Takahashi debuted the manga “Ranma 1/2” in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen Sunday magazine in August 1987, concluding the series in March 1996 after 38 compiled book volumes. The manga’s popularity led to the creation of the “Ranma 1/2” television anime series, which first aired in April 1989. The anime continued with the “Ranma ½: Nettō-hen” series starting in October 1989 and ran until September 1992.
The “Ranma 1/2” franchise also inspired two movies, a theatrical anime, and several OVAs, with the final OVA episode released in January 1996. Additionally, the special anime “Ranma ½: Nightmare! Incense of Spring Sleep” launched in September 2008. In December 2011, a live-action television special based on the series was aired.
Viz Media played a significant role in distributing the “Ranma 1/2” anime, making it available on VHS, DVD, and Blu-ray Disc, while also publishing the manga.
Recently, Takahashi’s “Urusei Yatsura” manga inspired a new television anime, which premiered in the Noitamina programming block on Fuji TV in October 2022. The show’s second half started on January 11, and the fourth and final cours debuted on April 11.