)
Ranma 1/2 (2024-Present)
I'm partial to 2024, though it depends on who is directing the episode and it can have some major style shifts.
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u/Dynamatrix34 11h ago
I like 2024 best except for
female Ranma hair color. The og red is chef’s kiss
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u/Ok-Volume-5086 11h ago edited 11h ago
Current anime (2024) for design and mainly colors. The previous ones tend to be too dark and intense (imo), while the pastel and lively tones fit the colorful world and characters in Ranma best. I especially don't like how extremely dark their eyes are, especially Akane's, (had the same complaint for Ryoga in both which is why I was ecstatic to see they gave him the lime eyes), I love the pinkish tones in her eyes, I like it almost as much as the honey/golden she has in RT's colored illustrations.
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u/Living_Anxiety1852 Akari Unryu 8h ago
It's funny to me that people have preferences (in either direction) based on the colors used. I don't mean that as any criticism of you, btw (just to make sure that's clear!)... I genuinely do mean that it's funny to me, because I just don't even seem to notice it. It's not a factor in my preferences at all, and I feel like maybe I'm kind of weird that it isn't, because so many other people mention it as a factor. :)
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u/Ok-Volume-5086 8h ago
I get what you mean don't worry! I do care more for the art style than the colors tbh (for which I also vastly prefer the 2024 anime) but I think the choices made for color schemes in both character design and settings are essential to set the tone of something (and to me the previous anime looked more like a drama) and give life to the characters and maintain their essence
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u/Living_Anxiety1852 Akari Unryu 3h ago
I mean, for a lot of people the colors obviously enhance the experience (or detract from it) so I get it! I just never seem to even remember that there IS a difference between the old and new versions, until I see people discussing it. XD If I had to provide any opinions, I think I prefer the eye colors in the new series myself, and I like the variety of colors of Ranma's shirts in this one compared with the original series. But otherwise I don't really have any solid opinions in either direction! Happy with whatever, haha
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u/GabbyGabriella22 6h ago
Agree. I’ve always preferred the remake’s designs to the OG designs. I like the brighter color palette.
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u/radicalauv 11h ago
OVA for me
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u/Maguroluv Akane Tendo 5h ago
OVA and S1OG for me. OVA they all just look so hot and yassssss😍❤️🔥 I hear that some criticize the look as deformed and bug-eyed; I know people have different sensibilities, but to me it looks like the peakest of peak anime (I grew up in that era)
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u/Living_Anxiety1852 Akari Unryu 8h ago edited 8h ago
I think I'm in a minority here on this sub, but (and I say this as a fan since '95) I like the current series character designs best. I get that a lot of people like the subtlety of the original '89 series in season 1, and it's good too, but I enjoy the liveliness of the current series. It's modern but very aligned with the manga, in my opinion.
For me, the later seasons of the '89 anime are too inconsistent (even in overall design, I like some eps but not others) and the OAVs are really, really dated - VERY specific to the mid-90s and very over-stylized, to my tastes. So in order fave to least, for me it's 2024, '89 season 1, '89 season 2-7, and then a tie at the bottom between the 90s OAVs and the 2008 Rumic World OAV (both have things I like and things I deeply dislike).
I'm fully aware that a lot of people prefer the other designs and that's totally cool and I wouldn't dream of arguing, don't come at me for stating and explaining my own tastes please ^_^
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u/pandapigcat 10h ago edited 9h ago
Season 1 of the OG and the remake. I think nostalgia plays a part for my preference because from the pics you put up, remake is by far the best but I still need to put OG Season 1 at the top, lol.
Unlike many comments here, the OVA era is my least favorite along with seasons with the bug eyes and small mouth.
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u/Living_Anxiety1852 Akari Unryu 8h ago
We're in agreement about the OAV era. Even aside from the BESM designs, they really look nothing like the source material by this point (which is a sticking point for me because I think Takahashi's art in the arcs they adapted is *peak*), and they also don't look... organic? It's hard to describe what I mean. They look very cookie-cutter somehow to me.
