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Rooster Fighter Anime World Premiere

There's a new hero in town, and he may just be the last stand against the end of humanity. No, he's not supersized, nor is he even close to invincible. He just has a strong sense of duty, a burning desire for revenge, and the special ability to unleash a brain-shattering screech that can resonate with the innards of gigantic, titan-esque monsters until they explode from the inside. Oh, right, and he's a rooster. Trust me when I say the Viz marketing team is getting a lot of mileage out of all the cock jokes.

During the Rooster Fighter world premiere at Anime NYC, manga creator Shu Sakuratani and series script writer Hiroshi Seko were asked for their elevator pitches for this unique new series. Both were humble and simple in their responses—Sakuratani said it was basically a “1980s grand battle royale,” while Seko said it was simply just “a story about a chicken who saved the world.” They're both underselling it. Yes, Rooster Fighter celebrates that 80s spirit of machismo and gravely-voiced, brow-furrowed heroes, a la Fist of the North Star. And yes, of course, there is a lot of fighting and monster take-downs. But at its core, the joy of Rooster Fighter comes from its pure, whole-hearted, undiluted camp. From its mere ideation to its execution, it is unabashedly goofy and silly and leans into every fiber of its straight-faced absurdity.

To know Rooster Fighter is to simply be introduced to Keiji, a steely, proud rooster who is on a path to avenge his sister, who was taken by a Demon. Borne from humanity's insecurities and fears, these demons vary in size and shape and even in their violent intentions, but wherever they spawn, destruction lies in their wake. Fortunately, there's Keiji. He's fast, he's strong, and most of all, he has a secret weapon—he can unleash a COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO so powerful that it shatters demons like meaty panes of glass.

Perhaps as would be expected from this walking stereotype, Keiji is also a womanizer, leaving his own personal trail of destruction in his wake in the form of heartbroken hens. He is a migratory bird after all (…is he?), and he has neither the time nor energy for fripperies like women or children—he hates brats. But beneath his tough, feathered exterior, he has a strong sense of justice and ethics. In the first episode, after an old man saves Keiji from two boys who want to feed him to a cat, he returns the favor by not only saving his life from a Demon, but also helping him sweep up the mountain-high pile of demon meat chunks left behind.

For those who've read the Rooster Fighter manga, which is available from Viz, there won't be much surprise from the first episode, as it's a very faithful adaptation. We're introduced to our rooster hero in the current timeline, as he takes down a Demon, this time a grieving, multi-headed woman monster who is crying out for her boy. Keiji saves the day, and we're taken back a year to one of his first adventures. After bedding a hen, he sets off on another hunting expedition to track down the Demon who caused his original grief, leading to his adventure with the old man, the bullies, and the Colossal Cleanup.

What will be delightful to fans of the manga is just how perfectly and thoroughly the animated medium captures the humor, tension, and kinetic energy of the manga. This is probably also thanks in no small part to series composition head Hiroshi Seko, a monster show veteran who's lent his screenwriting talent to smash hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, Mob Psycho 100, Attack on Titan, and Ajin. The series also benefits from animation by CGI specialist studio SANZIGEN, who's worked on things like the Initial D movies and the BanG Dream! franchise. They've settled into a style that imparts a little more depth and shading than the manga, and while the overly-warm palette is a choice that needs a little time to get used to, Keiji's heroics really lend themselves better to movement than just panels on a page. Considering the relative size between a chicken and a monster the size of an office building, it's sometimes difficult to fully picture him climbing up tentacled limbs and dashing around with claws, but here, it's exhilarating.

The entire team has also done a remarkable job with the comedic timing, delivering the absurdist humor in a way that everything hits like a freight truck in the best way imaginable. The sudden cut to Keiji furiously humping a hen, for instance, or the tense pause before he goes absolutely ham on a plate of corn. There's also an amazing needle drop near the end of the episode when we first learn about Keiji's sister, when we get a sudden musical moment I can only describe as every embattled 80s hero stoically walking off into the sunset, trench coat flapping in the wind. Rooster Fighter is an unserious celebration of camp, and I think the compendium of action anime is all the richer for this glorious addition.

Leading up to the world premiere of the first episode, fans had two chances to hear from both Sakuratani and Seko—one panel on Friday, and the other immediately preceding the screening. Moderated by Viz community manager Godswill Ugwa Jr., the two shared some of their excitement about the anime adaptation, which will premiere in Spring 2026 on Adult Swim. “I really can't wait for everyone to see how cool Keiji is,” Sakuratani laughed.

Asked how he came up with the idea for Rooster Fighter, Sakuratani said it just came to him. “I was actually just thinking, 'what would a hero that no one has ever seen before look like?' And then a chicken popped into my head.” He later mentioned that while he's been influenced by many manga artists in his lifetime, he holds tremendous respect for Tetsuo Hara, who illustrated the classic Fist of the North Star.

As far as adapting the rooster hero to TV, Seko said that knowing the season would only be 12 episodes long gave him the resolve to make sure that viewers would have a sense of satisfaction after they finished watching. As for favorite characters to write for, Seko said he liked Keiji, Piyoko, a fiery chick determined to also grow up to be a strong hero, and Morio, a demon with a heart of gold. His favorite scene to write, though, was the appearance of the Lord of the Rut. Without spoiling anything, it's just as hilariously dumb as it sounds—Keiji in full horn-dog mode, being paraded around as a sex god.

The conversation did explore some deeper topics, too, including a discussion on the panelists' favorite demons, who are created from negative human emotions. Sakuratani has a soft spot for Hikari, who had just suffered the devastating loss of a loved one. “That loss is just so tremendous that it leads to the creation of this ultimate bad guy,” Seko answered that his favorite was Sei's father, a gambling addict who was so focused on making money that it led to his transformation. “As humans, we're just very vulnerable to this focus on making money,” Seko said. “I think Sei's father just hit really close to home.”

As far as the protagonists they relate to the most, Sakuratani said he related to Keisuke, Keiji's younger brother. “Keisuke is complicated on the inside and vulnerable. We have that in common.” Seko answered that he relates to Elizabeth, an electric rod-wielding hen who joins forces with Keiji despite being jilted in the past. “Keiji has all these powers that he was born with, but Elizabeth doesn't. She just has all this technology and a lot of help from humans. In that way, she's almost like Iron Man.”

Technology or not, at the end of the day, Keiji, Elizabeth, Piyoko, and all the others are just regular chickens trying to save the world. And that, perhaps, really is just all this show needs. Nothing more, nothing less. As Seko said, “Keiji's a classic hero, like someone from a Hollywood movie in the 80s or 90s. Like Indiana Jones or John McClane from Die Hard. They fight for justice. They're stubborn, and they have a soft spot for the ladies as well. But that's how I picture Keiji.”

And just in case anyone was curious, Sakuratani is a roast chicken guy, and Seko loves him some chicken tenders. Sorry Keiji.