The new series of the TV anime "Kinnikuman," titled "Kinnikuman: The Perfect Origin Arc," set to broadcast from July on the CBC/TBS network, has announced its additional cast.

Hiroshi Kamiya will voice Ashuraman, feared as the strongest of the "Devil Knights," the leading generals of the Devil Chojin Army, and known as the "Prince of the Demon World." Tomokazu Sugita will voice Neptuneman, who became a disciple after receiving his mask directly from Neptune King and reincarnated into a perfect chojin. Shinichiro Ota takes on the indispensable role of the ring announcer in this work.

"Kinnikuman" is a wrestling-based combat manga where the protagonist, Suguru Kinniku, aka Kinnikuman, an otherworldly being surpassing humans, fights formidable enemies in the ring with his comrades, the Justice Chojin. The story portrays the growth of Kinnikuman, a clumsy and bumbling superhuman from Planet Kinniku, as he accumulates effort, friendship, and victory to become the strongest man in the superhuman wrestling world. The series, a collaborative work by Yudetamago (story by Takashi Shimada and art by Yoshinori Nakai), was first published in "Weekly Shonen Jump" from May 1979 to May 1987 and later continued with "Kinnikuman II" starring Kinnikuman's son Mantaro in "Weekly Playboy" from 1998, with the original "Kinnikuman" resuming in 2011 after 24 years. The manga series has surpassed 77 million copies in circulation. The TV anime was aired from April 1983 to October 1986 and from October 1991 to September 1992, achieving an average viewership of 20% and producing seven films. The series also sparked a massive craze with over 200 million "Kinkeshi" erasers sold.

This new anime marks 18 years since the last broadcast of "Kinnikuman II" Season 3 in 2006, with animation production by Production I.G. The Perfect Origin Arc continues from the previously aired Throne Contention Arc of Planet Kinniku, a highly popular episode in the original series, with Mamoru Miyano voicing Kinnikuman and Akira Kamiya voicing Kinniku Mayumi/Prince Kamehame.

Cast Comments Hiroshi Kamiya:

Voicing Ashuraman, I am drawn to the idea of a superhuman strength and mentality... There's something aspirational about being called a superhuman. And, although it's a bit strange to say about myself, I can't ignore the power of friendship. All this can be traced back to "Kinnikuman," the work that shaped me. While I may not have become the superhuman I admired, I have become the voice of one—Ashuraman. I promise to deliver his new voice devilishly strong and devilishly stylish!

Tomokazu Sugita:

As Neptuneman, I consider what it means to strive for perfection. It involves maintaining a strong and resilient mind and body regardless of circumstances. I look forward to mushroom hunting, viewing the autumn leaves, and 'mask hunting'—my muscles are already smiling. Ready to go, martial arts! Thank you!!

Shinichiro Ota:

The title "Kinnikuman" had a huge influence on my generation. As a student, I imagined my superhuman strength at 10 million power, passionately battling friends with similar "power" during breaks. The hardness of superhumans? Definitely diamond, hardness 10. I remember being disappointed learning my birthstone wasn't diamond. To think that someone so influenced by the world of "Kinnikuman" would be involved in the new series! Now, I'm just a human, not concerning myself with strength or hardness, but commentating. I'll do my best to convey the intense matches without overshadowing them, and I hope that this new "Kinnikuman Perfect Origin Arc" will inspire a new generation of superhumans across Japan!