It has been announced that Ogata Kenichi will be appearing as a voice actor in the first episode of the new TV anime adaptation of "High School! Kimengumi," a comedy manga by Shinzawa Motoei that was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) in the 1980s. The series was originally broadcast as a TV anime from 1985 to 1987, and this will be the first time it has been adapted into an anime in about 39 years. Ogata, who also appeared in the previous series, will play the role of the junior high school principal, Kochou-sensei, just as he did back then.
A cut from the first episode, "The Kimengumi Are Here!", was also released. It features the Kimengumi, including Ido Rei and the transfer student Kawakawa Yui, from Class 5, Year 3 of junior high school.
It was also announced that Ido Rei and Reiko Go from "High School! Kimengumi" will appear on "Kamiusagi Rope," a segment currently airing on Fuji TV's morning information program "Mezamashi TV" (Monday to Friday, 5:25 AM). They will appear for two consecutive days starting from January 8th.
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 Kazuaki Seki, known for films such as "Blank Canvas: My So-Called Artist's Journey" and "Beethoven Fabrication," and produced by Animation Studio Seven. It will be broadcast on Fuji TV's anime slot "Noitamina" every Friday at 11:30 pm starting Getsuku.
*Cast (titles omitted)
Ichidou Rei: Tomokazu Seki ▽Reiko Go: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka ▽Idese Kiyoshi: Chiaki Kobayashi ▽Oma Jin: Chiaki Kikunosuke Toya ▽Monoboshi Dai: Kikunosuke Toya▽Kakawa Yui: Ikumi Hasegawa ▽Nibiruta You: Nobuhiko Okamoto Yusuke Kobayashi Kumodo Kai: Yusuke Daisuke Sakuma ▽Amano Yasako: M.A.O▽Kiride Sho: Daisuke Sakuma▽Harukyoku Don: Kosuke Toriumi▽Ikari Masuyo: Yoko Hikasa▽Wakato Ran: Yui Yui Horie ▽Ishizuna Takuma: Katsuyuki Konishi ▽Irone Yoshi: Sho Show Hayami ▽Kotoshiro Sakugo: Tomokazu Sugita Sugita▽Mani Ichiro: Junya Enoki ▽Nikaidomen Ichi: Junya Enoki▽Oda Mari: Aimi▽Monotsuki Tamami: Yui Ishikawa▽Ichidou Takuseki: Yoji Ueda▽Ichidou Kiri: Kanna Nakamura▽Ichidou Lassie: Yuki Okada
