It has been announced that voice actors M.A.O. will play Amano Yakuko, Sakura Kaoru will play Hidari Maki, Okada Sachiko will play Sandanbara Ikue, Ooi Marii will play Motoba Izuko, and Shindo Minami will play Ooba Kayo in the new TV anime adaptation of Shinzawa Motoe's comedy manga "High School! Kimengumi," which was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) in the 1980s. Amano Yakuko, Hidari Maki, Sandanbara Ikue, Motoba Izuko, and Ooba Kayo are a group of five girls who have repeated a year of junior high school. They are part of the delinquent girl group known as "Omegumi," and are problem children who regularly leave school early. They feel empty in the mundane world and spend their time seeking excitement.
The third visual of the leaders of each group has been released, that of Amano Jako, the leader of the Omegumi group.
M.A.O, who plays Amano Jako, commented, "Just as her name suggests, Jako is a contrary character! She has a strong and cool way of speaking and acting, but she also has a cute and playful side that pops out unexpectedly, which I think makes her a really charming character. I hope you'll look forward to seeing how she gets involved in the hilarious slapstick comedy that the Kimengumi members put on. Thank you very much!"
The original series began as "3-nen Kimengumi" in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1980, and was renamed "High School! Kimengumi" in 1982 as the characters progressed to higher education. It's a slapstick school comedy featuring the Kimengumi, a group of five middle school students: Ichidou Rei, Reikoshi Go, Idese Kiyoshi, Oma Jin, and Monohoshi Dai, along with Kawa Yui and Uru Chie. The TV anime, which aired from 1985 to 1987, also gained popularity with its theme song, sung by Ushiroyubi Sasaregumi, a spin-off unit of the idol group Onyanko Club.
The new anime will be directed by Seki Kazuaki, known for films such as "Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey" and "Beethoven Fabrication," and produced by Animation Studio Seven. The cast has been completely renewed, with Tomokazu Seki as Ichidou Rei, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka Shunsuke as Reikotsu Go, Chiaki Kobayashi Kikunosuke Toya as Oma Jin, Toya Kikunosuke as Monohoshi Dai, Shiraishi Haruka as Kawakawa Yui, and Ikumi Hasegawa as Uru Chie. It will air on Fuji TV's anime block "Noitamina" every Friday at 11:30 PM starting in January 2026.
*Cast (titles omitted)
Ichidou Rei: Tomokazu Seki ▽Reiko Go: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka ▽Idese Kiyoshi: Chiaki Kobayashi ▽Oma Jin: Kikunosuke Toya: Toya Kikunosuke▽Kakawa Yui: Ikumi Hasegawa ▽Nibiruta You: Nobuhiko Okamoto Yusuke Kobayashi Kumodo Kai: Kobayashi Yusuke▽Amano Yasako: M.A.O
