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KochiKame Manga Gets New TV Anime Project to Celebrate 40th Anniversary
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
This year's 29th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine is revealing on Monday that Osamu Akimoto's Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo ("Kochikame") police comedy manga is getting a new television anime adaptation to celebrate the manga's 40th anniversary. The issue will also publish a key visual for the new anime (the image at right is from a previous anime adaptation).
The issue doesn't specify if the new anime will be a series or a special. The original manga inspired an anime special in 1985 and then various other anime specials that aired between 2005-2008.
The manga centers on the crazy adventures of middle-aged policeman Kankichi Ryōtsu. Akimoto debuted Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikouen-mae Hashutsujo in 1976, and it has become Weekly Shonen Jump's longest-running manga series. Shueisha published the 199th compiled book volume on June 3.
The manga is also getting a new stage play adaptation for the manga's 40th anniversary. Lazar Ishii, who played Kankichi Ryōtsu in the previous anime adaptations, and in earlier stage play adaptations, will star in the play. The play will run from September 9-19 at Tokyo's AiiA 2.5 Theater Tokyo, and from September 23-25 at Osaka's Sankei Hall Breeze.
In addition to the specials, the manga has also inspired a 1996-2004 television anime adaptation, two anime compilation films in 1999 and 2003, live-action films in 1977 and 2011, and a live-action drama adaptation in 2009.
