I put off watching Ranma ½ for most of my life. Since falling in love with InuYasha, Rumiko Takahashi’s other hit romance shonen series loomed large, yet people insisted I had to get into it. It wasn’t until 2024, when clips of its reboot became inescapable across all of my socials, that I caved. Who was I to resist?
Ahead of its third season, a dedicated reboot was hosted in the flagship Sunshine City mall in the heart of Ikebukuro – for years, the iykyk anime district for locals.
The Exhibition
Past the posters signed by the cast and a specially created print by Takahashi herself was the first photo spot. Depicting both of Ranma’s forms with a kettle and bucket backdrop to coordinate with the red-blue lighting changes.
In the second room, we enter the back garden of the Tendo dojo. Here, a summary of the reboot is projected into the family’s koi pond. This serves as a quick refresher before diving into each episode in detail.
We begin with highlighting our leads — the Saotome father-son duo and the Tendo family — before moving on to spotlight the principal battle and romantic adversaries, along with a short summary of each ep. For reboot audiences, it served as a reminder of what has been and where we left off. This section also offered a walk down memory lane for OG fans.
Getting Up Close
My favorite part was getting up close to the display walls and taking note of the unique decorative details chosen for each episode.
For example, ramen bowls for the Martial Arts Takeout race, or Kodachi and her black roses. There were small behind-the-scenes peeks at the creation of the reboot in the form of short Q&A posters with two lead designers. Along with original art boards of its main locations, character design sketches, and a mock-up of the process behind creating the event’s “main visual”, or poster. While photography of these portions was not permitted, the same area featured two more photo spots. The first, a recreation of the Tendo family washitsu, or traditional Japanese living room, and Shampoo’s bicycle.
Speaking of the insight into creating the reboot, it was the only part of the event I came away wishing had been more. Particularly when it came to tackling the revival of such a beloved show. This may have been covered in an exhibition held at the time of the reboot’s original release. But given that there is still so much love for the first series — and notably the same voice cast! — it definitely wouldn’t have gone amiss.
Audio Guide
Ranma himself, Kappei Yamaguchi, lends his voice to the exhibition’s audio guide. This takes the form of a journey through Ranma’s perspective on his relationship with Akane throughout the episodes.
As the event’s promo touts, a space dedicated to Ranma and Akane is the final photo spot. Here, visitors get the opportunity to “be” in the iconic almost-kiss from episode 8 of season 1. It features a mirrored back wall, so you can take a selfie in the scene.
The Ranma ½ exhibition is capped off with another screening, this time a highlight reel of Ranma and Akane’s romance so far. As someone for whom the ship was the main hook of the story, it was the perfect way to end the event. Not to mention how it primed me to grab as much couple merch as I could reasonably justify.
Merchandise
Each ticket includes one of eight randomly distributed character stickers featuring Ranma (both versions), Akane, Ryoga, Shampoo, Mousse, and Ukyo. The premium ticket option includes an acrylic stand featuring a three-dimensional version of the event’s poster.
For me, the exclusive original merch alone was reason enough to visit and recommend the exhibition. The minds behind the merch ideas really put in the work, with offerings like “Mousse’s glasses cloth” and Spring of the Drowned Man bath salts. They even had art books and manga from Takahashi’s other popular works, including the currently airing Mao.
Final Thoughts
Short and sweet — that’s how I would describe attending the Ranma ½ exhibition. I was more than happy to go a second time with a friend. There’s just something special about Takahashi’s series and the exhibition. It felt as if the reboot itself was crafted by people who felt the same way. The care put into the exhibit left me even more excited for the debut of season three in October.
