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Ranma 1/2 Cast in Costume Revealed (Updated)

The Nikkan Sports newspaper published a picture of the cast in costume for the live-action television special inspired by Rumiko Takahashi's Ranma ½ martial arts comedy manga on Thursday. As a revival of the manga, the special tells an original story centering around Akane Tendō (played by Yui Aragaki). Kenta Kaku and Natsuna play the dual male/female roles of the title character.

Other cast members include Kyōko Hasegawa (Angel Bank: Dragon Zakura Gaiden, Dragon Zakura) as the oldest Tendō sister, Kasumi. Tōfū Ono, the man who has a crush on Kasumi even as Akane has a crush on him, is played by Shōsuke Tanihara (Gekijōban Pocket Monster Best Wishes! Victini to Kuroki Eiyū Zekrom, The Sky Crawlers). Genma — Ranma's father who transforms into a panda when splashed with cold water — appears in the form of actor Arata Furuta (20th Century Boys, Ping Pong). Katsuhisa Namase (Gokusen, Yatterman) plays Akane and Kasumi's father Soun Tendō.

In addition, Kento Nagayama (Liar Game: The Final Stage, Solanin) will play Ranma's rival Tatewaki Kunō. Model/actress Maki Nishiyama assumes the role of the middle sister in the Tendō family, Nabiki. Yuta Kanai (L change the WorLd, Ikigami, Kimi ni Todoke) plays Hikaru Gosunkugi, the clingy classmate with a one-sided crush on the third Tendō sister, Akane. Ryōsei Tayama (Kurosagi, GTO) is Okamada, the live-action version's enemy character who is not in the original manga.

In the story, Akane is determined to protect the family's legacy, its dōjō. However, her father Soun suddenly and arbitrarily announced one day that "only men can be heirs." Unfortunately, this puts Ranma in a bind, since he turns female when splashed with cold water after falling into a cursed hot spring in China. To return himself to a "full man," Ranma searches for the "secret hot spring" and gets caught up in a battle with a mysterious enemy. Now Akane holds the key to the story.

The special will air during NTV's 7:00 p.m. Friday Super Prime timeslot in December. The original manga ran in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday magazine from 1987 to 1996, and Shogakukan printed 53 million copies of the compiled book volumes.

Update: Comic Natalie and Sankei Sports have both posted more pictures of the cast in costume. Comic Natalie noted the special will air on December 9. Sankei Sports also noted that Aragaki cut her trademark long hair by 25 centimeters (9.8 inches) for the role.

[Via Hachima Kikō]

Image © Nikkan Sports