After decades of silence, one of the most beloved manga and anime franchises in Japanese history is roaring back to life — and this time, it’s got a brand-new face. Kochikame, the legendary police comedy by Osamu Akimoto, just got the reboot treatment no one saw coming, and the teaser alone has the entire anime community losing its mind. Here’s everything you need to know before 2027 changes everything.
A Legend Returns: Kochikame Gets a 2027 Reboot
Yes, you read that right. The Kochikame anime is officially coming back with a brand-new adaptation titled Shin Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo (New Kochikame). During a livestream event on Saturday, the production team dropped the bombshell: a promotional video, a brand-new visual, and the full main cast and staff reveal. The anime will premiere in 2027 and will air on Fuji TV, with streaming across multiple platforms.
The Shocking New Cast
Here’s where things get spicy. The new series is recasting the entire main squad — no more keeping the old guard. Leading the charge is Fukushi Ochiai as the legendary Kankichi Ryōtsu, the loud, broke, bicycle-riding cop who defined a generation of comedy. Joining him are:
- Shōta Aoi as Keiichi Nakagawa, the rich-boy detective rival
- M.A.O as Reiko Akimoto, the sharp-tongued female officer
- Raikō Sakamoto as Daijirō Ōhara, the tough-as-nails chief
Fans who grew up with the original run will remember just how iconic these roles were — and seeing a whole new generation of voice actors step into them is genuinely emotional.
Who’s Behind the Reboot?
The talent behind the camera is just as stacked. Directing the series is Akitarō Daichi, known for his work on 2001’s Fruits Basket, Me & Roboco, and Ojarumaru. He’s working with studio Gallop. Scripts come from Shuichi Kamiyama and Yoshifumi Fukushima, while Kenichi Hara handles character design and chief animation direction. The crew also includes sound director Kazuya Tanaka, color designer Masato Yokoi, director of photography Ayumi Saitō, and art director Yuka Hirama.
Kochikame Is Getting a Game Too
Wait — there’s more. The franchise isn’t just coming back to TV. Shueisha Games and Kairosoft are teaming up for a brand-new video game titled Kochikame: Ryo-san’s Billion-yen Beat. It’s heading to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, iOS, Android, and PC via Steam — so basically everywhere. The game blends Kochikame’s chaotic comedy with shop-management gameplay, letting you run the shops and chaos of the Kameari shopping district.
Why This Matters
Kochikame isn’t just any anime. The original manga ran for a staggering 40 years, ending in September 2016, with roughly 150 million copies in print by the time the 199th volume shipped. The original TV anime debuted in 1996 and ran for more than 300 episodes until 2004. It’s genuinely one of the longest-running and most influential comedies in manga history. And now, with a 50th-anniversary one-shot published back on August 3 and a full reboot on the way, the Kochikame renaissance is officially here.
Recently, REMOW also announced plans to release all 373 episodes of the original anime with English subtitles in the U.S. and Canada on the It’s Anime YouTube channel — a huge deal for Western fans who never got an official release.
What Do You Think?
Are you excited for the Kochikame reboot? Think the new cast can live up to the legends who came before? Or are you more hyped for the new game? Drop your thoughts in the comments below — and tell us which of the four main characters you can’t wait to see on screen again.
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