I’m really glad Ranma 1/2 is finally getting the attention it deserves. Sure, it took a modern reinterpretation of this venerable classic to get put back in today’s zeitgeist but, hey! Better late than never!
However, Ranma 1/2 is actually just the latest of the classic animes that have been revived and have been given modern retellings. There was Urusei Yatsura and Rurouni Kenshin just a couple of years back. I’d even include the recent Trigun Stampede in here as well.
So, while Japan is busy reimagining some old animes, I might as well throw them a few suggestions! With that in mind, here are five classic animes that do warrant modern reinterpretations!
Let’s start out with an admittedly personal favorite of mine, Kimagure Orange Road.
Kimagure Orange Road tells the story of Kyosuke Kasuga, who has just moved to a new town with his family. While exploring the town for the first time, he meets Madoka Ayukawa and immediately falls in love. However, he is surprised when the gentle demeanor she initially greeted her is so different from her persona at school as Madoka has a bad reputation there, even indulging in vices like smoking and underage drinking. Unfortunately for Kyosuke, Madoka’s best friend, the rather naive and child-like Hikaru Hiyama, falls in love with him. Thus, the three form a very unusual love triangle.
Oh, and Kyosuke and his family have psychic powers. Can’t forget that bit!
Kimagure Orange Road is probably one of the most overlooked romantic comedies of anime nowadays. While there is quite a bit of slapstick as well as some ridiculous storylines thanks to Kyosuke having to hide his psychic powers from the general public, that’s not what makes it a great anime. What makes it great is the love triangle Kyosuke, Madoka and Hikaru form. Kyosuke likes Madoka and you can sense she likes him as well. The problem is with Hikaru as both of them don’t want to hurt her feelings. I basically want Kimagure Orange Road to get a modern retelling as I do feel a lot of current anime fans who have not experienced the show will more than enjoy it.
Who said isekais were a new thing?
Three teenagers and their teacher are magically transported to the world of El-Hazard, a mythical land where the human nations are currently in a war with a tribe of humanoid insects. The humans from Earth are also granted special abilities while in El-Hazard.
Now, if it sounds as if I’m being vague about the plot, that’s because I am. While there isn’t anything particularly deep to unpack here, there’s just a lot of plotlines to go through and there’s the issue about how the OAV and the TV series changes things up a bit. So, things can get a little bit hazy. Still, as one of the premiere forerunners before isekai animes exploded, I do think it would be nice to see El-Hazard get yet another retelling for more modern audiences who may be overlooking this series.
Well, if Ranma 1/2 is able to attract modern audiences, I don’t see why a slapstick show of misunderstandings like School Rumble wouldn’t!
It’s… hard to explain what School Rumble is all about. But the basics is that a high school girl named Tenma likes a boy named Karasuma but is unable to confess. Meanwhile, a delinquent named Harima likes Tenma. Harima desperately wants to confess his love but, whenever he does, something bad always happens to him. There’s also a lot of wacky characters all tossed into this mix of insanity.
Honestly, School Rumble is a refreshing bowl of crazy as everyone, well, except for Akira, can be as smart as a bag of rocks as they will make a ton of dumb decisions, which usually leads to a pile of misunderstandings, leading to even more dumb decisions. I will say this isn’t the most prolific anime, it’s still one of the funniest I’ve seen. Heck, I say, if you have the chance, don’t wait for the remake! Go watch the original School Rumble if you can!
Is this a cop show or more like a slice of life anime? It’s both!
You’re Under Arrest! is all about the police force of the Bokuto Police Station. The highly intelligent mechanical genius Miyuki Kobayakawa is paired with the more unruly and rambunctious Natsumi Tsujimoto. Despite their opposing natures, the two manage to create a working partnership with each of the contributing to cover each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
You’re Under Arrest! does have a lot going for it. The characters are just super charming and seeing the entire Bokuto Police Force working together can be quite a kick. What’s really surprising is how accurate the show is when it comes to the vehicles as all of the cars are based on real cars and motorcycles. While this is a cop anime, You’re Under Arrest! is incredibly grounded in reality, making it a good break from all the fantastical shows out there. This show deserves a refresh just on the grounds that we don’t have enough “realistic” animes out there these days.
Guess who was doing multiverses and alternate timelines long before Marvel movies made it a cliche?
While I will admit the Tenchi Muyo! universe is still ongoing in one form or another even today, a lot of fans may not be aware of the very first anime OAV, Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-Ohki. This has Tenchi Masaki, a seemingly normal boy, get entangled with a whole lot of alien women who essentially fall in love with him. Hilarity ensues.
Okay, there’s a lot more to Tenchi-Muyo! Ryo-Ohki than just that but it can just be too overwhelming to cover most of it because of how dense the character relationship can be. While I will say the original animation (from the 90’s, no less!) still look pretty good and the latest episodes of the OAV just came out a few years ago, I do think the originals from the 90’s have long been forgotten. So, why not give them a refresh?
What other classic animes do you think will benefit from a remake? Let me know in the comments section below!
3rd World Geeks 