Kochikame Returns With New Anime in 2027, Fukushi Ochiai Leads New Cast

The Kochikame anime will return with a new project, New Kochikame, set to air on Fuji TV in 2027. This marks the first full scale new anime production for the franchise since 2016. A new promotional video featuring the characters' voices for the first time has also been released, along with a key visual and details on the cast and staff.

Fukushi Ochiai will voice Kankichi Ryotsu, while Shouta Aoi will play Keiichi Nakagawa, M.A.O will voice Reiko Akimoto, and Raiko Sakamoto will play Daijiro Ohara.

Original creator Osamu Akimoto also shared his thoughts on the return of the series, saying, "It makes me happy too."

New Kochikame Cast Revealed

The new cast was announced at the event "New Kochikame New Cast Announcement Event: Launch! Reiwa Kochikame Grand Operation," held on September 5.

The event was live streamed on the official Jump YouTube channel and can also be viewed in archived form following the broadcast.

Serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump for approximately 40 years from 1976 to 2016, Kochikame follows Kankichi Ryotsu, a police officer working at the Kameari Park Front Police Box. Set in the traditional downtown neighborhoods of Tokyo, the comedy depicts the chaotic adventures Ryotsu shares with his coworkers and the many people around him.

The popular manga has also been adapted into a television anime, as well as a television drama and live action film starring Shingo Katori.

The television anime aired regularly from June 1996 to December 2004, followed by irregular broadcasts from January 2005 through September 2016.

Staff

Original Work: Osamu Akimoto, published by Shueisha under Jump Comics
Director: Akitaro Daichi
Scripts: Shuichi Koyama, Yoshifumi Fukushima
Character Design and Chief Animation Director: Kenichi Hara
Chief Animation Director: Noh gil-bo
Music: Toshihiko Sahashi
Sound Director: Kazuya Tanaka
Color Design: Masato Yokoi
Director of Photography: Ayumi Saito
Art Director: Yuka Hirama
Animation Production: GALLOP

New Cast and Director Comments

Fukushi Ochiai as Kankichi Ryotsu

ーHow did you feel when you learned you had been cast?

Ochiai: Kochikame was the first manga I ever read as a child. I also loved watching the anime, so when I was told that I had passed the audition, my heart was filled with happiness at the thought that I would be able to breathe within the world of Kochikame.

ーMessage to fans
Ochiai: New Kochikame has a nostalgic feeling to it, while at the same time being incredibly bright and energetic. I would be happy if this series leaves everyone who watches it feeling warm inside. I also hope we can all celebrate Kochikame's 50th anniversary together.

Shota Aoi as Keiichi Nakagawa

ーHow did you feel when you learned you had been cast?
Aoi: Honestly, there was a moment when I could not hide my surprise, but I was extremely happy and honored. Having the chance to play a character from an anime that I watched as a child felt almost miraculous. Together with the rest of the cast, I put everything I had into creating this series for everyone who will be watching. I hope you look forward to seeing what that wonderfully chaotic comedy will become in the modern era.

ーMessage to fans
Aoi: Now that the cast has finally been announced, all that remains is to wait for the broadcast. We have created something that we hope longtime Kochikame fans who enjoyed both the original manga and the anime from back then will be able to enjoy to the fullest. We are also eagerly waiting for the broadcast. I hope we can all get excited about it together. Thank you for your support.

M.A.O as Reiko Akimoto

ーHow did you feel when you learned you had been cast?
M.A.O: I am M.A.O, and I will be playing Reiko Akimoto. It is a tremendous honor to be able to take part in Kochikame, a series that has continued to be loved by so many people for such a long time. I grew up familiar with both the original manga and the anime, so I was genuinely delighted when I heard the results of the audition.

ーMessage to fans
M.A.O: Along with the nostalgic and warm atmosphere of Tokyo's traditional downtown neighborhoods, I think viewers will be able to enjoy the kind of spectacular slapstick that makes you want to shout, "How did it even come to this?" There are so many unique and charming characters appearing alongside Ryo san, so I sincerely hope you will look forward to the start of the broadcast. Thank you very much for your support.

Raiko Sakamoto as Daijiro Ohara

ーHow did you feel when you learned you had been cast?
Sakamoto: When I got the role, I was delighted, but at the same time my mind was completely occupied with the challenge of figuring out how to convey Chief Ohara's dignity, intensity, kindness and melancholy. The chief is around his mid fifties, but I felt that, in a good way, he is different from people in their fifties today. In the end, I decided that all I could do was put my faith in the live energy that comes from recording together with the rest of the cast. Now I wonder how that turned out.

ーMessage to fans
Sakamoto: I am sure everyone is looking forward to it, and I myself am already eagerly and nervously anticipating it. With a source work as remarkable as this, I hope, if possible, that the series can continue for a long time just as the Heisei era version did. I humbly ask everyone for your viewership and continued support.

Director Akitaro Daichi

ーHow did you feel when you learned you would be directing the series?

Daichi: When you think of Kochikame, you think of a nationally beloved work whose manga and anime have both been enjoyed by a huge number of people. I am extremely honored to have been chosen to direct the Kochikame anime. Even as we work on the production, there are many moments when I find myself once again realizing just how entertaining Kochikame is.

There are still plenty of jokes in the series with a strong Showa era flavor, and when it comes to those, my feeling is, "Leave it to me!" All of us on the staff are having a great time making it.

ーMessage to fans
Daichi: I am genuinely impressed by Ryo san's vitality, and all of us on the staff are delighted that his return gives us the chance to bring out an anime that can energize Japan once again.
It is simply funny, and we are laughing ourselves as we make it. I hope everyone can relax, enjoy an easy laugh and come away feeling energized. Please look forward to it.

Original Creator Osamu Akimoto Comment

Akimoto: The artwork has evolved to suit the modern era, but the visuals are as impactful and entertaining as ever. I am excited to see what kind of incidents will happen this time.

Hearing the voices of Ryo san, Nakagawa, Reiko and the chief makes me feel happy too, knowing that the same lively police box crew has returned. I am looking forward to the broadcast.

Source : ORICON NEWS