Christopher Booker once wrote an essay called "The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell Stories" in which he argued that there are only seven basic stories in the world and that every single story told is a variation on one of these seven. Various people, such as Stephen King, have over the years more of less restated what Booker wrote in different words.

When the story in question is a traditional story or mythology, the exact same story may even be retold. I'm sure you can think of many examples of this. The legend of King Arthur comes to mind for me.

When Hollywood started up, this style of remake became more frequent. Even in the very early years of Hollywood, The Wizard of Oz, The Mark of Zorro, and various other stories were remade at least once.

Movie remakes have remained a thing since that time, but in recent years they have become even more frequent. I think as movie fans, we are all frustrated by all the remakes, but it is worth realizing that remakes have always been a thing and are nothing new.

Well... now it seems like anime is also joining the remake club.

Ranma 1/2 was a very popular long-running manga and anime series from 1987 to 1996. It featured Ranma Saotome, a young martial artist, who is engaged to Akane Tendo. The twist being that Ranma is cursed and will turn into a girl when exposed to cold water, then back to a boy when exposed to hot water. Bizarre, but funny. Add to it an equally crazy cast (for example, his father is also cursed, but instead of a girl, he turns into a giant panda when splashed with cold water) and the result was a very popular and successful comedy.

And now it's back!

Nippon TV and Netflix are producing a remake of the series. Judging by the trailer (linked below), it is pretty much an exact remake, with little changed. I don't know...maybe the trailer is just showing the exact same scenes, but the rest of the remake will be different. Even the original voice actors are returning.

Looks fun, I suppose. I'm not normally much for anime, but I was introduced to the series when I first came to Japan and used it in my study of Japanese, so I have some fondness for it. Given the chance, I may watch this remake.

But I'm left scratching my head... what's the point? We already have one anime series. Unless this one gives a radically different interpretation of the story, what is the point of remaking it? Money, I suppose. Even if it is scene for scene exactly the same, the are probably hoping fans of the original will tune in.

What do you think? Is this a bridge too fan, or no different from other remakes? Let me know in the comments.

By the way, here is the trailer for the Ranma 1/2 remake.

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David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Twitter or Mastodon.

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