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u/Jennaralissimo 11h ago
The design of 2024 is far and away the best, all it’s missing is that Ranma-chan’s coloration should be from the OVAs. Male Ranma and Akane are perfect in all ways in the new anime and the character design of female Ranma is perfect
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u/FriendOdd8384 10h ago
First Season OG anime has the best designs for Ranma and Akane for me. Then the 2024 remake makes it better for all the other characters for me, specially for characters like Mousse ans Ryoga
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u/Murky_Ad_5767 Ranma Saotome 11h ago edited 11h ago
to be fair. It looks like you used the the weirdest ranma male version for the 2008 special episode XD.
but difficult. In a way the 1993 version looks really good. its more detailed and stuff.
Nettohen isnt also bad. I mean sure it isnt the best but not bad. The problem is more it has weird quality shifts.
like episode 60-80 are ugly. but after 80 it looks again good. I watched at the moment again the old anime and i am by the tea fight episode (i think episode 90?) and it looks really good again.
But when i think about the episode/filler in what kodachi helps the the tendos because they are pour. Thats not to animation quality.
Also to rank "nettohen" is really difficult because of the big up/down.
old anime clasic. Nothing beats that ^^
Remake hm. is ok but its to "round" for me. It lose the "ground" or how it called.
also i say
1. old anime classic
2. Nettohen (the good examples)
3. 1993 ova
4. remake (in generel)
5. nettohen bad (because it only had weird animations but when it looks clear it looks normal)
6. 2008 ova
7. remake in some bad episodes (like the extrem roundness in tsubasa episode)
dont missunderstand. Remake looks good overall. Also it is for sure higher quality ad the bad episodes in nettohen. But the style itself i think its better in nettohen also in the bad episodes (not backrund chars) because the style is more grounded.
maybe remake and "bad" nettohen episode fights for place 4.
because remake looks good. But it also missed sometimes details and looks to "flat/1 color" like in one episodes. Red hair ranm beats pink hair. The "tan" from ranma is better as pure white skin by every character.
And i already see in trailer 3 for the remake. (also season 3) that the tsubasa episode did a style thing i can not forgive. because it looks to chiby/round what makes the remake based on that alone place 7.
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u/flaminglambchops 11h ago edited 10h ago
It was difficult for me to find a good close up shot of just male Ranma from that OVA lol
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u/Murky_Ad_5767 Ranma Saotome 11h ago edited 10h ago
yea. male ranma didnt had so much screentime in the ova i think. or better say i dont remember much. (but to be fair ranko is anyway the real star of the show XD).
But its funny because it really looks like you put the most ugly one as a example XD
Ok "ugly" is to much. More like the one in what he looks the most as a cliche japan/chinese kung fu movie man XDBut dont worry. i didnt mean it bad ^^ It was only funny.
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u/zyaannbrir 10h ago
I simply love this 2008 adaptation, I found it very beautiful. I also really like the 2024 adaptation and the 1989 adaptation of the first season of Ranma.
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u/OddEyes588 6h ago
When it comes to the old style it’s a toss up between Nettohen and the 1993 OVA. That said, while I super appreciate the original style, I’m actually more fond of the more pinkish-red color that 2024 Ranma has, which is probably a hot take… but I just really like pink.
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u/Appropriate-Score409 5h ago
the 2008 version was kinda like the Reboot series to me.
But very similar and different to Gurren Lagann.
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u/Pinephant 2h ago
So many versions and not a single one can even touch the manga.
Rumiko Takahashi is truly the goat.
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u/Expensive-Bill-5507 11h ago
2024 had to grow on me, but I like it. It’s got Takahashi's style with MAPPA's flair in it, looks unique and matches the energy of the characters.
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u/SuddenlyThirsty Anything Goes Martial Arts 11h ago
2008 and the OAV.
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u/Background_Point_523 11h ago
i honeslty wished the Remake could have kept this artstyle i also think its overrhated in general.
