After four decades of dodging deadlines, chasing crooks and generally causing chaos, Ryo-san is back on the beat. Shin Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo (New Kochikame), the latest anime based on Osamu Akimoto’s long-running Kochikame manga, is set to hit screens in 2027.
A livestream event on Saturday unveiled the new anime’s main cast and staff, alongside a promotional video and visual. The series will air on Fuji TV and stream across various platforms.
Akitarō Daichi (Fruits Basket (2001), Me & Roboco, Ojarumaru, Gag Manga Biyori) is directing the series at Gallop. Shuichi Kamiyama (Ace Attorney, Battle Spirits: Brave, Danbōru Senki W) and Yoshifumi Fukushima (Danbōru Senki W, Yowamushi Pedal) are handling scripts. Kenichi Hara (Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V) serves as character designer and chief animation director, with Gil-Bo Noh (Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s, Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V) also on board as chief animation director. Toshihiko Sahashi (Full Metal Panic!, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed, Steel Angel Kurumi) is composing the music.
The wider creative team includes sound director Kazuya Tanaka, colour designer Masato Yokoi, director of photography Ayumi Saitō and art director Yuka Hirama.
The new series is being produced to mark the 50th anniversary of Akimoto’s manga, which has become one of Japan’s most enduring comic institutions. The original manga began in 1976 and ended its regular run in September 2016 after an extraordinary 40 years, though Akimoto has continued to return to the world of Kochikame with occasional extra chapters.
And Ryo-san is not stopping at television. A new Kochikame video game is also in the works from Shueisha Games and Kairosoft. Kochikame: Ryo-san’s Billion-yen Beat (Kochira Katsushika-ku Kamearikōen-mae Hashutsujo: Ryo-san no Shotengai Monogatari) will launch on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, iOS, Android and PC via Steam.
The simulation game puts Ryo-san in charge of rescuing a struggling shopping district. Players can build their own anything-goes shopping street and, naturally, shoot for billionaire status. The Steam release will include Japanese, English and Traditional Chinese text.
The franchise has plenty of mileage behind it. Kochikame has spawned television anime, films, specials, live-action adaptations and stage productions. Its first television anime premiered in 1996 and ran for more than 300 episodes until 2004.
The manga had around 150m copies in print by June 2016, when its 199th volume was released. Its 201st volume followed in October 2021, while Shueisha published the latest one-shot on 3 August to celebrate the manga’s 50th anniversary.
Half a century after Ryo-san first reported for duty, Kochikame is proving that some franchises simply refuse to clock out. With a new anime, a new game and a golden anniversary to celebrate, the famously unruly policeman looks set to cause trouble all over again, and audiences clearly have no plans to call time on him.
