The main cast of the TV anime "Dodge Danko: The Fiery Ball Girl," based on the official sequel to Tetsuhiro Koshita's popular 1990s dodgeball manga "Dodge Danpei: The Fiery Ball Boy," has been announced. It has been revealed that Manaka Nakayama will play Itsuki Danko, the daughter of Itsuki Danpei, the protagonist of "Dodge Danpei: The Fiery Ball Boy." The cast of members of the Kyukawa Dokyuu Club includes Kaori Maeda as Kobotoke Chinko, the daughter of Kobotoke Chinen; Akira Sekine as Ebukuro Mochiko; Yoh Daichi as Susan Cannon; and Yu Shinohara as Otohana Hane. Noriko Hidaka, who played Itsuki Danpei in the anime "Dodge Danpei: The Fiery Ball Boy," will also appear, providing narration and playing Itsuki Danpei as a young boy.
The main staff was also announced, with Hiroshi Ikehata, known for "Tonikaku Kawaii" and "Witch Watch," serving as director. Hyodo Ippo will be in charge of series composition, and Sekikawa Shigeto will be in charge of character design and general animation direction. The series will be produced by CUE.
A teaser visual was also released, depicting the five members of the Kyukagawa Fighting Ball Club taking to the streets with vigor. The accompanying copy reads, "Deliver a 'blow' at this boring world!"
Nakayama, who plays Ippiki Danko, said, "The super-hot-blooded TV anime that will set the Reiwa era on fire, 'Dodge Danko: The Fiery Ball Girl,' is finally here! I literally gave it my all to play Danko, who takes on everything head-on with overflowing passion! You must not miss the heated match scenes in which everyone's souls collide! I hope that people of all generations will enjoy 'Dodge Danko: The Fiery Ball Girl,' as we give it our all! Thank you very much for your support!"
Maeda, who plays Kobotoke Jinko, commented, "Everyone I meet on set keeps saying, 'What a great name for a character!' (laughs). From this film, I learned how cool it is to face anything with all your might. To be honest, there are a series of developments that leave me speechless, like, 'W-what does that mean...?!' (laughs), but more than that, it's a film that makes you feel the value of guts! All your might! Working hard! That kind of attitude is so precious. I'm also giving it my all as Jinko! Please look forward to it!"
Sekine, who plays Ebukuro Mochiko, said, "Mochiko is a cute girl with a soft, laid-back smile! Every time we record, I try to hold back my laughter so much that my cheek muscles and stomach muscles hurt, but I give it my all and am passionate about the recordings. What kind of games will she play with everyone on her team? There are lots of fascinating characters! Everyone, please look forward to it!"
Daichi, who plays Susan Cannon, said, "I will do my best to bring out the most of her powerful charm! I am so happy to be able to be part of such an incredibly passionate set...! I have become so close with the main cast (laughs), that even before the anime starts airing, I am filled with the feeling of 'please don't let it end...'. We are going to keep on building up the excitement from now on, so please don't get left behind and keep following along!!"
Shinohara, who plays Otohana Hani, commented, "This incredible masterpiece has returned in the Reiwa era, more powerful than ever. It's truly incredible in so many ways!!!!!! Hani is such a cute and funny character, so I can't wait to support her together with everyone. Please look forward to it.... Awawawa..."
"Dodge Danko: The Fiery Ball Girl" is a manga starring Itsugeki Danko, the daughter of Itsugeki Danpei, the protagonist of "Dodge Danpei: The Fiery Ball Boy." It began serialization in 2022 on "Weekly CoroCoro Comic," a manga site run by CoroCoro Comic (Shogakukan). The story depicts Danko's struggle to create the strongest fighting spirit dodgeball team in the Reiwa era. The first episode garnered over 700,000 views, and the latest episodes are frequently trending on "X," demonstrating its popularity. Six volumes of the manga have been released. The series will be adapted into a TV anime in 2026.
"Dodge Danpei" is a dodgeball manga that follows the growth of elementary school student Itteki Danpei as he competes against his rivals in super dodgeball. It was serialized in "CoroCoro Comic" from 1989 to 1995. A TV anime series was also broadcast from 1991 to 1992 and gained popularity.