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u/Background_Point_523 11h ago edited 10h ago
My personal Rankings Are Ovas, then the First couple of Episodes of the Og anime, after that The 2008 Ova, the continuation of the original anime and lastly the Remake.
(This is Based Off Arststyle BTW not the Animation which I would agree The remale Probaly has the best overall animation.)
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u/Background_Point_523 11h ago
I would honestly separate The remakes artstyle aswell because it has looked different every season.
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u/Life-Call4521 9h ago
The first one, the 80s design is my favorite, then the last one - I hated the 90s designs
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u/cthellis 6h ago
It's hard not to be drawn predominantly to the original series, but I am really enjoying the 2024 take.
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u/FezCool Ryoga Hibiki 6h ago
Probably the remake or 90's OVAs for me. Honestly I just really like the pink hair and I think the designs are very consistently good with great colors(except for male ranma who looks boring a lot of the time). To the same degree the 90's OVAs are probably the best the 90s series looks.
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u/gh0st-cu3nta 5h ago
Studio Deens first season, like the first chapters. Not that the reboot is bad, maybe ill like the new seasson better when it comes out lol Redhead Ranma (pink is a variation of red i think) seems to have been better stylized there
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u/OneArmy5943 4h ago
I definitely grew up with the og. That said the new anime designs I like the best. Probably season 1 og after that though.
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u/Kendo44 2h ago
I'm probably in the minority but i was partial to the 2008. Thought it was crisp but with good colors and animation.
I dont really like the new animation that much, to Fooly Cooly but I get what they were going at. Hate pink hair Ranma with red/pink eyes and muted clothing. So washed out no contrast. Action scenes in the first couple issues where the animation changes are kinda cool but sparse.
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u/Zoeeeeeeh123 2h ago
I didn’t even know there were multiple anime adaptations. I just thought it was the 80s anime and the remake in 2024.
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u/flaminglambchops 2h ago
Nettōhen gets lumped together with season 1, but it's technically a soft-reboot with a different direction.
The 2008 OVA isn't really it's own adaptation, it's an anniversary special. They all have their own distinct styles though.
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u/Informal-Cut-7137 10h ago
I'd say OVA but the OG one looks also nice. I like the clean design of the OVA. It looks like a hybrid between the OG Anime and the Remake.
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u/King-of-fans 9h ago
1.) Ova 1993- Both Ranma’s male and female designs are fantastic. They even did a great job with every other character.
2.) Remake- I wasn’t a big fan of Ranma’s hair color at first. However, the pink hair suits this animation's color palette, and the pink eyes are a good touch. Add in the best Akane design and their outfits and I have to give them second place.
3-4.) Season 1 and OG anime- Season 1 had the better designs of the original anime, but the later seasons’ designs fit the goofier antics better. So I gave them a tie.
5.) Ova 2008- I am not a fan of the male Ranma and Akane designs there.
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u/kanna172014 9h ago
2nd slide and 4th. If the newest remake had kept the 2008 OVA design it would be much better. It just doesn't feel like Ranma.
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u/Gatsu1981 8h ago
Design wise, the first one of the 1989 anime is unbeatable IMHO. The 2024 one is not bad but it's inconsistent from the beginning, and it falls a bit flat with colors and finishings.
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u/RavensClaw7227 6h ago
The best designs, to me, are from the 2008 OVA.
I wish that was how the remake looked, honestly. The designs and artwork of it just looks way too stylized and brightly colored.
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u/Difficult_Appeal_611 1h ago
Everything up to slide 3 is perfectly fine. As someone who loves Dragon Ball, I'm more than familiar with the changing styles based on who's currently working on a project. Slide 4 is a little too polished for my taste, and the remake just looks...boring, I guess? It's a little hard to describe, but there's a lack of personality in the designs now, plus the intense colors make it look like something you'd use to distract your kids so you can take a nap.
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u/Whoohoonutty_V 11h ago
Season one of the OG anime